Mike has been bitten by the sheep bug also. He has had his eye on some Gotland sheep since our first introduction to them in June of 2009 and has finally decided that he is going to introduce them to Canada in November of 2011.
The photo to the left shows a group of rams. More information and photos are available on the American Gotland Breeders Association website.
I am still totally committed to my BFL's and the lovely fleeces that they produce, but I have to say that the Gotland fleeces that I seen are pretty amazing also. Originally from the island of Gotland (off the Denmark coast), The breed was first established by the Vikings with Karakul and Romanov sheep. Modern Gotland sheep have been developed in Sweden since the 1920's through controlled breeding and intensive selection, producing a true multipurpose long wool sheep, yielding good flavored close-grained meat, furskins and soft, silky, lustrous fleece.
According to the website, and confirmed by breeders we have met, Gotlands are easy to lamb, prolific, milky and very motherly. Their lambs are active and fast growing form birth. These qualities, together with their hardy and adaptive nature, also make the Gotland half-bred ewe suitable for extensive/rough grazing commercial systems.
In 2003, the process of Laproscopic AI was used to introduce Gotlands to the US and since then they have become extremely popular, both as a fibre animal and also as a multipurpose, medium sized sheep producing growthy and vigorous lambs with good carcass qualities.
According to the website, and confirmed by breeders we have met, Gotlands are easy to lamb, prolific, milky and very motherly. Their lambs are active and fast growing form birth. These qualities, together with their hardy and adaptive nature, also make the Gotland half-bred ewe suitable for extensive/rough grazing commercial systems.
In 2003, the process of Laproscopic AI was used to introduce Gotlands to the US and since then they have become extremely popular, both as a fibre animal and also as a multipurpose, medium sized sheep producing growthy and vigorous lambs with good carcass qualities.
Gotlands in the US are being bred up from Bluefaced Leicesters, Border Leicesters, Finnish Landrace and Icelandic sheep. When the % of Gotland reaches 75% in females and 87% in males, sheep are registered. Sheep of lower percentage Gotland are recorded prior to that point.
We are hoping to introduce Canadian Sheep Breeders to Gotland sheep this fall when we bring in a small group from the states.
We are hoping to introduce Canadian Sheep Breeders to Gotland sheep this fall when we bring in a small group from the states.
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