In the Jacob world sheep are either black and white or lilac (and white). Lilac refers to a color that is Not Black. That is usually gray maybe with a brown cast. This blog post shows photos of several lilac sheep. Many time people think Jacob sheep have brown spots, but that is because tips of the dark wool become unbleached. The wool is still dark at the skin. When you describe the Jacob sheep’s color you look at the facial markings. If the hair is black or gray(ish) that dictates the label for the color.

Griffin is a ram that was born in February 2024. Last fall when this photo was taken I wasn’t sure of his color but now I am. In this photo he looks black and white. Remember, it’s based on the facial markings. It may be hard to tell from just a photo as well.

This photo was taken shortly after shearing in January. The eye ring that is often part of the lilac coloring is obvious and the fleece looks gray.

In this photo it is much easier to tell the difference in color between Griffin on the left and Sterling on the right.

Griffin’s fleece looking at the cut side.

Griffin’s fleece, on the right, with a lock of wool on the left from a definitely black and white sheep.

The lilac trait is recessive so breeding two lilacs should produce lilac lambs. When there is a black and white parent the appearance of lilac lambs means that there is lilac somewhere in the ancestry of the black parent. In Griffin’s case, both parents are black and white. There is a lilac great-great-granddam on his sire’s side and a great-grandsire and on his dam’s side.

Sometimes we wonder if all “not black” Jacob sheep have the same lilac genetics. This is being investigated now.

I took this photo a few days ago when Griffin was stuck on the fence. He must have had his front feet on the tray of the feeder and caught his horn over the top pipe along the fence. I couldn’t get him off and had to get Dan to help.