What will my Soay lambs look like when they grow up?

Kate, a first-time Soay breeder, called me excitedly the other day to announce the arrival of her very first British Soay lamb and sure enough, she wanted to know what the furry little creature will look like when it grows up. Has any new Soay breeder not wondered what her lambs will look like as adults?

The truthful answer is, of course, “no clue. Be patient.” But perhaps a few examples will give Kate and other first-timers, and those of you just thinking about getting heritage sheep, an idea of what some Soay look like as lambs and as full-grown sheep.

You may ask, are these pictures typical of Soay sheep? Are the animals pictured here a random sample of the possible variations? A confession: as shocking as it may seem, I tend to take more pictures of lambs who are even cuter than average, who exhibit the less common phenotypes (black, tan, white spotted), or adults who stand still for the camera — than I do of sheep who insist on lying down or burying their heads in the grass, or who seem less photogenic for whatever reason. In that sense, the pictures are not a random sample. But none of these animals is unique and I tried to pick both plain brown sheep and the more noteworthy appearing animals. Enjoy the pictures, and then go watch your own lambs grow up; it’s a lot more fun than looking at someone else’s sheep.

Appleby at age 4 weeks basks in the spring sunshine

Appleby at age 4 weeks basks in the spring sunshine

Graceful Appleby at age 6 years on lush summer grass

Graceful Appleby at age 6 years on lush summer grass

Whitehall at age 3 weeks had fairly short horn buds for a ram

Whitehall at age 3 weeks had fairly short horn buds for a ram

Whitehall, at age 3 with his full rack, is done breeding for us

Whitehall, at age 3 with his full rack, is done breeding for us

Buttermere at age 3 weeks. Compare her white pattern with her adult picture.

Buttermere at age 3 weeks. Compare her white pattern with her adult picture

Buttermere at age 6 years chowing down spring grass

Buttermere at age 6 years chowing down spring grass

Stockbridge was a typical brown mouflon Soay lamb

Stockbridge was a typical brown mouflon Soay lamb

Stockbridge as a yearling

Stockbridge as a yearling

Bottle baby Patterdale in our kitchen at age 1 day

Bottle baby Patterdale in our kitchen at age 1 day

Patterdale at age five in the maternity ward waiting to lamb

Patterdale at age five in the maternity ward waiting to lamb

Light phase Fouldon at age 2 weeks in the lamb play yard

Light phase Fouldon at age 2 weeks in the lamb play yard

Fouldon, pictured here at age 4, has finished breeding and is ready for a new home

Fouldon, pictured here at age 4, has finished breeding for us and is ready for a new home

Fetching ewe lamb Kendal looked as though she were about to take off using her ears as wings

Fetching ewe lamb Kendal looked as if she were about to take off using her ears as wings

Kendal, pictured at age 5, had not shed her winter coat that spring

Kendal, pictured at age 5, had not shed her winter coat that spring

Merrivale at age  2 and 1/2 months was an irresistible white-faced tan lamb

Merrivale at age 2 and 1/2 months was an irresistible white-faced tan lamb

Merrivale at age 2 years looking matronly just 4 days before she lambed for the first time

Merrivale at age 2 years looking matronly just 4 days before she lambed for the first time

Kettlewell at age 1 week trots around the well-worn lamb play yard

Kettlewell at age 1 week trots around the well-worn lamb play yard

Shown here at age 6 years, Kettlewell matured into a very mild-mannered and stately ram

Shown here at age 6 years, Kettlewell matured into a very mild-mannered and stately ram

Tiverton at age 10 weeks had atypically long horns for a ewe lamb

Tiverton at age 10 weeks had atypically long horns for a ewe lamb

Adult Tiverton with long sideswept horns.  Compare them to her baby picture

Adult Tiverton with long sideswept horns. Compare them to her baby picture

The life of a shepherd occasionally mimics the life of a human parent, and so it is with firstborn offspring. Our first British Soay lambs were twins Trenear and Tolcarne and we have orders of magnitude more photos of them than our next generations of little Brits. Now I know why I took all those pictures — so I could show a more nuanced growth procession. Drumroll: Saltmarsh Trenear.

Every so often I hit lucky and capture a parent and its offspring in the same picture. Not sure whether I have enough of those for a whole separate post on “like father, like son,” but I think you will be amused by these two thugs. Chestnut was a barrel-chested, pugnacious little ram who produced terrific offspring, but he was a fighter and ended up with a large flap of torn skin hanging over his right eye. A few years later, his son Trenear, who as noted shares both Chestnut’s great horns and his impressive beard, took a similar hit, but to his left eye. Like father, like son!

Chestnut and Trenear had mirror-image battle scars on their eyes, but no harm done

Chestnut and Trenear had mirror-image battle scars on their eyes, but no harm done

For now …

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