My Flock

I’d like you to meet my Shetland sheep. I am a member of the North American Shetland Sheepbreeders Association (NASSA). My registered flock name is ‘WOOLYTYME’  -  Flock No. 1849. It’s the prefix I’ll use for every registered Shetland lamb born on my farm. I have a rather small ‘spinner’s flock…they’re actually more like my little wooly pets. While I have owned Shetland sheep (and Corriedales and Cheviots) for over ten years, I have only recently -  Fall 2008 – purchased a ram (Testiamo S28002) to breed a new foundation flock. 

Shetland sheep produce the widest ranges of colors of any breed.  Besides the white, Shetland sheep produce several shades of wool including moorit(reddy/brown), shaela (silvery grey), fawn, grey, dark brown and black.  They are often patterned such as krunet (white crown), katmoget (dark belly) and gulmoget (light underneath).  There are 11 main colors as well as 30 markings, many still bearing their Shetland dialect names.  Unfortunately, many of these colors and markings have become quite rare as white wool has historically commanded better prices.  The wool has a Bradford count usually in the upper 50′s to lower 60′s and a fiber diameter range of 20 -25 microns.  Fleeces usually weigh between 2 and 4 pounds (1-1 1/2 kg) and have a staple length of 2 to 4.5 inches (50-120mm). Their fleece is a delight for any hand-spinner.

Meet ‘Hildy’ (SHELTRGPINES HILDEGARD S9606) and ‘Snowy’ (SHELTRGPINES SNOWY S9610) who joined our flock this past December. Hildy is Stephen’s >>>owner of Sheltering Pines<<< first spotted (black/white/yuglet/flecket) Shetland! Snowy is what’s called a black/white/bersugget. Stephen raises exceptionally fine, single coated Shetlands in Allegan, MI. After this breeding season, Hildy and Snowy will enjoy retirement on our farm!  

  

Sept 2008 I purchased a pair of ewe lambs ‘Dove’ (Ramble N White Dove S27875), a white Shetland ewe and ‘Dahlia’ (Ramble N Dahlia S27876) a grey. Here’s Dahlia who appears black going into her first winter as a yearling, but…   

Dove & Dahlia as Yearlings.

…here she is with her second fleece, almost grey! Dove has finer wool fleece whereas Dahlia appears more double coated. The moorit ewe in the picture above (left) is Polly – she came to live with us when she was ’retired’ from a privately owned petting farm a number of years ago.    

  

Here’s Dove this Fall, as a yearling.  

  

Athos Grazing.

SHELTRGPINES Athos is my new ram lamb, a gray katmoget/smirslet.  

Tinkerbell.

The gal in front is Tinkerbell. She was pitch black when I brought this little lamb home! She has a nice dense fleece and a dream to spin. Tinkerbell has moved on to greener pastures Spring 2011, where she lambed twin ewe lambs!

Dove(left), Tink(back) and Dahlia(right).

  

Reece.

HymnotesFarm Reeces Pieces is my moorit bottle baby, Testiamo’s daughter. I have one more very fine single coated moorit ewe lamb, SHELTRGPINES Serendipity, to share with you as soon as I can snap a picture of her! I LOVE my sheepies!