Hardy Animals
When people call me asking about Icelandic sheep, invariably the word "hardy" comes up.
"I've heard they're a primitive, hardy breed".
"Yes", I reply, "they can be".
But they won't be if the shepherd doesn't make some tough decisions.
Lambing and summer are good times to evaluate which sheep are keepers and which are culls. Here are my thoughts on breeding for a healthy, hardy flock of Icelandic sheep.
Decisions
When I look at my flock of sheep, I see some really beautiful animals. I also see some animals that require little to no input from me other than proper minerals and hay/pasture. How did my flock get to be so "hands-off"? The short answer is I chose to breed for that, or rather not breed for animals that need constant attention.
It's not difficult to do.
If a ewe needs help at lambing and it's not related to mineral imbalances (which should be corrected as soon as possible), there's no reason to breed that sheep again.
If a ewe won't take care of her lambs, she doesn't need to be bred again.
If lambs require help other than that brought on by mineral imbalances (which should be corrected in the flock as soon as possible), that breeding is re-evaluated and probably not repeated.
If a sheep needs deworming during parasite season, it doesn't need to be part of my farm plan.
If a sheep needs more supplements than the rest of the flock, it won't be part of my breeding program.
If a ram is ill-tempered toward me, the ewes or the other rams, his genetics are not going to be part of my breeding program.
In short, if I have to mess with the sheep, there had better be a really good reason or that animal and possibly that line have no place in my breeding program.
Culling doesn't have to mean killing but it does mean the animal is removed from the available gene pool. Remember though that if you keep this animal, you may be doing more work year after year to keep it healthy. Sometimes it's worth the work for a favored pet but more often, it ends up bringing heartache.
Pedigree
I think lineage and genetics have the potential to get shepherds into more trouble than out of it if they are not careful. People tend to think they have the gold standard in sheep if they have AI genetics and/or the sheep was bred by well-established farms and breeders. But the pedigree is only as good as the performance. If that sheep cannot perform well in the situation it is in, it is NOT a good sheep for that situation, no matter where that sheep came from. The sheep needs more than bloodlines, it needs performance and that's something that needs to be included in all farm breeding plans.
When choosing breeding stock, including AI rams from SOUTHRAM or stock with AI genetics, remember you will need to do some serious evaluation and culling if you want to have a hardy flock. Even the most careful breeding plans don't always produce the best sheep and this is unfortunate. However, the goal is always to produce lambs better than their parents and better-adapted to their situation.
Some people selling lambs that aren't even born yet may not be doing the evaluation necessary to know if those lambs will be hardy and a good addition to the gene pool. This is a difficult situation because having a reservation for a lamb may make it more difficult to make the decision to cull when needed. Being free to evaluate any animal as objectively as possible is important.
Pets
Are pet sheep or fiber flocks bad, then? Absolutely NOT! Pets, 4H show sheep, fiber flocks are all legitimate reasons to keep Icelandic sheep.
However, serious breeders should not sell animals that are pulled from the flock due to inability to survive without serious intervention and expect that Icelandic sheep will have a good reputation in the sheep world.
An already-established breeder keeping cull animals for fiber or as pets is one thing, that breeder knows the work ahead to keep the sheep healthy. Selling cull animals to others can ruin a breeder's and the breed's reputation.
Responsibility
It is never easy making decisions about life and death. It can be easier if you are opposed to eating your sheep but have a place for cull animals to go to live a productive but non-breeding life. However, the responsibility of maintaining the breed according to the breed standards and improving the hardiness of the breed in North America should not be underestimated. It can be very easy to determine which sheep to keep. They will meet the breed standards while not requiring extra work and input from the shepherd. Icelandic sheep can perform very well here with little help from their shepherds when constructive breeding and culling decisions are made. A healthy, hardy flock of Icelandic sheep is a joy to see and to shepherd.
Copyright Alethea Kenney 2022
"I've heard they're a primitive, hardy breed".
"Yes", I reply, "they can be".
But they won't be if the shepherd doesn't make some tough decisions.
Lambing and summer are good times to evaluate which sheep are keepers and which are culls. Here are my thoughts on breeding for a healthy, hardy flock of Icelandic sheep.
Decisions
When I look at my flock of sheep, I see some really beautiful animals. I also see some animals that require little to no input from me other than proper minerals and hay/pasture. How did my flock get to be so "hands-off"? The short answer is I chose to breed for that, or rather not breed for animals that need constant attention.
It's not difficult to do.
If a ewe needs help at lambing and it's not related to mineral imbalances (which should be corrected as soon as possible), there's no reason to breed that sheep again.
If a ewe won't take care of her lambs, she doesn't need to be bred again.
If lambs require help other than that brought on by mineral imbalances (which should be corrected in the flock as soon as possible), that breeding is re-evaluated and probably not repeated.
If a sheep needs deworming during parasite season, it doesn't need to be part of my farm plan.
If a sheep needs more supplements than the rest of the flock, it won't be part of my breeding program.
If a ram is ill-tempered toward me, the ewes or the other rams, his genetics are not going to be part of my breeding program.
In short, if I have to mess with the sheep, there had better be a really good reason or that animal and possibly that line have no place in my breeding program.
Culling doesn't have to mean killing but it does mean the animal is removed from the available gene pool. Remember though that if you keep this animal, you may be doing more work year after year to keep it healthy. Sometimes it's worth the work for a favored pet but more often, it ends up bringing heartache.
Pedigree
I think lineage and genetics have the potential to get shepherds into more trouble than out of it if they are not careful. People tend to think they have the gold standard in sheep if they have AI genetics and/or the sheep was bred by well-established farms and breeders. But the pedigree is only as good as the performance. If that sheep cannot perform well in the situation it is in, it is NOT a good sheep for that situation, no matter where that sheep came from. The sheep needs more than bloodlines, it needs performance and that's something that needs to be included in all farm breeding plans.
When choosing breeding stock, including AI rams from SOUTHRAM or stock with AI genetics, remember you will need to do some serious evaluation and culling if you want to have a hardy flock. Even the most careful breeding plans don't always produce the best sheep and this is unfortunate. However, the goal is always to produce lambs better than their parents and better-adapted to their situation.
Some people selling lambs that aren't even born yet may not be doing the evaluation necessary to know if those lambs will be hardy and a good addition to the gene pool. This is a difficult situation because having a reservation for a lamb may make it more difficult to make the decision to cull when needed. Being free to evaluate any animal as objectively as possible is important.
Pets
Are pet sheep or fiber flocks bad, then? Absolutely NOT! Pets, 4H show sheep, fiber flocks are all legitimate reasons to keep Icelandic sheep.
However, serious breeders should not sell animals that are pulled from the flock due to inability to survive without serious intervention and expect that Icelandic sheep will have a good reputation in the sheep world.
An already-established breeder keeping cull animals for fiber or as pets is one thing, that breeder knows the work ahead to keep the sheep healthy. Selling cull animals to others can ruin a breeder's and the breed's reputation.
Responsibility
It is never easy making decisions about life and death. It can be easier if you are opposed to eating your sheep but have a place for cull animals to go to live a productive but non-breeding life. However, the responsibility of maintaining the breed according to the breed standards and improving the hardiness of the breed in North America should not be underestimated. It can be very easy to determine which sheep to keep. They will meet the breed standards while not requiring extra work and input from the shepherd. Icelandic sheep can perform very well here with little help from their shepherds when constructive breeding and culling decisions are made. A healthy, hardy flock of Icelandic sheep is a joy to see and to shepherd.
Copyright Alethea Kenney 2022