Shetland sheep color ID?

When he was born he was black. Now, half a year later his tips have sunburned a light orange but the wool beneath is a lovely silver grey with gold tones. It is exquisite! His head and legs are black. What color is he?

I can't wait to see him shorn.

I was so sorry to have to let go of the comical little goats, but with the goats gone the sheeps' personalities have really stepped up. Angus, my ram, loves his head scratches. One of his ewes will actually come up and cuddle in at your feet. She lives for the human touch and will wag her tail and lower herself when being rubbed. Adorable!

Sue what do you do with the wool? just curious.

I was expecting a photo. lol

authenticfarm wrote:I was expecting a photo. lol

Uh, yaaa.......

With a picture I may have a chance,

Fiber works farm has a good breakdown of colours.

Also, stop talking about them, you are making me want to quit uni and fly back home so see my sheep.

Awwwwww Butterboy, big sheepy hugs to you! Which university did you finally decide to attend?

I got my girls from Butterboy and my ram from Dark Wing Duck.

I guess I need pictures.

My wool went to LynnA this year. She is spinning the brown and black for me and I gave her the white wool in exchange. Holy man, I was not sure of the procedure but sh is doing it all by hand and the work involved is huge. I think I got the best of this deal!  

Next year I plan to have it shorn and cleaned and spun, then a friend who is an incredible knitter will knit me an Icelandic sweater with those pretty patterns around the neck. Except it won't be a sweater...it will be a dress. I will get her to knit it just a little longer. Nice!

Im at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. Plenty of sheep in England, but no friendly shetland goat-sheep.

Also, which ewe is friendliest? Just curious as to who the mother was...

For sanity's sake I keep close track of what colour the lamb is at birth. Lots of markings will disappear so good to have a close look as soon as possible. Moorit shetlands are born looking black but if you examine or compare to a truly black lamb you can see it is a reddish black (with me thus far?) Sort of like henna black. This is moorit and will be browner as it ages. It may have the iset gene which makes fleece frosty over time. Check the NASSA website for more descriptions of fleece colour and these terms. Sounds lovely!

This is good too:

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Shetlands get very friendly but are shy around other animals so best dealt with on their own.

This lamb was a dark blue black at birth.

BB, the friendliest sheep is the white with brown face and legs. She is like a dog. Follows me around. Begs for pets, crouches as I rub her, lays at my feet. The ram and ramlette both enjoy face scratches.

Great link, Heda. He looks like the grey fleece down deep. So pretty.

It's fun but can be frustrating. All the charts and lists make it seem like there is a sure answer to the colour/marking thing but I've found it is much less cut and dried than that. And colours and markings change over time. I'm amazed when i buy an older papered ewe just what marking she used to have.

Here's the article I was looking for:

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See esp the #3 - pewter grey progression.

Schipperkesue wrote:

My wool went to LynnA this year.  She is spinning the brown and black for me and I gave her the white wool in exchange.  Holy man, I was not sure of the procedure but sh is doing it all by hand and the work involved is huge.  I think I got the best of this deal!   

Next year I plan to have it shorn and cleaned and spun, then a friend who is an incredible knitter will knit me an Icelandic sweater with those pretty patterns around the neck.  Except it won't be a sweater...it will be a dress.  I will get her to knit it just a little longer.  Nice!

Sounds a great arrangement Sue.  That really is a lot of work she is doing (and your friend next year, quite the project, bet it will be lovely) but then again, we spinners get desperate to get our hands into the grease sometimes!  It is therapy for some - soothing and methodical multitasking. Been a long time since I've spun fresh fleece, too many other things on the go right now.  Just looking at those links Heda, very moorish.  I have a soft spot for moorit but the lighter shades  -  light caramel mmmmmmmmmm.

We went to the Shetland Islands once, 16 yrs ago.  Son was one year old.  Took an hr from Aberdeen to the main island on the plane.  We went in search of one of those famous wedding ring shawls  -  spun so fine like gossamer sewing thread thickness and knitted into fine lace, pull it through a wedding ring.  On Unst, furthermost island we went to the museum there where they had something behind glass.  We were recomended to go to such and such's place and were shown the real deal.  So lovely, handed down through the family.  That was an amazing piece of work and I know they can get finer than what she showed us.  See if I can find the photos.  

One day I took the boy for a walk in the backpack, he was up at crack of dawn cause mid summer, only three hrs of actual night.  We were in the fog and rounded the corner of the single lane road which was sealed, met up with a black shetland sheep  -  four skinny leggies sticking out of the fluff and short fleece on her head, yellow goatie eyes stared me down with its head tilted to the side.  Really felt as though I'd been LOOKED at.  too funny.  I can imagine they really are characters Sue.  Goats are attention hogs huh.  Then I met a little black Shetland pony stallion.  Thought he was cute until he tried to double barrel kick me in the shins at which point he was no longer cute but a little turd which I'd have gone after with my own teeth but there was the kid in the backpack so not really a go.  Stallion be damned, no call to kick a person in the shins for no reason.  That was key part of my shetland sheep memory, sorry.  Happened in the same half hour so must be told together.   See if I can find the pics, put some up.  Shetland is a cool place.  No trees really, if there is one it is bent over at a 90 degree angle in the direction of the prevailing wind.  It does have about 23 different types of native grass though!

Schipperkesue wrote:This lamb was a dark blue black at birth.  

BB, the friendliest sheep is the white with brown face and legs.  She is like a dog.  Follows me around.  Begs for pets, crouches as I rub her, lays at my feet.  The ram and ramlette both enjoy face scratches.

Her mom was the exact same, and my favourite ewe!

Dad was super friendly too, just a word of warning, it is best to scratch rams on the chin or brisket, the top of the head can be seen as a challenge and makes them think of you more as a sheep. Chin or chest is totally foreign so they rarely try to challenge(ram) you as you are not seen as potential competition.

Thanks for the advice. He also likes his eye creases cleaned. He is becoming quite endearing.

I am not surprised her mom is sweet. We call her our dogsheep. I may try obedience next year.

heda gobbler wrote:Here's the article I was looking for:

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Oh my...so complicated. Right now he looks pewter. I will have lots of coloured wool next year!

Thank you Heda!

What a lovely memory, Magdalen. Alas, I do not spin or knit, but I appreciate! And I surely do appreciate the feel of this soft amazing wool. No itchiness at all!

here is another with the colours I am sure you have looked at it already but here it is anyway
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Schipperkesue wrote:What a lovely memory, Magdalen.  Alas, I do not spin or knit, but I appreciate! And I surely do appreciate the feel of this soft amazing wool.  No itchiness at all!

Hi Sue

yeah was a neat trip. Don't want to hijack but would you like to see some photos from the trip? I found a couple. Would have to scan them and then load them so not sure if the quality would be good or not. be interesting to see if the sheep looks like yours. Guess the Shetlanders could have imported other breeds and therefore what I thought was a Shetland sheep might be something else or mix. Also, would really love to see some pics of your sheep. Do you have any?

appway wrote:here is another with the colours I am sure you have looked at it already but here it is anyway
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ooooooooooo, I like the look of the musket and black fleeces shown there. I am fond of fine crimp and also, fine fibre for spinning soft yarn. Coarser fiber is great for weaving rugs which I did once, great way to use up the less than baby soft fleeces and lovely thing for your house.