SageHill Ranch Journal

[Baymule]

No guarantees, but if the lamb in question is a high quality lamb, let it grow and use it for breeding. No guarantees there either and of course since you didn’t lift a lamb chop out of the one in question, you don’t know that it has tender meat.
Bottom line:
You ain’t gonna win.

 

[farmerjan]

From Bloodhorse:

Fascinating

But as @Mini Horses pointed out, after a number of offspring from a male.... stallion or bull or ram.... the odds of what they will produce are greatly increased.
In cattle, and I believe horses, it is called "Prepotence".... meaning the male is more likely to pass on certain traits to the off spring. We see it in the cattle... and remember we have all sorts of "mutt cattle" .... so when you get calf crops that are quite similar... you are seeing the prepotence of the bull showing.
Also works with disposition... on both sides... get a bull with a bad attitude... you will often see a good number of his calves showing the same thing... and with cow families... got 2 cow families that have heifers that are as high headed or "flighty" as the momma's.... or independent and won't come in the catch pens til they are da$#ed good an ready... go the other way with a half dozen calves following them... PITA...

Most animals that win races and such are just the right combination of the genes...EXCEPTIONAL.... and even cloning them does not make the subsequent animal EXACTLY the same... but the offspring might still be very good animals... just not exceptional......

 

[Baymule]

Secretariat had an enormous heart. It pumped more blood, cells got more oxygen and he could run harder, faster and longer. He did not pass his abilities to his sons. He was a broodmare sire. He produced good brood mares.

 

[fuzzi]

Secretariat had an enormous heart. It pumped more blood, cells got more oxygen and he could run harder, faster and longer. He did not pass his abilities to his sons. He was a broodmare sire. He produced good brood mares.

Sham was the best that year, except for Secretariat. Sham's close second place finish in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness also broke track records. And when Sham died, they checked his heart. It was bigger than any other thoroughbred's heart...except for Secretariat's. Poor Sham.

Both were foaled in 1970, as were Forego and Mr. Prospector...truly an exceptional year!

Addendum: https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/4595/magnificent-foal-crop-1970-could-we-ever-see-again/

 

[Ridgetop]

Popularity ruined the breed.

The popularity ruined cocker spaniels, GSD, collies, beagles, etc.

Popularity has ruined breeds in multiple species. When they become popular (Rin-tin-tin, Lassie, etc. veryone wants that dog. They don't stop and think that that particular dog has been extensively trained. The drawbacks (and there are some for every breed) are never disclosed so shelters end up with dogs that don't suit the owner and should never have been bought by them. People see this as a quick bit of money and breed dogs without checking on temperament, health, etc. Every breed has its own health problems - Boxers are prone to heart defects, Dobermans have a form of Hemophilia, long haired dogs have eye problems from inturned eyelids, and all breeds can have dysplaysia. The abundance of Anatolians in shelters today shows the new popularity of the breed. And with their genetics telling them to think for themselves, unsuitability for obedience training, and occasional "sharpness" (aka quick to bite strangers LOL) they are not a good bet for most people. On the other hand they are the best breed of LGD I have owned.

a two phased judging - judge the animal, then slaughter, butcher and eat.

Many Fairs have livestock classes (usually junior livestock) where the animals are judged for meat traits, then when they are butchered, the carcasses are judged for carcass qualities. Of course male animals in meat classes must be neutered. LOL

But there's no guarantee the same parents will produce the same characteristics in their offspring. I see that in racehorses, or even cat and dog littermates.

Actually, once you have been breeding for some time with a certain genetic family of traits, you can usually anticipate how the animal will turn out. This is why most people breeding regstered stock breeds along family lines - "line breeding". "Inbreeding" is used to isolate and strengthen certain desirable traits. Then "out crosses" to other bloodlines are used to bring in "hybrid vigor" and other desirable traits as the "line breeding" becomes too intense. It's a tricky game.

 

[Ridgetop]

And I forgot to mention that 2 champions can produce horrible offspring - the blending of bloodlines has to "click" together. LOL

 

[SageHill]

Went over to feed and check water and found last week's brown ewe lamb with the 10 ft bunk feeder leg on her neck. Flat out. Charged in there saying NOOOOOO. She was still alive. I don't think she would've lasted much longer. pretty limp. Picked her up and got to a hose - still had a sucking reflex, got a little water into her from my finger, water on the belly to perhaps cool her - hottest day of the year so far. She started coming around. Looked like she could move her legs. Did a pinch test on a rear leg and got a reaction - she could feel it.
Set her down in the barn aisle while I tossed hay into the bunk feeders - she managed to get out of the barn and to the corral gate. So I put her in, She hung out at the side of the creep feeder - with her head up as if nursing. Thinking a good sign - she can move her neck. Thought I'd leave her there. Put the feed cart back in the barn and she was splat.
Brought her back to the house, feed her some lamb replacement - she took about an ounce. She's currently in the "dog room" in a laundry basket.
While we were getting her situated Sage (pup) came in all concerned (and a tad bit excited) but she knew something wasn't right. Then she put her nose to exactly where the bunk feeder had been on her neck. No blood or scrapes there - no tells, but Sage knew and was gentle.
We'll be keeping a close eye on her. It looks like other than the down time the ewe lamb isn't hurt too badly that I can see. She can stand and walk - though not as steadily, but with that feeder on her neck I'm sure the circulation was cut off for awhile.
Fingers crossed. This is the little brown ewe born a week ago.

 

[Finnie]

Oh man I hope she recovers!

 

[Finnie]

@Baymule yeah - keep them all - but I've come around and with the last bunch of lambs figured only keep the best - so that's what I'm doing .

If you like getting triplets, maybe keep triplet ewe lambs and sell off proven ewes who only produce singletons. Although I have seen on some YouTube videos I watch that a lot of shepherds prefer twins over triplets.

For sure. The only reason I didn't care for them was they have short hair. Add in not one person knew what a Malinois was. Now everyone know and they are in shelters all over. Popularity ruined the breed. Most are loose canons and probably next on the insurance ban list. I know some nice ones, well bred and bred for the right reasons. Sadly though it's the I've got one, you've got one, lets have puppies.

I’m sure becoming known as police dogs didn’t help either.

 

[Mini Horses]

It's like people think the breeds tendencies & abilities all come "fine tuned & auto trained" in every pup! Sooo not true. The hours of refined training is not realized/acknowledged to these puppy mills.

I admire & respect the Malinois but, not qualified to train one!