Author Topic: Please can I ask for an identification of this sheep breed? (Read 8323 times)

kanisha · « **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2011, 01:24:23 pm »

suffolks are homzygous white so unless put to something with dominant black a black lamb isn't likely.

woollyval · « **Reply #16 on:** March 28, 2011, 06:55:42 pm »

Well.....that may well be the science but not always the reality! All jacob x suffolks come out this colour!.......jacob x anything tends to be black! also heb x suffolk or coloured shetland x suffolk is usually coloured too.....my neighbour has lots of heinz 57s!

kanisha · « **Reply #17 on:** March 28, 2011, 07:01:38 pm »

jacobs are all dominant black cross anything to a jacob and you wil get a black sheep.
Hebs have some ED the quantity of which is debatable ( fleecewife?)
shetlands are rarely dominant black

andywalt · « **Reply #18 on:** March 28, 2011, 08:42:41 pm »

well im very confused now, so I would guess that it was a norfolk horn ram with suffolk x romney ewe

Fleecewife · « **Reply #19 on:** March 29, 2011, 01:40:06 am »

Hebs are apparently about 20% dominant black - but that sheep isn't black, but then nor are many Hebs

. It has black head and legs, but a brown body (unless the fleece is true black close to the skin and the brown is just the effect of weathering) Brown lambs are also born jet black. Jacob x lambs tend to have some white bits somewhere. Some breeds do have 'black' animals which turn up occasionally.
Andy, if you discount the colour, are your 2 'black' ewes otherwise the same as the rest of the flock? It is the big face and squat back legs which make me think there is not any primitive in there, as well as the fleece type. Can you ask the person you bought them from, as we all now want to know the answer

Freddiesfarm · « **Reply #20 on:** March 29, 2011, 06:28:48 pm »

I've got a couple of coloured romneys too. So maybe have a good look at the fleece - does it seem like a romney type fleece or is it coarser like a jacob or tighter like a suffolk? My suffx jacobs were a mix of black and white. And just to be really awkward, last year a pedigree lleyn ewe (white) and a pedigree lleyn ram (white) produced twin black lambs! There is not supposed to be any black in lleyns!!!!

andywalt · « **Reply #21 on:** March 29, 2011, 07:07:55 pm »

Well definately totally differant from the suffolk and texels that I have they are closer to the Norfolk Horn but there fleece has remained dark brown, Norfolk horn usually turn back to light/white fleece. I will end up asking the previous owner they will have the answer, also look at my next posting as one of the ewes has lambed, and the 1st lamb from my Romney tup !! have a look

andywalt · « **Reply #22 on:** April 09, 2011, 11:58:55 am »

Hi All

Well I have the answer, and all of you that said it was a jocob cross was right, i hve two of them and I confirmed today with the previous owner who told me they are jocab x norfolk horn !! they have both lambed, didnt see the births, very motherly, really like them

cheers Andy