Filska Shetlands

Celebrating Shetland Sheep

One of the beautiful things we celebrate in the Shetland breed is diversity. With 11 colors and 30 possible patterns, Shetlands sheep are an incredible representation of the beauty in uncommercialized sheep. There is also great diversity in fleece types, ranging from long, double-coated to very fine and crimpy, which allows shepherds to use fleeces for different purposes. Some fleeces are better suited for clothing, while others make more durable pieces like rugs. Rather then squeeze Shetlands into a uniform box, we celebrate the diversity that this breed has to offer.

Our breeding standards

First and foremost, we breed for healthy animals with sound confirmation. Ewes need to be good mothers and built for lambing, and rams need to have solid structure with wide horns. We also breed for parasite resistance. Once sheep meet those qualifications, we then focus on fleece colors and types. Generally speaking, we breed for a soft, medium length fleece, with crimping. That being said, you will see variety in our ewes, and we have a fairly diverse set of lambs every year.

All of our sheep are registered with the North American Shetland Sheep Association.