The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Fleecewife on April 04, 2014, 10:32:47 pm

Title: Geep
Post by: Fleecewife on April 04, 2014, 10:32:47 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26882203  (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26882203)


I wonder how far away the Soay farm is  ::) :sheep:
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: Brucklay on April 04, 2014, 11:25:21 pm
Or that escaping Castlemilk Moorit  :excited:
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: ballingall on April 05, 2014, 12:04:42 am
Exactly my thoughts! Didn't look like half goat to me.... Prob not the dad he was wanting though. Mind you we got our own surprise this year.....


Beth
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: roddycm on April 05, 2014, 01:52:14 am
Cheviots are usually dominant so probs a foster lamb!
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: jaykay on April 05, 2014, 08:59:58 am
I’m not sure I believe in sheep-goat crosses, naturally. Most species have significant behavioural traits that keep them from cross-mating, together with the genetic mismatch.


Irish blarney? What was the date??
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: suziequeue on April 05, 2014, 09:06:09 am
Mmmmmmmmm - although the date of the BBC news story is 4th April, I wonder what date the story was first published in the Irish Farmers Journal????
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: kelly58 on April 05, 2014, 09:09:22 am
When you say chevs are dominant, do you mean in a bossy way with the other sheep ?
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: kanisha on April 05, 2014, 09:22:35 am
accroding to the standard the owner states   He added: "It was moving a bit too quickly for a lamb, its legs were very long and he even has horns like a goat."
Mr Murphy said he noticed a goat mating with his sheep on the mountainside but assumed nothing would come of it."

all could be explained by a mating with a soay,   minimal spotting on the lamb with a black and tan pattern is interesting.



 
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: jaykay on April 05, 2014, 09:31:22 am
Lol, and no-one's ever seen a fast, long legged, horned lamb then. Describes my Shetland tup lambs pretty well - so Soay lambs too, and most other primitives I expect.

I couldn't say I've noticed a difference, either, in the speed or long-leggedness of my lambs and kids.

Billy goats get blamed for all sorts of things.....Paddy McGinty's goat (http://www.brendannolan.com/lyrics/goat.html)

Title: Re: Geep
Post by: in the hills on April 05, 2014, 09:44:54 am
Yes, Soay lambs are definitely fast  ::).

I read somewhere that Soay do share a lot of genetic material with goats.

I've never heard of a cross like this. Wonder if it can happen  :thinking:
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: Fleecewife on April 05, 2014, 11:32:49 am
My husband was posted to Cyprus some time ago and took pics of the sheep and goats being flocked together.  He said they had plenty of geeps and shoats, but that was before we knew the first thing about sheep.
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: shygirl on April 05, 2014, 11:36:36 am
I was thinking its an april fool.
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: roddycm on April 05, 2014, 12:04:02 pm
When you say chevs are dominant, do you mean in a bossy way with the other sheep ?

I dominant genetically.... I suspect this is just a pure soay foster lamb otherwise theoretically it would look more like the mother.
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: Fleecewife on April 05, 2014, 12:12:43 pm
Head too wide, ears too big, mini mutton chops very like the dam, and quite some curly fleece, so not a fostered pure Soay.   Seeing the tail would help although not conclusive as Soay crosses can have either short or long tails.
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: kanisha on April 05, 2014, 12:23:28 pm
Tail can be seen on the video. it is noticeably shorter than the cheviot ( prior to docking) more primitive like.
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: Fleecewife on April 05, 2014, 02:43:51 pm
Tail can be seen on the video. it is noticeably shorter than the cheviot ( prior to docking) more primitive like.


So it is  ;D   Looks to be about half and half between primitive and Cheviot.  It has something like the proper Soay pale marks around its general bum and belly area too.


Notice that the farmer - who also manages the pub (does that say it all?) - says he saw a  goat 'as far as I could see', doing the deed with the ewes..  I don't think this will go down in the annals of amazing true stories, but someone will believe it  ::)
Title: Re: Geep
Post by: jaykay on April 05, 2014, 03:25:49 pm
It seems to being believed more than not, on the Goat group on Ravelry ......  :D

Yes, good publicity stunt I'd say - or April Fool.