WILD FLOCK
Breeders who wish to duplicate the living conditions found on Soay and Hirta may want to keep their sheep in a Wild Flock, also known as a feral flock. This means that a number of rams, ewes and lambs are kept together year round, and the sheep themselves decide who they mate with and when. This is a very easy method of management, and such flocks are registerable with SOA as long as the Bylaws and Code of Ethics are followed. Soays of America is the only Soay sheep association that registers Soay sheep run in a Wild Flock manner much like the sheep live on the St Kilda islands of Soay and Hirta.
Before purchasing Soay sheep to be kept in a Wild Flock manner, it is imperative that all of the sheep are already registered with SOA, and are not in the Progeny Testing Program. Once a Wild Flock is established, any sheep introduced into the flock must be registered with SOA prior to introduction.
Wild Flock owners are required to keep registered Soay sheep only, without ever introducing other breeds of sheep onto the farm or into the flock.
- When purchasing sheep for a Wild Flock, it is imperative that all the sheep are fully registered. It is advisable to purchase at least 3 unrelated rams to begin with. If they come from different flocks, they should be of the same age for safety reasons. If they come from one flock, the ages of the various rams won't matter as much. Begin with as many ewes of any age that you can manage. Some Wild Flocks begin with a diverse group of bloodlines, but a Wild Flock could also be managed within a single bloodline.
- The disadvantage of Wild Flocks are that any sheep sold will not have a sire listed on their pedigree, and multiple purchases from Wild Flocks may be very closely related to each other.
- Running a Wild Flock within a single bloodline gives the advantage of ease of management, while also contributing to the conservation of a particular bloodline! This may be more appealing to buyers striving to preserve your bloodline of choice. The same can be done within a single phenotype (solid black, white markings, tan, or dark mouflon with fine fleeces are a few that come to mind) which can also provide a steady market for a particular "type."
If you have have questions about the Wild Flock system, or whether a sheep or lamb you are planning to purchase is acceptable for a Wild Flock, please contact the SOA Registrar!
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