About Jacob Sheep...
Jacob sheep are an old world breed dating back
several thousand years. W
hile 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. By 1970 Jacob sheep were
so rare in England that the Jacob Sheep Society was formed to help preserve them. Due
largely to their efforts Jacob sheep numbers have increased dramatically in Great Britain.
Jacob sheep had been imported in small numbers into the US and Canada since the early
1900’s. In 1988 The Jacob Sheep Breeders
Association (JSBA) was formed in the USA to ensure the conservation of Jacob
Sheep through inspections, registration and education. The American Jacob is still
considered a 'threatened' breed by the
Livestock Conservancy (www.livestockconservancy.org).
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 ewes 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 britchyness. Staple length is 3" - 7"
and fleeces weigh from 3-6 lbs with little grease and a high yield.
When the colors from one fleece are separated it can yield three colors -
creamy white, brown/grey and brown/black.

Click here to see our Jacob sheep
sale list
Why
we raise Jacob sheep...
•We like helping to preserve a unique and valuable
Heritage breed.
•They’re very hardy and disease resistant.
•Their small size means they eat less food and have higher per acre stocking rates
than commercial breeds.
•The ewes tend to twin, have few lambing problems and are excellent mothers.
•Their multicolor, medium grade wool is prized by Handspinners
•They produce a lean, mild flavored carcass with beautifully unique pelts.
•Their magnificent horns and attractive spots are very showy and beautiful.
•With their "goat like" personalities, they are smart, curious and tend to
tame down fairly easily.
•The lambs are sooooo cute!
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