Rare European sheep breeds becoming more common in U.S.; Gotlund sheep in Muskingum County
George Washington's Mount Vernon Livestock Program at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival had a rare breeds display this month that included some Hog Island Sheep.
Hog Island sheep are descended from sheep first brought to Virginia's Hog Island in the 18th century. The isolation and natural selection shaped the sheep population into a distinct breed. The lady at the Mount Vernon display couldn't say for sure if this was a breed of sheep that George Washington had at his farm, but we do know he had sheep because he kept meticulous farm records. He was a statesman, military leader and president, but he was a farmer at heart.
I have seen Icelandic sheep at the Maryland Festival and recently read a book about a lady farmer in Iceland who raises Icelandic sheep. They are a horned sheep with wool that is double coated. The sheep in Iceland are raised differently than in the Eastern U.S. They probably could be compared to Western U.S. sheep raising where sheep are taken to summer pastures and watched by a shepherd and his dog to protect them from predators such as wolves, bears, coyotes an more.
The Icelandic sheep roam over their area of hills and mountains. They seem to be on their own with some leader sheep, but they have no predators except arctic foxes and eagles, however they are not a significant problem. Heida, the Iceland farmer in the book, makes hay all summer for winter sheep food. The sheep come down out of the hills in the fall or are driven down. In this group that included Heida's sheep, were 5,000 to 6,000 sheep. They are separated to their owners and the lambs are then sent to market and ewes to fenced in areas at the farms. Heida shears 60 to 70 sheep a day in October and November. The sheep spend the winter in sheep houses with lambing in May. which is a time of intensive labor, same as here, and she has 500 sheep.
A relatively new breed of sheep to the U.S. is the Gotlund sheep from the Swedish Island of Gotlund. The first semen was imported to the U.S. in 2003. They are a medium sized sheep with no wool on their heads or legs, have a short tail and a lustrous grey fleece with a defined soft and even curl. They are calm, friendly and easy to handle.Michelle Potts from southeastern Muskingum County had raised different kinds of sheep when her daughters were in 4-H. She first saw Gotlund sheep at the Maryland Festival in 2015 and decided they would be a good match for her. In the fall of 2015, she purchased a few ewe lambs and a bred ewe. She has been successful in raising these sheep, showing them and selling breeding stock. In fact, her yearling ram was named grand champion ram over all breeds at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival on May 5.
Iris Eppley is a member of the Farm Bureau Council.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: European sheep breeds becoming more common in the United States
