The term "strong self" is just my own verbal expression of color experience at
my farm. It seems that, for any given agouti pattern, family lines will have
different depths of expression. This "depth of expression" is very apparent
near the 2 ends of the normal hierarchy --blue and light blue and at the other
pole--self.

Some family lines with Aa will reduce the expression of, say..Aeb..to tear
drops, only; some family lines with Aa matched in the pair will just mute or
soften the second allele's expression. The former family's Aa, I term "strong
self". In my flock, "strong self" emanates from very old lines.

I think of it this way---in our species, there are brunettes, blonds and
redheads. But, I doubt that any of us would say that we have seen only 3
different hair colors. Family expression of basic alleles.

When all is said and done---yes, I have gene set cards on my breeders and lambs.
Just looking at the written gene sets, it would seem that there are massive
redundancies. But, I base my selection for my keepers on the expression of
those gene sets---does that color depth please me? Does that contrast of color
please me? Given the family's modifiers and cellular strength of melanin
production, their gene sets are never "redundant".

Maggie
----- Original Message -----
From: canicanine@...
To: sheep-color-genetics@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 11:12 PM
Subject: Re: [sheep-color-genetics] English Blue





Hi Maggie , you wrote,
>
> the first things to go in a heterozygous
> situation---especially with a very strong "self" (Aa) pairing. The saddle
> and the tears usually remain. When you refer to a "minimal" ewe, could you
be
> referring to a heterozygous set like AebAa ?

can you explain what you mean by a "strong" self?

many thanks

Renée




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