Black sheep genetics?

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
1

Dex’s report on the term “black sheep” made me curious.

I’m guessing that blackness in a sheep is a recessive trait? In other words, could a perfectly respectable pair of white sheep could give birth to an undesirable black lamb?

2

It is indeed a recessive gene, and the answer to your question is “yes”.

Are you interested enough to wade through these sheep genetics websites? Because if I try, my brain will explode. :smiley:

http://www.sheepusa.org/resource/handbook/chbreed.htm

http://www.hawksmountainranch.com/colorpatterngenetics.html

http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/agency/Pubns/farmnote/1999/f12999.htm

3

Thanks, Duck Duck Goose! The table on the first page convinced me.

Nothin’ like DDG’s patented Google smackdown. :slight_smile:

Here’s a really in-depth one about Icelandic sheep that I found illuminating also:

http://www.icelandicsheep.com/genetics.html