There are reported cases in Barbados and St. Croix of two Barbados Blackbelly sheep producing an all-black lamb.  When this phenomenon occurs farmers tend to rid their flock of both the parents and the offsprng.  As a result it has been difficlt to do a proper evaluation of these sheep.

Characteristics of the Sugarlands Black

Farmers in Barbados have been observing a phenomenon of two Barbados Blackbelly sheep producing a lamb with an entirely black coat (Laurie, personal communication).  Most of the individuals in this group were sampled at the Sugarlands Farm but many of them came originally from other farmers around the island.

These off-type lambs have a woolly appearance at birth.  However, as the lambs grow the wool is shed and they become more hairy as they mature.

Progeny from F2 all-black crosses are also black in colour while all-black X BBB crosses produce progeny that are predominantly black with tinges of brown or tan.

Unfortunately there are no comprehensive records of these animals, thus causing some difficulty in providing an in-depth scientific profile.  The cause of this colour change could be an indication of the degree of inbreeding in the Barbados Blackbelly breed.  However, in the absence adequate genetic data, it is not possible to determine whether this is a deleterious effect.

It has been suggested by officials of the Ministry of Agriculture in Barbados that this occurs only amongst sheep that are not well managed (personal communication, Hunte 2007).

Similar lambs have been born at the livestock facility at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (personal communication, Godfrey, 2005).  However, there have been no reported incidents of this kind at the Government-run Agricultural stations in Barbados (personal communication, Hunte 2007).

Why this phenomenon?

The reason for the occurence of this phenomenon is not yet known; since there has not been adequate investigation.  However, the degree of inbreeding in the Barbados Blackbelly sheep seems to be a factor.

The wooliness of the lambs and the black colour could be a hint as to the phenotype of one of the ancestors of   the Barbados Blackbelly sheep.