BREED DESCRIPTION:
American Soay sheep are representative of the Soay sheep found on Soay and Hirta in the archipelago of St Kilda.
Rams have two horns, which curl in a plain spiral, putting on the largest amount of growth in the first six months, and stop growing at about five or six years of age.1 A small percentage of rams are scurred, defined as having small or misshapen horns. Scurs occur in about 7% of the rams on Hirta,2 and the American Soay population reflects this percentage.3
Ewes can be polled, scurred or horned. Horned ewes have smaller horns than rams; ewes' horns stop growing at about four or five years of age.4 Scurs are small or misshapen horns, sometimes appearing as a rounded "button". Polled ewes have a complete absence of horns or scurs, with a depression in each side of the head where the horn or scur would be. On Hirta 30% of the ewes are polled, while 35% are scurred.5
Soay sheep come in a variety of colors, most of which have the "Mouflon" markings of light underbelly and rump. Some are self-colored; having uniform coloring without light underbelly or markings. Some rams have white kempy fibers along their saddle, and the majority of rams have a dark mane.6
White markings may be found on Soay sheep, particularly on the face or at the poll. White hocks and tail tip may accompany these markings.7 While it is not typical of sheep on Hirta, some breeders in the UK and the US have chosen to select for these white markings.
It has been suggested that elderly American Soay rams with white muzzles indicate crossbreeding; but the facts are that it is quite common for sheep to exhibit more white fibers around their muzzle as they age, which can be seen in elderly British Soay sheep as well.
Fleeces are self shedding, also known as "rooing," which occurs in spring and summer. Some are of a finer type known as "wooly" and some are of a kempy type known as "hairy." Spinners prefer the wooly type, while the hairy type makes a more interesting pelt or sheepskin. Both occur on Soay and Hirta, and it is in our best interest to preserve both types.
American Soay sheep are available in eight bloodlines, each with valuable distinctions and attributes.
References:
- Island Survivors, The Ecology of the Soay Sheep of St Kilda, Edited by P. A. Jewell, C. Milner and J. Morton Boyd, with a Foreword by Sir Frank Fraser Darling. Published 1974 by The Athlone Press, University of London
- Soay Sheep, Dynamics and Selection in an Island Population, Edited by Tim Clutton-Brock and Josephine Pemberton. Published 2004 by Cambridge University Press
1 Page 98 of Island Survivors.
2 Pages 97 and 120 of Island Survivors.
3 Records of SOA Registrar.
4 Page 98 of Island Survivors.
5 Page 29 of Soay Sheep.
6 Page 90 of Island Survivors.
7 Page 95 of Island Survivors.
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