MrsCedarstone
Ridin' The Range
Considering these 2 sheep breeds. Does anyone have experiences with these two they would like to share? Stories, advice, pictures, etc.
Finnsheep and Shetland Sheep
- Thread starter MrsCedarstone
- Start date
purplequeenvt
Herd Master
I have Shetlands. Love them. I don't have time right now for a longer post, but I'll try to come back to this later today.
norseofcourse
Herd Master
I haven't had either, but I've seen them. There was a booth with Finn sheep at the Great Lakes Fiber Show earlier this year. They were cute, and had such soft voices 
I saw a Shetland at a county fair - small, very fluffy sheep
How common are they in your area? The less common they are, likely the more you'll have to pay for them, and/or the further you'll have to travel. Not just now for breeding stock, but eventually for replacement rams, too.
Finn sheep are known for multiple births - lots of lambs! That will mean bottle babies to raise.
Both breeds are Northern European short-tailed sheep, which means short tails (no need to dock), no wool on the face or legs, and some other characteristics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_European_short-tailed_sheep
I saw a Shetland at a county fair - small, very fluffy sheep How common are they in your area? The less common they are, likely the more you'll have to pay for them, and/or the further you'll have to travel. Not just now for breeding stock, but eventually for replacement rams, too.
Finn sheep are known for multiple births - lots of lambs! That will mean bottle babies to raise.
Both breeds are Northern European short-tailed sheep, which means short tails (no need to dock), no wool on the face or legs, and some other characteristics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_European_short-tailed_sheep
- Thread starter
- #4
MrsCedarstone
Ridin' The Range
purplequeenvt-How long have you had shetland's? Do you breed them?
norseofcourse-What kind of sheep do you have?
Shetland's are fairly common in my area. There are a couple within a 3 hour radius of my house. Not so much with the Finn's though. I only can find one place that is just under 4 hours from me. I don't plan on keeping a ram anytime soon.
I liked Finn's for their disposition since I wanted friendly sheep, however the general consensus I am getting is that any sheep breed could be that way if they were raised to be that way, particularly bottle babies. The finn's possibly being bottle babies could be a problem for me though so I will definitely take that into consideration. Are shetland's the same with multiples?
I seem to like all the Northern European short tails. I like both shetland's and finn's their small size.
norseofcourse-What kind of sheep do you have?
Shetland's are fairly common in my area. There are a couple within a 3 hour radius of my house. Not so much with the Finn's though. I only can find one place that is just under 4 hours from me. I don't plan on keeping a ram anytime soon.
I liked Finn's for their disposition since I wanted friendly sheep, however the general consensus I am getting is that any sheep breed could be that way if they were raised to be that way, particularly bottle babies. The finn's possibly being bottle babies could be a problem for me though so I will definitely take that into consideration. Are shetland's the same with multiples?
I seem to like all the Northern European short tails. I like both shetland's and finn's their small size.
purplequeenvt
Herd Master
Just a quick reply before bed, but I'll try to go into more detail when I get home from work tomorrow.
purplequeenvt-How long have you had shetland's? Do you breed them?
I have had Shetlands for almost 5 years now, but we've raised Border Leicesters (and Romneys a while ago) for 15 years. I do breed my Shetlands. I'm breeding specifically for super soft fleeces and good conformation as well as personality.
Shetland's are fairly common in my area. There are a couple within a 3 hour radius of my house. Not so much with the Finn's though. I only can find one place that is just under 4 hours from me. I don't plan on keeping a ram anytime soon.
Shetland's tend to be a little easier to find, but make sure you find good quality. Because they are getting so popular, some people think that they can sell mediocre quality sheep for top dollar. They can usually get away with it since new shepherds often don't have a clue what to look for. I will try to point out some things to watch for tomorrow.
I only bought my own Shetland ram last fall. I've used a neighbor/friend's registered rams for the last few years, but our sheep were getting too related and I wanted something different.
I liked Finn's for their disposition since I wanted friendly sheep, however the general consensus I am getting is that any sheep breed could be that way if they were raised to be that way, particularly bottle babies. The finn's possibly being bottle babies could be a problem for me though so I will definitely take that into consideration. Are shetland's the same with multiples?
I don't know a lot about Finns since I've never raised any, but I do have a friend with a small flock and hers are pretty friendly. Shetlands can be really flighty (just like any sheep), but once you have made friends with them, they can be like puppies. Shetlands generally have 1-2 lambs per birth, sometimes 3 or more, but that is quite rare. I've only ever had singles and twins.
I seem to like all the Northern European short tails. I like both shetland's and finn's their small size.
From my experience with the Shetlands and what I've seen of my friend's Finns, both breeds can be a lot of fun. Nice wool (usually), fun personalities, and many different colors and patterns.
purplequeenvt-How long have you had shetland's? Do you breed them?
I have had Shetlands for almost 5 years now, but we've raised Border Leicesters (and Romneys a while ago) for 15 years. I do breed my Shetlands. I'm breeding specifically for super soft fleeces and good conformation as well as personality.
Shetland's are fairly common in my area. There are a couple within a 3 hour radius of my house. Not so much with the Finn's though. I only can find one place that is just under 4 hours from me. I don't plan on keeping a ram anytime soon.
Shetland's tend to be a little easier to find, but make sure you find good quality. Because they are getting so popular, some people think that they can sell mediocre quality sheep for top dollar. They can usually get away with it since new shepherds often don't have a clue what to look for. I will try to point out some things to watch for tomorrow.
I only bought my own Shetland ram last fall. I've used a neighbor/friend's registered rams for the last few years, but our sheep were getting too related and I wanted something different.
I liked Finn's for their disposition since I wanted friendly sheep, however the general consensus I am getting is that any sheep breed could be that way if they were raised to be that way, particularly bottle babies. The finn's possibly being bottle babies could be a problem for me though so I will definitely take that into consideration. Are shetland's the same with multiples?
I don't know a lot about Finns since I've never raised any, but I do have a friend with a small flock and hers are pretty friendly. Shetlands can be really flighty (just like any sheep), but once you have made friends with them, they can be like puppies. Shetlands generally have 1-2 lambs per birth, sometimes 3 or more, but that is quite rare. I've only ever had singles and twins.
I seem to like all the Northern European short tails. I like both shetland's and finn's their small size.
From my experience with the Shetlands and what I've seen of my friend's Finns, both breeds can be a lot of fun. Nice wool (usually), fun personalities, and many different colors and patterns.
purplequeenvt
Herd Master
Ok....
All of my Shetlands have been very healthy and have required very minimal "extra" care. They are wormed less often than the other breeds we have and if we have a worm overload, the Shetlands are the least likely to be affected.
They require annual shearing, but I like to shear mine twice a year. The fall fleece is usually a lot cleaner than the spring one. Hoof trimming and whatever vaccines you want to do (we do CD&T mainly).
The lambs, although weighing in at only 3-6lbs at birth, are lively and tough. They are up and nursing within minutes.
The ewes are more often than not EXCELLENT mothers. I had a ewe lamb at 14 months old (we don't normally breed our ewe lambs the fall that they are born, but she had other ideas. She got bred through a fence) this spring. She did everything by herself and has been the best mother ever.
The "teen mom", Eskimo
With her baby
Personality-wise, there is a large range. I have super crazy, bounce off the walls if you get too close (the teen mom, actually) all the way to a Shetland that will crawl into your lap for attention (Teen Mom's half sister).
Freyja
Some are naturally more friendly, but most of them can be won over with some treats and chest scratches.
Shetlands do not have a strong flocking instinct which can make moving them around difficult. Training them to follow a bucket of grain is strongly advised!
Shetlands come in a variety of colors and patterns. If color genetics intrigue you, there is lots of fun to be had puzzling everything out.
For example - this ram lamb is black, but he carries moorit (brown) because of his sire and his fleece is going to turn grey. He is also spotted.
This one is fawn (a modified shade of moorit) with a pattern called "katmoget".
This one is musket (moorit with the greying gene) and spotted.
And this one is just cute!
Things to look for when buying Shetlands:
Horns - generally speaking, only the rams have horns, BUT there are some polled rams and horned ewes. When selecting a ram to buy or breed to, check his horns. You want them to be well away from his face, like this....
Not like this. This ram had to be put down because his horns were so close to his face that you could barely slip a halter between horn and head. The horns would have continued to thicken and cause problems.
That being said, if you love everything else about the ram, use him. Not every case of bad horns is genetic and sometimes you get spectacular horns from one with bad horns.
Tails - Shetlands are supposed to have short, fluke shaped tails with hair instead of wool. There is a little variation in length and wooliness and in most cases it's ok. The tail should not be longer than 6 inches.
There is so much more about Shetlands that I don't have time to go into right now, but feel free to ask more questions.
All of my Shetlands have been very healthy and have required very minimal "extra" care. They are wormed less often than the other breeds we have and if we have a worm overload, the Shetlands are the least likely to be affected.
They require annual shearing, but I like to shear mine twice a year. The fall fleece is usually a lot cleaner than the spring one. Hoof trimming and whatever vaccines you want to do (we do CD&T mainly).
The lambs, although weighing in at only 3-6lbs at birth, are lively and tough. They are up and nursing within minutes.
The ewes are more often than not EXCELLENT mothers. I had a ewe lamb at 14 months old (we don't normally breed our ewe lambs the fall that they are born, but she had other ideas. She got bred through a fence) this spring. She did everything by herself and has been the best mother ever.
The "teen mom", Eskimo
With her baby
Personality-wise, there is a large range. I have super crazy, bounce off the walls if you get too close (the teen mom, actually) all the way to a Shetland that will crawl into your lap for attention (Teen Mom's half sister).
Freyja
Some are naturally more friendly, but most of them can be won over with some treats and chest scratches.
Shetlands do not have a strong flocking instinct which can make moving them around difficult. Training them to follow a bucket of grain is strongly advised!
Shetlands come in a variety of colors and patterns. If color genetics intrigue you, there is lots of fun to be had puzzling everything out.
For example - this ram lamb is black, but he carries moorit (brown) because of his sire and his fleece is going to turn grey. He is also spotted.
This one is fawn (a modified shade of moorit) with a pattern called "katmoget".
This one is musket (moorit with the greying gene) and spotted.
And this one is just cute!
Things to look for when buying Shetlands:
Horns - generally speaking, only the rams have horns, BUT there are some polled rams and horned ewes. When selecting a ram to buy or breed to, check his horns. You want them to be well away from his face, like this....
Not like this. This ram had to be put down because his horns were so close to his face that you could barely slip a halter between horn and head. The horns would have continued to thicken and cause problems.
That being said, if you love everything else about the ram, use him. Not every case of bad horns is genetic and sometimes you get spectacular horns from one with bad horns.
Tails - Shetlands are supposed to have short, fluke shaped tails with hair instead of wool. There is a little variation in length and wooliness and in most cases it's ok. The tail should not be longer than 6 inches.
There is so much more about Shetlands that I don't have time to go into right now, but feel free to ask more questions.
- Thread starter
- #7
MrsCedarstone
Ridin' The Range
Thank you so much for the information. I will definitely do the grain training for sure. Love your pictures. I am interested in the genetics and coloring but probably won't experiment with that for a little while yet. I love colors and spots. That musket one is beautiful. I'm looking at probably getting 3 to start out so they won't be lonely, probably a mix of ewes and wethers.Ok....
All of my Shetlands have been very healthy and have required very minimal "extra" care. They are wormed less often than the other breeds we have and if we have a worm overload, the Shetlands are the least likely to be affected.
They require annual shearing, but I like to shear mine twice a year. The fall fleece is usually a lot cleaner than the spring one. Hoof trimming and whatever vaccines you want to do (we do CD&T mainly).
The lambs, although weighing in at only 3-6lbs at birth, are lively and tough. They are up and nursing within minutes.
The ewes are more often than not EXCELLENT mothers. I had a ewe lamb at 14 months old (we don't normally breed our ewe lambs the fall that they are born, but she had other ideas. She got bred through a fence) this spring. She did everything by herself and has been the best mother ever.
The "teen mom", Eskimo
With her baby
Personality-wise, there is a large range. I have super crazy, bounce off the walls if you get too close (the teen mom, actually) all the way to a Shetland that will crawl into your lap for attention (Teen Mom's half sister).
Freyja
Some are naturally more friendly, but most of them can be won over with some treats and chest scratches.
Shetlands do not have a strong flocking instinct which can make moving them around difficult. Training them to follow a bucket of grain is strongly advised!
Shetlands come in a variety of colors and patterns. If color genetics intrigue you, there is lots of fun to be had puzzling everything out.
For example - this ram lamb is black, but he carries moorit (brown) because of his sire and his fleece is going to turn grey. He is also spotted.
This one is fawn (a modified shade of moorit) with a pattern called "katmoget".
This one is musket (moorit with the greying gene) and spotted.
And this one is just cute!
Things to look for when buying Shetlands:
Horns - generally speaking, only the rams have horns, BUT there are some polled rams and horned ewes. When selecting a ram to buy or breed to, check his horns. You want them to be well away from his face, like this....
Not like this. This ram had to be put down because his horns were so close to his face that you could barely slip a halter between horn and head. The horns would have continued to thicken and cause problems.
That being said, if you love everything else about the ram, use him. Not every case of bad horns is genetic and sometimes you get spectacular horns from one with bad horns.
Tails - Shetlands are supposed to have short, fluke shaped tails with hair instead of wool. There is a little variation in length and wooliness and in most cases it's ok. The tail should not be longer than 6 inches.
There is so much more about Shetlands that I don't have time to go into right now, but feel free to ask more questions.
norseofcourse
Herd Master
I have Icelandics, also one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep. They are bigger than Shetlands or Finns, but smaller than most of the 'modern' breeds. Icelandics are double-coated, with a short inner coat of soft wool, and a long outer coat of sturdier wool. It can be separated and spun for different uses, or kept together and spun up fluffy for things like sweaters or hats. It grows fast - over an inch a month - and is usually shorn twice a year (many mills can't process 16" long wool) and as purplequeenvt said, the fall clip is usually cleaner.
At lot of things about sheep are going to be individual - mine also vary in temperament, from friendly to standoffish. The friendly ones are only friendly to me, though, probably because I'm the one who spends the most time with them. I've never bottle-raised one but from what I've read that can make them very people-friendly.
Icelandics come horned or polled in either sex. They also come in a huge variety of colors - both Shetlands and Icelandics claim to have the most colors/patterns of any sheep breed. They don't have a strong flocking instinct, and they tend to like to browse (eat brush, weeds, trees) just as much as graze on grass - if not more!
I love my Icelandics too
Good luck in your search!
Sue K
Exploring the pasture
Does anyone know of any miniature shetland breeders in or around Missouri, Kansas, or Iowa?
- Thread starter
- #10
MrsCedarstone
Ridin' The Range
Have you tried the North American Shetland Sheep Association website?
