# Can any Shetland breeders help me with colors/patterns?



## purplequeenvt (Dec 15, 2011)

We were recently given 3 Shetland ewes. We breed Border Leicesters and they only come in black and white, so I am interested in learning more about the colors and patterns that are found in the Shetland breed. Can anyone help identify the colors/patterns on my sheep?

*Ingrid*

Face





Full body




Leg markings





*Bridget*

Face




Full body





*Rosa*

Face




Full body





*Maple Man*, the ram we are borrowing to breed the girls to. 

Face














Full body


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## SmallFarmGirl (Dec 15, 2011)

I love maple man !!! He looks like he is blowing kisses !!!


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## aggieterpkatie (Dec 15, 2011)

There are so many colors and patterns in Shetlands!   I'm definitely no expert, but I would try to help if possible.  If you could take full body pics that would be better, because sometimes the patterns involve the belly and legs.


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## purplequeenvt (Dec 15, 2011)

I will attempt to take full body shots of them. I had trouble getting clear shots earlier today as Ingrid wouldn't get out of my face!


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## purplequeenvt (Dec 15, 2011)

Added some new pictures.


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## SheepGirl (Dec 15, 2011)

There aren't any pictures, but this is from the breed association's web site: http://www.shetland-sheep.org/pdf/colorsandmarkings.pdf


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## WildWoolyFarm (Dec 18, 2011)

I breed Shetlands, and still don't know all the colors and patterns!  I'll give it a shot though.  Ingrid looks like a white katmoget.  (There are colors, and then there are patterns - katmoget is the dark underbelly and face, w/ the distinctive lighter colored marks under the eyes.)  What color is her fleece down by her skin?  It helps to clip a little sample and wash it so you can see the true color without the lanolin.
Bridget appears to be mioget, a reddish gold.  Rosa looks like she is a grey that was born black.  Maple Man, I *think* is a pattern called gulmoget, kind of the opposite of katmoget.  Is his belly light or dark?
This gal has done a lot of work understanding the Shetland colors and patterns: (Couldn't submit the URL - it would work to Google fibreworksfarm, then see her page on Shetland colors.)
The breed registry, NASSA, has a good chart you can purchase, that has clear color photos and descriptions.

Nice bunch of sheep!

Best regards,
Rebecca Highlander
Wild Wooly Farm
Williams, Oregon


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## purplequeenvt (Dec 28, 2011)

Ingrid is white on her shoulders, but her fleece turns a light grey about halfway down her back. Maple Man's belly appears to be darker.


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## LTHFarm (Jan 11, 2012)

Without seeing additional photos of fleece (open) and bellies, I'd say the following:

Ingrid
Grey Katmoget
Ab Ag BB __ 

Bridget
Mioget based Musket

Ag _ Bb Bb mm ; she has the Ag gene making her fleece pale (almost oatmeal) and pale around muzzle (katmollet, typical of Ag) are clues for this.  Because the face is the golden color of the mioget, her base color is mioget, thus modified with the dilute gene.  The dilute gene turns moorit (red brown) into mioget (golden honey).  

Rosa
Grey

Maple Man
He is very intriguing.  I'd say moorit gulmoget.  He should have a pale (whitish-grey) belly that runs up under his tale.  He also appears to have a pale spot on the side.  So he would be moorit, gulmoget, flecket.  It would be interesting to see if the pale spot is white or if it is a pale moorit.  If not white, then not flecket.  If pale moorit spot, then he would have another dilution gene.  I've come across it a few times in the 20 years I've had Shetlands....I've called it a 'chimera spot' [not official term].  It might be related to the moonspotting type gene in goats. 

Lovely selection of colors and fleece types.  You will definitely get some colorful babies from them.

Jillian McIntosh
Oregon
Luckytohave Farm
Shetlands, Nubians & Oberhasli
Kiger Mustangs
Belgian Shepherds- Tervuren & Groenendael


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## purplequeenvt (Jan 14, 2012)

Thanks! I'll probably be posting pictures of the lambs in April begging people to tell me what colors they are.


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