Gotland sheep
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The Gotland sheep (Swedish Gotlandfår) is a breed of domestic sheep of the fur sheep type, which is mainly kept in Sweden . It was created through breeding work from Gotland's original sheep stocks , the so-called free pasture sheep (Utegångsfår), and belongs to the group of Nordic short-tailed sheep .
The name Gotland sheep often leads to confusion, because in Germany not only the actual Gotland sheep (the fur sheep, Swedish Gotlandfår), but also the horned Guteschaf (Swedish Gutefår) is called that way. But these are two different breeds, both of which have their origins in the Gotland free pasture sheep (Utegångsfår).
features
The Gotland sheep is a small to medium-sized fur sheep. It is considered to be frugal, robust and weather-resistant and has only low demands on feeding and keeping. Its wool is silver-gray to dark brown, the head and legs are not woolen, they have short black hair . The animals regularly wear white markings on their heads and legs. In today's breeding it is important that the animals are polled. In the older breeding types, the bucks in particular show pronounced horns . The property of shedding the wool itself in the spring as a coat change was lost through breeding, today's Gotland sheep have to be shorn . The wool is mainly used to make felt . The animals are z. Partly sheared twice a year; the annual wool yield is four to six kilograms.
Breeding history
At the beginning of the 1920s, the then widespread free pasture sheep of the Guteschaf type on Gotland began to be cultivated in the direction of today's Gotland sheep of the fur sheep type. At about the same time, attempts were made to bring together the remaining horned sheep of the old type and to preserve them as a separate breed. This is how today's estate emerged.
Duration
In addition to Sweden, stocks are now also in Germany , Denmark and the Netherlands .
Web links
Gotland fur sheep
