What happens to black lambs??

[BeTheBest]

Well simple as the title really, on my very long thought provoking hack through the fields today I was appreciating the cute little lambs and the not so cute mummy sheep and I was thinking how sweet the lambs are especially the little black ones, now there must have been about 20 odd black ones, and the rest white ones. But heres the thing... why do you never see an adult black sheep?? Its such a shame as they are adorable babies! Yes pointless thread but I want my mind put at rest that there not all picked out and eaten or something

[roo]

We went to our local kids farm (also a working farm though) recently and watched a tiny black lamb being born. When we walked back passed later the lamb had gone So I'd also like to know the answer to this one please.

[big e]

Well there are black sheep near us I don't think it matters what colour they are if they are going into the food chain.

[BeTheBest]

hmm that is interesting big e! We live in a very sheep filled aread and i can honestly say ive never seen a black sheep though plenty of baby black lambs!! What a random debate this is!

[julz]

Pass don't know, but we once had a extremely cute lamb that was all white except for the whole back leg (just one leg) it diasappeared never to be seen again with the rest of the lambs...

[wills]

I've only ever seen a few blach sheep, but ... My friend has a lamb (shes hand rearing) and he is black just now but the farmer says he will go white

[big e]

do black lambs turn into white sheep like black foals turn into white horses ;D

[BeTheBest]

ah ha maybe we have an answer here... maybe they go white, humans go grey.... horses go lighter... so maybe sheep do too??

[big e]

;DIf not maybe the farmer by me, collects them and keeps them all in his field ;D

[rosemaryhannah]

Black lambs turn into black sheep. In the old days, when wool was valuable, black sheep were culled, as black wool was less valuable. Nowdays it makes little difference, and near us we have many black sheep. However, bear in mind that every lamb is not kept as a flock replacement. The males all go for lamb, and many of the females, too.

[BeTheBest]

oh dear i feel stupid now!! Thanks though

[shep]

There are certain breeds of sheep (Herdwicks for one) who are born very dark charcoal in colour, and get lighter and lighter grey as they get older til they are white, ( usually around 7yrs old) and there are Hebridean sheep who are very dark brown with black faces, but they stay the same colour all their lives. Cross breed sheep (especially lambs born to a suffolk cross) tend to be black or very dark coloured.
We have a couple of black sheep at the farm next door to us who have lambs each year; the farmer rears lambs for the food chain so it does not matter what colour they are.
When a farmer keeps back some lambs for replacement breeding ewes (to replace the old ewes that will go for slaughter as they are too old to breed from anymore) he will usually choose lambs that are good examples of the breed he keeps; that means that any odd coloured lambs will not be kept - however, if he is rearing cross bred sheep (mules) he may sometimes keep black lambs to breed from if they are from hardy parentage and are 'good doers' - he wants sheep who will thrive and have good lambs, regardless of colour.

[BeTheBest]

ahh thats interesting, wow never realised sheep were so complex! Thanks shep - see where you got your name from now yeah ignore me tonite im in a very silly mood

[shep]

[heidi]

We have lots of little black lambs! Ours are Suffolks and Suffolk crosses. When they grow up, they will have a black head and legs but white wool.