What Can A Shepherd Expect From Our Sheep?
Horned or PolledIcelandics come horned or polled. Horned rams develop heavy masses of multiple back curves coming to a point. Ewes have short back-curving horns that stop before curling back and around. Horned animals provide us with nice handles for catching and do not interfere with easy birthing.
Lifespan
Adults live approximately 13 years and ewes bear from their first year throughout their lives. Generally they twin after the first year and some may triplet. Icelandics cycle from mid-November through April. It is wise, however, to plan breeding groups to catch the early girls. Herd sires can settle up to 60 ewes.
Meat
Gourmet quality with mild, but rich taste. These sheep do not have a pungent sheep smell either as farm animals or on the table. We raise our sheep naturally, that is, they are treated with modern medicine if they are sick or injured and modern wormers particularly for barberpole worms that kill quickly with little warning. We use the FAMACHA method for keeping track of animals that need wormer and weeding out the ones that do not need treatment.
Milk
Ewes produce generous amounts of milk for lambs and are strong dairy sheep for artisan cheese.
Lamb Growth
Nursing lambs gain 3/4 to 1 pound per day. Birth weights average between 5-7 pounds.
Fleece
Fleece is dual textured. The long, shiny tog flows out and nearly to the ground. Soft, downy thel grows next to the skin of the sheep. The two may be used together for a strong, soft yarn or separately. The thel is soft enough for baby clothes or lace and the tog strong enough for rugs, sewing thread, or outer garments. The wool felts extremely fast and is easy to spin.
Genetics
Color
There are two colors----black and brown.
Patterns
White - absence of color
Grey - white thel undercoat and colored outer tog, which could be black or brown.
Badgerface - the back, sides, neck, face and ears are light tan or white with black or brown on the neck, belly, and legs.
Mouflo - reverse of badger. Black or brown appears on main body while face, neck, belly and under tail are light colored or white.
No Pattern - same as solid black or brown
Grey Mouflon - appears to be grey and mouflon at the same time
Personality
Our sheep are generally docile, even the rams. Ewes are often shy and will move away if pursued. Importantly, it should be noted, however, that rams of any breed may not be trusted 100% of the time, particularly during breeding season. Our farm does not keep any ram that consistently proves to be troublesome. We prefer gentle rams that will, hopefully, pass on their personalities to lambs and allow us to work peacefully alongside them.
