OBSERVATIONS OF JACOB SHEEP – EAR SET & TEMPERAMENT
By LESLEY PARTRIDGE When we investigate the basis of tameness, ears can be good indicators of emotions. It can be seen that an animal’s ear set shows it’s flight or fight instinct. Wild animals which have dominant pricked ears, signify heightened awareness, and their straight pointed ears give full access to the ear […]
The Jacob Sheep: Celebrating the UK and USA Breeds
They look like something painted in a dream, multi-horned, piebald, half-wild and yet the Jacob sheep has been calmly grazing in British fields for centuries and standing sentinel in American pastures since the early 20th century. It is a breed that holds together opposites: primitive and modern, ornamental and practical, sacred and commercial. In both […]
Lambing Off-Script: Out-of-Season Breeding with CIDRs and Sponges
by Terry Barker Jacob sheep are a breed close to my heart, and like many traditional breeds, they march to the beat of a seasonal drum. Ewes naturally cycle as the days shorten, which means most of us see lambs in the spring. It’s a rhythm that works, but sometimes, you need a different tune. […]
The Rorschach Fleece: Interpreting the Jacob Sheep
By Terry Barker A freshly shorn Jacob fleece is a Rorschach test. You see a badger. I see a map of Wales. Someone else sees the face of their ex. Our brains are hardwired to find patterns, and Jacob sheep are covered in them. No two markings are the same, yet some families pass down […]
You cannot shepherd without a good dog…………
By Janet East This comment was made by the best shepherd that I have had the privilege to meet, although our first meeting was one which I still look back on with horror. The worst ever farming nightmare I’ve ever had, was when I woke up to a scene which words cannot really describe. On […]
Wool Beyond the Grave: Jacob Sheep, Burial Textiles, and the Ghosts in Your Jumper
Introduction: In 2022, archaeologists near Carlisle uncovered something quietly remarkable—a body curled within a peat bog, time-paused and waxen, as if the earth had been holding its breath. The man wore a rough tunic, undyed and simple, woven from a mottled, two-tone wool: dark against light. The pattern rang familiar. Jacob wool. But he had […]
The Ruminant Republic: What Jacob Sheep Teach Us About Democracy
Introduction You’re in a field. A bucket swings from your hand. Twenty-five Jacob sheep stare at you. You’ve brought the blue bucket. But they were expecting the green one. A single ewe steps forward. She sniffs. She walks away. The rest follow. That was a vote. Flock Logic Is Not What You Think Jacob sheep […]
Barn Cameras or Lamb Cams…!
Keep Your Baa-bies Close, Even When You’re Not: Setting Up a Dedicated Video Surveillance Camera for Lambing Season January, like a new-born lamb, stumbles into being, bringing with it the flurry of lambing season. For us sheep farmers, and especially those who lamb early, it’s a time of endless cups of coffee, missed meals, bleating […]
Observations of the Jacob Sheep
Lesley Partridge At the Central Region Autumn Open Day I took a selection of printed photo panels which I had made to illustrate different aspects of the Jacob breed. The two topics discussed on the day were Jacob markings and ear set and temperament. The following article expands on this discussion a little more. Although […]
Why not show your Jacob sheep?
A Friendly Invitation from the Society If you’ve ever watched the sheep classes at a country show and thought, “I wonder if one of my Jacobs could be in there?”—this post is for you. Whether you keep a few Jacobs for their character, fleece, looks, or just because they’re part of the family, showing them […]