The
tiny Soay Sheep are a rare living remnant of Darwinian selection,
a link to the Bronze Age, and their survival is the testimonial
to the hardiness and adaptability of their breed. Quite simply they
endured, adapted and were later discovered on the tiny windswept
island Of Soay. Soay Island is part of the St. Kilda archipelago
which rises out of the North Atlantic close to the edge of the Continental
shelf off of Scotland. How they adapted is a whole study in itself
and books have been written about it. Scientists continue to study
the genetics and behaviors that have allowed this specie to survive
thousands of years. Adapting to seaweed as a main seasonal diet,
their population was controlled by mass famines and rams living
to breed only one season. A balance developed over thousands of
years between the islands ecology and the needs of the sheep. There
were no boats, nor rescues for many many years. Finally, in 1932
a flock was moved to a neighboring Hirta Island where descendents
remain today. The St Kilda Islands have more recently come under
British protection and have been declared a national nature preserve
as well as a site of world importance not only because of the remoteness
and the Soay sheep, but because of the endangered bird populations
that survive because of its cliffs and sea stacs.
The
North American history of the Soay in contrast to its European past
is very recent. Only a few importations occurred and these have
been recently documented. Most Soays in the United States came from
the 1970 importation from Canada which originated from what is thought
to be Scotland. The second was in 1990, originating from England.
The sole exception to these two imports is a flock brought in between
1998 and 2000, referred to as British Soay by two women in Oregon
who have done the great research enabling us to set the records
about the breed in the Americas. The British Soay in the United
States are registered as Rare Breeds Survival Trust animals in England.
In 2004 I will add two of these Soays to my breeding program to
achieve my goals of maximum genetic diversity with the goal of health
and longevity.
Unlike
more domestic breeds, the Soay are low maintenance, shed their wool,
and lamb easily. The soays appearance is very deerlike, alert, curious
and intelligent. There are light and dark color phases in the Soay
and often they will have white patches on stomach and white head
markings. Although they tend to be shy by nature, with patience
most can be tamed. A friend has two of our soays and he takes his
sheep on a beach walks. The soays nibble on barnacles and seaweed
as they follow him on the tide flats and continue a walk that winds
up a hill back to his house and ends at the sheep woodland shed.
The rams should be handled minimally as it is best to keep them
shy of humans. Usually the feral rams have a fine horn structure
and it is one of the characteristics we guarantee in our breeding
program.
I
am a member of Soays of America, the registry and publisher of the
first flock book in 2004. This year I offer a select few of both
the American Soay and the British Soay for sale. Please contact
us for current photos of any of the Soays we have in our breeding
program and the current list of lambs. We sell out each year so
a timely contact is best for the same year's lambs. I am certain
that our stock offers the best characteristics of the breed and
will be happy to assist you in getting more information about these
small, graceful animals with the mysterious past.
The
tiny Soay Sheep are a rare living remnant of Darwinian selection,
a link to the Bronze Age, and their survival is the testimonial
to the hardiness and adaptability of their breed. Quite simply they
endured, adapted and were later discovered on the tiny windswept
island Of Soay. Soay Island is part of the St. Kilda archipelago
which rises out of the North Atlantic close to the edge of the Continental
shelf off of Scotland. How they adapted is a whole study in itself
and books have been written about it. Scientists continue to study
the genetics and behaviors that have allowed this specie to survive
thousands of years. Adapting to seaweed as a main seasonal diet,
their population was controlled by mass famines and rams living
to breed only one season. A balance developed over thousands of
years between the islands ecology and the needs of the sheep. There
were no boats, nor rescues for many many years. Finally, in 1932
a flock was moved to a neighboring Hirta Island where descendents
remain today. The St Kilda Islands have more recently come under
British protection and have been declared a national nature preserve
as well as a site of world importance not only because of the remoteness
and the Soay sheep, but because of the endangered bird populations
that survive because of its cliffs and sea stacs.
The
North American history of the Soay in contrast to its European past
is very recent. Only a few importations occurred and these have
been recently documented. Most Soays in the United States came from
the 1970 importation from Canada which originated from what is thought
to be Scotland. The second was in 1990, originating from England.
The sole exception to these two imports is a flock brought in between
1998 and 2000, referred to as British Soay by two women in Oregon
who have done the great research enabling us to set the records
about the breed in the Americas. The British Soay in the United
States are registered as Rare Breeds Survival Trust animals in England.
In 2004 I will add two of these Soays to my breeding program to
achieve my goals of maximum genetic diversity with the goal of health
and longevity.
Unlike
more domestic breeds, the Soay are low maintenance, shed their wool,
and lamb easily. The soays appearance is very deerlike, alert, curious
and intelligent. There are light and dark color phases in the Soay
and often they will have white patches on stomach and white head
markings. Although they tend to be shy by nature, with patience
most can be tamed. A friend has two of our soays and he takes his
sheep on a beach walks. The soays nibble on barnacles and seaweed
as they follow him on the tide flats and continue a walk that winds
up a hill back to his house and ends at the sheep woodland shed.
The rams should be handled minimally as it is best to keep them
shy of humans. Usually the feral rams have a fine horn structure
and it is one of the characteristics we guarantee in our breeding
program. 
I
am a member of Soays of America, the registry and publisher of the
first flock book in 2004. This year I offer a select few of both
the American Soay and the British Soay for sale. Please contact
us for current photos of any of the Soays we have in our breeding
program and the current list of lambs. We sell out each year so
a timely contact is best for the same year's lambs. I am certain
that our stock offers the best characteristics of the breed and
will be happy to assist you in getting more information about these
small, graceful animals with the mysterious past.