Animal breeding, superstition, Jacob and Laban Conflict in Genesis 30:37-43

Stephen M. Vantassel, tutor at Kings Evangelical Divinity School discusses the Jacob Laban conflict and their wages agreement as noted in Genesis 30:25ff. Stephen delves into the strange account of Jacob using tree branches to change the coloration amongst the sheep and goats from single color to speckled. Was this simply an expression of superstition or was it an early appreciation of the role chemicals have in affecting gene expression? Ultimately, Stephen explains the importance of reading broadly and using caution before assuming the bible is unscientific.