Shetland
The shetland is a breed of cattle that has been known in the Shetland Isles for hundreds of years, their origins are probably Scandinavian. The
crofters used them for milking, often rearing a calf as well as providing milk for the family, meat and draught work, surviving the harsh
environment with meagre rations. They were still being used on the land as late as 1940, but by the 1950s numbers had declined to a critical
40 pure bred animals on the islands.
They are fairly small, about 47 - 49" at the shoulder and weighing 300 - 400kg, although if reared on lusher pasture they tend to grow bigger.
Originally they came in a variety of colours, but in 1910 the breed society set the standard for black and white, as they fetched the best price
at market, so many of the colours disappeared over the next few years. In 1990, Templeson Titan, the first red and white calf to appear in over
20 years, was born at Temple Newsam. His full brother, Boris, born the following year, has been very influential on the shetland breed as a whole.
Since then, more red and whites have become available and also some of the rarer greys and roans are now appearing again.
Shetlands are fine boned, short legged and deep bodied, with small, inward curving horns. They have sleek, silky coat and an abiliity to produce
milk that is abundant and rich in butterfat. They will cross out to a continental bull, producing calves that grow quickly and fatten well.
We run a herd of a dozen shetlands, plus youngstock, with both black and white and red whites featuring in the herd.
www.shetlandcattle.org.uk
Rare Breed Category - 1, CRITICAL (2004)
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
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