Shetland sheep belong
to an ancient breed, originating in the Shetland Islands, which are located
between Scotland and Norway. These sheep are most probably descendants
of Scandinavian sheep brought to the Shetlands by the Vikings. Because
Shetland sheep originated in these windswept treeless islands far up in
the North Sea they are very hardy and can survive on a meager diet without
special feeds or supplements.
These affectionate animals are easy lambers and good mothers, and take less care than the more modern, 'improved' breeds. Shetlands are one of the smaller breeds of sheep, and have short characteristically fluke-shaped tails that do not require docking. In this picture, a moorit ewe named "Belinda", is shown.
The rams have splendid spiral horns while the ewes are generally polled. "Dillon", pictured here, is a fawn ram.
Shetland sheep come in one of the widest range
of colors of any breed: black, white, grays, and numerous shades of brown,
from a light fawn to a dark reddish moorit. There are 11 main colors as
well as 30 markings. The fleeces weigh 2-6 pounds and have a 2-5 inch staple
with varying amounts of crimp. "Pearl", a white ewe, is pictured here.