Oh it's great to hear that you folks are keen to keep plenty of diversity in your flocks
. Is that genetic diversity only, or phenotypic too (what they look like as opposed to what their genes say).
Any of you who have visited our website (in need of updating) will know that we concentrate on maintaining a line of the ancient type of Hebridean - multi-horned or topknotted/polled/scurred, a variety of fleece shades, a variety of fleece types, wider faces, longlived and so on - all within the breed description, but not popular in the showring. We sell only privately direct from the farm.
As we are both a bit decrepit, we have been cutting back our Heb numbers, but we get enough lambs each year to supply a couple of folk with small starter flocks. We hope to keep going as long as possible, but we are aware of the need to raise interest in the ancient type of Hebridean, so there are others to help maintain this original type of the breed. One needs to be immune to the opinions of others, as those who show can be very scatheing about the ancient, 'unimproved' type of Hebridean.
For us, one of the keys to genetic diversity is to use plenty of unrelated tups, from unusual bloodlines, rather than just one from a 'popular' bloodline ie show winners. If you look through the flock book, you will see which breeders sell plenty of tups, which reduces the genetic diversity of the breed.
We find it difficult to source tups of the right type. We bought a very pretty 4 horned lamb at Melton Mowbray last year, and we are waiting to see how his offspring turn out. he's not of the ancient type though.
It would be good to have a Hebridean thread - so much to discuss, and the breed is always increasing in popularity.