OK Acres: About Our Farm & Sheep

Our Farm

Our journey with Shetland sheep began in 2004 with a ram and a couple ewes and aside from experience with horses, cows, pigs and poulty, we had no idea what we were doing with sheep.

Fast forward to 2020 and we find ourselves with 70 sheep of varying ages with 28 of them as expectant ewes for our 2020 lambing season.

We breed our Shetlands to adhere to the 1927 Standard that was developed by those that knew the origins of the Shetlands on Shetland Island.

Our goal is to produce quality Shetlands with traits that have kept them alive in the rugged and challenging climate of their origin. Good mothering, hardiness, some natural resistance to parasites, thriftiness to name a few. In addition, they should be well conformed, display good breed type and have soft, fine wool full of bounce and life yet be a strong fiber with good staple formation to allow them to shed water out and away from their body to help keep them warm and dry.

We also have a philosophy of care here that includes treating all our sheep with kindness and love. All creatures in our care deserve the highest level of kindness coupled with the best nutritional care we can provide.

Interesting Facts about Fine Fleece Shetland Sheep

“The Wee Wonder!”

Shetland Sheep are a small, hardy breed originating in the Shetland Island in the northern part of Scotland.
Rams weigh 90-150 pounds. Ewes are smaller at 75-100 pounds.
Shetland Sheep on the islands enjoy a long cool winter with a short mild summer (temperatures are rarely above 77 degrees).
Island Shetlands graze on a flora which is dominated by Arctic-alpine plants, wild flowers, moss and lichens. There are grass meadows but trees are scarce. They thrive in most areas of the US.
Many Shetland ewes have twins, triplets and a few even have quads. They are easy lambers and make great mothers.
Shetland Sheep are great for young shepherds as they are easy to handle and many love attention. They are real “Tail Waggers!!” and love having their chins scratched.
Shetlands have 11 colors in black, brown and white with many different shades and have 30 different patterns and markings.
Shetlands eat only 1/2 to 1/3 as much hay as a commercial-sized wool/meat sheep.
Shetland sheep provide healthy, grass-fed, mild tasting gourmet quality meat. These sheep can hold lamb-like quality until they are at least 3 years old.
Shetland Rams can be horned or polled (no horns). Ewes are generally hornless but can also have horns.
Henry VIII (1491 – 1547) insisted that his hosiery be made from fine Shetland wool.
Queen Victoria (1819 – 1901) wore and commissioned fine hosiery and shawls made from Shetlands wool.
Lightweight warm Shetland jumpers (sweaters) were worn to the top of Mt. Everest by Hillary and Tensing in 1953.
Fair Isle sweaters were originally made from Shetland wool yarn and the technique originated on one of the Shetland Islands named Fair Isle.
Fine Shetland yarn is used to make the famous Shetland Islands Wedding Ring Shawls. This lace shawl is so delicate that one can draw it through a wedding ring.
Fine Fleece Shetland yarn is routinely used to make very soft and warm sweaters, socks, scarves, gloves and mittens.
Fine Fleece Shetland fleeces generally have a staple length of 2-6” (but should not exceed 7”), are dense, with crimp/wave. These fleeces can have a smooth silky or cottony feel and produce excellent yarn with lots of “life.”
The Fine Fleece Shetland Sheep Association (FFSSA) supports the 1927 Shetland breed standard and Appendix A, which is validated by historical documentation of this heritage breed.
FFSSA members utilize micron testing to insure the quality of wool products. FFSSA maintains a fleece performance registry of qualified Shetland sheep.
In the U.S., NASSA maintains a Shetland Sheep Registry. The Shetland Sheep Society and the Shetland Flock Book Society are found in the United Kingdom.