Jacob sheep are bred for their wool or meat, in my case, because they are a smaller breed of sheep, I find they make excellent pets. They are a rare breed worthy of consideration by anyone interested in breeding exotic animals.

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Appearance

The horns are the most distinctive feature of a Jacob sheep. In males the horns can go straight up, out to the side, or may even curl under the jaw. When selecting a ram, care must be taken to select one whose horns are not in danger of curving to grow inwards towards the skull. Ideally they should be symmetrical and not interfere with the sheep’s sight or grazing ability. The horns may be stripped or solid colored. Solid white horns are least favorable.

Color is another distinguishing feature, Jacob sheep are black with white markings. Typically as the wool grows the black areas tend to look gray, or even brown, as a result of bleaching in the sun. A rarer color is known as “lilac” where the sheep is a gray and white color at birth, again the darker area often fades in the sun. The ideal pattern of color shows a white blaze on the face, with dark color around the eyes. The nose and mouth should be black, but a pink nose is acceptable (although not desired). The lack of facial markings is a fault. The legs should show some white markings. Over all the amount of color should be no more than 20% dark, or 20% light.

Wool on a Jacob should not be forward of its horns. Wool should not extend below the knee of the sheep. The fleece of a Jacob sheep is light. They do not have an outer coat.

In size a ram should weigh between 120 and 180 pounds, a ewe should be between 80 and 120 pounds. In a Jacob ram the scrotum’s tends to be tighter under the body, hanging down less than in other breeds. The same is often also true of a ewe’s udder.

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Origin

Although they are often considered to have originated in England, the actual origin of the breed is unknown, it is an older breed to be certain. They probably originated in the area that is now Syria around three thousand years ago. From there they spread through Africa, Sicily, Spain, and later, England. It was not until the early 1900’s when Jacob sheep were introduced to the United States and Canada, mostly as colorful zoo animals.

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Today

As of 2009 the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy listed Jacob Sheep as “threatened”, meaning there are fewer than 1,000 registrations a year in the United States. In the United Kingdom, it is not considered at risk, as there are over 3,000 registered breeding ewes. It is important to note there are certainly other sheep bought and sold under the name “Jacob” but they are not registered as such and are therefore unrecognized.

Photo by Author, this little fellas mom is our Jacob ewe, Patsy.  His dad was a Barbado, he was born black and white which has been bleached by the sun, he is standing silly making his legs look bad, look at the horn growth.  He is only four months of age in this picture!

Uses

Like most sheep the main use is for meat. Wool is almost worthless and Jacobs are not heavy producers of wool. They are a lower maintenance sheep in that they only need shearing once a year, and are easy keepers. Twins are not uncommon and the ewes make excellent mothers. Because of their unusual looks Jacobs are often kept as petting zoo animals. Jacob sheep have been used as colorful pets and lawn mowers among the estate owners in England.

See Also

The Beautiful Barbado Sheep

Picture of the little fellas sister (she is also named Patsy, like her mom) and has 5 horns.