Natural History

Posted in Identify the species | 15 Comments

15 Responses

1. on February 22, 2010 at 2:08 am Rinalia

   Is it fair of me to answer when I just wrote about them in my own blog? :)

   
   
   • on February 22, 2010 at 2:13 am retrieverman

     Where do you think I got the idea?

     
     
     • on February 22, 2010 at 2:24 am Rinalia

       A-ha, well Peggy sorta beat me to it…Barbados Blackbelly. They’re not Barbado, though, which is an American cross-breed.

       
       
2. on February 22, 2010 at 2:13 am Peggy Richter

   barbadoe sheep. they were very common in the West for herding trials.
   Oklahoma university distinguishes between the horned version which is a result of crossbreeding with other sheep (Rambouillet, Mouflon and Dall, among others) and the polled version which is the type that originated from the islands of the same name.
   VR, Peggy Richter.

   
   
   • on February 22, 2010 at 2:14 am retrieverman

     Dall?

     I didn’t know that Dall sheep could crossbreed with domestic sheep.

     
     
3. on February 22, 2010 at 2:35 am Peggy Richter

   Both Dall and Bighorn sheep can crossbreed with domestic sheep. I expect it is harder to do than Mouflon crosses, but IIRC, there was a case at the LA Zoo years ago. I’ll see if I can find the reference. Crosses like this are fairly popular as game farm animals as they have the look of the wild sheep without the Federal regulations regarding hunting: http://www.nebraskasheep.com/directory/Breeds/Mouflon/
   Ellensburg Daily Record – Apr 21, 1990 —
   http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=860&dat=19900421&id=L-YPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_Y4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5106,7098154 — case of escaped sheep crossing with Bighorns in Wyoming.
   vr, Peggy Richter

   
   
   • on February 22, 2010 at 2:39 am retrieverman

     I knew that urials (which may be mouflons) and argali could interbreed, but I assumed the North American sheep were too distantly related.

     Of course, they didn’t play a role in domestic sheep breeds.

     
     
4. on February 22, 2010 at 2:59 am Peggy Richter

   general information on various hair sheep:http://www.raftersb.com/abouthairsheepbreeds.htm

   write up on the cross of bighorn /domestic sheep: http://www.jstor.org/pss/1377561

   As I indicated, it’s fairly popular as a game farm type animal for hunting:
   http://www.scirecordbook.org/hybrid-sheep-north-america-introduced/

   A lot of the “barbadoe” in the CA area have more than a dash of mouflon in them. Makes herding them in a trial not so much fun, but if your dog can do it, it’s pretty decent bragging rights.
   VR, Peggy Richter.

   
   
   • on February 22, 2010 at 3:04 am retrieverman

     There are several different strains of game ranch mouflon crosses. Texas Dall: http://www.continentalranchtexas.com/texasdall.htm

     
     
5. on February 22, 2010 at 3:33 am Mongoose

   I was gonna say goats. Now I feel like such an ignoramus after reading the comments…

   
   
   • on February 22, 2010 at 3:51 am Rinalia

     Lots of people mistake hair (and light wool) sheep for goats. It’s not exactly common knowledge! :)

     
     
   • on February 22, 2010 at 3:53 am retrieverman

     Yeah, they are hair sheep.

     
     
     • on February 22, 2010 at 7:32 pm cyborgsuzy

       And I just learned a knew phrase.

       One I should’ve known, since one of the agility people I know has a small herd of “short haired sheep”. :D

       
       
6. on February 22, 2010 at 2:45 pm Lane Batot

   Definetely Barbados Blackbelly sheep–I used to have some! They shed naturally(no shearing necessary), and they are not nearly as dense(mentally) as other domestic sheep–much more like goats in their sensibility. I loved mine……

   
   
7. on February 23, 2010 at 12:53 am Bridget

   Great talk –
   I found it it very good and functional
   to write & talk about sheep in a good, fundamental dog blog.

   
   

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