Icelandic sheep
Icelandic breed of sheep / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Icelandic[lower-alpha 1] is the Icelandic breed of domestic sheep. It belongs to the Northern European Short-tailed group of sheep, and is larger than most breeds in that group.
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Conservation status | |
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Country of origin | Iceland |
Use | |
Traits | |
Wool color | variable |
Horn status | usually horned; there is a polled strain |
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It is generally short-legged and stocky, slender and light-boned, and usually horned, although polled and polycerate animals can occur; there is a polled strain, the Kleifa. The fleece is double-coated and may be white or a variety of other colors; the face and legs are without wool. The sheep are highly resistant to cold, and are generally left unshorn for the winter. Icelandic ewes are highly prolific, with a lambing percentage of 175–220%. The Þoka (Thoka) gene is carried by some ewes, which may give birth to large litters of lambs. A unique strain within the population is the Leader sheep, which carries a hereditary ability or predisposition to lead other sheep safely over dangerous ground.[4]: 827