Shetland Sheep
Shetland sheep are a rare breed from the Shetland Islands, in the north of Scotland.  They are the smallest of the British sheep breeds and are considered a primitive breed. They are noted for their fine wool in many colors, unusual markings, and their hardy nature and good mothering traits.  The Shetland sheep tends to shed wool once a year and traditionally the Shetland islanders plucked, or 'rooed' the wool by hand once the shedding began.
Though Shetlands are noted for their wool they also make a good meat breed. Their meat is mild-flavored, and though they are slow-maturing, they can be crossed with a larger breed to produce meat lambs. (We use White Dorpers.)
The third US President, Thomas Jefferson, owned a Shetland ram which attacked people who were walking across the White House lawn, thus making Shetland rams the fore-runners of the Secret Service. The Shetland ram later broke fences at Monticello and killed two of Jefferson's prized Tunis rams. "This abominable animal was so dangerous generally that I was obliged to have him destroyed," Jefferson wrote to a friend.

Shetland sheep info from OK State

Shetland Registry
North American Shetland Sheepbreeders Association (NASSA) --- US/Canada Shetland registry
NASSA Breeders List --- find a breeder near you
NASSA Sales Site --- Shetland sheep for sale

Shetland Breeders
Kimberwood Shetlands - Prior Lake, MN - has sheep with great colors and markings.
Maple Ridge Sheep Farm - Randolph, VT - the oldest US Shetland farm, web site has lots of information on raising Shetlands.

Insel Lyr Shetlands

Baby picture of  Insel Lyr Robert Emery (Insel Lyr Area 51 x SheepyHollow Holly), one of my up-and-coming herd sires. Robert Emery faded to white as an adult. 

Insel Lyr Nadezhda, (Insel Lyr Dylan Hunt x Insel Lyr Morwenna) a moorit ewe. The bicolor effect is because I rooed part of her wool when she lambed on May 10th, and the rest on July 7th, the day before this picture was taken.


Insel Lyr Piroschka (Insel Lyr Area 51 x Insel Lyr Novocaine), a horned ewe in the process of self-shedding her fleece.  In front of her is one of our ShetlandxWhite Dorper lambs.