© Steve Werblow
In this article …
The account of Soay Sheep is where to begin learning more about the lowly , rude sheep .
Thousands of year ago , Neolithic military personnel settled the marooned four - island archipelago we now call St. Kilda , located 41 miles off the west coast of Scotland .
He brought with him semi - wild sheep much like the Mediterranean Ovis musimon from which sheep were first domesticated .
These pioneer shepherds salted the least habitable island with their primitive sheep ( when Viking raiders visited in the 7th and eighth hundred A.D. , they named the island So - øy , meaning “ Sheep Island ” after the nimble , diminutive sheep dwell there ) to well utilize the sparse grazing useable in St. Kilda ’s rough , storm - swept mood . In this hostile environment , the little sheep flourish .
Prehistoric sheepfolds on the main island of Hirta and noodle - shaped , stone - and - turf structures called “ cleitean ” on all of the islands ( including uninhabited Soay ) speak of human ’s early mien in St. Kilda .
As long as the inhabitants of Hirta could remember , men of the settlement climb one-year wool - gathering forays to Soay .
Since the island is made up of granite drop-off ascend 1,000 feet vertical to the sea and it lacks a landing beach of any sort , men and dogs were dropped off by boat and picked up again a week or so later .
Most heritage curator emphasize breed with American roots and rightfully so . However , endangered strain from abroad need us , too .
Breeds with a limited genetic pool to trace from are especially vulnerable when core groups are decimated due to disease , environmental disaster or act of war , so it ’s crucial to maintain satellite groups at a length .
deliberate Britain ’s battle against hoof and mouth disease , in which intact flocks and herds of livestock , uncommon or otherwise , are destroyed to carry the spread of this innovative - day pest — and needless to say , war can have annihilative effects on entire breeds .
The Orlov - Rostopchin horse of Russia was nigh extinguish during World War I and the following Russian Revolution , but was carefully multiply back up in the post - war class . Then during World War II , every horse at the state studfarm was killed ; the only sleep together purebred survivors were three horses stabled at the Moscow Agricultural Fairgrounds .
legion other European breeds come just as ill ; for deterrent example , at the finish of the war only three purebred Friesian stallion were leave alone alive . These are now reconstructed breeds ; had satellite herds been in piazza in North America , the original pre - war breeds would have surely survived .
So jeopardize international breeds take dedicated conservators , too . Soay sheep , Ancient White Park cattle , Exmoor ponies , Tamworth pigs and Belgian hares — they all need additional steadfast breeders if they ’re to survive . Or choose Catalina chicken , Aylesbury ducks or Shetland twat if poultry hit your phantasy .
There are hundreds of interesting , endangered heritage breeds from abroad that are call out for attached conservators . If that ’s you , regard establishing a artificial satellite grouping on your farm as a hedge against disaster .
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During their time on the island , they subsist in primitive cleits , catch sheep by daylight and rooing ( plucking ) their molting wool , then put out them until the following summer . Since the sheep belonged to the Scots laird who owned St. Kilda , Soay ’s sheep were rarely express home to be slaughtered for meat .
In historical times , St. Kilda ’s only colonization was at Village Bay on Hirta , although ruins on Boreray ( an island four miles to the northward ) and at another site on Hirta suggest earlier settlement there . Life was crushingly difficult for Hirta ’s Scottish - Gaelic speaking inhabitants ; it was a spot where uttermost closing off , 40 - understructure wave and gale - force-out idle words were a way of lifetime .
Finally , on Aug. 29 , 1930 , the last 36 resident physician of Hirta , along with their livestock ( a few cow and a bombastic number of domestic sheep ) , were empty to Morvern on the Scottish mainland at their own asking . The few remaining domestic sheep on Hirta were destroyed .
In 1931 , the laird of the islands , Sir Reginald MacLeod , sold all of St. Kilda to Lord Dumfries ( afterwards to become the 5th Marquess of Bute ) , who in number left it to the National Trust for Scotland upon his last in 1956 .
The new laird lease a group of former residents to return to Hirta in 1931 to transfer wild sheep from Soay to the now - uninhabited island to keep botany in deterrent .
The present flock on Hirta , now more than 1,000 strong , come in its entirety from those first 107 sheep .
Around the turn of the one C , a few wealthy British landowners imported small numbers of Soays to graze their estates and parklands . Selectively bred for various characteristics , such as dark Ovis musimon coloration and horn , these animals became cognise as “ Park Soay . ”
Soon after accepting possession of the isles , the National Trust for Scotland permit groups of scientists to jaw uninhabited Hirta to study the ancient Soay sheep .
In 1963 , Dr. Peter Jewell and his colleagues brought 24 sheep back to the mainland so they could continue their studies class - circular . The team selected sheep “ consist of a choice of color , and ewes with and without horns , and even some animate being with white markings , sheep that were representative of the animals as we encountered them on Hirta . ” These became known as “ Hirta Soay . ”
Soay Arrives in North AmericaOnly two groups of Soay sheep were ever export to North America , one make it in Canada in 1974 and another in 1990 . On Dec. 5 , 1974 , Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg received four 6 - month - old lambs from Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie , Scotland .
Online Soay ResourcesThe Soay Sheep Society ( U.K.)www.soaysheep.org0161 976 4734
Rare Breeds Survival Trust ( U.K.)www.rbst.org.uk024 7669 6551
Soays of Americawww.soaysofamerica.org
Soay Sheep Breeders Cooperativewww.soaysheepbreeders.com
The Open Flockbook Projectwww.openflockbook.com(541 ) 899 - 1672
Free e - mail listservs at YahooGroups : Soay Sheep Breedershttps://groups.yahoo.com/group/soay
Soay Sheep in North Americahttps://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group
Southern Oregon Soay Sheep Farmswww.soayfarms.comKathie Miller(541 ) 955 - 8171
Saltmarsh Ranch Soay Sheepwww.saltmarshranch.comSteven and Priscilla Weaver(541 ) 899 - 1672
Over time , 17 lambs were born at the zoo . Some were sold to Canadian wildlife park and exotic animal dealer , including Eugene Hutka , who spawn the little sheep for a spell .
Hutka trade Malcolm stock to a stock breeder in South Carolina , who in number sold sheep to extra American fanciers . Along the style , records were lost and non - Soay hair sheep bloodlines were added to the mixture . Today , descendants of these animals are sleep with as “ American Soay . ”
Meanwhile , in 1989 , a Montreal - base inquiry organization buy six Rare Breeds Survival Trust - registered Soay sheep from a breeder in England . The company eventually engender a unsympathetic flock of 30 purebred sheep ; Soay whose precursor delineate solely to this deal are referred to as “ British Soay . ”
go into Kathie Miller of Buffalo Creek Farm in Merlin , Ore. , and Val Dambacher of Ewe Pals Farm in Talent , Ore. , who were both already enamor with American Soay sheep . As part of a shared endeavour to piece together the saga of Soay sheep in North America , the two friend heard about a purebred flock in Quebec . On Oct. 14 , 1998 , two ram dear and one 4 - year - old ewe arrived at the Portland International Airport , and in the spring of 2000 , the first three American - born Soay lambs ever eligible for registration in the British flockbook were born on the friends ’ Oregon ranches , which they now call Southern Oregon Soay Farms .
At the same time , Kathie and Val were breeding their American Soay ewes to imported tup to uprise a line of sheep ( American - British Soay ) ideal for handspinners , hobby sodbuster and organic core manufacturer seeking stellar Soay qualities , but who were n’t inevitably interested in participate in a global preservation program .
Then , in April 2000 , Val and Kathie learned that the Montreal - base company was terminating their Soay projection and the remaining purebred sheep would be for sales agreement later that twelvemonth . Because rigorous import laws now prevent further importations from Britain , they realized this would be their only chance to avail economise British Soays in North America . On Oct. 17 , 2000 , 19 sheep left Canada by truck ; they arrived in Oregon six days by and by .
Since the early days when Kathie and Val and two other stock breeder began selling British Soay , an encouraging number of other preservation - minded Soay keepers have joined the membership of breeder committed to preserve their ancient bloodlines , among the most participating are Priscilla and Steven Weaver of Saltmarsh Ranch in Jacksonville , Ore.
When asked about their first foray into British Soays , the Weavers express mirth . “ They reckon so appealing compared to the hulking Suffolks we already had and through them we stumble into our retreat life ’s work : conservation breeding and genetics .
“ The first clock time we met Kathie Miller , ” they say , “ she mentioned that she had a thick , three - gang reaper binder of Soay line of descent . In an instant , Steve ’s living changed forever . He had drop his do work life as a genetics research and pedagogy prof at the University of Illinois in Chicago . The whimsy that he could redirect all that training and experience into documenting the bloodline of the entire age group of Soay sheep in the United States was the sort of ‘ eureka ’ moment new retirees hope and pray for . ”
verbal description of Soay TypeAnd what are these ancient sheep that so excite their breeders ’ passions ?
Soay are lissom , fine - boned , elfin sheep standing about 22 column inch improbable at their striking withers . ripe tup weigh 85 to 90 pounds and ewe race about 30 pound lightheaded . Their skimpy , primitive - type bodies are localise on long leg ; their posterior are course forgetful and skinny . As expected from their broken , rocky island heritage , they ’re active , indisputable - footed and nimble .
Most rams have strong , down - curved , non - spiraling horns , although scurred rams are n’t unheard of ; ewes may have spiky , sweptback French horn , scurs or no horn whatsoever .
Soay colour range from fawn through browned mouflon ( Ovis musimon color include white mark on the keister , underbelly , over the eyes and under the jaw ) to self-colored - colored dun , browns and blacks . Black - faced , ashen - faced and patched sheep sometimes occur .
The Soay has no wool on its cheek or legs . Its dead body fleece is comprised of guard hairsbreadth overlaying a short , wooly ground so flaccid that adult female on Hirta used it to knit their families ’ underwear . During summer , this prime molts so that Soay fleece is gathered by “ rooing ” ( plucking or combing ) or else of shearing . A typical Soay give in one or two pounds of soft fiber every twelvemonth .
Soays are internet browser . They thrive on a varied dieting , making them an idealistic breed for grass - fed and constituent farmers or anyone grazing sheep on marginal land . Soay meat is lean , low in cholesterol and boasts an outstandingly high ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated adipose tissue ; its light , delectable feel draw it a pet with British chefs — and this is a ecological niche that Soays in America could fill very well .
Surely no one in America know these teentsy sheep ’s enduringness better than Kathie Miller .
“ There are Lot of groovy thing about these sheep , ” she pronounce . “ Compared to conventional woollen stock , they ’re tremendously unfearing and easy to like for . They slough their woolen so you do n’t have to fleece them and their tail are brusque , so they need n’t be docked . They ’re tolerant to diseases that pain other breeds — there has never been a document case of scrapie in Soays and they are n’t prostrate to foot rot . They prosper on marginal pasture and browse . Soay ewes lamb easily , they ’re excellent mothers and their lambs senesce quickly . They ’re blue - natured and curious , and they grow lovely , short woollen that ’s in high-pitched demand along with their yummy , low - fat marrow . ”
Breeding for ConservationThere are , however , a few caveats , Kathie monish . “ Their modest size , ” she says , “ can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your market and they are n’t ordinarily available in all parts of the rural area . This is especially dead on target of British Soay since there are fewer than 200 conservation ewe in the entire United States .
“ Because of these low numbers , preservation breeding is done to keep up the breed ’s genetic diversity , so they are n’t a good option for hoi polloi who want to play with color , spot , horns , wool and so on .
“ The eccentric of person who is drawn to the British Soay is someone who is concerned in preserve an ancient treasure , just as they would bring through an heirloom seed , an ancient artifact or continue a historical construction or website . But American and American - British Soays are arrant for people who promote constituent lamb or nub for home consumption , handspinners and breeders interested in rise particular colors or pattern , or those who want to help modernise an emerge stock . ”
The Weavers , too , are eager to praise their favorite sheep .
“ We care that their little foot do n’t churn up our pastures , ” say Priscilla . “ They strike at weed control and exhaust noxious blackberry and poisonous substance Hedera helix , then move on to the pasture grass . Because they ’re small , men and charwoman of all ages can well handle both rams and Ewe . And Soay present a unparalleled opportunity to take part in the preservation of this crude strain of domesticate sheep . ”
Steve elaborates , “ For example , we ’re absorb in a formal breeding preservation programme for our flock of 64 fully documented British Soay . It but feels sound in an intangible - but - fundamental way to be preserving these ancient tool that picture out how to live on their own in super coarse circumstances , essentially on rocks and meager island pastures . ”
“ At the time Steve started the Open Flockbook Project ( OFP ) , there was no database uncommitted , paper or electronic , of the pedigrees and related familial characteristic of the U.S. Soay population , ” says Priscilla . “ He literally built the OFP one animal at a time , accumulate information from all manner of source , trust intemperately on the willingness of Soay keepers all over the area to state information on their beast . Now containing the vast majority ( 1,500 animals ) of Soay in this country , the pith of the OFP is a totally costless and open on-line database available 24/7 to anyone who wants to use it . ”
And what advice might Kathie and the Weavers extend hobby farmers interested in adopt Soay sheep ?
“ Before you decide on Soay — or any other stock for that matter , ” Kathie tell , “ visit every farm you may , talk to every Soay stock breeder you may and read every scrap of relevant information . Do n’t waver to inquire questions and talk to lots of hoi polloi . When you ’ve resolve this is the breed for you , bump a stock breeder you ’re easy with , one who will answer your doubt and be available to respond next questions after the sale . ”
“ The easiest way to essay your compatibility with Soay , whether you just desire a few to grace your pasture or a full - blown preservation , kernel or fleece process , ” Steve says , “ is to acquire three or four Soay of the same gender before you commit to breeding and the want to keep non - breeding rams and ewes freestanding .
“ If you ’re a first - prison term sheepherder , go through a year and see how you react to dealing with fence , grass , hay , vaccination , hoof passementerie , deworming and shelter from predator .
“ One Soay - specific caution : Despite their primitive origins and initial shyness , Soay are societal creatures and it is n’t a secure idea to have a single animal . As for which animals to buy first , wethers and ram can be had for a lot humble investment than ewes .
