Soay and Boreray Sheep Society members can advertise free of charge on this site as part of their £12 annual membership fee.  Adverts will be displayed in chronological order (most recent at the end) for no less than one month and will then be removed after three months, unless instructions to the contrary are received.

Before you buy please read the following detailing the difference between registered, unregistered and birth notified sheep. Some buyers mistakenly believe that unregistered sheep can be registered at a later date.

Buying Soays and Borerays

You can buy registered, birth notified or unregistered sheep. The best option is registered sheep, so ensure they are registered before you commit. It is up to the breeder to pay the registration fee of any sheep they breed.

Registered sheep have a registered number beginning with S / B and a three-generation pedigree, come with a registration certificate and are entered in the Combined Flock Book. Their parentage can be followed back generations in the online combined flock book.

Birth Notified sheep also have an entry in the online combined flock book, (number beginning XS or XB) but do not have a pedigree certificate because the registration process has not been completed. They are however eligible for registration, once payment has been made to fully register them. Lambs are birth notified in their first year and can be registered up to the end of October in their second year for females or third year for males – this allows sub-standard animals to be butchered before payment of the registration fee (or late payment for older animals).

Unregistered sheep are not recorded in the combined flock book as parentage cannot be verified. This does not necessarily mean that they are not purebred Soay or Boreray but confirmation is not held of their parentage.

If you buy registered animals and you choose to breed from them – provided both parents are registered then the progeny can also be registered. Progeny of unregistered sheep cannot be registered.

If you are offered registered animals always check that they have the correct paperwork to support this. A registered sheep will have a pedigree certificate issued by Grassroots Systems Ltd. The sheep’s ear tag number should match that which is on the certificate. Ear tag numbers can be checked in the online flock book, and the status of the animal verified.

You will only be helping these Rare Breeds if you keep registered animals, and your returns will be greater if you can offer registered stock for sale.

Disclaimer

The Society does not recommend or endorse any sellers or animals that are advertised on this site. Photos are welcomed on the understanding that the society may use them elsewhere on this site.

To advertise on the website please email your advertisement to: kerry.e.gibb@gmail.com