About Jacob Sheep...
Jacob sheep are an old world breed dating back several
thousand
years. They and the Navajo Churro may well have shared early
ancestors.
While their exact heritage is unknown, pie-bald or spotted sheep have
been
mentioned in historic accounts for several centuries. Named after Jacob
in the Bible (Genesis 30), these sheep most recently appeared in
England
several hundred years ago, where they graced the Estates of the
Nobility.
Several breeds of sheep can produce spotted
lambs but Jacobs are the only breed which remain
spotted for
life. Jacob sheep carry the polycerate gene which allows them to
produce
multiple horns, and both rams and ewe are horned. They are a small to
medium
size breed with ewes weighing from 80 to 120 pounds and rams ranging
from
120 to 180 lbs. Jacob fleece is a medium grade (24-33 microns, Bradford
count 44-56s, demi-luster), with an open character, a soft springy
handle
and little or no kemp, or itchiness. Staple length is 3" - 7" and
fleeces
weigh from 3-6 lbs with little grease and a high yield.
Reasons to keep Jacob Sheep:
•Their multicolor, medium grade wool is great for handspring
into yarn for knitting or weaving.
•Their horns, which can be in sets of two or four or sometimes
even
more and attractive spots are beautiful.
*We like looking at them grazing in the pasture.
•They’re very hardy and disease resistant.
•Their small size means they eat less food and we can keep
them on
small acreage.
Triple Seven Livestock
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2005 - Triple Seven, LLC
