# Bighorn Cross?



## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

I saw a guy at market offering a Bighorn cross (idr the other half) but I thought that was interesting. Does anyone know anything about these? Are there some sort of benefits to introducing this into the bloodline of a herd?


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

The only thing I know, is Fish and Game, does not like seeing any crosses with Big Horn and Domestic sheep.
Domestic sheep also bring in diseases that kill off some of the Big Horn sheep. 

Here is an interesting article.

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2010145380_apwabighornsdomesticsheep.html

Going to assume the "Cross" the gentleman was selling... was Painted Desert or the like.


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## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

thats interesting, i thought because it was wild it would be more rugged and _less_ prone to disease. Maybe that's just me being stupid haha


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

I'm with you, Wolverine. Big horn genetics are adapted to thriving without the benefit of worming, mineral supplements, assisted births, etc. That *seems* like DNA you want in your stock, but...?


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## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

Exactly my thoughts! I mean, you breed that into cattle, sometimes in the old days, horses too like in Mongolia and stuff, but I can't really find anything online which makes me wonder if its just somthing that hasn't been tested and tried enough to get a sustainable breed out of?....... I mean I see Ibex cross breeds sometimes, so why not bighorn?

I'm a communications major though, what to I know about genetics XD


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## SilverVista (Jan 12, 2005)

This is like the Native Americans being severely affected by diseases brought by Europeans in the 1600's. Measles and the like, if I recall. Bighorn sheep have lived in an environment where they have not been exposed to animals carrying barnyard diseases, so there is no immunity to them, either acquired or by genetic selection. Worms do not thrive on dry, thin-soiled, rocky mountainsides, nor does coccidiosis. Hardy enough to live in harsh environmental conditions has nothing to do with hardiness against foreign disease.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

my post got lost and SilverVista is right, its the EXACT same thing as the Native Americans being affected by the European diseases, and Cattle passing Brucilosis to Bison, Wool herds coming into contact with BigHorn is not something the Herdsman wants anyway because they DONT want a BigHorn cross, they want WOOL, 

if you had access to a Captive Bighorn herd that was vaccinated you COULD cross with Hair sheep to get animals for Trophy hunts,


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## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

Oh im not interested in the wool, I was interested in the meat. The farm i work at now does that because there's really no money in the market for raw wool in our area, it just isn't worth the time and hassle. So I'm mostly curious as to what the meat would taste like and what kind of trophy heads i could get, i mean, the bighorns are Beautiful in my opinion. I wonder what it would cost to get a ram vaccinated?.....


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

If you are interested in this route.... check with your local, Fish and Game... 
in many States it is illegal to have them... in some States, you have to have special permits and they are strict.


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## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

Im sure it was just some sort of Corsican sheep. Everyone thinks Corsicans are bighorns. A true hybrid would run about $1000-$2000

There are a lot of trophy hunt guys who have captive bighorns legally. They are very fragile and often will not live an entire year housed with domestic ewes. The ones that do live are touted as heaving better immune systems therefore better genetics for reproducing.


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## sedgehammer (Jun 4, 2013)

th_Wolverine said:


> I saw a guy at market offering a Bighorn cross (idr the other half) but I thought that was interesting. Does anyone know anything about these? Are there some sort of benefits to introducing this into the bloodline of a herd?


horn, horn and more horn.......

as to the disease thing. sheep have been raised alongside wild sheep here and everywhere for centuries.


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## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

sedgehammer said:


> horn, horn and more horn.......
> 
> as to the disease thing. sheep have been raised alongside wild sheep here and everywhere for centuries.


I know right!? I love that look, and I know that may be a stupid thing to breed for when you are making meat sheep herds, but i mean, c'mon, there's just something awesome about that nice geometric curve. Plus when your rams die you can have them mounted :cow:


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

There are a few domestic Sheep breeds that have impressive horns.

Wiltshire horn and Painted Desert for a couple of them.


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

soay ram
no shearing required yet you get some wool to play with.


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## hastyreply (Nov 10, 2012)

We have many ads on Craig's List for horned rams. They are quite popular down here for hunting.


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## deaconjoseph09 (Dec 13, 2021)

KSALguy said:


> my post got lost and SilverVista is right, its the EXACT same thing as the Native Americans being affected by the European diseases, and Cattle passing Brucilosis to Bison, Wool herds coming into contact with BigHorn is not something the Herdsman wants anyway because they DONT want a BigHorn cross, they want WOOL,
> 
> if you had access to a Captive Bighorn herd that was vaccinated you COULD cross with Hair sheep to get animals for Trophy hunts,


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## deaconjoseph09 (Dec 13, 2021)

I would love to cross some Bighorn rams with the Mayo black face Mountain ewe. The MbfM Ram is a very impressive beast alright. What attracts me more then wool,hunting ect is to see what would happen , what would the baby look like ect. Mbfm sheep are very Hardy and disease resistant so this could transfer to Bighorn x Mbfm crosses. The wild look of the Bighorn and the tough, muscular spiral horned look of the Mayo black face would make for some interesting lambs and could make a whole new impressive Irish breed of sheep


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I think that the idea to use these sheep to put more muscle on a domestic flock is a good idea, but without knowing the temperament of the big-horned sheep, I'd be less inclined to want to breed them. 

I like a meaty carcass, but I strongly dislike jerk rams.


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## deaconjoseph09 (Dec 13, 2021)

Don't worry. We breed a whole host of skittish animals. So a few Bighorn rams wouldn't be thought of as a softy. And all male animal domestic and wild should be taken with caution. I'd love to crossbreed them with the mbfm sheep. Muscle, good horns, nice coat, hardiness, disease resistance. They're perfect breeds to experiment to see if it would work


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