Relax and float through the day in the shade.

An adult and young 'Jacob' sheep relax in the shade at a holding pen in O'Keefe Ranch - The O'Keefe Ranch officially open on the 8th of May to celebrate Mother's Day in Spallumcheen. Join Ray Sauer and the Spallumcheen Power Club for a Pancake Breakfast at 9AM!

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The Jacob sheep is a rare breed of small, piebald (black and white spotted), polycerate (multi-horned) sheep. Jacobs may have as many as six horns, although four horns is most common. Jacobs are usually raised for their wool, meat, and hides. They are kept as pets and ornamental animals, and have been used as guard animals to protect farm property from theft or vandalism and to defend other livestock against predators.
Generally referred to as an unimproved or heirloom breed (one that has survived with little human selection), the Jacob is descended from an ancient Old World breed of sheep, although its exact origins remain unclear. Spotted polycerate sheep were documented in England by the mid-17th century, and were widespread a century later. Unlike most other old world breeds, the Jacobs of North America have not undergone extensive crossbreeding and selective breeding; their body habitus resembles that of a goat. Relative to their American counterparts, British Jacobs tend to be larger and heavier, and have lost many of their original characteristics through artificial selection.

The origins of the Jacob sheep are obscure, but it is certainly a very old breed. However, it was not until the 20th century when the breed acquired the name "Jacob sheep". Piebald sheep have been described throughout history, appearing in works of art from the Far East, Middle East, and Mediterranean regions. Among these accounts is the story of Jacob from the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. The Jacob sheep is indeed named for the Biblical figure of Jacob.
A piebald breed of sheep probably existed in the Levant, specifically in the area that is now known as Syria, about three thousand years ago. According to the Book of Genesis (Genesis 30:31-43), in what may be the earliest recorded attempt at selective breeding, Jacob took every speckled and spotted sheep from his father-in-law's (Laban's) flock and bred them. It is possible that the resulting breed may have accompanied the westward expansion of human civilization through Northern Africa, Sicily, Spain and eventually England.
An alternate and possibly related theory is that the Jacob is a descendant of the fat-tailed sheep, another ancient breed from Mesopotamia. The earliest records of the fat-tailed sheep are found in the Sumerian cities of ancient Uruk (3000 BC) and Ur (2400 BC) on stone vessels and mosaics. Another early reference to this breed is found in the Book of Leviticus (Leviticus 3:9), where an animal sacrifice is described which includes the tail fat of sheep. In fact, a recent genetic analysis has provided evidence supporting a direct link between the Jacob sheep and certain unimproved breeds in Southwest Asia and Africa rather than other British breeds. Using retroviruses as genetic markers, the authors found that sheep dispersed across Eurasia and Africa via at least two separate migratory episodes. Descendants of the first migrations include the Mouflon, as well as other unimproved breeds, such as the North Ronaldsay sheep, Soay sheep, and the northern European short-tailed sheep. A later migratory episode shaped the great majority of present-day breeds. There is however no compelling evidence from historical records to suggest that the Jacob sheep is descended from the fat-tailed sheep, or any other breed of sheep from the Middle East.
One persistent legend holds that the Jacob sheep washed ashore from shipwrecks in England after the destruction of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Despite the fact that there is little if any reliable evidence to support this claim, the Jacob was referred to as the "Spanish sheep" for much of its early recorded history. It has been bred in England for at least 350 years, and spotted sheep were widespread in England by the mid-18th century. At that time, Jacob sheep were often kept as ornamental animals grazed in parks, which probably kept the breed extant. Jacobs were ideal for this role, as they were picturesque but required minimal care. Scant selection occurred for anything but hardiness, spots, and four horns. The result was an unimproved breed that looked after itself well. In recent years, Jacobs have been used as guard sheep in Gloucestershire, in the manner of guard dogs, to protect farm property from vandalism.
A commonly held but mistaken belief is that the Jacob sheep are descendants of a subarctic breed of sheep brought by Vikings during the Middle Ages. Norsemen are indeed believed to have introduced certain robust types of sheep to Northern Europe and the British Isles between the late eighth century to the middle of the eleventh century. However, the sheep kept by the Norse were of a type found in an area stretching from the British Isles to the Baltic, known as the northern European short-tailed sheep; the Jacob bears little resemblance to these. In fact, all Scandinavian breeds belong to the Northern European short-tailed group of sheep. The Jacob sheep is a long-tailed breed, and is therefore unlikely to be related to any breeds introduced by the Vikings.
Jacobs were first imported into parks and zoos of North America in the early 20th century. Some individuals acquired them from zoos in the 1960s and 1970s, but the breed remained rare in America until recently. Most of today’s population of American Jacobs is descended from imports since around 1980. Jacobs have become quite popular among small flock holders as well as handspinners and weavers.

O'Keefe Ranch Rare Sheep Breeding facility, Spallumcheen - May 04, 2011.