Soay sheep

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Soay sheep come in several colors

Soay sheep are a primitive breed of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) descended from a population of feral sheep on the 250-acre island of Soay in the St. Kilda Archipelago, about 65 km from the Western Isles of Scotland. Undiluted by interbreeding, they are a genetic archive of the Neolithic origins of domesticated sheep.

They are similar to the Mediterranean mouflon and the horned urial sheep of Central Asia but their origins are uncertain, whether they have been deposited upon the island some time during the Bronze Age, or by Vikings in the ninth and tenth centuries.^[1] The name of the island, 'Soay', is Old Norse, meaning 'Island of Sheep', suggesting an earlier arrival. They are much smaller than modern domesticated sheep but hardier. They are extraordinarily agile, and tend to take refuge amongst the cliffs when frightened. They do not breed true, but tend to be either blonde or dark brown with buffish white underbelly and rump ('lachdann' in the local dialect), or totally black or fawn-coloured, a few have white markings. ^[2] In the early twentieth century, some Soay sheep were translocated to establish exotic flocks, such as the flock of "Park Soay" at Woburn Abbey, established by the Duke of Bedford in 1910, and selected for desirably "primitive" characteristics.^[3] A number of Soay sheep were translocated from Soay to the island of Hirta by the Marquess of Bute in the 1930s, after the human population was evacuated. The Hirta population is unmanaged and has been the subject of scientific study since the 1950s. The population make an ideal model subject for scientists researching evolution, population dynamics and demography because the population is unmanaged, closed (no emigration or immigration) and has no significant competitors or predators.

[edit] Breed characteristics

A Soay lamb

The sheep have short tails and naturally shed their wool, which can be hand plucked (called rooing) in the spring and early summer. Ewes are polled, scurred or horned and rams are either horned or scurred. They are most commonly brown or tan with a white belly, white rump patch and/or white patch under the chin (referred to as Mouflon or wild pattern). Occasionally white markings on the face and/or body and legs occur. Rarely self-colored (solid color with no markings) black or tan individuals are seen.