Mature Shetland ewes typically weigh from 50-75 pounds and yield about two-three pounds of wool per season. Mature rams weigh from 65-100 pounds. All Shetlands are born with short, fluke-shaped tails that require no docking. Lambs are born about 147 days after breeding with ewes cycling in late October through December. Out-of-season breeding can occur with ewes that weren’t bred in the fall, but is not the norm. Rams usually have horns and some ewes as well. Overly-friendly rams can become a problem as they mature, since they have been known to use their horns to "ask" for petting or see just how strong those posts are in the fenceline. When keeping rams it is best to have at least two or more, so they can work their aggression out on each other.

Shetland sheep come in the widest range of natural colors of any of the sheep breeds. There are at least eleven whole colors and an even wider range of patterns including spotting. Browns (moorits) which are rarely seen in other breeds abound and run the gamut from gold to Irish Setter red to mahogany. Shetland fiber should not feel like "wool" but have a soft, silky, downy handle to it. In Britian the average micron for a side sample is in the low 20’s. Wool with a micron over 30 will feel scratchy and coarse, because fibers that large are capable for piercing the skin. The best Shetland fleeces are dense, have good lock formation and are finely crimped. The crimp will tend to become less defined towards the rump but still should be noticeable. Lamb fleeces are always the finest. With aging most Shetlands will add about 3-5 microns to the diameter of their wool. Shetland wool is strong and shouldn’t have any weak spots—these are caused typically by stress, malnourishment, or other problems in management. Shetlands are sheared once a year in the spring.

The best feed for Shetland sheep is good grass, although they can be kept on dry lot if provided with a nourishing mixed grass hay. A mature Shetland needs from 2-3 pounds of hay per day or unlimited grazing. They require minimal grain and then only during the final months of gestation and when nursing lambs. The lambs that will be bred their first fall do best if also provided with a small amount of grain as they grow their first season and throughout their pregnancy with an increase during the final month when the fetus doubles in size. Whole oats or barley work well with Shetlands and can be supplemented with roasted soybean and alfalfa pellets if the hay is of poor quality. A good loose sheep mineral with high selenium content(for selenium poor areas) and ADE vitamins is also a must for these sheep. It is best to provide this along with plain iodized salt, baking soda and kelp meal free choice throughout the year, as the sheep have different needs from month to month and will eat what they need to keep in good shape. Clean, fresh water at all times is also essential, but you will find Shetland sheep tend to drink a lot less than most other types of livestock. In the wintertime they often prefer to eat snow.

Housing can be as simple as a run-in shed facing south. Shetlands like to be out and moving about the field. Bedding down out in the snow is their preference unless there is sleet and ice. They need good ventilation summer and winter and a source of shade in the summertime. Welded wire 4’ fencing works better than electric fencing simply because they are adept at scooting under hotwires especially when they are in full fleece. Fencing should be at ground level everywhere or you will have sheep going in and out wherever they can find a small hole. Woven wire graduated field fencing works the best with a hotwire at the top and bottom to discourage predators.