Shetland Sheep Genetics

There are thousands of years of breeding color outof sheep behind us leaving only primitive breeds like shetland and icelandic routinely expressing color in their wool.

Shetland sheep genetics. Shetlands are classified as a landrace or unimproved breed. It is likely that they brought their own sheep to add to the soay types and other sheep already there. Some genes have more than one mutation such as those genes involved in agouti and determining a brown coat color. This breed is kept for its very fine wool for meat and for conservation grazing.

Since spotting is caused by a lack of melanoctes in a genetically defined area animals carrying for spotting can be easily identified. A responsible breeder will screen for various health issues. The breed originated in the shetland islands. During the development of the modern sheltie breed known crosses were made with collies.

Many health problems can be screened for and some have genetic tests. A spotted animall carrying the awt pattern allele can also be identified by looking at its hoof horn nose and lips. It is part of the northern european short tailed sheep group and it is closely related to the extinct scottish dunface. The shetland is a small wool producing breed of sheep originating in the shetland isles scotland but is now also kept in many other parts of the world.

Genetics of coat color and type in dogs sheila m. Sheltie coat color inheritance calculator sparkshire shetland sheepdogs. To learn more just click any of the coat color or trait names below. The current shetland gulmoget has soay or mouflon markings suggesting that these early sheep contributed to their genetic makeup.

Depending on your screen resolution you may have to zoom the size of the display to be able to use the calculator. White spotting patterns that occur in many dog breeds do not have a uniform genetic basis and the genetics are complex. In piebald parti random white spotting the extent of white pattern expression varies and markings are often asymmetrical. Thus the coat colors and markings of the sheltie and the collie are similar.

Although shetlands are small and slow growing compared to commercial breeds the. The tests for those variants have been combined for simplicity in ordering. Finnsheep are also known to carry genetics for spotting s locus. Norwegians settled in scotland and the northern isles around 500 ad.

Paw print genetics offers testing for common coat colors and traits. Originally shelties were bred by crofters as to keep sheep out of their vegetable gardens and to warn of intruders. As with any breed shelties have their share of concerns that breeders and buyers must be aware of. The colors of the sheltie shetland sheepdog club of northern california.

Vetgen veterinary genetic services.