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Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



Tendai posted:

Can you talk more about what makes a fleece good or bad? Like what is it about the ones that you say are good in the pictures. Purely for my own curiosity!
What I look for in a fleece is that it has a similar texture between colors and from the front to the back of the sheep. Sometimes jacobs have different textures in their black and white fleece, called quilting, and that's something you try to breed away from because it makes it harder for spinners to use. I like longer, open fleeces, where you can practically see the skin in between locks of wool and when they get wet it parts down their spine. Some of mine have less crimp but have longer fleeces and some have really tight, crimpy, curly fleeces but are shorter. Then there's fuzzy wuzzy who basically has no crimp and just has like a fluffy dog coat. What I don't like is a coarse hand (it feels coarse and scratchy to the touch) or really dense fleece where it almost feels spongy because its so closed up.

I'll try to get some fleece close up pictures for examples. JSBA has an album on their fb page about different fleece types and a fact sheet about quilting on their website. "Good" and "bad" is all subjective and even the coarse fleece has its use. I know a spinner that absolutely hated Pennyroyal's fleece, couldn't tell me enough bad things about it, but Penny has also placed in two shows so clearly it isn't an objectively terrible fleece. It just comes down to what people like individually.


Khizan posted:

Did you have a Winston before? I think I remember one that got made into sausage for being an rear end in a top hat, but I may be confused with another W name.

That was Windsor that carried a genetic issue that resulted in (literally) piles of dead lambs and was an rear end in a top hat and was delicious. I still have his pelt.

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Chaosfeather
Nov 4, 2008

I love your animals and your posts and if I wasn't poor suburb scum with no farm experience I'd say I'd be convinced to try to raise a handful of Jacob's.

So I will live vicariously through you and your adorable critters.

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland and had never really interacted with sheep before we got our first ones a decade ago and it turned out alright. I did a lot of reading and learning, and I still do a lot of reading and learning. It's worth it though. Sheep are good creatures and I like them.

Maigius
Jun 29, 2013


Is Spartan you're first sheep with five horns?

Neddy Seagoon
Oct 12, 2012

"Hi Everybody!"

Instant Jellyfish posted:

That was Windsor that carried a genetic issue that resulted in (literally) piles of dead lambs and was an rear end in a top hat and was delicious. I still have his pelt.

There's no greater spice to a dish than revenge :unsmigghh:.

Tendai
Mar 16, 2007

"When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber."

Grimey Drawer
Thank you for the fleece explanation! I have done some very crap spinning attempts, it's cool to hear how you evaluate the fleece on the hoof

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



Maigius posted:

Is Spartan you're first sheep with five horns?

Nope, but he might be my first ram with 5 horns and is definitely the first with fully differentiated 5 horns (at least for now, they may still fuse).

Hard to see but Daphne has 3 horns on her right side. The two laterals are just fused together and it just looks like one horn with a seam in it.


If you want to see some gnarly horns, JSBA just put out a horn fact sheet with some cool examples of fused horns and 5 horn animals. Plus some information on horn genetics which is interesting.

Fun fact: one of the big breeders (actually the guy I bought Windsor, of freezer fame, from) used to be a biologist at UC Davis and did an experiment where he created identical twin jacobs by splitting an embryo in two and implanting the two new embryos in different sheep to see if the spots were identical. Turns out that the spot and horns were similar but not identical.

Organza Quiz
Nov 7, 2009


That breed standard bit is absolutely fascinating - it's never occurred to me before that humans would try to breed gendered characteristics into animals and it makes me wonder just how much sex differentiation in domestic breeds is man made.

MarsDragon
Apr 27, 2010

"You've all learned something very important here: there are things in this world you just can't change!"
Oh hey, speaking of fleeces, I'm the goon that bought one a few years back. I missed that there was a new thread, so I got to spend a couple lovely hours catching up with all the sheep!

This is what the fleece turned into:


It really was lovely to work with; Instant Jellyfish has some great sheep. I don't think I want to try and process fleece myself anymore, but I'll make an exception for Jacobs.

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



Organza Quiz posted:

That breed standard bit is absolutely fascinating - it's never occurred to me before that humans would try to breed gendered characteristics into animals and it makes me wonder just how much sex differentiation in domestic breeds is man made.

Most of the differences between rams and ewes in terms of the standard are just because the ram has so much larger of an impact on the flock. A ewe may have 3 lambs a year at very most, a ram could have dozens or even hundreds of lambs every year. So the rules are stricter for rams so it leads to a higher quality of ram being selected to be herdsires. Jacobs are interesting because they have an open studbook and an inspection process for every sheep submitted for registration. If you have a sheep of unknown origin but it looks like a jacob it can be registered as a jacob. Alternatively if you have a jacob from registered parents and it doesn't look like a jacob it can be rejected and not registered.


MarsDragon posted:

Oh hey, speaking of fleeces, I'm the goon that bought one a few years back. I missed that there was a new thread, so I got to spend a couple lovely hours catching up with all the sheep!

This is what the fleece turned into:


It really was lovely to work with; Instant Jellyfish has some great sheep. I don't think I want to try and process fleece myself anymore, but I'll make an exception for Jacobs.

Thanks for sharing! I love seeing what people do with our yarn and wool, especially the jacob because there are so many different things you can do with it.

This year has been frustrating because we busted our asses last year and got stuff back from the mill in time for shows this year and they were all cancelled. So we're sitting on a lot of nice stuff. Once we get to a show people are going to be so crazy for yarn it should move well its just the waiting that's hard. Sheep don't stop eating when sales are slow!

Organza Quiz
Nov 7, 2009


That makes total sense, I was talking about them outright saying jacob rams with "feminine" horns aren't allowed and jacob ewes with "feminine" horns are encouraged.

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



Organza Quiz posted:

That makes total sense, I was talking about them outright saying jacob rams with "feminine" horns aren't allowed and jacob ewes with "feminine" horns are encouraged.

Oh!

What they mean by that, but aren’t phrasing well, is that rams should have thick, sturdy horns because horn growth is impacted by testosterone production. A ram with thin, reedy horns either has low testosterone, making him a poor breeding prospect, or has a polled (hornless) breed mixed in and isn’t a true Jacob.

Alternatively a ewe with thick, ram-like horns might be a freemartin or have another hormonal problem that could make her a poor breeder. I think they are just describing sexual dimorphism naturally present in the species, personally, rather than encouraging a divide that isn’t there. Wild mouflons and mountain sheep are definitely sexually dimorphic and in many breeds the horned gene doesn’t even allow for horns in XX individuals.

Arsenic Lupin
Apr 12, 2012

This particularly rapid💨 unintelligible 😖patter💁 isn't generally heard🧏‍♂️, and if it is🤔, it doesn't matter💁.


I love the word "freemartin". First saw in Brave New World.

Organza Quiz
Nov 7, 2009


Ah, that is reassuring! It was indeed just the word feminine throwing me off since that makes it sound like they're trying to judge sheep by human beauty standards. Good to know they're using it in terms of sheep standards.

McSharpie
Nov 11, 2005
Hotter than Garrison Keillor, but just a little bit.
I got confused about the perspective here and thought the lamb was balancing a branch on their head. Doh.

What's the difference between M and S in the lamb's registration(?) numbers? Are those for different lines?

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



McSharpie posted:

I got confused about the perspective here and thought the lamb was balancing a branch on their head. Doh.

What's the difference between M and S in the lamb's registration(?) numbers? Are those for different lines?

That's to help me keep track of who their dads were. S for Sweetgrass Ashe, M for Marsh Mallo Montgomery. They all have names, scrapie/official ID numbers, and then farm ID numbers. So Holly will be registered as Roving Holly (Roving Acres is my farm name), her scrapie/federal ID number is OH6608 (this is my premise ID number) 2001 (20 for 2020, 01 because she's the first lamb), her farm ID number is 20M01 because she was sired by Monty. That way if anything happens to me people could use their farm tag number to figure out who is related to which ram if they wanted to sell breeding groups or needed to match animals to their paperwork. Everyone has different ways of picking farm IDs and scrapie individual numbers, that's just what I do.

Carbon Thief
Oct 11, 2009

Diamonds aren't the only things that are forever.
Ahh, so many great lambs! I just found this year's thread and realized I'd never posted my tattoo inspired by your Jacobs.



Still needs colour, but obviously no one's tattooing lately.

ILL Machina
Mar 25, 2004

:italy: Glory to Italia! :italy:

Ayy!! This text is-a the color of marinara! Ohhhh!! Dat's amore!!

Carbon Thief posted:

Ahh, so many great lambs! I just found this year's thread and realized I'd never posted my tattoo inspired by your Jacobs.



Still needs colour, but obviously no one's tattooing lately.

:eyepop:

awesome

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



Carbon Thief posted:

Ahh, so many great lambs! I just found this year's thread and realized I'd never posted my tattoo inspired by your Jacobs.



Still needs colour, but obviously no one's tattooing lately.

That's so awesome and I'm very jealous! Some day I will put money away for an awesome jacob tattoo instead of just buying more sheep and sheep supplies.

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



Yo if anyone needs me and/or farm pictures my farm name is Roving Acres. You can find us on fb or we have a website or on etsy and I think an instagram and maybe on ravelry (I'm not in charge of those so I don't have the links)? Also feel free to email me any time with sheep or goat questions! rovingacres@gmail.com

Thanks for being rad and here's a spotty dog belly.

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

God damnit, I hate lowtax. Thanks for everything, Instant Jellyfish.

Chicken Doodle
May 16, 2007

Instant Jellyfish posted:

Yo if anyone needs me and/or farm pictures my farm name is Roving Acres. You can find us on fb or we have a website or on etsy and I think an instagram and maybe on ravelry (I'm not in charge of those so I don't have the links)? Also feel free to email me any time with sheep or goat questions! rovingacres@gmail.com

Thanks for being rad and here's a spotty dog belly.


Followed on FB.

Thanks IJ.

Organza Quiz
Nov 7, 2009


You're not in charge of @workinggirlmina on insta? Or is there a separate insta for the farm?

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



Organza Quiz posted:

You're not in charge of @workinggirlmina on insta? Or is there a separate insta for the farm?

I am in charge of that one but there is a separate one for the farm that I think just copies my fb posts for people who don't use fb.

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



Hello again friends!

I thought you all might like some sheep pictures. These are from a while back and several of them have sold since then but I've been super busy with my new puppy so I haven't taken new pictures of everyone. All my ewe lambs sold except the 4 I'm keeping back and I've got a bunch of ram lambs some of which are leaving soon and some are being grown out for either spring meat sales or to be sold as yearling breeding rams with nice big horns.

Holly, ewe lamb, staying


Apollo, ram lamb, had a home lined up but there was some drama and now he's available again


Rosette, ewe lamb, sold


Pacific, lilac ram lamb, keeping and he's getting some ewes to breed this year


Carolina, ewe lamb, sold


Jester, ram lamb, growing out


Duchess, ewe lamb, sold


Kent, ram lamb, growing out


Spartan, ram lamb, growing out


Admiral, ram lamb, sold


Keepsake, ewe lamb, keeping


Rival, ram lamb, sold


Monarch, ram lamb, growing out hopefully finds a breeding home because he's really nice


Rubens, ram lamb, growing out


Dulcet, ewe lamb, keeping


Irish, ram lamb going to his new home with a starter flock of adult ewes tomorrow


Jubilee, ewe lamb, keeping


I sold the male goat kid as a wether to a super great pet home and one of the cormo ewes went to a home that had a ton of shetland sheep and wanted to try something bigger.

Also I added yet another spotty creature to the farm, an australian cattle dog puppy! I got her at 4.5 months and she's 6 months now. We went to a herding trainer for some foundation tips but she's got a lot of maturing to do before she can actually help out. Her name is Scout and she came all the way from Oklahoma.


Mina has been spayed, which allowed me to enjoy her naked spotty belly on my couch for 2 weeks, and Major is still trucking along being a grumpy old man.

Breeding starts on the 12th for next year's batch of lambs. I've got a few people who want starter flocks next year so hopefully I have a lot of nice girls!

RoboRodent
Sep 19, 2012

Jubilee is extremely pretty. :kimchi:

Arsenic Lupin
Apr 12, 2012

This particularly rapid💨 unintelligible 😖patter💁 isn't generally heard🧏‍♂️, and if it is🤔, it doesn't matter💁.


Instant Jellyfish posted:

Hello again friends!

I thought you all might like some sheep pictures. These are from a while back and several of them have sold since then but I've been super busy with my new puppy so I haven't taken new pictures of everyone. All my ewe lambs sold except the 4 I'm keeping back and I've got a bunch of ram lambs some of which are leaving soon and some are being grown out for either spring meat sales or to be sold as yearling breeding rams with nice big horns.

Breeding starts on the 12th for next year's batch of lambs. I've got a few people who want starter flocks next year so hopefully I have a lot of nice girls!
Man, you got a good crop of horns this year! Wanna tell us about the fleeces on the keepers?

You showed up in my dreams a month or so ago. My (dream-only) goat had a baby goat with no horns and you were so disappointed. Goat-shaming, man.

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

Oh my gosh I'm so glad you're back!

dismas
Jul 31, 2008


Yaaaaaayyy

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



RoboRodent posted:

Jubilee is extremely pretty. :kimchi:

I wasn't planning on keeping her but she was just too nice.


Arsenic Lupin posted:

Man, you got a good crop of horns this year! Wanna tell us about the fleeces on the keepers?

You showed up in my dreams a month or so ago. My (dream-only) goat had a baby goat with no horns and you were so disappointed. Goat-shaming, man.

I don't judge polled animals (ok, maybe I judge a little). They're fine for people who don't like cool horns :colbert:

All the Ashe babies (Pacific, Jubilee, Keepsake) got his evenness, less coarse britch and belly wool, and are fairly dense and fine. The Monty lambs (Holly, Dulcet) are much more open fleeced and have a lot of length already but are more britchy. I'm hoping to keep that even fleece while increasing the openness and length as I work Ashe's lines into the flock.

Fun story from shearing last night:
I was shearing goats for a new client and as I was finishing up their buck I realized he had one of my tags. I couldn’t remember ever producing a black buck until I realized he was from the year where all the does got super horny at the same time and Iph got bred accidentally. I sold her twins at birth because they couldn’t nurse without getting infected with CAE. So I got to see the Heath x Iph buck all growed up and handsome :3: They bought him as a yearling and named him Kevin. It’s a small goaty world.

Fluffy Bunnies
Jan 10, 2009

Instant Jellyfish posted:

I don't judge polled animals (ok, maybe I judge a little).

I'm telling gossip

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



Fluffy Bunnies posted:

I'm telling gossip

You can't tell me your lovely sheep wouldn't be cooler with some rad horns on them. The tiny horses and the llama too. Horns for everyone.

Fluffy Bunnies
Jan 10, 2009

Instant Jellyfish posted:

You can't tell me your lovely sheep wouldn't be cooler with some rad horns on them. The tiny horses and the llama too. Horns for everyone.

oh you're starting some horrors IJ

Picayune
Feb 26, 2007

cannot be unseen
Taco Defender

Instant Jellyfish posted:

Spartan, ram lamb, growing out


Dang, does this guy have five horns? That's so cool!

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



Yeah! He's got horns like crazy. He won't pass inspection to be registered because they're weird and uneven but someone who doesn't care about registration would probably love to have him around. He's a big, sturdy boy too.

Breeding groups went together on Monday and as of this morning 11 out of 22 ewes have been bred. I timed things wrong so lambs will be a little earlier than I wanted but thems the breaks. They should be dropping around March 9th!

Here's the groups I've got:

Ashe (lilac yearling ram)
-Aster
-Wendigo
-Daphne
-Indigo

Logan (yearling I kept from last year)
-Betty
-Dianthus
-Pennyroyal
-Pansy

Pacific (lilac lamb from this year)
-Sassafras
-Aphrodite
-Pistachio
-Kiwi
-Mariposa

Bialy (my old man cormo)
-April
-Henrietta
-Oneida
-Mini Moose
-Eclair
-Maddie

Then I borrowed a meat/show type merino spring ram lamb to breed the cormos that are related to B and the two CVM ewes I have left. He's a huge boy but super sweet.


Roo gets
-Jaffa (who he is currently madly in love with to the point where he's ignoring everyone else)
-Petitfour
-Cupcake
-Valkyrie
-Hijinx

drrockso20
May 6, 2013

Has Not Actually Done Cocaine
Sheep Romance sounds like the kind of thing that is adorable but also probably quite ridiculous

Neddy Seagoon
Oct 12, 2012

"Hi Everybody!"
But how does Jaffa feel about Roo? :ohdear:

fauna
Dec 6, 2018


Caught between two worlds...
those absolute lambs

Instant Jellyfish
Jul 3, 2007

Actually not a fish.



drrockso20 posted:

Sheep Romance sounds like the kind of thing that is adorable but also probably quite ridiculous

It's not as ridiculous as the goats but there's a lot of snorting and pawing and tail waggling.

Neddy Seagoon posted:

But how does Jaffa feel about Roo? :ohdear:

Jaffa was also enamored until I kicked her out of the barn. Roo was very sad until he turned his attention to Cupcake. He then obsessed about her until I kicked her out of the barn this morning. Apparently he's a serial monogamist so I'm just going to have to remove ewes after he's bred them so he moves on to the next one.

All the jacobs have been bred now, still waiting on 7 of the non-jacobs. There's a whole lot of blue all over my barn.


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Arsenic Lupin
Apr 12, 2012

This particularly rapid💨 unintelligible 😖patter💁 isn't generally heard🧏‍♂️, and if it is🤔, it doesn't matter💁.


The blue looks especially funny on your coated sheep. How do your sheep react the first time they're put into their jackets?

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