We started our herd with a Ram from Jason Pelez of Persimmon Creek. We named our ram Travis (photo above), we tested him for the scrapies gene and his gene type is RR.
We then got our Ewes from Grace & Joy Farm. Dove she was born on Jan of 2012, she was a twin someone else took her brother. Baby was a twin born on the later part of Jan 2012. These two girls were tested RR Scrapies Gene.
About Scrapies it is transferable to humans. It is known to humans as the seven year itch.
An RR is a restricted gene it will not allow the sheep to become infected. The QR is also a restricted gene that will not allow the animal to catch Scrapies. QQ gene is not restricted and will allow the animal to catch Scrapies if exposed to it.
If you have an RR ram you can eventually have a heard of RR gene. Breeding an RR ram to a QR Ewe you will get 2 QR and 2 RR out of 4 lambs. If you take a RR ram to a QQ ewe you will get all QR. If you take RR ram to an RR ewe you will get all RR scrapies gene lambs. It is important to start off with an RR ram to work on getting all RR scrapies gene herd.
All the St Croix that we produce is scrapies resistant RR rated.