Guest Author - Beth Firme

Perhaps one of the best known “primitive” breeds of sheep is the Jacob sheep. Their distinctive coloring and number of horns makes them easy to identify. Also known by the much older name of Piebald sheep, these sheep are most likely descended from the sheep that the Norse brought to England when they settled there, most likely giving the sheep a Scandinavian background, and also from other imports. Another name, Spanish sheep, has been applied to this breed and reinforces the idea that this Jacob sheep didn’t originate there either, and may have passed through that geographic locale on its way to other regions. While historical research and pictoral evidence places the advent of this breed as far back as 3000 years in Syria, and supports the breeds movement through North Africa, to Sicily, on to Spain, and from there throughout the rest of Europe, the exact timeframe of its arrival in Britain is difficult to pinpoint. Documents support the claim that a sheep of this type existed as far back as the 1500s in Britain, but legend has it that the sheep washed up on the shores after the sinking of the Spanish Armada. Although the history and origins of the Jacob sheep may be dubious, their appearance, use, and uniqueness as a breed most certainly are not questionable at all.

The current name of “Jacob” sheep has an interesting, although romantic, story to it. This name refers to the Biblical story, in Genesis 30: 31-70, of Jacob taking all the spotted sheep for his own from his uncle Laban’s flocks. While the story is nice, the Jacob sheep have no relationship, genetic or otherwise, to Middle Eastern fat-tailed sheep.

The story does, however, give the reader an idea of sheep’s appearance. Jacob sheep most often are white sheep with black spots, but occasionally a sheep will have brownish gray spots, not black, and then the color is termed “lilac.” The spots should be crisp, not muddy, and should not have too much freckling. There should also be spots over the eyes, nose, and knees. Additionally, when washed, the white in Jacob sheep fleece become extremely white, while the black may be a darker brown to black.

Outside of their spots, one of the most unique characteristics of the Jacob sheep is their horns. This breed is a polycerate (multiple horned) breed. Depending on the individual animal, they may have from two to six horns, with two and four being most common. An individual sheep must have at least two horns to be registerable, meaning that polled sheep are not able to be registered. The Jacob sheep I have seen have mostly black horns, but I have seen a few that have horns that are striped with black and a lighter color. The darker horns are more desirable, and white horns are considered a negative characteristic for breeding and showing. Also considered a negative trait are scurs (horns that are unattached or only loosely attached to the skull), since the ideal horn arrangement is one that is smooth, balanced, and doesn’t interfere with the animal’s sight or hearing. Horns in two-horned sheep and the lower set of horns in four-horned sheep are spiral shaped, with the rams having larger horns than the ewes.

Wool is one of the more important characteristics of sheep, at least as far as spinners are concerned. Luckily, the Jacob sheep possesses a nice fleece so that spinners actively seek this type of fleece. Like one of my favorite breeds, the Suffolk, the Jacob is considered to be a down breed, with a nice springy fleece that is fairly open, and light in lanolin content. This fleece is lovely to spin after it's processed. Each sheep produces about five pounds of medium-fine wool, with a Bradford count of 45 – 54 and a micron size of approximately 34. The staple length is 3-5 inches, and may be as long as seven inches. There may be some kemp, or coarse, hair-like fibers, in the fleece. In this way, the Jacob sheep are like the Hog Island and Soay sheep, which also tend to have a double layer coat, although much more pronounced than that of the Jacob. Sometimes a lamb is born with guard hair on its neck at birth which then remains as guard hair for the life of the sheep. Some Jacob sheep have what is called "britch" wool on their legs, which is coarse and wiry. this wool can be used as an accent on garments or woven into home furnishings. Some more primitive lines have guard hair which falls out between 3 – 6 months of age. The hairy coat provides protection to the vulnerable lambs from wind and weather.

Like other “primitive” breeds, Jacob sheep fall into the unimproved category of sheep, needing little help from humans to survive. They are resistant to disease and parasites, and only require annual shearing, with some individuals actually beginning to shed their fleece in the neck region. They tend to be smaller than the larger “modern” breeds, with the ewes weighing between 100 – 120 pounds and rams being between 100-180 pounds. They lamb easily and twins are common. They do not show much flocking behavior, like the Soay and Mouflon sheep, and do not require additional grain to meet their nutritional needs. While shelter is from weather is needed, it can be open and very minimal.

This unique breed is well worth a look by any handspinner. Not only do you get two colors of fleece, but you also get a good quality fleece from an interesting source. The other neat fact is that no two are completely alike, and since we all love one-of-a- kind products, this is an excellent way to showcase this breed and your favorite type of spinning and knitting, crocheting, or weaving project.