About Icelandic Sheep

Lambs mature early and ewe lambs commonly lamb at 11-12 months of age. Icelandic ewes are bred as lambs, and many remain productive until age 10 or longer. Ewes are seasonal breeders, most coming into heat in late October. They will continue cycling until spring if not bred. Rams are sexually active year round, and the ram lambs can start breeding at 5-6 months. Very good mothers with easier, natural lambing, prolificacy is quite good, on average 175-220%. Triplets are not uncommon and many Icelandic ewes are very capable of nursing triplets without assistance. Sheep carring the Thoka gene are known to be extra fertile, often birthing triplets or quadruplets. Icelandic ewes have long been used as dairy animals in Iceland and have a high quality milk. We intend to blend sheep and goat milk together to make delicious, natural cheeses.

The Icelandic sheep is one of the world's oldest and purest breeds of sheep. Brought to Iceland on the boats of the Vikings 1100-1200 years ago, as a testament to their hardy constitution, these sheep managed to thrive in their harsh environment by adapting to eat the scrubby weeds and plants that grew there year-round. This ability to survive on pasture and browse alone is a defining quality of the Icelandics. Historically, Iceland is not a grain producing country due to the climate, and the breed has survived through its history on pasture and hay alone, although our ewes are supplemented when pregnant. On good grass, meat lambs do not require finishing with grain and can be slaughtered directly off free range pasture at 5-6 months of age.

MEAT QUALITY
Icelandic sheep are considered a mountain breed, and historically mountain breeds have been milder in flavor and leaner than lowland sheep breeds. The meat is very tender with a mild flavor, and is generally considered gourmet meat. With the leaner carcass, and the mild flavor, Icelandic lamb can appeal to the palate of even those consumers who "just don't like lamb." As consumers become more aware of the the benefits of "grass-fed" meat and grass-based farming, the demand for more naturally raised meat will increase. Our Icelandic Sheep are perfect for this upcoming market of quality-conscious consumer.

The Icelandic is a naturally short-tailed sheep. Thus, no painful unnatural tail-docking is required, as it is in other breeds. Icelandics are a mid-sized breed with ewes averaging 130-160 pounds, and rams averaging 180-220 pounds. With the exception of Leadersheep, conformation is generally short legged and stocky. The face and legs are free of wool. There are both horned and polled (hornless) strains.

Our sheep thrive on the Ranch's semi-arid slopes,
consuming lots of noxious and native weeds like
common tansy, knapweed, and spurge among others.
They also roam the pastures selecting out the weeds
and other undesirable plants like wild rose that grow
along the creek banks.This allows us to remain
organic in practice and contributes to better pasture
management for the horses.

The Icelandic sheep produces a premium fleece. The fleece is dual coated, with a fine, soft undercoat called thel and a longer, coarser outer coat called tog. The tog fiber with a spinning count of 56-60 and a micron count of 27-30, grows to a length of 6-8" in six months. It is lustrous, strong, water- and wear-resistant, and sheds off the rain and weather. Thel is the soft downy undercoat, with a spinning count of 64-70 and a micron count of 19-22, growing to a length of 2-4". The thel provides the loft for the outer coat and insulation for the sheep.