[Jacob-list] two horned sheep

[Jacobflock at aol.com]

Dear Listers = The 2 horn / 4 horn question is as old as the  documented 
Jacob history.  When the shepherd Abel Eyre listed Earl  Fitzwilliams wool 
clip in 1834, the "Spanish Sheep with 4 Horns" was listed as  Jacob Sheep.  The 
Fitzwilliam flock was out of Wentworth and in 1750 is  listed as one of two 
documented 4 horn Jacob flocks, the second flock being  Tabley Hall.  One 
other 1750 Jacob flock was Fairtfax Lucy Charlecot,  Warwickshire, and noted 
as a two horn.  The documented history  of "Jacob" flocks startes as a 2 out 
of 3 are four horn and 100 years  later there are only two other two horn 
flocks; Henry Dryden (Canons Ashby)  and  Duke of Devonshire (Chatsworth) 
noted.  The majority (about 16 of  20) of documented flocks by the 1880s are 
four horn.  Elwes in "Guide to  Primitive Breeds..." recaps the 2 horn vs 4 
horn flock sources and is unable to  cite the basis for the difference and 
sources.  Hence, by the early 1900s  there are both 2 and 4 horn flocks.  By 
1960 the Jacob Sheep Society,  following their breed standard, has three out 
of four two horn Jacobs  for breedshow winner types; four horn configurations 
giving rise to "balance"  and growth problems.. 
 
In the US in 1999, attention was directed to a decade (1989-1999) of  
breeding trends both phenotype issues and breed genetic diversity: Two horns had  
increased from 32% to 55%, and 4 horn had decreased from 68% to 45%.   More 
to the breed sex population point, the ratio of 2H ewes and 2H rams  
followed the same trend (Journal of the JSC).  The JSBA noted that the four  horn 
population in the decade ending 1999 went from 77% to 61%; no data by sex  
but perhaps it was similar; and is now at 53%.  Is the drop in 4 horn  ratios 
as significant today as it was in 1999?  Breed associations often  monitor 
the health of a breed and perhaps a Jacob breed association, JSS as  an 
example, can provide guidance on the issue.    
 
The Jacob is neither the only four horn breed nor only a four horn  breed.  
Regards = Fred Horak
 
 
In a message dated 9/6/2011 1:27:30 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
fourhornfarm at frontier.com writes:

I have been counting the number of 2H vs  4H  Jacobs registered in the JSBA 
Flock Books for the last few years  and the number of 2Hs registered has 
gradually increased each year to where  about 42% of Jacobs registered are now 
2Hs. Most of the 2Hs are from the West  Coast as was mentioned by someone, 
but there are also more 2Hs being  registered in other parts of the U.S. I 
believe the reason for the increase in  2Hs is that more people are breeding 
for fleeces as there primary focus and  another thing is that it is easier 
to breed a 2H than a good 4H. A good  balanced  and strong set of 4Hs is hard 
to get.  In Indiana it is  difficult to sell 2H Jacobs. The JSBA does not 
discriminate against 2H  Jacobs.  Many people associate the 4Hs with the 
Jacob breed as it is  one of the few breeds of sheep with four horn genes, but 
there are several  breeds of sheep that have 2Hs. I have never heard the 
statement that only  4Hs  are true Jacobs, but maybe what they meant was this 
fact about  Jacobs being associated with 4Hs more than any other breed.  
I believe non JSBA  members can purchase a guide book from Shannon at the 
business  office.
    Missouri is one state  where few people raise registered Jacobs. Mark 
can probably enlighten us on  why this is. I always suspected it was because 
they have the exotic sales  there that other states do not have and this 
gave them a market that most  other states do not have.

----- Original Message ----- 
From:  _Mark  Essen_ (mailto:messen at socket.net)  
To: _jacob-list at jacobsheep.com_ (mailto:jacob-list at jacobsheep.com)  
Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 10:53  PM
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] two horned  sheep



I do not understand "We have people saying that over half  the sheep 
submitted and registered..."  Can't this be quantified with  real numbers?
Anybody know how JSC is doing?  Do they still maintain  a registry?
Of course, most Jacobs sheep are probably not known to the  registry.  I 
hazard to say that there is no way to count how many sheep  or horns are not 
registered.
Is there any plan to make this guide book  public?  I would love to see 
what all of the fuss is about.
Mark







On Mon, Sep 5, 2011 at 7:55 PM, Linda <_patchworkfibers at windstream.net_ 
(mailto:patchworkfibers at windstream.net) >  wrote:

On one hand, we have people saying that over half the  sheep submitted and 
registered in JSBA are two horned. On the other  hand, we have people saying 
there is no demand for two horned sheep and  you can't sell them. Huh?
Linda.
--  
Patchwork Farm Jacob Sheep <_http://www.patchworkfibers.com_ 
(http://www.patchworkfibers.com/) >
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