Shetland Sheep
Shetland Sheep belong to the northern European short tailed group of sheep (also including Icelandics, Finnsheep and Romanovs). They evolved in a harsh environment on the Shetland Islands into a small, hardy, self sufficient bearer of fine wool. Shetlands have naturally short tails that don't require docking. Ewes generally lamb without assistance and raise lambs well. Twins are common and triplets and quads are not unheard of. Shetlands come in eleven whole colors and scores of markings and spotted patterns. They are more efficient foragers than many breeds of sheep due to their primitive background and thrive on pasture with little grain needed. Rams usually have large spiral horns, but may be polled. Ewes are generally polled but may have small upright horns. This is a perfect breed for beginning shepherds, new hobby farmers and youth breeders due to their ease of care and handling!
Shetland wool comes in a range of fineness as well. Here at DCF, we prefer the fine, single coated sheep. In order to objectivley evaluate fleeces, we have them micron tested by Yocom-McColl.
Shetlands for sale: As we only wish to keep a small flock (and our pastures demand that we do!) we sell sheep very reasonably. We have animals for everyone including the new shepherd (with starter flock and ewe and lamb discounts!), the fiber artist looking for a spinners flock, homesteaders, hobby farmers and serious fanciers. In order to keep our flock small, we currently choose only six ewes to breed every year. We also offer fiber/fleeces when available. Contact us for more details on fiber. See the For Sale page for currently available sheep.
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For photos and information on current breeding stock, please visit the following pages.
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Photos by Hannah Hutler