Offering quality Icelandic Sheep and Angora Rabbits in a full range of natural colors!
| Icelandics have soft, supple, silky pelts used for wall hangings, rugs, and pillows. Garment Industries use them for coats, vests, and as trim because of its "fur like" feel. The wool is sought after by hand spinners for its dual coat. The under wool, called the "thel" and a cork screwed outer wool called the "tog". It has a low lanolin content that leaves more fiber per pound of fleece after washing and can be spun in the grease. |
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| The wool can be separated for two yarn types. A soft fine yarn (for garments worn next to the skin), and a worsted yarn (for rugs and blankets). It can also be spun together to make "lopi" style yarn with mohair like qualities. Reynolds Lopi is one of America's most popular knitting brands and is made with 100% Icelandic wool. Felting is super fast with this fiber and the end product is very firm! No need for stiffeners. It takes dye easily and blends well with other fibers. Icelandics are truly an exceptional breed! |
| Icelandic Sheep | ||
They are a medium sized Northern European short tailed breed (no need to dock). They are the biggest of the short-tail types and one of the purest in the world today. A triple purpose sheep that is sought after for its quality meat, milk, and wool. Icelandics are well suited to small farms as they have poor herding instincts. They come in black, brown (moorit), gray, and white and can include spotting and patterns making the variety of colors endless! Both rams and ewes can be horned or polled. They are alert and friendly but are considered food aggressive. NEVER pet or befriend a ram. They can harm you when you least expect it! Icelandics are easy keepers that rarely jump fences. A true no fuss sheep that is very hardy! A trait developed from years of survival and foraging the sparse, rocky Icelandic terrain. Most of them are parasite resilient (they thrive under parasite load) or parasite resistant (they have almost no parasite load) and heat/cold tolerant. Our flock has weathered a Kentucky drought and severe ice storm. They did fine , in both, with minimal protection. |
Icelandics are excellent mothers that lamb easily and commonly have twins and triplets. A few carry the "thoka gene" that is responsible for quads. Lambs are generally 5-7 lbs and very lively at birth. Many times up and running before the twin hits the ground. Multiple lambs are not a problem for these milky moms.They rarely require milk replacement or bottle feeding. Icelandic milk is very flavorful and can be used to make your own cheese, yogurt, and soap. Lambs gain weight rapidly and can reach up to 90lbs in the first year given good management with ample pasture. Icelandics are best suited to being grass fed but can be grained if raising for meat. Most are ready the first year for breeding or market (leaving no need to castrate). |