Sheep : GOTLAND

Origin: Sweden, Island of Gotland

Australian Status:

International Status:

Arrived in Australia: Gotland sheep were introduced into Australia, by Roger Haldane and also Cheryl Crosbie, who after much research into the breed, imported embryos from Finland and Denmark and embarked on an AI program. The flock has been carefully managed for fibre quality, as well as meat and pelt production.  Cheryl currently runs a flock of purebred and crossbred Gotlands on her Granite Haven Stud in the Strathbogie Ranges of Victoria.

Australian Population: Ewes: 277     Rams: 9 (2017)

Distribution:

History: The Gotland breed is a Northern European short-tailed sheep, from the Swedish Island of Gotland. The breed is believed to have emerged from the Vikings crossbreeding the native landrace (Gute) sheep with Karakuls or Romanovs in the 1920's and 1930's. The Vikings used the sheep for meat and hides for their crew along their travel routes. Primitive horned Gute sheep may still be found on the island today although they are rare and the Gotland sheep has been carefully refined in Sweden, making it completely polled with more uniform conformation. It is thought that this breed may also have contributed to other Northern short-tailed breeds such as Finn, Icelandic and Shetland. As well as Sweden, the Gotland sheep is now found in Great Britain, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, the USA and Australia.

Breed traits: Gotland sheep are fine-boned and of medium size with docile, friendly dispositions. They are polled with clean black heads and legs. The fleece is fine, long, lustrous and dense, having a diameter of around 29-34 microns. The lambswool can be in the low to mid 20's micron range. Staple length can grow to as long as 18cm but at shearing, is usually in the 8cm-10cm range. The fleece has a clearly defined, even curl and a staple that is soft to the touch, so knitted garments may be worn next to the skin. It comes in all shades of grey from silver to charcoal to almost black. It can also be found in white, honey and a moorit (reddish-brown). The fleece is coveted by spinners, weavers, textile artists and felters. Spun in worsted or woollen produces a lovely, soft fibre and the natural grey fleece overdyes beautifully.

The Gotland breed produces a mild, good flavoured meat with a close grain. The pelts are well known for their quality, being strong and durable with high lustre, means the breed is in high demand for sheepskin. For devotees of The Lord of the Rings, the Elvin cloaks were made from Gotland pelts.

Uses: Wool, Meat, Pelts

Breed Organisation: No organisation at the present time. More information may be obtained from Cheryl Crosbie, Granite Haven Llamas and Gotland Sheep. http://www.granitehavenllamas.com.au/

Additional Notes:

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Crosbie, Granite Haven Llamas and Gotland Sheep

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