Wool and Wool Colours in Shetland Sheep
The exceptionally fine soft wool of the Shetland sheep is the finest of any British breed. It is used to produce gossamer lace, the famous 'fairisle' knitwear, and fine tweeds. The Society's Shetland fleeces are frequent prizewinners and have been exported to handspinners in the USA and Japan.
There are eleven main whole colours in Shetland sheep, with many shades and variants in between. The eleven whole colours are shown in the images below, which are taken from photographs by the late Dr SHU Bowie. There are two samples of Shaela because of differing meanings in different parts of the Shetland Isles.
White
Fawn
Mioget
Musket
Moorit
Dark Brown
Black
Shaela
Shaela
Emsket
Grey
Light Grey
Markings in Shetland Sheep
More than 30 recognised markings have been identified. The full list may be found later on this page.
An excellent review of colour and marking genetics in Northern Short-tailed Sheep can be found on the
US Primolana Shetlands website.
This small selection of pictures shows a few of the markings found in members' flocks.
Krunet
Smirslet
Yuglet
Bleset
Bleset
Bielset
Gulmoget
Katmoget ewe
Katmoget ram
Bersugget
Colours and Markings Poster
In 1996 a survey was made of members' sheep having recognised or other markings. Information was returned as sketches of the location, nature, and colour of the sheep's markings. Our poster shows 63 of the variations sent in. Some of these, e.g. gulmoget, brandet, are particularly uncommon.
The poster is available as shown on the merchandise page.
The Recognised Markings
- Bersugget
- Having irregular patches of differing colours.
- Bielset
- Having a circular band of a different colour round the neck.
- Bioget
- With a white back and darker sides and belly, or vice-versa.
- 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 patches on nose and top of head.
- Bleset/Sneedled
- Dark coloured with a white stripe (blaze) down the forehead.
- Brandet
- Having stripes of another colour across the body (i.e. going over the back).
- Bronget
- Dark coloured with light coloured breast, or vice versa.
- Gulmoget
- Having light underparts with a dark coloured body, white inside the ears and under the jaw (the 'Mouflon' pattern, also seen on the Soay sheep).
- Katmoget
- Having a light coloured body with dark belly and legs and a moget face. The reverse of Gulmoget.
- Katmollet
- Having light coloured nose and jaws.
- Kraiget
- Having the neck a different colour from the rest of the body.
- Kranset
- Dark coloured with white around eyes and head.
- Krunet
- Dark coloured with a white patch on the top of the head.
- Marlit
- Various shades of different colours, mottled.
- Mirkface
- White with dark patches on the face.
- Moget-faced
- Applied to the characteristic face markings of the Katmoget pattern on sheep not otherwise displaying that pattern.
- Mullit
- White with dark nose and jaws - the reverse of Katmollet.
- Flecket
- White with large black or brown patches (not as well defined as in Jacob sheep when in full fleece).
- Fronet
- Black/brown spotted with white head and black/brown spots around the eyes.
- Ilget
- White with spots of a different colour (usually grey or black).
- Iset
- Black or shaela with many white fibres, giving a bluish hue from a distance.
- Sholmet
- Of any colour, other than white, with a white face.
- Skeget
- Stripes of different colours on the sides, not going over the back.
- Smirslet
- With white around the mouth head or neck.
- Snaelit
- Light coloured body with snow-white face.
- Sokket
- With legs of a different colour to the body – giving the effect of wearing socks.
- Sponget
- Dark coloured with small white spots.
- Yuglet
- Having colour around eyes different from remainder of the body.