# Shetland Sheep - tell me about them!



## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I was talking with a good friend the other day and she told me that another mutual friend of ours wants to find a home for a couple of Shetland Sheep. Can you guys tell me the pros and cons of that breed? What are they used for? What sort of personality do they have? Or just general information?

Thanks!

~ Carol


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## GR8PMKN (Nov 25, 2005)

They are a small breed. We have 3 of them. Kind of spooky. Very hardy, easy to take care of. Do not like to sleep indoors no matter what the weather. Can jump very high.
Shannon
www.gr8pumpkin.net


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## glidergurl03 (Feb 28, 2005)

Not spooky if they're hand raised...I've got two that follow me around like dogs. The rest of mine were field bred/raised, and so they're a little spooky, but getting better, and eat grain out of my and. They are the cutest little buggers, and I just adore my 6. 

Con- You gotta shear 'em every year  

Here's the NASSA website (North American Shetland SHeep Association) 

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

Enjoy! Even if they're not tame, they're still SO fun to watch! lol.


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## kesoaps (Dec 18, 2004)

Nice fleeces, Carol, if you're looking for wool. Very similar in looks to the icelandics (being primitive breeds.)


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## seymojo536 (Sep 14, 2004)

Carol,

Awful little buggers, always wagging their tails and wanting a chin scratch...

Can't get them to eat the nice alfalfa hay I spent way too much on, insist on eating the weeds and brambles first. 

As for witnessing the miracle of birth, hard to catch them in the act, one minute she's as fat as an old sow and the next she has twins or triples dried off and nursing. I thought I was supposed to help!!!

Hate taking them to the fair, can hardly get to the pen to feed and water them, people keep getting in the way asking questions and wanting to feel that stuff hanging on their bodies. Don't they know what a chore it is to have to stand there for hours and talk about my babies? Besides, I keep having to put up more shelves for all that hardware the blind judge hands out.

Then I've got all this wool that got to be some kind of a nacotic, cause everytime I give some to these crazy spinning people they start crying and hopping on one foot. 

I guess maybe they do have one redeeming feature, after a tough day I can always take a bag of animal crackers and go sit in the pasture, watch the sky, pat some friends on the head and know that everything I tell them is just between me and them. I've saved quite the fortune on therapy.

So if you still want to go get them, you can't say I didn't try to warn you. 
But I can guarantee you that two are not enough.....

Take a couple pictures and let us know how they're doing.

John


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

They *are* one of the smallest breeds (makes them a little easier to handle).

They *are* good jumpers! LOL! My first acquaintance with Shetlands was with some our neighbors in NH owned -- they also had Merinos. They kept coming up with Shetland/Merino cross lambs, because those little Shetland rams were so good at smelling a ewe in heat and jumping at least two fences to get to her. (Moral of the story -- have REALLY good fences, or else only keep one breed of sheep!)

They have WONDERFUL fleeces. It is very soft, not greasy, and comes in many different colors. It's lovely to spin! The only drawback is that it's also quite light -- even a big old ram will only have maybe three pounds at most. 

They are very hardy, and easy keepers. Usually good mothers. Small for a meat animal, but have good flavored meat as sheep go.

They can be a bit skittish and shy, but if handled a lot and hand-fed will tame down. Skittish and shy is not necessarily a bad thing if strangers or stray dogs come around.

I like them. If I ever get sheep again (I'd like to someday), I'll probably get Shetlands.

Kathleen


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

Are they expensive? How do they compare in temperment to the Blackbelly Barbados (which are very skittish)?


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## glidergurl03 (Feb 28, 2005)

MUCH better than Barbados...Our barbados were absolutely bonkers. 

Shetlands, for unregistered stock, go anywhere from $50 to $150, and registered stock from $150 - $300. I usually sell my bottle babies in the spring for $100 ea, drop the price on the boys though, esp. if people want two


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## Shahbazin (Dec 10, 2002)

> ......Shetland Sheep. Can you guys tell me the pros and cons of that breed? What are they used for? What sort of personality do they have? Or just general information?
> Thanks!
> ~ Carol


I've had the breed for 9 years now; small (easier to handle), beautiful wool (lots of diff. colors, can range a bit in type - I get the occasional shorter/crimpy, but most of mine are long/primitive/silky, as I prefer spinning this type). My clip (skirted) is usually 3 lbs/yearling, 3 1/2-4 lbs adult. A friend who home butchers hers, w/the help of her oldest daughter, finds the size a plus when processing, & the meat (I've gotten some from her) is very mild & tasty, even in older animals/rams. Good jumpers, yes , can be flighty if you don't spend much time around them, like to browse, tend not to be close flocking, lots of personality - a bit more like a goat than a sheep, in these respects. Excellent mothers, you just go up to the pasture to see what they've produced now  Seasonal breeders; horned rams (& some ewes), which could be a plus or a minus; obnoxious rams can do more damage, but I've had several sweet fellows that won't lay a horn even on the flimsy garden wire I use for temp. pasture. Here's a few pics of mine:


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## carly (Mar 20, 2003)

The Shetland wool is wonderful to spin, as well as FinnSheep....


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## glidergurl03 (Feb 28, 2005)

SHahbazin, I"m gonna come steal your black ewes ;-) All I have is light grey, a white and moorit...I want some true blackies!!!


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

They are adorable!  I'll let you all know what I decide, if I ever get that email address from my friend!

~ Carol


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## ShortSheep (Aug 8, 2004)

Singing the praises of the Shetland sheep! Where do I start? 

Pros: They are the smallest breed available in North America. Smaller and lighter than the babydolls. So higher stocking rates, less pasture and hay needed to keep them in good condition, and very easy handling. Easy to tip for hoof trimming. They don't get sick very often, easy lambing, great mothers and strong, eager lambs. 
The meat is very mild. Tastes like lamb, but not real strong. Lambs can be finished on grass only (cheap!)
The Shetland is an intelligent sheep, very good at recognizing human faces. They know a friend from a stranger. Through positive reinforcement, they can be VERY friendly! (And then there are those individuals that I can't get within 20 feet of.) They can become very tame and loving, and make great pets. 
We have 4 foot fences and have never had one jump out...
Pricing in the midwest, papered breeding quality usually go for $200- $400. 
Shetlands have naturally short tails, so no docking is necessary. 
All those colors and patterns! Exciting! Lots of suprises during lambing, love it! 
The breeders themselves. I think that shetland sheep people in general are just the nicest bunch of folks. 
Shetland Fleece. What do you want in a fleece? Short and crimpy, long and primative, double coated or single coated? Crimpy or falling in ringlets? The shetland has it. SOFT and pleasant hand! In any natural color. Most of my flock microns in the high 20's. 
Shetlands ROCK!  

Cons: They don't carry a lot of meat if your emphasis is meat sheep. Slow growth rate. They don't breed out of season. Rams can be hard on the fencing, but definetely not all of them. It depends on the individual animal. And some of us are working on breeding for polled rams for those who don't care for horned animals.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Does anyone milk Shetland Sheep? If so, with any success? I am interested in milk as well as meat and wool, but might consider the couple of free sheep to get me started, depending on whether I can ever get ahold of their owner... 

(BTW, they are not very local, so it might just not work out too.)

~ Carol


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## kesoaps (Dec 18, 2004)

Aaaahhhh.....allow me to lure you back into the world of Icelandics with your desire to milk...  

Cute lambs, short tails, and larger in size than the shetlands...and better milk production!





































Mmmmmm....now, just take a look at that udder!


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Sure fine, make me all sad... no one has offered to give me an Icelandic yet! Though I don't know about the Shetlands yet either, for all I know they are weathers... 

I"m still intending to go for at least one Icelandic.

~ Carol


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## mensamule (Apr 28, 2005)

I have 2 Shetland wethers for their fiber. When I got them a couple of months ago they were wilder than march hares. Now they will climb into my lap for scritchies and follow me around like puppies. No, I don't give them treats.
Wonderful personalities, sweet faces and very affectionate. Great fiber, great pets.
You can't go wrong with a Shetland.


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## kesoaps (Dec 18, 2004)

Well, now mensamule...certainly you don't expect a wether of any breed to be giving milk?  (Just teasing you, of course!)


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

but how much milk can they give???? using goats as reference are they built udder wise like a pygmy, kinder, boer or nubian and how tall do they get???


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## kesoaps (Dec 18, 2004)

Are you asking about how much milk you can get from an icelandic in comparison to a goat? No sheep will give the quantity of milk a goat does, it's the quality of milk in terms of solids and nutrition that make it more desirable. As for how much an icelandic will milk, it's going to depend on whether they're from milky lines or not. 1 1/2 to 2 lbs seems to be what most folks get, with some getting a little more. They've been bred mainly for meat or wool over the past couple of decades, but more and more people are selecting milky ewes these days.


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

no i was refering to the shetlands, nigerian dwarf goats give about a half a quart to quart a day,


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

I don't know how much milk Shetlands give (although they can raise twin lambs just fine, so there must be SOME milk there!), but wanted to comment on something. Kesoaps mentioned the difference in nutritional composition between goat milk and sheep milk: did you know that Kinder goat milk is as high in milk solids as sheep milk? A gallon of regular goat milk will make about a pound of cheese; a gallon of Kinder goat milk will make between two and three pounds of cheese (depending on the type of cheese), which is about the same as sheep milk.

Kathleen


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## kesoaps (Dec 18, 2004)

What percent solids are in kinder milk? Do they have a shorter lactation time than your typical dairy goat?


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Well, I finally got hold of the woman with the Shetland sheep... as I ought to have guessed, she isn't even sure she wants to let them go, much less give them away! lol My other friend gets a bit excited. 

I do have a question though... She has two ewes, they are three (or maybe four, I forget) years old and never bred - would it be a problem to breed them at this age? 

I guess they are her pets and she may decide to part with them, as she is getting a horse and needs the room. I'm still not sure that this would be a good idea for me - esp since it is a LONG drive to her house, even if she gave them away I might get Icelandics closer to home cheaper, just for the cost of gas! 

Anyway, I thought I'd update this for all of you that were kind enough to answer my questions!


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## Sasha (May 22, 2006)

I love our Shetlands. We have three and can't wait until spring (we have two ewes); we'd like to build a large herd. 

Let me put it to you this way--if I found some Shetlands for sale today I'd be there to buy them. They are so easy to care for and their wool is amazing.


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## ShortSheep (Aug 8, 2004)

GrannyCarol said:


> I do have a question though... She has two ewes, they are three (or maybe four, I forget) years old and never bred - would it be a problem to breed them at this age?


 Hello GC, it will be no problem at all to breed them. Shetland ewes are routinely bred until 10-12 years of age. 
Where are you located? I might be able to set you up with a breeder close to you if this gal decides not to part with them. Also, make sure she is a NASSA (North American Shetland Sheepbreeders Assn. ) member in good standing before committing to pay money for these sheep if they are registered. If she is not a member, she cannot transfer the papers to you.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I'm located in Eastern Washington State. If I buy sheep, it will likely be Icelandics, as I am definitely interested in milking them and they have a better reputation for being milky. I am also interested in meat, which Shetlands aren't as useful, being smaller. 

I can get unregistered Icelandics in this area for a good price, that is one option I am considering. I can also get older ewes from a local gal that is into breeding for hand spinning, I think they are mainly Columbias bred for wool. I haven't looked into that breed really at all and she made it clear that she has spent generations building a herd for the purpose of good hand spinning wool. That sounds like fun, but I assume they wouldn't be as good an all purpose sheep. One of the appeals of her ewes are that they would be inexpensive and I would know the background well. I doubt they would be useful for milk though! 

~ Carol


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