WhitePine Crosby's Breeding group (4 of 6)

Crosby was a ram lamb that I really didn't want to part with when he was a lamb. Lori S. had inquired about a quality ram and i offered him to her with the agreement I get first refusal if she decided to move him on. After two years of using him, she asked me if I wanted him back and I jumped on it. His dam, ShelteringPines Classique, has a ewe family I've long admired, and his sire, Jazz is out of Todhill Jericho and a whistlestop ewe who has done a lot for fine fleece shetlands.

To boot, he carries spots, moorit and modified and has a lovely blue-gray fleece, which seems to be lacking in about half of the katmogets in the US. My plan was to use Crosby this fall and then slaughter him, but I may need to keep him around at least until his lambs start to develop. I have a lot of ewes with him, but two are here to be bred and two i'm hoping to offer as bred. So Crosby has 18 ewes.

UnderTheSon 14148 - fawn katmoget - is a yearling ewe from Theresa that I got as a lamb. Her fleece and conformation is quite incredible. she needs some more time to develop but she should finish maturing next year on the lush pastures.

PS23 Isadora and Lancien Athena are going to Iowa as bred ewes.

WhitePine Bivina - musket - is available as a bred ewe from this group. She produces large horned rams with great fleece, dense and crimpy.

Sommarang Isla - moorit/fawn - is available as a bred ewe from this group. Her ewe lambs in the past have been wonderful, with lines I like to work with. But shes moorit ;)

Sheltering Pines Bengal - gray katmoget (SP Starry Night x Underhill Alix) is a ewe I"ve love admired with lines that are easy to work with. She has produced three outstanding ewe almbs for me, so hoping for a horned ram from her this next year. She'll be 9 this next year but she is incredible soft, silky, crimpy and in great condition. I'm hoping with her blue/gray fleece as well as Crosbys that I"ll get more of it, but guessing she'll have nice stuff no matter the color.

Lancien Aida - white - (Lofty Pine's Krill Spot x Underihll Madame Butterfly) is another ewe I love for her lines, and how she has produced. She gave me twin rams this year so hoping for white ewe lambs out of this pairing. She'll be 8 next year so hoping for a few more productive years with her.

WhitePine Snow Patrol - gray katmoget horned (Jazz x ShelteringPines Snow Cloud) is a half sister to the ram, but both have the lovely blue gray fleece. Hoping for katmogets and maybe a horned ewe lamb to replace her, as Snow Patrol will be offered for sale next summer, as i've kept quite a bit from her.

WhitePine Aithsetter - gray katmoget smirslet (WhitePine Flo Rida AI x WhitePine Adele AI) She is one of my finest ewes and goes back to Greenholme Holly closely, one of the original rams imported and is out of Adele which is my finest ewe line. Her blue/gray fleece is again in hopes of lots of katmogetes.

WhitePine Lydia - gray katmoget (Jazz x Layla) is another half sibling but hoping to solidify the type and the dark blue/gray fleece of both parents. Lydia has repeatedly been a good producer so hoping for more katmogets next year.

WhitePine Nott - black - (UnderTheSon Duke Cardif x WhitePine Noche Bueno) is a very fine, black ewe with extreme crimp. She was so nice I had to keep her (and she's obnoxiously friendly). Hoping her dark fleece will produce more black like her or katmoget!

WhitePine Riko - gray katmoget (WhitePine City High AI x WhitePine Roseau) is a beautiful typey ewe with probably the best fleece I sheared in June. Just tickled with how well she's done in the show ring and so anxious to see her lambs with Crosby.

WhitePine Orthia - gray katmoget (WhitePine City High AI x Whistlestop 1234) is half sister to the above ewe with high UK bloodlines. She was FFSSA Champion in Colorado in June 2016 and placed 4th in Jefferson in a competitive yearling class, right behind Riko. They also helped me get best pair of ewe lambs in 2015, best small flock 2015, third place small flock 2016, and 2nd best fleeece on hoof 2015. So anything from this should also be nice :)

WhitePine Urd - gray katmoget (WhitePine City High AI x Shelterpines Amarige) is another half sister to above and I'm anxious to see what is produced. She has the length and luster and density i'm after, and extremely well marked.

WhitePine Laga - moorit (WhitePine Carver x WhitePine Lydia) is a typey moorit. hoping her dark fleece translates to dark katmoget lamb fleeces. Her fleece is ridiculously crimpy but looking to get a bit more length on it (its 3.5" full fleece)

WhitePine Atina - moorit (WhitePine Carver x WhitePine Adele AI) is another typey moorit who looks a lot like her mother. Very crimpy again, and hoping for more length. She's extremely fine.

WhitePine Eosha - musket yuglet flecket sokket (UnderTheSon Duke Cardiff x WhitePine Eureka) was a surprise when I got out to the lambing jug. Her fleece is extremely dense, extremely crimpy and everything about her is correct. I just wish for a bit silkier handle, so she's in here for that (and to see if I can get more spots)

WhitePine Juno - gray katmoget (WhitePine 1334 Perfection x ShelteringPines Bengal) is a dark blue/gray fleeced, dense ewe whos tame, typey and correct. Just excited to see what she produces.

Overall the group was put together to get more blue/gray katmogets that are correct and sound, typey and fine. I really don't think there is a ton to improve upon, just wishing for more of the same, but younger :)

KSpirit Farm Cedar's breeding group (group 3 of 6)

When Donna and I first started enabling each other a few years ago, she teased me with this horned gulmoget ram. Since most gulmogets with fine wool are polled, i was a bit skeptical over how much crimp or fineness or softness this ram would have. She sent me a sample last spring and I was really pleased with it. Well as enabling happens, she ended up getting one of my favorite ram lambs last year and it was agreed I'd get Cedar this year. We both know his horns are close (not touching) and that we would need to consider that, as well as keep back ram lambs with good horn spacing (not too wide, but not too close). I had planned on eating him after this years breeding groups, but he's pretty nice so will hold on to him to make sure we get something gulmoget with nicer horns.

There are 11 ewes in here but only 9 are mine/will be staying here.
WhitePine Des'ree is going to Iowa as a bred ewe, and GlenTam Ganymede is here to get bred. She's a knockout ewe, so honored they brought her here to be bred.

That leaves 9:

WhitePine Taconite - black gulmoget (OK Acres Cadillac x Black Forest Tilly). Throwing all my gulmoget chances to one breeding. Let's hope they produce them! She really produces.

WhitePine Ady - black light badger face (Whistlestop 1123 x FirthofFifth Ashegon). She is a great producer so whatever she throws will be nice.

WhitePine Pacena - musket - (FirthofFifth Nekomis x Owlhill Pranilla AI). She's a sweetie who also produces well.

Whistlestop 1241 "Heylor" - fawn/moorit (WS 1108 x WS 0922). constant producer of high quality modified sheep, i'm hoping for some lovely miogets or gulmogets from this.

WhitePine NinaSky AI - gray katmoget smirslet sokket (Todhill Jericho x ShelteringPines Nirvana). She's been a fantastic producer as well and so i'm hoping she'll really click with Cedar.

WhitePine Niamh - fawn (WhitePine Carver x WhitePine Neriah) is a beautiful yearling with the perfect fleece length, crimp, handle, silkiness, density. She's also friendly. Hoping she produces like her mom.

WhitePine Frigg - fawn smirslet sokket (WhitePine Carver x WhitePine Foley) is another yearling who really came in to herself this year. I'm excited to see if she'll produce some spotties or modifieds

WhitePine Kali - fawn (WhitePine Carver x WhitePine Isbister) is another beautiful yearling who really came in to her own this summer. she's a beautiful ewe and hoping for more greatness here.

WhitePine Adicia - fawn katmoget (WhitePine City High x WhitePine Aywick) is one of the typiest ewes i've had with phenominal looks and fleece from birth right on through to adulthood. I really wanted to put her in all four groups but had to make up my mind. Let's see some magic happen here too.

Overall the ewes in this group were put here for either more fleece length, more density or if nothing else, because they are great sheep and I hope for more modifieds (so I can offer them to friends who produce those colors more specifically)

In my quest to move out my moorit based sheep, Niamh, Frigg and Kali and 1241/Heylor, will be available midsummer of 2017. If you would like to put down a deposit, I would be happy to hold  them until that time for you.

1927 Standard, breed typical fleece

There seems to be a lot of misinformation in regards to just what exactly is a 1927 standard typical fleece. While it is obvious there is a spectrum of what a correct fleece could look like, they are all undoubtedly standard typical fleeces. No 1927 standard Shetland should have a dual coat. Those are considered atypical. I am extremely happy with the progress I've made in conforming to the 1927 standard, considering my original stock was not to this caliber. Every year the sheep continue to get better. Micron testing has helped for sure. And never being afraid to be wrong, but always learning, reading articles online, visiting with other breeders, visiting the UK and the Shetland islands, has all helped to cement in my mind what we are trying to preserve and protect. Which is the 1927 Standard Shetland Sheep.

Fitting and Washing Shetlands for show

This past weekend at Jefferson there were several 'big time' exhibitor farms that show at least 6 times a year at various shows through out the Midwest. You know them. They have the large, long fleeced, double coated sheep with bone the size to rival Suffolk bone, giant heads, hair/scadder that is 10-12" long on their necks/spine. One farm even went as far as to cut the scadder out and they left large holes in their fleeces.

On top of that they were constantly brushing their fleeces out and had all the animals washed. None of this is allowed by NASSA or MSBBA rules. And if it isn't, it shouldn't be. These farms KNOW they are not supposed to fit but for some reason, they were TAUGHT that brushing doesn't fit the bill for 'fitting'. Any way you look at it. its not natural. Shetlands should be shown in their natural state. That means not washed. Not brushed. Not clipped, trimmed or tails trimmed so they don't look so 'wooly'.

These sheep ultimately win. The person who created the judges packet based on the 2004 Handbook which was written by one person's opinion and not any documented evidence! And these sheep, that do not fit the 1927 Standard keep getting the blue ribbons. Even though they are fitted. Even though they are washed. Even though they are non standard Shetlands.

You don't have to take my word for it. I don't make stuff up and then believe it as truth and then write it on my blog for all six readers to read and then do immature things like call people out by name or write things like laughter in parenthesis. I don't read old romance novels to figure out what Shetland Sheep fleece was or is. I go to the source. The Shetland breeders in the SSS and the SFBT. There is photographic evidence. There are books. There are documents. There are Standards to follow. There are over 100 proven and well documented articles and photos stating what a Shetland Sheep should be according to our 1927 Standard.

Just because a sheep lives on Shetland doesn't make it a Shetland Sheep, nor does it make it registrable as a Shetland that fits the 1927 Standard. having made dozens of phone calls in the past few months to Scotland, England and the Shetland Islands to get as much information from the horses mouth proves everything that those of us who support the Standard as described and supported by the Shetland Crofters, the Shetland Flock Book Trust AND the Shetland Sheep Society....well...its a no brainer! My sheep look like the sheep from Shetland that fit the 1927 Standard. None are perfect, but none will be mistaken for anything but a Shetland.

Thank you Shetland Breeders

I've been going through and updating my spread sheets for my sheep. Every year I track things like UK lines, % UK, micron variation in lines and within animals. I also remember things that I have forgotten over the past year.

Like RiverOaks Lucy is a Justalit'l Black Lambo great grand daughter. I have both of them :) They are the foundation of my polled stock here. Two vary different ewes, but yet have a lot of the same qualities I found appreciative of in the first place.

Looking at the CURRENT flock genetic makeup, I wish to thank the following people for allowing me to purchase sheep from them. Becky Utecht (2), Karen Valley (1), Meghan Namaste (1), Lori Stephanson (2), Wally Rutledge (1), Gail Former (1). Jim Chastain (3), Tami Mulder (2), Susan Kimball (3), Stephen Rouse (4), and my mentor Cynthia Allen (11). The balance are all ewes that I've retained from my breedings. I have purchased from others but their sheep are no longer in my flock for a host of reasons that are not the fault of the breeder (mastitis, fence jumpers, etc), and there are other flocks that I'm hoping to still add something from in the future (Theresa, Sabrina, Michelle, Rich/Jen, Franna, Juliann).

With the constant mission of the 1927 Standard in front of me and in my mind (and not something made from one person's opinion like the 2004 handbook), I will continue to strive for sheep that represent the breed that the Shetlander's have grown to love and depend on for food, clothing and humor :)

The concerns with my father have been fixed, for ten years, at which point my dad hopes that I can purchase the farm from him. WOW. That's a huge responsibility! Am I ready for it? Maybe in 10 years I will be :)

It really is about the breed, not you

I am quite concerned over the fervor that is resonating in some people's minds and voices over what a Shetland is. Not WAS. I don't care what they were 400 years ago. I'm concerned over preserving the breed NOW, according to the 1927 Standard.

When I first started purchasing sheep I purchased some single coated sheep. I also had purchased several very double coated sheep (because after all the breed is 'diverse'). However, after doing research and finding the Shetland Sheep Society website, I was convinced not all of my sheep were true representatives of the breed. This isn't bashing any one person's breeding program. Its not saying that I'm an apt pupil having found historic evidence in documents and photos to make me decide either way. I still HAVE some double coated sheep, but I don't use them for breeding purebred. And I don't register their lambs as being registrable. I also don't tell you that each of my lambs is show quality and how wonderful they are. Reality check. Its not about me. Or how well I can put breeding pairs together.

Its not about me making money at this, or more than you, or less than you. Its not about winning at a sheep show and bragging about it every time I open my mouth, or about coming in last at the long line of 20+ sheep. Its not about me being wrong and you being right or vice versa.

Its about preservation of what a Shetland Sheep should look like today, and since 1927 (or thereabouts). I am all for diversity. I have short legged and long legged sheep. I have some with more britch wool than I like, and some very consistent down their tail head. I have every pattern, and nearly every color. I have different sizes, head shapes and ear sets. I don't have one perfect sheep. nor one sheep I would think 'hey that's show quality'. They aren't perfect and don't fit the Standard perfectly, but I'm working it, and I think I'm progressing in the right direction.

I'm extremely hard on my sheep. I nit pick every day I am out there. Some days I look at them and think how far I've come. Other days I nearly cry over my lack of ability to move them further along to LOOK like sheep that fit the 1927 Standard.

And why do I care? I care because I care about the BREED. I care about the well being and preservation of the Shetland Sheep. I don't want newbies in ten years unable to decide on what kind of 40 varieties of "shetland sheep" that are out there to decide which one is really the true expression of the shetland sheep of the 1927 standard.

its true there are pockets of isolation, like on Foula, that have had no improvement one iota for decades due to the sheer isolation of the entire island. They also co-mingle their entire flock. The entire FLOCK on the island. not just my sheep and your sheep. EVERYBODY'S!

Why do I care so much? This breed of sheep has given my highest highs and my lowest lows. I am emotionally concerned for their well being as a breed and for their future. they are a very unique breed of sheep, unlike any other short tailed cousin they might have.

WE are supposed to be good stewards of the breed. To preserve and protect SHETLAND SHEEP. Not our pocketbooks, or egos or honestly our livelihood. Its time to stop being greedy and opposed to learning and becoming educated about what TRULY is representative of a Shetland of the 1927 Standard.

Let's learn together. I'm eager to find out all I can. And I want future shepherds to have the ability to proudly say they have the best breed of sheep out there. And its still recognizable as a Shetland.

Hard to argue now

For those who like to have facts that are actually backed up with references that are quoted and later used in bibliography style points, I urge you to go to the NASSA Education blog. They have done an amazing amount of work and time and emotion in this newest post. Its extremely long, well organized and is backed up with document after document after document with their findings.

Its hard to argue now with all of this evidence of what Shetlands always were and what they are now. Those that like to say 'its a fact' but never back it up, well, I guess its time you find your documents and articles and PROVE what you are saying isn't just hearsay. And not just the book, but the page and sentence >:)

I'm always up for a lively debate. Word of mouth no longer cuts it.

Why micron and venting.

Its been a LONG time since I"ve used my blog for venting...and I can't take it any longer.

For someone who is learning like me, I think microning is a great tool to learn stuff about your own sheep.

I can 'feel' how soft a fleece FEELS but I can't tell you how fine it will be. I can pick any number and say...16 microns...but who am I bluffing? I have shown evidence of my testing, unlike others who claim to have such fine fleeces but never have the data to back it up. Handle yes is important as are all other things...scales, density, etc. Its just a tool that I use and am happy with using to get my desired results. And its working for me, and I couldn't be happier with it. Are my sheep perfect? Absolutely not! Am I a genius? FAR FROM IT! I'm still learning and want to learn all I can. Its the bashing that I cannot take.

With less than 15 known breeders of single coats I'd say we are by far the underdog here in this NA flock of sheep that are getting too coarse, too big and way too primitive.

Where is the historical evidence of THREE fleece types? The double coats here in the US are not anything like the UK double coats they call beaver or scatter. Check out the Stanley Bowie article in the last NASSA News. He said that there is no mention of kindly/beaver coats for centuries and that the classic Shetlands are of single coated sheep, with few scatter fleeced typed animals that happen to have an outer coat ONLY along the back and maybe a ruff/mane on the neck and they aren't even registered.

AKC (American Kennel Club) has a breed standard for all of the dogs that it recognizes. I had heard on the general Shetland list that NASSA is first and foremost a registry to preserve the breed. I think if NASSA keeps this stance up, it will end up like AKC....just a registry that anyone can register animals as long as it has registered parents. My last girlfriend had an AKC registered Pomeranian. Standard calls for a dog of 2-5 pounds (or so, i can't remember) and hers was over TWENTY pounds. I thought it was a mutt crossed with a sheltie. She was offended and said she paid big bucks for this AKC registered Pomeranian.

Do we want to be like the AKC and just allow poor breedings to continue to happen? Bowie also states in his article that the double coats we have are bred down from crossbred sheep and are different than the UK sheep. Bad breeding should not be rewarded. Its time to stop breeding animals together because they are cute or friendly when the structure and fleece is being ignored.

And I do not think that we should forfeit fleece types or animals because they micron at such and such or have a double coat. That was never my intent, but like Linda W said....we need to move FORWARD with what we have and breed towards the standard that's been in place over 80 years to PROTECT the BREED. Let's move forward together to create the ideal sheep...fine fleeced, within fleece and size limits, according to the standard. There is enough room to merit variability without having commercialized sheep.

If you don't want to follow the breed standard, don't register your sheep. I'd hate to see 150 pound horse hair sheep winning at shows that are being called Shetlands. Oh wait, that's already happening. And people are buying them. That scares me. And they are bigger than Icelandics. Why should we allow Shetlands, that should have NEVER looked like Icelandics for centuries to all of a sudden be OK to breed from? They are not following the standard.

AKC allows any registering of animals that have registered parents...even though they have a standard, they don't have a way to examine the animals prior to registering. Let's not go the way of the dogs....let's put good breeding practices into effect, breed forward, learning together, and be good STEWARDS of the breed, without a personal agenda.

Standard Weights Shetlands and BFLs

Now before everyone gets all excited.....I have found the weights from the SSS Standard. Its a guideline that should be followed. Maybe not all of your sheep (or mine) will fit the range and that is ok! but if your entire flock is under or over then maybe its time to think about where you are headed :)

Standard Shetland Weights:
Ewes: 75-100# (mature)
Rams: 90-110# (mature) (I"ve also seen up to 125# mentioned in some places, not on the SSS)

My ewes: 60-100# (yearling to mature)
Rams: 80-120# (yearling to mature)

I feel comfortable with these numbers. My average for the ewes is 78.6 pounds, so on the lower end of the scale but they are growing babies like crazy! Its fun to see how much the lambs take out of them. One ewe has lost 12 pounds since her lamb was born but her lamb is also one of the fastest growing lambs out there! I weighed them before breeding groups and then again tonight, so about 6.5 months later. My yearlings are in the 60-80 pound range so in another two years they will all most likely be within the limits.

I do have a 2 year old ewe who is quite danty. She is 62 pounds now, with her breeding group weight at 65 pounds. Her daughter is nearly 4 weeks later than my AI lambs and nearly the same size :) So she's a great momma who seems to be holding her condition.

My BFLs average weight was 126.6 pounds. I found different weight averages on the BLU and BFLBA websites.

BLUNA states 150-175# for ewes and BFLBA states 170-220#. Which is correct? I couldn't find a weight on the UK BFL breed association page.

For rams BLUNA states 200-250# and BFLBA states 250-300#. Again which is correct?

I have only one two year old ewe and she is currently at 145 pounds. Her daughter is nearly gaining .75#/day and momma is maintaing weight. The baby is alrady 45# at 53 days old! At breeding group time, she weighed 120 pounds. My yearlings average from 105-145 and none are bred (not even late!!)

I should be fun to try and weight them all NEXT year :)

Head - 9 points - 1927 Shetland Standard

The head is the next topic as Michelle at Boulderneigh had two sheep photographed and discussed. One's head didn't seem to be as 'ideal' in MHO, but it could just be what I'm used to, or what I deem as 'pretty' or 'typey'

The head is worth 9 points as well, so another important part of the standard.

Head

Good width between ears, tapering rapidly to base of nose, which should be broad and with little taper to the muzzle, hollow between cheeks and nose well marked

9 points

I guess this is a harder one for me to debate as most of the heads are typically the same in my flock, minus ear set or eyes or something like that. No heads are overally large, but all heads are that wide skull between ears and taper like an upside down triangle to the nose. Looking at it definintely makes me think "Shetland" but the entire "Northern short-tailed family of sheep" must have similiar heads?

Any help here disecting this would be helpful!

Tail - 9 points - Shetland Standard 1927

Tail Fluke tail. Wool at root forming the broad rounded part, and tapering suddenly to barely covered fine point. This is a strong character, and any crossing is easily made out by it. Length varies according to the size of sheep, rarely exceeds six inches, or thereby.
9 points

Now I'm pretty sure we all agree that tails are pretty easy to fault or praise? A tail is something obvious that we can say 'oh its way too wooly' or 'its too long' or 'its not fluke shaped'.

So why 9 points?

Apparently breeders from days past realized this as a breed specific trait. Any crosses typically had longer tails that needed to be docked (or if they weren't resembled large tubes of sausage!) I know on the BFLs and their mules that they need to be docked. This was one way of telling a 'true' shetland from the crosses that were beginning to happen.

I did cull most of my 'wooly' tails out that resembled beaver tails with wool on them. I didn't cull them only for that, they had other huge glaring faults. What I do have a few of though are those tails that i call "rat tails". do you know what I am talking about? They have hair on most of their tails instead of wool on the top part. They are in my higher %UK and I'm not sure if that is considered a fault or if its ok? The standard doesn't say a think about those. I guess they are fluked, but they are lacking the wool (or it roo's itself off)

What say you?

Wool - 20 points - Sheltand 1927 standard

Wool Extra fine and soft texture, longish, wavy, and well closed. Wool on forehead and poll tapering into neck, likewise wool on cheeks. Colours: white, black or brown , moorit (from reddish to fawn). Greys (including Sheila). Other known colours - Mirkface (brownish spots on face); Catmogit (dark under parts from muzzle to tail and legs), Burrit (light underparts); also Blaegit, Fleckit, and Sholmit
20 pts

Wool is the highest point earning, one item topic in the standard. As such, it would obviously then get the most influence and priority right? Well yet 80 pionts are conformation, but at the end of the day if two animals are equal in all other conformation points, wouldn't it be safe to say that the 20 points for a nice fleece would then win?

let's break it down.

"wool extra fine and soft texture" - EXTRA fine! What does this mean? if the average micron for Shetlands is supposed to be 23 microns, and anything over 30 microns is considered coarse, then I would think extra fine would be under 23 microns.

I have three that fit that category. How about you? And no guessing or saying " i think its really soft" or 'the handle is soft'. Prove it! Micron your sheep. its only 1.25 per sample!

"longish, wavy and well closed" this is more debatable. It was presented to a group last year and it was agreed it was hard to distinguish was longish and wavy MEANT in 1927 versus today. If fleeces are 2-4 inches then longish was probably considered 3-4 inches for this breed, but i'm only assuming. Linda Wendleboe does a great job discussing this bit of the standard well. With evidence and research to back it up. I can't find the links right now to those sites but when I find them i'll keep you posted!

Did wavy mean crimpy? Or did wavy mean what we mean by wavy? large crimp? losser crimp?

"Wool on forehead and poll tapering into neck, likewise wool on cheeks"

It seems as though most of my sheep do NOT have wool on forehead or poll or on cheecks. However I bred them to AI rams and all lambs have wool on poll and cheeks. Not even my domestics have it on their polls or checks. Isn't that crazy? And how many points are these parts of the 'wool' section? 5? 10? Should it be defined? does this mean I'm going to cull my ewes? no! But i'll breed towards sheep that DO have wool on polls and cheeks , and not ignore the standard. Just as I wouldn't ignore the standard about extra fine and soft :)

Ok eat me alive! I'm ready!

1927 Standard - let's discuss

Below is the SSS 1927 Shetland Sheep Standard:

http://shetland-sheep.org/standard.htm

SHETLAND SHEEP STANDARD

Description and Scale of Points Score - 100

Reproduced from the Shetland Flock Book Society

Bye-Laws & Regulations

Objects & Standard of the Society 1927

Adopted by NASSA 03/2000
General character and appearance

(Horned or Hornless)

9
Head

Good width between ears, tapering rapidly to base of nose, which should be broad and with little taper to the muzzle, hollow between cheeks and nose well marked

9
Face

Medium length of face from eyes to muzzle, nose prominent but not Roman, small mouth

5
Eyes

Full, bright, and active look

3
Ears

Fine, medium size, set well back, carried slightly above the horizontal

4
Neck

Full, tapers into a fairly broad chest

4
Shoulders

Well set, top level with back

6
Chest

Medium width and deep

5
Back Level, with as much width as possible
9
Ribs Well sprung and well ribbed up
4
Rump Good width, with well tuned rounded hips
5
Tail Fluke tail. Wool at root forming the broad rounded part, and tapering suddenly to barely covered fine point. This is a strong character, and any crossing is easily made out by it. Length varies according to the size of sheep, rarely exceeds six inches, or thereby
9
Legs of Mutton Light, but very fine in quality
4
Skin Varies according to colour of wool. In white no blue or black colouring
2
Wool Extra fine and soft texture, longish, wavy, and well closed. Wool on forehead and poll tapering into neck, likewise wool on cheeks. Colours: white, black or brown , moorit (from reddish to fawn). Greys (including Sheila). Other known colours - Mirkface (brownish spots on face); Catmogit (dark under parts from muzzle to tail and legs), Burrit (light underparts); also Blaegit, Fleckit, and Sholmit
20
Carriage Alert and nimble, with a smart active gait
2



DISQUALIFICATION

(a) Long heavy tail, broad to point

(b) Bad wool, coarse and open

(c) Very coarse wool on breeches

(d) Deformities of jaws

(e) Undersized animals

(f) Defective coloured or badly shaped animals as sires

(g) White hairs in moorit and black, and dark hairs in white wool

Note: The 1927 Shetland Flock Book Society standard was developed for the original inspection of sheep for registration by the Society. The standard includes seven specific faults that were considered serious enough to disqualify sheep from registrations. While these disqualifications are still part of the Standard, NASSA does not have an inspection system and does not disqualify purebred Shetland sheep from registration. However, NASSA recommends that breeders take into consideration these disqualification faults when evaluating Shetland sheep for breeding purposes and for registration.

Let's discuss this largest points first. The first post will be about wool.