Various Definitions regarding Soay sheep
- Bloat A condition caused by too much gas in the rumen, and brought on by accidental overfeeding of grains, or putting sheep onto lush and/or wet pasture without easing them into the new diet. This condition can be fatal if not treated promptly.
- Bloodline A group of sheep that are related to each other, but are not related to other bloodlines for at least 4 generations.
- Broken mouth An older sheep that has begun losing his or her teeth.
- Condition scoring A method of determining if your sheep are too fat or too thin. Make a fist, and feel your knuckles; this is what the spine of a Soay should feel like.
- Conformation Proportionate dimensions of an animal compared with the ideal (see Fault).
- Cryptorchid Ram with just one testicle. This is a fault and should be culled.
- Cull To remove from a breeding program; more specifically to neuter, butcher, or to designate for later butchering.
- Dark phase This phrase is mentioned in British Soay sheep publications and refers to the dark wild coloring.
- Estrus Cycle or Heat; when the female is capable of conceiving.
- Fault A conformational or genetic fault is a physical defect.
- Genotype Genetic constitution of an individual or group.
- Gestation Length of pregnancy, which ranges from 145 to 155 days in Soay sheep.
- Improved This word is used in the UK to reference sheep or other livestock that have been crossbred.
- Knock knees Legs that are not straight, but veer inward at the knees. This is a fault, and should not be bred from unless absolutely necessary.
- Light phase This phrase is mentioned in British Soay sheep publications and refers to the light mouflon or wild coloring.
- Mouflon This can refer to the Mouflon sheep that Soay sheep are descended from, or it can refer to the Mouflon or wild pattern that most Soay sheep exhibit.
- Phase, dark This phrase is mentioned in British Soay sheep publications and refers to the dark wild coloring.
- Phase, light This phrase is mentioned in British Soay sheep publications and refers to the light wild coloring.
- Phenotype The outward expression (appearance) produced by genetics.
- Polled Complete absence of horns or scurs.
- Scheme A plan or a program.
- Scurs Small or misshapen horns, sometimes appearing as a rounded "button".
- Soay-thenticity The authenticity of one Soay sheep in particular, or Soay sheep in general. Coined by Debra Keen on May 5, 2005.
- Sway back This is a fault, and refers to a sheep that does not have a straight back, also known as top-line. Older ewes can become sway-backed, which is less a fault and more of a consequence of bearing many lambs.
- Top Line The line between the withers and the rump.
- Tup British word that is synonymous with ram; a male intact sheep.
- Tupping British word for breeding or breeding season.
- Wether Neutered male sheep.
- Withers The area at the top of the shoulder blades, directly behind the neck.
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