Questions to ask a Soay sheep breeder before buying lambs, ewes or rams:
- Are your sheep registered? With what registry? -- SOA and RBST have the strictest requirements. Never buy unregistered sheep, no matter what the breeder tells you.
- Do you keep your breeding groups at least 2 fences apart, with at least 6 feet between each fence? -- Rams can breed ewes through a fence. Keeping breeding groups in adjacent pastures is not good management; the breeder cannot guarantee which ram sired the resulting lambs.
- Do you require at least 3 weeks between rams when a "back up" ram is used? -- This ensures that there are no doubts about the parentage of the lambs. Putting ewes straight from one ram to another only muddies the waters as to the sire of the resulting lambs.
- Do you assist ANY of your ewes at lambing time? If so, what do you do with that ewe? What do you do with her progeny? -- Ewes needing assistance in lambing, or her progeny, should not be kept or sold; it weakens the breed.
- What do you do with your "poor doers?" -- A responsible breeder will not sell sheep that do not thrive or that need extra pampering.
- What are your breeding goals? -- Size and appearance mean far less than hardiness and good health. Variety is good in the breed.
- Can you sell registered sheep that are unrelated to each other for at least 4 generations back?
- If the ewe is older than 4 years, how many teeth does she have? -- Sheep have all of their teeth by 4 years of age, and elderly sheep begin losing their teeth. If she still has all of her teeth, she can still produce lambs. Ewes losing their teeth will steadily decline unless pampered.
- How is the ewe's udder? Does it have the required number of teats? Have any relatives of the ewe had supernumerary teats? Has the ewe ever had mastitis? Does the ewe have abnormal lumps on her udder? -- Ewes should have 2 teats, no more, no less. Mastitis is something to be avoided. Lumps are a sign of trouble. All of these things may be genetic (hereditary; can be passed on to her lambs) and should be avoided.
- How are the feet? Do the hooves grow in a weird way, or are they uniform and pleasing to look at? -- Bad feet require extra care at trimming time, and this trait appears to be genetic.
- If a ram or ram lamb, does he have two testicles? -- Rams with just one testicle, called cryptorchidism, should never be used for breeding. Cryptorchid rams should be culled as this deformity is hereditary.
- If a ram, are his horns clearing his face by at least an inch or two? -- If you are buying long distance, ask to see a full frontal photo of the ram or ram lamb, as well as a full frontal photo of his sire taken when he was at least 2 years old. Clearance, or lack of it, usually shows up by two years of age. Photos of rams more than 2 years of age give better definition of horn growth.
- Has this sheep ever been sick? Has it ever been treated by a vet for anything? -- A good breeder will be up front about any issues with a lamb, ram or ewe he or she has for sale.
- Do you keep health records and provide these at time of sale?
- What do you do with the sheep that don't meet your criteria? -- A good breeder will cull the animals he or she feels are unsuitable for a breeding program. Many farms use the term "cull" as in "getting rid of undesirable animals by whatever means; butchering if they have to, but selling them if they can find an unsuspecting buyer." Don't become one of those unsuspecting buyers! "Cull" in its purest form means dispatching the animal in a humane manner and utilizing the meat for food.
The ideal situation is to buy lambs, rams or ewes from an honest breeder. (NOTE: friendly does not necessarily equal honest! Don't be suckered by a slick sales pitch! Many of us did in our beginning years, and found ourselves with culls that should have been butchered.) An honest breeder will sell only their extra animals, the ones which are not needed in their breeding program only because they already have those genetics, or have already used the ram or ewe and, while they still like and appreciate the animal, no longer need it.
Following are some links to assist you in finding breeding stock. Ask questions. Don't be afraid to buy from a breeder far from you; you will have to pay for shipping, but it is always worth the extra expense to get highest quality breeding stock.
This email group is very handy if you are looking for breeding stock. On the lastFriday of each month breeders list their Soay sheep available for sale. Be aware that not all sheep listed for sale on the above site are registered or even pedigreed, so it is important to question the seller.This organization is the only nonprofit registry for Soay sheep in North America, and registers both American and British Soay sheep. Members are required to registertheir sheep, which makes this website the best place to look for breeding stock.Rare Breeds Survival TrustRBST, located in the United Kingdom, registers British Soay sheep.