Soay sheep

Soay translates as "Sheep Island" in the Norse language.

Soays are a small breed of fine boned sheep. Rams in Britain occasionally reach 80 pounds, while the adult ewes are generally around 50 pounds.

It is extremely rare for a ewe to have lambing problems. Most ewes give birth to a single lamb, although sometimes they cyan bear a set of twins.

All soay rams breed have horns, but often ewes don't.

Wool colouring varies. Approximately two-thirds of the animals are chocolate coloured with a buff rump patch and belly. These also have buff facial markings over the eyes and under the jaw. Twenty percent are fawn in colour with the same markings. About 5% have white markings splashed over the entire body. A few are without any pattern. The rams often have a hairy mane.

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