We have come to love our island goats so much that last fall we added island sheep! 

 

The latest addition to our homestead are Soay sheep, native to the islands of St. Kilda in the UK. These primitive sheep have a wool that sheds naturally without the need for shearing and each sheep produces about two pounds each. The tails do not need docking in most cases, and they lamb on their own with ease. 

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This isn't to say these little beauties are perfect! Soay are still rather wild, and the ones we are receiving have not been handled often. This makes it all the more important that we be present for each lambing and handle the kids early and often. Soays also do not have the clustering tendencies of other sheep breeds. Instead, they scatter if dogs or humans try to herd them. This means it is extra important that our fencing be solid! 

 

Our Soay are registered through Grassroot, the registration company for the Rare Breeds Survival Trust out of the UK. We have added membership in the organization to our yearly renewals, as well as membership in the Soay and Boreray Sheep Society. As of last year, The Livestock Conservancy has made them part of their Shave 'Em 2 Save 'Em program and we are a fiber supplier for that program. Check out our Woolly Tails if you are interested!

 

Look for more details to follow and more information as we learn more about this amazing piece of living history!

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Interested in learning more? Follow our blog for pictures, educational articles and updates on when we will have hatching eggs and chicks for sale. You can also Contact Us with questions or comments. We look forward to hearing from you!