Information

History of Shetland Sheep:

The history of sheep on the islands that are now known as Shetland can reliably be dated to the ninth century.  It is known that the islands began to be occupied with populations of people of Scandinavian extraction at about this time.  The islands were in all probability, originally used by the Vikings, as a crude staging post for their travels along the extreme edge of the European shelf.

Their forays into Scotland, Eire, and the coastline of England and Wales at this time were relatively common; many modern seaport towns can be dated from around this time, and were in all probability used in much the same way as Shetland.

It is probable, however, that the existence of sheep on the islands dates back much earlier in the form of a primitive type of animal, not unlike Soay sheep, that were common throughout much of northern Europe.  The original domestic sheep carried on board the Viking ships would have been the old Norwegian breed, that are still bred in Selbu, Bergen, Setesdal, and several other locations throughout western Norway, and were dropped at the islands to be caught up at a later date.

The island's population of wild sheep, without the intervention of either genetic incompatibility, or man, would have bred with any ewe that came in season.   As the population changed on Shetland from transient to permanent, farming practices of the time would have begun to take effect, including primitive but effective breeding programs, with an emphasis on the selection of livestock, best suited to the somewhat bleak and sparse terrain.  It is from these haphazard beginnings, came the breed of sheep we now call Shetland.

Additional information:

NASSA: www.shetland-sheep.org

Fiber Works Farm, Information: http://www.shetlandsheepinfo.com/

Oklahoma State University Page: http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/shetland/