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Fine Fleece Shetland Sheep Association
Shetland Sheep Colors,
Markings & Patterns
Information and Photos provided by the
There are eleven main whole colours in Shetland sheep, with many shades and variants in between. The eleven whole colours are shown in the images below, which are taken from photographs by the late Dr. SHU Bowie. There are two samples of Shaela because of differing meanings in different parts of the Shetland Isles.
Black
Dark Brown
Emsket
Fawn
Grey
Light Grey
Mioget
Moorit
Musket
Shaela 1
Shaela 2
White
Markings and Patterns in Shetland Sheep
Bersugget - Having irregular patches of differing colours
Bielset - Having a circular band of a different colour round the neck
Bioget - With a white back and darker sides and belly, or vice-versa
Blaeget - Having a lighter shade on the outer part of the wool fibre, especially in moorit and dark brown sheep.
Blaget - White, with irregular dark patches resembling ground partly snow covered
Blettet - With white patches on nose and top of head
Bleset/Sneedled - Dark coloured with a white stripe (blaze) down the forehead
Brandet - Having stripes of another colour across the body (i.e. going over the back)
Bronget - Dark coloured with light coloured breast, or vice versa
Flecket - White with large black or brown patches (not as well defined as in Jacob sheep when in full fleece)
Fronet - Black/brown spotted with white head and black/brown spots around the eyes
Gulmoget - Having light underparts with a dark coloured body, white inside the ears and under the jaw ('Mouflon' pattern)
Ilget - White with spots of a different colour (usually grey or black)
Iset - Black or shaela with many white fibres, giving a bluish hue from a distance
Katmoget - Having a light coloured body with dark belly and legs and a moget face. The reverse of Gulmoget
Katmollet - Having light coloured nose and jaws
Kraiget - Having the neck a different colour from the rest of the body
Kranset - Dark coloured with white around eyes and head
Krunet - Dark coloured with a white patch on the top of the head
Marlit - Various shades of different colours, mottled
Mirkface - White with dark patches on the face
Moget-faced - Applied to the characteristic face markings of the Katmoget pattern on sheep not otherwise displaying that pattern
Mullit - White with dark nose and jaws - the reverse of Katmollet
Sholmet - Of any colour, other than white, with a white face
Sleget - Stripes of different colours on the sides, not going over the back
Smirslet - With white around the mouth head or neck
Snaelit - Light coloured body with snow-white face
Sokket - With legs of a different colour to the body - giving the effect of wearing socks
Sponget - Dark coloured with small white spots
Yuglet - Having colour around eyes different from remainder of the body
Selection of pictures showing
a few of the markings found in
Shetland Sheep Society member's flocks.
Bersugget
Bielset
Bleset
Bleset
Gulmoget
Katmoget
Katmoget
Krunet
Smirslet
Yuglet
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