Shetland sheep
Colours and markings

It's hard to believe there can be so many markings... but believe it! Check the chart below for a full listing. I have only a few examples, if you have any more pictures you would be able to share, please do :+)

  Colours

  White

 

  Greys to black (listed from light to dark)

 

  Light grey greyshetlandlamb

 

  Greygreyshetlandewes  greyshetlandramlamb
  Emsket - dusky bluish grey

 

  Shaela - dark steely-grey, like black frost

 

  Black blackshetlandewe

 

  Browns (listed from light to dark)

 

  Musket - light greyish-brown

  Fawn

  Mioget - light moorit (yellowish-brown)

 

  Moorit - shades between fawn and dark reddish brown

pic courtesy of Robin and Margaret McEwen-King at Middletown Farm, Scotland

  Dark Brown

  There are also shades between

pic courtesy of Robin and Margaret McEwen-King at Middletown Farm, Scotland
This great picture of Robin from Middleton Farm (Scotland), surrounded by lambs, demonstrates the Shetland sheep colour range from black and Moorit (brown) to the light shades (grey not shown) and fawn with a white in the background

Markings

 

Bersugget - irregular patches of different colours; variegated.

Bielset - having a complete circular band of different colour around neck.

Bioget - with white back and darker sides and belly, or conversely.

Blaeget - having a lighter shade on the outer part of the wool fibre, especially in moorit and dark brown sheep.

Blaget - white with irregular dark patches resembling ground partly snow-covered.

Blettet - with white spots on nose and top of head.

Bleset - dark coloured with white stripe down forehead, or conversely.

Brandet - having stripes of another colour across body.

Bronget - dark coloured with light-coloured breast, or conversely.

Flecket - white with large black or brown patches (not as well defined as in Jacob sheep).

pic courtesy of Robin and Margaret McEwen-King at Middletown Farm, Scotland

Fronet - black-spotted with white head and black spots around eyes.

Gulmoget - having light under parts with dark-coloured body; opposite of katmoget. Mouflon pattern.

pic courtesy of Robin and Margaret McEwen-King at Middletown Farm, Scotland

Ilget - white with spots of a different colour (usually grey or black).

Iset - dark coloured with many white fibres giving bluish hue from a distance.

 

Katmoget - having a light coloured body (usually grey or moorit) with dark belly and legs, and moget facial markings. This is the most common marking.

 

Katmollet - having light-coloured nose and jaws.

Kraiget - having neck (usually only front part) of different colour from rest of body.

Kranset - dark coloured with white around eyes and neck.

Krunet - dark coloured with white patch on top of head.

Marlit - various shades of different colours, mottled,

Moget - see katmoget and gulmoget. Moget-faced is applied to the characteristic dark and light patches usually around the mouth, eyes and ears.

Mirkface - white with dark patches on face.

Mullit - white with dark nose and jaws, or conversely.

Sholmet - of any colour, other than white, with a white face.

Skeget - stripes of different colours on sides.

Smirslet - dark coloured with white around the mouth, head or neck.

Sokket - with legs of a different colour from that of the body.

Sponget - dark coloured with small white spots,or conversely.

Snaelit - light-coloured body with snow-white face.

Yuglet - having colour around eyes different from remainder of body.

 

Credits: many thanks to Robin and Margaret McEwen-King, from Middletown Farm, in Scotland, "the home of Galtress Shetlands & Tamworth/Berkshire Pigs" for photos of their sheep, and for all their help with the markings. Please visit their website

 

 
 

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