"Are you a dwarf? How tall are you? Do you have to sit on a pillow to drive?"
At least a couple times during the year, my caring, compassionate 8th graders ask me this question. I often reply that my 4'10 ft. body with a size 5 shoe will demonstrate what a dwarf I really am if they don't run fast enough away from me.
My point you may ask? Nothing, no actually I have been thinking about dwarfism.
I know that dwarfism exists in all species (well, I don't really know for sure but I am assuming it does... MA in history, not science) and I am wondering if it does with Shetland Sheep?
This past breeding season I had two really small lambs born. At birth they were fairly comparable in size to all the other lambs but as the lambs started growing and maturing, they remained small. The little guy pictured below is one of them.
He is a single ram lamb. His dam is a single black ewe that got bred by mistake at 8mos. I guess I have a number questions. His dam was a normal size ewe lamb, coming in at around 45-50 lbs. I know that some breeders will breed ewes as yearlings or if they are 50lbs. I personally do not believe in it, though I understand & respect those breeders that do; its just a personal preference. I however, felt like a total yuck when I realized she got bred by mistake. Side question: does breeding under a year in age affect size of lambs?Anyways, he is really small. He was born mid-April and is just starting to push about 12 lbs. He is just a little stinker. Are there dwarf Shetlands? If so, what constitutes a dwarf Shetland? I am just wondering about bloodlines, genetics? If so, does it skip around? Meaning generation to generation? I am no genetic genius and by posting this I am probably causing a big flag to go up on my Shetland sheep but I am not trying to win breeder of year over here and I would like to know. I AM NOT TRYING TO BREED DWARF SHETLANDS EITHER. I don't believe in just culling either, too soft of a heart and I believe in the underdog. And while I am not ashamed of this little guy being born either and have nothing to hide, I also understand and know he is not breeding quality. This little ram lamb was wethered back in August and is completely content doing his own "little thing" out in the barn and I am completely amused watching him .
I often wonder though, if by wethering them too young, does it prohibit growth that they really need when they are smaller? I always get a variety of responses from the vets I go to so I end up with a variety of self-diagnosis's and end up weeding through it by experience.
This is him on the left pictured with 2 other lambs, all born within days of each other and actually the other 2 are twins (not to each other however). I am wondering too, if by working with polled genetics, is this a more likely situation to arise as opposed to working with non-polled lines? Personal preference is that I do like the Shetland sheep that are finer boned, though not so fined bone that it would compromise their confirmation. I am surprised to see so many larger boned Shetlands at the few sheep shows I went to this year. Is this a new trend in Shetlands?If so, then if more and more people breed for larger boned Shetlands then the "normal" sized Shetlands will start to all look like dwarfs now won't they? Just a thought.
I contemplated posting this for awhile as I am not the type of person to put this kind of stuff on my blog. I prefer to keep it light hearted and fun and truly I am not all knowing about Shetland genetics but I love my sheep for just being sheep and being there for me so I posted.
If your reading, thanks for listening to my thoughts.
And if I do say so myself, I do have some pretty loveable sheep:)
