Shetland cattle

Shetland cattle are a small, hardy cattle breed from the Shetland Isles off the north coast of Scotland.

Shetland cattle possess their characteristic genetic qualities of thriftiness, productivity and hardiness, through adaptation and survival in one of the United Kingdom's most rigorous environments. The history of the Shetland Isles is peppered with instances of famine when only the most robust of inhabitants, both human and animal, survived. Historical documents tell of weak cows needed to be held up in slings in the byres through the winter. The crofters “kye” (Shetland dialect) was a lifeline for these subsistence farmers.

The evolution of the Shetland cow over the last few centuries has created an economical and productive house cow, providing milk and meat for the isolated crofting families, and used as a draught animal for ploughing.

History

19th century

The breed went up to 20,000 head of cattle on the islands, as it is written in historical records of the 19th century. It is likely that they were all purebred Shetlands at that time, although a herd register did not exist. In the 20th century, the number of pedigree cows had dropped to around 50! The reason for the probable sharp change was the establishment of a shipping line around 1850, giving the opportunity to export cattle. Immediately, the mainland market dictated the biggest animals fetched the best prices and as boats sailed to the mainland with fat stock, they returned with bulls from mainland breeds. Crofters used these bulls, as the bigger beef breed produced a calf that grew rapidly and larger than pure bred Shetlands. Equally small Shetland cows could produce a cross–bred suckler cow that would in turn produce a larger calf. The practice of cross- breeding, coupled with the lack of agricultural subsidies for the breed resulted in near extinction of pedigree Shetland cattles by the middle of the 20th century.

20th century

A lifeline was thrown to the breed when in 1971 the [http://www.rbst.org.uk/ Rare Breeds Survival Trust] was formed. By this time, pedigree recording on the islands had ceased. Work by the RBST through the 1970’s identified purebred animals and in 1981 an annual herd book was once again produced. This was the era of substantial agricultural subsidies and the emergence of agribusiness. Britain had also seen the invasion of large continental beef breeds such as Charolais and Belgian Blues and these breeds fuelled the science of genetic improvement to increase growth rates and meatier carcases for maximum profit. The Shetland Breed seemed ever more archaic and anachronistic.

Mechanisation and production of cheap chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides opened way of food production that was no longer dependent on the natural fertility of the land and local climate. More grass grown more rapidly, needed animals that did the same and the ability of the Shetland to grow steadily on natural, unfertilised pastures became of little importance.

The Present

In many ways it is astonishing to see how rapidly this country has reversed away from the concept of maximum production. This year, 2005, marks the first time that farmers will be paid, not to produce quantity but to manage the countryside with greater attention to environmental benefits.

The stranglehold that large national supermarket chains now exert on the marketplace has forced farmers to look at ways to produce quality and direct marketing. It is this changed scenario that offers the Shetland breed an opportunity to find a niche in new farming practice.

References

*"This information provided by Mary Holloway who has her own herd of Shetland Cattle" [http://www.greenoak-shetland.co.uk]

ee also

*Shetland animal breeds