"Lammie" sheep? goat? Geep? 🧐

[Amelia]

I was going to mention this--the differences you see look to me like you might have some hermaphroditism going on. It is more common in polled lines, but happens once in a blue moon to any animal. That might explain a lot of the "oddness" that's showing up in your "goat."

She is the one on the right in the brown wooly sweater. Her literal muzzle looked like a sheep... That's not dirt... And it's more shovel shaped and less rounded t

Looks like a goat.

Have you seen a Katahdin?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'd love to see updated pics of her!

 

[Simpleterrier]

Yes more pictures are needed

 

[Amelia]

I wish I had more, I haven't been on the farm since she was born so I don't have any decent pics but I can ask for some better ones, for sure. I want ones, personally that show her differences more clearly. Like her sheep nose.

 

[Legamin]

In fairness she is a 'goat', she was born to a Saanen goat, but we don't really have $13000 to test her.
Would then someone know of any scientific research being done on sheep-like creatures being born to pure bread goats? Right now she is set to be sent off for meat in two months with the ram lambs and bucks (assuming she lives)... If she is as rare as she might be maybe someone could give her a life.

though it would not seem so difficult, genetics has become a very rarified field and breeding the ‘old fashioned way’ is mostly the work of us smaller breeders. There are wildly different outcomes within very limited gene pools as our ‘meat flock’ of sheep demonstrated once again. Crossing a BFL with LL produced a range of powerful, oversized incredibly athletic and ‘double hocked’ lambs when the sister LL bred to the same BFL ram produced normal sized common and very ‘expected’ lambs. This cross of a 220lb LL ewe to a 340lb BFL ram commonly produces 340-410lb lambs at 10 months when fed a high protein grass/legume pasture diet. There is nothing magical except this breed tends to increase in size when crossed in this way. When you breed the biggest of the lambs together you would expect the huge carcass to carry over…but it’s not to be…they produce lambs in line with the original parent’s size but still with a higher musculature and meat to offal/waste ratio (about 58%). So the lesson? Breed what you know. And if doubtful results occur, question assumptions and check hoof, teat, fur/wool micron size and shape, teeth and ears for tell tale indicators of a single heritage. Get out the microscope and set all bias aside HOPING for boring disappointment! If the rare and unexpected occurs and you are pretty sure of your findings then approach your local university with a good AG program and ask if they will help you research the genetics. Offer the carcass to them for research at the end of her/his normal life (if you can afford to do so) and offer free tissue samples and exclusive rights to all test results for the researching student to be able to write his/her thesis on any unusual findings. IF you have an unusual result you DO have something to offer them in exchange for information.
NOTE: Make sure you consult with a lawyer to retain all story rights and promotional rights. You offer the student the research rights and the rights to their own results but in exchange YOU retain all rights to ownership, control of her location and treatment, medical care and any eventual book or story/interview or publicity rights regarding the uniqueness of the animal. There is a fine line between getting something for a bargain and unwittingly giving away the farm (sometimes literally with unscrupulous actors).
Good luck! It sounds like you have a wonderful mystery on your hands! I’m sure there will be a curious grad student looking for a unique thesis!

 

[Amelia]

This is the only other shot I have of her right now but I will try to get others, newer ones.