To constantly improve their breeding stock, they occasionally replace older breeding ewes with yearlings. Get registered sheep if you want to contribute to breed conservation, or if you want to breed them seriously. As a hand spinner and weaver, Carol appreciates the range of natural shades of Shetland fleeces. Carol, her mom, uses the fleeces for hand spinning and weaving. There are 11 main colors as well as 30 markings, many still bearing their Shetland dialect names. Day 11 of the 30 Day Challenge - Someone asked me, "why sheep?". Shetland sheep are part of the Northern European short-tailed group, which also includes Finns, Icelandics, and Romanovs. You can milk them there not a milking breed which means they wont have as much as the milking sheep will but they have a high butter fat in the milk. Great fleece for Spinning, Felting, Weaving and other Crafts. I learned a lot about them during my years as a fiber festival junky, but because I don’t have first hand experienced raising Shetland sheep, I interviewed our neighbors right here in Bolton, Massachusetts: Montana and Carol Airey of Wild Air Farm. The book “In Sheep’s Clothing” in “Resources”, below, has invaluable information on sheep’s wool in general, and fleece by breed. Raising Shetland Sheep: Guide to Starting a Flock. PO Box 477, 33 Hillsboro St, Pittsboro, NC 27312, College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, College of Human & Environmental Sciences, Ag Education, Communications & Leadership, Master of International Agriculture Degree Program, North American Shetland Sheepbreeders Association. シェトランド・シープ（Shetland sheep）は、シェトランド諸島原産の小型の羊。現在では世界各地で飼育されている。北欧系の短尾種（Northern European short-tailed sheep）に属し、絶滅した スコティッシュ・ダンフェイス （英語版） 種の近縁である。 Sorry! X. A flock of Shetland sheep at Wild Air Farm in Bolton, Massachusetts enjoying a beautiful spring day. Shetland sheep fleeces come in a range of natural browns and grays, as well as black and white. Animals are well suited to most conservation grazing projects and will browse and graze most species. Rams usually weigh 90 to 125 pounds and ewes about 75 to 100 pounds. Montana Airey chose Shetland sheep for their beauty, charm, small size, and gorgeous fleeces. As for whether or not to get a ram, obviously you need one if you want to breed them, unless you plan to breed the ewes with someone else’s ram. A bit of vicarious shepherding on my part – hopefully the information and photos of their beautiful farm will help and inspire you. East Friesian milk sheep Peterborough 18/11/2020 Two east friesian ewes and one east friesian cross shetland ewe for sale. This also makes it easier for those diy sheep shearers who only keep a few dairy sheep for milk and can't see the benefit of paying a shearer to shear half an animal. Montana chose Shetlands for their beauty, charm, small size, and gorgeous colorful fleeces. Rams usually have spiral horns, whereas the ewes are typically polled. Information on adding new breeds or updating existing information. Check it out, and contact her if you are interested in purchasing fleeces or animals. This small, hardy, heritage sheep breed is a great choice for a small farm, whether you’re interested in a few sheep as pets, and/or a source of fiber, meat, or even milk. After careful consideration (and a close contest with Icelandic sheep), we settled on Shetland sheep, who seemed to fit the bill perfectly. They Shetland sheep breed information The Shetland sheep are small … document.write('animal-science-mail-form'); But carefully evaluate your own situation to determine how best to protect your flock. Required fields are marked *. and rams 200-220 lbs. Or you can stand, face the opposite direction of the sheep, and bend over to reach the udder. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. As we As a passionate knitter, I longed to raise Shetland sheep for years…Alas, time, money, and space have been used for other endeavors, and Shetlands are probably not in my future. The other breed that I have looked closely at is babydoll. Their characteristic long coat can reach the ground, and they are a … Shetland sheep are very hardy, good mothers, easy lambers and produce plenty of milk. The Shetland Isles is located off the northeast coast of Scotland. Though the hardy Shetland can weather our New England winters with no more than a 3-sided shelter, the Airey’s lock their sheep up in this shed at night for protection from predators. 's (2002 Please provide a description of this breed as well When is the best time to neuter a ram lamb? Shetland meat is lean, tender and mild flavored. You may also like to read Shetland Sheep. Do you happen to know anything about this breeds usefulness for underbrush control ? “Many times I have gone out in the morning and found lambs dried and running around, ” says Montana, but she advises close observation, nonetheless: “All sheep no matter how healthy they may seem can have health issues. They are often patterned such as krunet (white crown), katmoget (dark belly) and gulmoget (light underneath). Shetland Sheep are a triple purpose sheep, producing wool, meat, and milk. This ewe was shorn earlier in spring, and already her fleece is long. Dirty feed can spread diseases and parasites. Top quality fleeces and registered animals can bring in some money. But it is good for meat production, and also good for using in conservation grazing Some individuals are patterned, such as the “panda” lamb in front. She has never calculated her expenses and income, but thinks her greatest source of income is the prize money she brings in from showing her sheep. One ewe (2 years old) isn’t accepting her twins …..I will have to milk her and don’t know how …… Hi Phoebe, if you want ewes so you can breed them earlier, I suggest you meet them and determine if they’re tame enough for your liking. The Shetland is the smallest of the British breeds and it retains many of the characteristics of wild sheep. Your email address will not be published. Copyright © 1995-2015 Oklahoma State University Board of Regents. They are normally black and white in colour but there are smaller numbers in grey, red and dun. To find your sheep, search online and attend Fiber Festivals. Today they are considered a primitive or "unimproved" breed. Do I get three ewes and a ram or 4 or 3 ewes? If I get ewe lambs then I will be able to create more of a bond with them but I will probably wait until the year after to breed them which I don’t really want to do. Be aware of state and local wetland laws, for activity may be limited or prohibited within a certain distance from streams, swamps, vernal pools, etc. Wild Air Shetlands are extremely tame because they’re handled  from birth. Shetlands are very hardy and able to thrive in most situations. Dogs, coyotes, wolves, foxes, bears, cougars, bobcats, and eagles take sheep, especially lambs. --> Also we are only going to be getting a small trailer but I don’t know whether to get 3 or 4? Sheep will not eat anything sullied by urine or droppings, and for good reason. The Icelandic sheep are of medium size with mature ewes weighing 150-160 lbs. The sheep have naturally short tails and do not require docking. North American Shetland Sheepbreeders Association, P.O. Cows have a relatively low yield, around 2500 litres per lactation but the milk is rich in butterfat. Shetland wool in a range of natural browns and grays, as well as markings... 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