NASSA Shetland Sheep

Shetlands are a small, hardy, fine-wooled, breed of sheep. They are named for the British island from which they hail, and they are well adapted to the rugged terrain and harsh conditions of that isle. Shetlands belong to a group of short-tailed sheep that are more primitive than most breeds of sheep and ought to be more parasite resistant than many of the more specialized modern breeds.

Shetlands have the finest wool of all the British breeds, and historically their wool was used to create lace Wedding Ring Shawls, which were so delicate they were named for their ability to be passed through a wedding ring. I am breeding toward the original 1927 Shetland Standard, so my long-term goal is to get our whole flock dual registered with both NASSA (North American Shetland Sheep Association) and FFSSA (Fine Fleece Shetland Sheep Association). One of the most appealing characteristics of Shetlands is that they come in a huge rainbow of colors and patterns. We have the full spectrum of colors and patterns in our flock, but my favorites are moorit (brown), gulmoget patterned, and spots, and I am giving these special attention.

While not every Shetland is tame, most are, and I specifically breed for temperament. I like my sheep to be personable, easy to handle, and not easily scared. I don’t tolerate rams who are aggressive either. All of my sheep are trained to come to a grain bucket, are usually easy to catch, and many love getting scratches and attention from people. Temperament is heritable, so to me that is always a big deal, and I am selecting for natural tameness.

Though sheep breeds are not nearly as inbred as dog breeds, genetic diversity is still very important, and I am trying to maintain a genetically diverse group of Shetlands. Because it is illegal to import sheep to the US, originally all Shetlands in North America went back to a flock of 4 rams and 28 ewes imported to Canada in the 1980s, or a small closed flock of moorit Shetlands that had been in Canada since the 1940s. Since then semen has been imported from 15 other rams, however of those 15, their ram tail lines only go back to 9 rams. Because of this, most Shetlands in the US are fairly closely related. I already have sheep with all the common lines in our flock, but I am working on obtaining sheep from the rarest lines to add over the next few years. I also hope some day to have a few ewes laparoscopically artifically inseminated with some of the semen recently approved to be exported to the US.

For more information on Shetlands you can look at:

http://www.shetland-sheep.org/

If you are looking for wool, or are interested in sheep for your flock check our Available Sheep/Wool page.