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Soay Sheep Breeders Cooperative |
Gevan Marrs
253-848-5755
www.woodlandcreekfarm.com |
Woodland Creek FarmAt Woodland Creek Farm, after trying several “low maintenance” hair sheep breeds, we have chosen to focus on Soay sheep. They are, in our opinion, unrivaled in sheer natural beauty. While on the one hand to casual observers they might look like a bunch of brown sheep, on closer inspection the range of subtle colors, patterns, fleece types, horns, etc., make each Soay sheep an animal unto itself. Soay breeders have varying goals—our goal can be most simply stated as producing “Estate sheep”. In a grand British tradition, the sheep are used to maintain acreage in lovely weed-free, green-carpeted condition. Whether the sheep are grazing the slopes near the mountains of the Olympics, or under towering Douglas-fir trees in the Puget Sound basin, or under the canopy of gnarled old Oregon white oaks, to us there is hardly anything more placid and peaceful than sitting on a grassy slope on a sunny day surrounded by calmly grazing flock of Soay sheep. Add to this satisfying pastoral scene the self-sufficiency of the breed (no shearing, naturally short-tailed, parasite resistant, easy lambing). Soay sheep are small and non-aggressive, and are readily handled—usually by one person--for any movement or inspections, or even if a trip to the veterinary becomes necessary. Put all this together and you have a wonderful animal for small acreages. There are literally thousands of small, overgrown parcels of three to 20 acres in the Puget Sound basin that would be vastly improved in appearance, at very low cost, and with virtually no animal maintenance, by the addition of a few Soay sheep. I shudder when I see some parcel owners in late summer driving their noisy, gas-burning, exhaust spewing tractors with mowers over their acreages--knocking down tall grass and brush and leaving it to waste, just to give some rough semblance of maintenance. Contrast that with the barely audible, near-continuous, environmentally sound, manicured grazing of Soay sheep, and there's no contest, in my mind. Our challenge is to let these folks know that they have a viable option! Accordingly, our specific breeding goals for our Soay sheep are all about appearance. First, we are focused on overall body conformation—that is—staying as near as possible to the feral Soay sheep still found on the island of Hirta (off Scotland). Second, we focus on coat colors and color patterns. We have several breeding groups of varying color patterns that we are currently pursuing. Following on these primary objectives, we want to produce animals with well-developed horns, and with elegant coats. Please visit our web site or email me for more information. |
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