Second generation crosses are notoriously unpredictable... color, markings,
and conformation can be all over the place. My ram, who is 3/4 blackbelly,
has thrown some unusual colors and markings. Most of the lambs are darker
than usual for a blackbelly, and 2 of the 3 that are a typical blackbelly
color have funny markings. One has a white cap on the top of its head that
looks like a Yarmulke. The other has splashes of white all over it's
body. At first I thought it was a white sheep, it was only later that I
realized it had standard blackbelly color and markings underneath.
I'm sorry to hear about your other ewe... I've now heard three stories in
the recent past about this happening, so I'm keeping a really close eye on
my ewes.
Julian
At 09:48 PM 4/19/2005, you wrote:
Hi everybody,
We have a new lamb as of this afternoon. :o) We think it is a little
ewe...with black legs and markings under it's chin. It has a big black
spot around at least one eye...and many black spots on it's body. I was
supprised cause the mother and father are both have black face and legs
and beige wool. So a little spotted lamb was not what we were
expecting.. Oh well it is darling and I guess it is in the genes
somewhere. Both mother and dad are Dorsette/Suffolk cross from a herd of
the same.
Does anyone know if this is usual? I would have thought they would be all
black or black and beige.
Anyway we are happy to have it with us happy and doing fine so far.
We lost one ewe a couple weeks ago that had twins and one was decomposing
in her...the other was dead also when we got it out. That was very sad so
I am happy all went well even though there was only one, instead of twins,
this time.
Annette
Alan and Annette Hake
Menookhaw Mountain,
Ravenden, Arkansas
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