Icelandic Sheep at Pondview Farm
celandic Sheep are one of the oldest and purest breeds of sheep, originally brought to Iceland by early Viking settlers. It is a wonderful triple-purpose breed, treasured for its meat, fleece and milk. A mid-sized breed, the ewes’ average 130 to 160 lbs, and rams average 180 to 220 lbs. The tails are naturally short and don’t require docking. Both ewes and rams come in horned or polled strains.
They have excellent fertility with a lambing rate of 180% - 200% or above, and superior maternal traits. They are great mothers, raising twins and triplets without intervention. The ewes can be productive into their teens. They are very cold-hardy and have a strong, reactive immune system. Having to evolve over 1100 years under difficult farming conditions in Iceland has made them sturdier than many other sheep breeds. This also gave them the defining quality of being able to survive on pasture and browse.
We supplement our ewes with protein mixtures only when pregnant, and in addition to pasture, they get free choice mineral mix and kelp to give them minerals lacking in our Maine environment.
Meat
In Iceland, they are primarily grown for meat, and market lambs will reach ideal slaughter weight of 70-100 lbs at 4 to 5 months, directly off of pasture in the fall season. This has positioned the Icelandic breed to fit well in the move towards grass based farming. As meat consumers increasingly recognize the health benefits of grass fed meats, and as economic pressures drive farmers toward grass based businesses, the genetics of the Icelandic breed become increasingly valuable to our sheep industry. The meat of the Icelandic breed is very tender with a mild flavor and a leaner carcass; it appeals to many consumers who state they “just don’t like lamb”.
Fleece
The Icelandic sheep produce a versatile, premium fleece, sought after by hand spinners, and fiber enthusiasts of all types. They come in many eye catching variations of color and pattern. They have two base colors of either black or moorit (brown). There are 5 patterns combinations of white, gray, badgerface, mouflon, and solid. To make things even more interesting there is a spotting gene, making for lovely and unique fleeces and fleece products.
The fleece is dual coated, with a fine soft undercoat called Thel, and a longer, coarser outer coat called Tog. The fleece is low in lanolin, and therefore loses less weight when washed. The two coats can be separated by hand for special projects, or they may be spun together as in the traditional Lopi yarn. It is also very quick to felt, making it great for many different projects.
Milk
Icelandic ewes easily support twins and many raise triplets without assistance. In North America they are used for personal milk production by many shepherds for yogurt, gourmet cheeses, and soap. For personal use, it is possible to allow lambs to nurse while milking once per day, without sacrificing lamb growth.
The Icelandic sheep has long been a valued animal on the farm, and continues to be a hardy, healthy, thrifty sheep, offering high quality meat, fiber and milk.
Used by permission of Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America
http://www.isbona.com