From all accounts Shetland sheep were considered the finest of the British breeds in terms of fleece.  In honor of this heritage I work to breed only the best wooled Shetlands.  Over the years I've studied fiber both on and off hundreds of Shetlands until I've become able to discern the best from the mediocre.  My flock not only consistently gets rave reviews from the general public, but I've also gotten very good feedback from the fiber mills that process my fleeces and handspinners and other fiber artists who've come in contact with my Shetland as well.

My sheep also have to be able to handle the long winters with 250 inches of snow annually and weeks of subzero cold.  They go out daily to eat their hay on the built up layers of snowpack and seem to have an innate ability to remember where the fences are long after they've become buried.  They get no water as soon as the snow comes, since I've found through trial and error they prefer the white stuff to wet.  Even ewes nursing lambs prefer their snowbanks in April.  Grain is fed only to young stock (I breed all ewe lambs)
and the ewes during their final month of gestation through the weaning of their lambs.  I limit grain to a half soup can per head per day.  The nicest first cutting grass mix hay is fed liberally.  Free choice minerals are offered throughout the year and are heavily utilized by these sheep.

I tend to cull out any ewes that are overly flighty or nervous.  If a ewe will run over her own lamb to avoid my presence, she is culled.  I do have some "shy" ewes that don't come up readily for scratching and petting, but they have shown they care first and foremost for their lambs, so they remain in the flock.

My sheep were all originally registered with NASSA.  I am no longer a member, so any of their offspring will be registered with NCWGA--an organization that emphasizes fleece and notes Shetlands as being single-coated with micron counts in the low 20's.  I do not agree with the idea that Shetlands should be promoted as having three different fleece types.  If you wish to make tapestries or rugs there are numerous sheep breeds available for this purpose.  I believe very strongly Shetlands should provide next-to-the-skin fiber throughout their fleeces except for the very limited britch wool on their hindquarters.

My Shetlands are being genetically tested for scrapie resistance and many of them are proving highly resistant at codon 171.  In addition I micron test all my breeding stock at two years of age--taking a sample at the last rib--to insure I am not being fooled.  No animal with a side micron of higher than 27 is allowed to remain in the flock.  I also cull for lambing problems, severe iset(white fibers growing into the fleece), or fleeces that coarsen up as the animals mature. 

Winter Sky Shetlands have been sold throughout the United States and even into Canada(when the border was open)and have adjusted well to all different types of flock management.  Since my animals are trained to come into a barn at night, they do not require herd dogs.  I make every effort to insure a good match between your needs and my sheep's abilities.