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VIRTUAL CONFORMATION CLINIC
Linda Wendelboe and Kathy Baker
The Virtual Conformation Clinic was originally prepared for the
NASSA AGM, FOCUS on FIBRE, Olds, Alberta Canada July 2-4, 2004. A number
of live rams, including some featured here were brought to Olds College
for the workshop for a ‘hands on’ assessment in addition to the
Virtual Clinic.
Rams were purposely chosen to show faults and less desirable
characteristics as well as more ideal traits.
The Ram Assessment Form used by the Shetland Sheep Society is an
excellent means of evaluation. The form has been modified for use in this
clinic.
The goal of working through the Clinic is to increase our comprehension
of the 1927 Shetland Breed Standard adopted by NASSA and improve our
ability to choose the good rams for breeding stock.. It is our hope that
this Clinic will be of use to other breeders trying to understand the
Breed Standard and learning what is, and what is not, acceptable
conformation in a Shetland sheep.
We would like to thank the three judges, Rena Douglas, Letty Klein and
Jim Nicolson, who graciously provided their individual assessments of the
rams. This was a difficult task as all would have much preferred to assess
live rams.
Though we acknowledge the limitations of pictures, they are
nevertheless a valuable learning tool. As you work through the Ram Photo
Series, you can compare your own assessment with those of three well
respected and experienced judges who all share the original 1927 Shetland
Breed Standard.
We suggest that you:
- Print a copy of the Breed Standard and the Ram Assessment
Form
- Examine the Ram Photo Series, using the Ram Assessment Form
and Breed Standard as a guide to form your first opinion as
to the quality of the ram. Note that the rams are numbered from 1 to 7.
- Compare your assessment of each ram to those of the three judges by
clicking on the judge’s name below. Look again at the rams with their
comments in mind.
- Look at the Discussion Pictures for more information.
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