[Jacob-list] (no subject) - white sheep

[Peg Bostwick]

Hmm – as I recall our pair did have white horns, but I’d have to dig through all photos to be sure.   

 

Peg Bostwick

 <mailto:peg at sweetgrass-jacobs.com> peg at sweetgrass-jacobs.com

517-626-6981

 

From: Betty Berlenbach [mailto:lambfarm at tds.net] 
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2013 2:23 PM
To: Peg Bostwick; 'tim koenig'; Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] (no subject) - white sheep

 

One interesting thing I’ve noticed in the two flocks I’ve seen white lambs is that their horns are white, not black or striped. I wonder if that is some kind of hint.

 

From: Peg Bostwick <mailto:peg at sweetgrass-jacobs.com>  

Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2013 9:57 AM

To: 'tim koenig' <mailto:timkoenig5 at gmail.com>  ; Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 

Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] (no subject) - white sheep

 

Hi, all.  Every few years, it seems that someone has an all white lamb from Jacob parents.  Hadn’t heard about it being related to general weakness.... that is a new one for me.

 

Very early on – pre JSBA – we had a set of triplets, and two of the three were all white.   Although the registry hadn’t been initiated, both sire and dam were from breeders who provided pedigrees for several generations – we didn’t think this was a case of crossbreeding.   But, everyone was pretty sensitive at the time about what was a “real” Jacob, so didn’t want to talk about it much.  We put the two white ewes in with our commercial sheep and forgot about them mostly, although out of curiosity I did breed one to a Jacob ram one time and she produced a perfectly spotted lamb – which we culled to avoid questions.

 

At the time, we were told that it was most likely “one big spot” as has been mentioned in this list before.  I can understand that, but am still curious as to whether something else is going on genetically as well, given that there doesn’t seem to be a lot of in-between – like a sheep with just a few black hairs around the eyes or something.  Ours had blue eyes and NO black at all.   The physical issues also make me curious, although ours were in the commercial flock for years and were fine.  They don’t fit the albino pattern (blue eyes) – but something similar maybe?   I know that some all white animals can have physical issues – something like 15% (may not remember the number correctly) of all white cats are deaf, for instance.

 

Generally, I guess it is just fair to say that all white sheep aren’t acceptable as registered Jacobs (obviously!) and aren’t desirable physically either it sound like.  We’ve never had another white one.  If I had them show up routinely in my flock, I would try to identify the bloodlines involved and try to get rid of them, but of course that is a personal choice.

 

That’s all I know but if someone figures out more about the genetics involved, I’d love to hear about it.   J   Peg

 

Peg Bostwick

peg at sweetgrass-jacobs.com

517-626-6981

 

From: jacob-list-bounces at jacobsheep.com [mailto:jacob-list-bounces at jacobsheep.com] On Behalf Of tim koenig
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2013 4:35 PM
To: Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
Subject: [Jacob-list] (no subject)

 

I wonder if anyone else out there has had this situation. I talked to Mark Williams about it, and he hadn't heard of it, so I thought I'd put it out to the list.

In the past 8 or 9 years, a few of my ewes have produced entirely white Jacobs lambs. Never more than one in a given year, and, until last year, most were born dead, or died within a couple days.

Last year, one ewe produce another all white ewe lamb, alive and healthy. She grew well and was bred last fall, and recently delivered a fine, healthy, dark ram lamb. Both animals are unusually friendly, actively seeking contact whenever I'm in sight.

Milky has blue (ish) eyes, not a black hair on her, no black even inside the mouth. Her parentage traces back, un broken through pure bred, registered Jacobs. No other sheep have been on the farm since several years before I started Jacobs.

Does this situation just qualify as one humongous, big white spot...or what??

Tim Koenig
Applegarth Farm

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