Hi Liz, QR means the ram has resistance to most strains of scrapie. Having one copy of "R" at codon 171 means half of the ram's prodigy can be expected to inherit scrapie resistance.
RR means the ram has resistance to most strains of scrapie. Having two copies of "R" at codon 171 means all of the ram's prodigy can be expected to inherit scrapie resistance. I am providing a much more detailed explanation from Cornell University. http://www.sheep.cornell.edu/management/health/scrapiegenetics.htm Mark Wintermute Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Polled Barbados Blackbelly Rams for Sale What does "QR" mean? Liz Radi idar alpacas and nubians Nunn Colorado 970-897-2580 From: "The Wintermutes" <winterm...@earthlink.net> To: <blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info> Sent: Sunday, October 17, 2010 1:11 PM Subject: [Blackbelly] Polled Barbados Blackbelly Rams for Sale > > > Hello Everybody! > > > Every year I am contacted by people wanting rams for breeding early in the > year. Unfortunately I only sell rams in October, November, and December. > I > also typically only sell mature proven rams. This year I have had a very > nice crop of ram lambs. I in fact have more nice ram lambs than I can > use. > So for the first time I will have ram lambs for sale in the next few > months. > Most of these ram lambs will be "QR" at codon 171 and are 7+ months old. > > Back to the mature rams. I have four 2.5 year old polled Barbados > Blackbelly > rams for sale this Fall. > > I have 2 rams that have been tested "RR" at codon 171 for scrapie > resistance. These are just average sized and average parasite resistant > rams. They are not registered with the BBSAI. They are ready for > sale. One of the two rams is very friendly (begs to be petted). > The other is easily managed (not crazy) and might eat grain out of your > hand but does not want to be touched. > > I will have 1 ram that is either "QK" or "QR" at codon 171 for sale. > He is also friendly and enjoys being petted and hand fed treats. He is > average to above average in size. He has parasite resistance. > > I will have a ram that does not have scapie resistance and has been > tested "QQ" at codon 171 for sale. I am heart broken that he did not test > favorably for scrapie resistance. THIS RAM IS IMPRESSIVE!! He is a > big and tall fully marked hair coat ram. He made beautiful lambs this > year and I am breeding him again this fall before selling him. He > is easily managed and can be called from across the field to come to a > bucket. He does not want to be touched but can be held to check eyes > and such. He has a nice temperament. He has also shown very good > parasite resistance. If this ram had scrapie resistance he would never > have come up for sale. This is the highest quality ram. > > I am going to re-evaluate my 1.5 year old rams soon and will put some of > them up for sale as well. > > Some information about my farm. I typically have over 300 lambs born per > year. This year I downsized and only had 200 lambs born last spring. The > only ram lambs kept for observation are those that are in the top 10% by > weight of the entire lamb crop raised on pasture. We then take this 10% > and > see who gets "kicked off the island". To prevent inbreeding I turn over > my > rams quickly. Most of my rams only get to breed one time before being > replaced by a younger "survivor" ram. I am heavily involved in expanding > bloodlines and keeping inbreeding to a minimum. I generate Wright's > coefficients of inbreeding on every sheep and their prodigy on the farm. > Extensive computer programs are used to determine breeding strategies for > best results. We are currently using 20 different sires in our breeding > pens for 2011 lambs. > > > Let me know if you need a ram. > > Mark Wintermute > _______________________________________________ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
