we got shetlands and are complete cow beginners. they are v easy to care for and very hardy. i think u could sell shetland beef locally as a premium, rather than diluting it with other breeds.
its partly nature, as to how easy they come round to handling, but its alot down to how much effort u put in.
most are ruled by their belly which is a big help.
we can handle both of our girls but one is super tame as we are gona milk her. the other is as tame as she needs to be. if i had loads of free time she would be perfect too, but its not necessary here.
shetlands do have wide pelvis' tho and are reg crossed with other beef breeds and the calves are bigger than their mums pretty quickly.
we havent had chance to taste any yet...
its nice to support a british rare breed if they suit ur needs
check out
www.shetlandcattle.org.uk