Newsletter - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Calendar 4 News in Brief 6 Color & Pattern Coding 7 Q & A Sheep Production 8 From the Archives 11 Sheepskin Tanning 12 Fiber Artists in Iceland 16 Washing Fleece 24 26 27 28 1 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PROGRAM COORDINATORS
President: Webmaster: Elaine Clark 207-793-4640 Marjorie Jackson 573-294-7088 [email protected] [email protected]
Vice-President: Librarian: Kathy Taft Boyden 802-244-5679 Connie Millard 573-294-7088 [email protected] [email protected]
Secretary: E-list Moderator: Melissa Erlund 318-820-6643 Sondra Gibson 406-777-2334
[email protected] [email protected]
Treasurer: Advertising Representative Marge Jackson Kathy Taft Boyden 802-244-5679 [email protected] [email protected]
Members at Large: Historian:
Terri Carlson 815-288-5886 Vanessa Riva 802-434-3953 [email protected] [email protected]
Margaret Flowers 315-246-1178 Breed Promotion [email protected] Elaine Clark 207-793-4640 [email protected] Cassie Petrocelli 207-740-5110 [email protected] Membership Secretary: Rosemary Brown [email protected] NEWSLETTER
Editor:
Laura Walsh 517-513-1520 [email protected]
Assistant Editor: Claire Moxon-Waltz [email protected]
Layout Editor: Terri Carlson 815-288-5886 [email protected]
Publisher: Natasha Paris 920-767-1108 [email protected]
Cover photo: Submitted by Kathy Taft Boyden of Kind Horn Farm Kind Horn Farm is a certified organic farm located in
the mountains of Central Vermont. They are in their 11th Interested in attending the board meetings as a read-only breeding season using traditional and AI to breed top-quality member? ISBONA members in good standing are welcome to do so. Please contact the President and ask to be added animals with excellent meat conformation, above-average to the meeting list for the ISBONA Board of Directors. fertility, superb milking qualities in the ewes, and, of course, Thanks for your interest! amazing fleeces.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this issue of the ISBONA newsletter are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of ISBONA, its Board of Directors, or the editor. No endorsement of these views is implied by publication. The editor welcomes submissions of alternate viewpoints.
2 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2 Message from the President reetings fellow ISBONA members, new and old. This past 6 months has been a very busy time for your board of directors, having completed the revision of the by-laws for your review and vote, to hopefully approve the changes. We will be conducting this year's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in a live online webinar format on November 1st . This will allow participation for all members, regardless of where they are located. The webinar meeting will also be available in a recorded version for those unable to join the live version. Your attendance is important for several reasons. Access to these revisions has been sent via email to each member prior to the webinar. They will be reviewed and questions will be answered at the AGM and in chat rooms before the voting. One of the most important revisions would be to change the voting procedure from paper mail-in ballot voting to a secure online voting in the future. This would certainly make elections and other business matters far more efficient, and less costly for the organization. So we will need you to send in this last (hopefully) paper ballot, before November 15th. Each and every vote is important. Summer has flown by and we are nearly into fall: the breeding season. Plans and pedigrees, patterns and colors, filling our daydreams and lists and spreadsheets, with hopes for a wonderful lambing season to come. With your help and the continued efforts of your board of directors, I believe we will bring new life to this organization in the coming year as well. We are looking at ideas for changing how we register our sheep, not with a different registry, but with a method that will help our membership organization financially. We are implementing your idea for chat room forums for communicating with each other to share ideas and questions/ answers. Ensuring the continued success, growth, and improvement of the North American Icelandic sheep flock continues to be our focus. Helping new shepherds and supporting experienced ones is a priority. As many of you know, this will be my 23rd lambing season coming up. It is still as exciting planning those matings now as it was when I began. My commitment to ISBONA is also as firm as when it began. I hope that by bringing the ISBONA organization into a more current and pertinent format, it will, in turn, bring you along in your dedication to these wonderful sheep, their shepherds, and ISBONA as well. Best wishes for a great breeding season. As winter eventually comes along, may you have sweet dreams of new lambs to fill your barns and pastures. Be well, Elaine
Newsletter Ad Rates Submission Guidelines Size Price Send articles/illustrations/photographs to Laura Walsh, [email protected] Full Page Color $200 Ads: Send camera-ready ad, all photos grayscale to: Terri Carlson, [email protected] 1/2 Page Color $100 —AND— Send payment (see chart) in US or Canadian funds to: Full Page B/W $35 Marge Jackson, Eight Pond Farm P.O. Box 194, Hermann MO 65041 2/3 Page B/W $30
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3 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 ISBONA CALENDAR WINTER
January
January 15 - Deadline for article and ad submissions for the spring newsletter. February Stay warm & enjoy your sheep! March Prepare for lambing. Look for the handy tear-out guide in the spring newsletter! SPRING April April showers bring lush pastures! May May 30 - Tentative date for the spring board meeting. June Enjoy your sheep! SUMMER July July 15 - Deadline for article and ad submissions for the fall newsletter. Keep your sheep cool and happy! August August 1 - MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL DEADLINE
September Take photos of your sheep in their full fleeces.
AUTUMN
October October 15 - FINAL REMINDER FOR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL.
November Stay warm & enjoy your sheep!
December Enjoy the holiday season!
4 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2 —-Membership Form—- 2017-2018 ISBONA Membership Fees
Memberships run from August 1 through July 31.
Junior Membership * ISBONA newsletter subscription * access to all ISBONA activities * member-only discussion group * no voting privileges * restricted to under age 18
Newsletter Membership * ISBONA newsletter subscription * access to all ISBONA activities * member-only discussion group * no voting privileges
Full/Web Membership * ISBONA newsletter subscription * access to all ISBONA activities * member-only discussion group * listing in online breeders directory * one vote per membership * requires CLRC flock code
Please check one: From the Editor ___ New Membership ___ Renewal
Name ______It's fall! Here in Michigan that means autumn color drives, apple orchards, cider mills... and knowing Address ______that snow could appear any minute. On the farm, Phone______it means shearing is done and my wool room is stuffed with fleeces to sort. Some will be headed to Email ______the local fleece fair, others to a mill for processing, Website (if applicable)______and a select few will stay with me for my own use. Farm Name (if applicable) ______I'll be honest... if I had my way I would keep each and every one! But then there would be no room Flock Code (if applicable) ______for the spinning wheel, loom, baskets of half-
Please check one: completed projects… ___ Junior Membership $5/1 year (no multi-year memberships) Speaking of projects, what a fantastic newsletter we ___ Newsletter Membership have put together! We have step-by-step tutorials $20/1 year, $57/3 years, $95/5 years on washing fleece and tanning pelts at home, and ___ Full Membership profiles of three fiber artists in Iceland and the $30/1 year, $81/3 years, $135/5 years beautiful things they create with wool. And, if you Payments can be made online through our website, login to the ISBONA website, you'll find even more www.ISBONA.com, or by mail (checks payable to love for your fiber in past issues. Check out Winter ISBONA) to: 2007 for instructions on some lovely Swedish ISBONA mittens, and Winter 2006 for sock-making! c/o Rosemary Brown 4500 County Rd 115 Whatever your woolly goals, I hope you will enjoy Meeker, CO 81641 this issue, and as always, enjoy your sheep!
Laura Walsh Jolly Jumbuck Farm
5 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 ISBONA
Welcome! to our new members!
Sheila Beard Sonya Hoie
Beau Bibeau Susan Hmurciakova
Jared Bushey Thomas & Sue Hunter
Thomas Cheney & Kyla Durham Andrew Imbrunnone
Debra Coyle Patricia Kim
Dennis & Robyn Crowningshield Germaine Krysiewicz
Lori Cumming Kim Lafolette
Jose deLeon Kate Lunde
Elizabeth Gamble Susan Maley
Carrie Gault & Donna Cole Jeannette Many Horses
Wayne Gentry Tanya Sanders
Jayna Graham David Templeman
Ellen Guttormson John & Sarah Scott
Jeffery Hanavan Christina Taylor
Sheila Hannesson & Connor Stama Nick Toyn
Alicia Herman Babette Turk
Please Note: The tattoo letter for the year 2017 is E. If you have sheep from previous years that you wish to tattoo/register, the letters from the last few years are: 2013 (A), 2014 (B), 2015 (C) 2016 (D).
6 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2 ISBONA encourages any breeder registering Icelandic sheep to use the voluntary coding system described below. This code of just a few characters takes up little space in the name, but permanently records information about the individual. Long after a breeding animal has died, its appearance and accompanying genetic information is forever recorded in its offspring's genealogy. This useful tool provides valuable information for future breeders of Icelandic sheep. Be aware, however, that this code only tells what color/pattern/spotting the animal is exhibiting and not what is masked (or there genetically but unable to be seen).
Why the coding system?
The CLRC does not have a computerized system for recording the appearance of Icelandic sheep. Breeders of registered Icelandics accomplish this themselves by inserting the code in the name field when registering their sheep.
COLOR CODING ICELANDIC SHEEP
Color Pick one Black B Moorit (Brown) M If you cannot tell because white covers everything: O
Pattern Pick one (or two of Grey/ White 1 Badgerface/Mouflon) Grey* 2 Badgerface* 3 Mouflon* 4 Solid 5 Single Gene Grey-Mouflon (SGGM)** 6
Spotting Spotted*** S Not Spotted Put Nothing
Horns Polled P Horns H Scurs C
* The grey, badgerface, and mouflon patterns are co-dominant and a sheep can express two of these patterns. So a sheep could be both grey and badgerface. White and solid cannot be co-expressed... you cannot have a sheep that is both white and mouflon, or both solid and grey. ** SGGM is a rare pattern. So far in North America, the only registered SGGM sheep are all descended from the ram Xeno (CLRC no. 651897). If your sheep does not have Xeno in its pedigree it probably is not SGGM pattern. *** Spotting refers to white spots. A mostly white sheep that appears to have black spots is, in fact, a black sheep with one very large and sprawling white spot. Spots are fairly obvious; if you see very small tufts of white wool this is probably what we call "flashing," which is common in sheep with a grey pattern, but not indicated on registration.
RECORD ONLY WHAT YOU SEE
Samples of color coding:
polled spotted moorit: M5SP
white with scurs O1C
horned black badgerface-mouflon B34H
polled moorit grey-mouflon with spots M24SP
7 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2
Shepherding Tips by Eyjolfur Ingvi Bjarnason Sheep Production in Iceland
Good feed is the basis for a successful and productive flock. Eyjolfur Ingvi Bjarnason is a sheep Make every effort to provide ample production consultant at the Icelandic and proper forage to your animals. Agricultural Advisory Centre. Eyjolfur is also a sheep farmer at Asgardur, Dalasysla, Consider cultivating/reseeding your Iceland with 400 winter-fed sheep. forage fields every 10 to 15 years Questions were provided by ISBONA for high energy grasses. members. Thanks to Richard Brzozowski of the University of Maine for coordinating with Sample stored forages (winter Bjarnason to provide the answers. feeds) and have them analyzed at
the end of each summer. Use Health & Nutrition concentrates (grains and What is the biggest health supplements) to improve the forage quality. concern for sheep there (in Iceland)? We have two big Keep accurate records of your health concerns now in Iceland. animals. First is a lung problem affecting Use ram lambs or yearling rams for lambs: Mycoplasma breeding your ewes and evaluate ovipneumoniae – different between years but can result in lower their resulting offspring. weight and poorer lambs. The other is problem is with getting
Cull ewes that don’t meet your lambs from hoggets (first-time lambers) – during pregnancy they standards. Don’t keep ewes beyond will lose the fetus without any obvious reasons. eight years of age. Replace 17-25% of your brood ewes annually, What is fed to the sheep during the winter in Iceland, and keeping only the best to breed. what supplements (minerals, etc.) are used during that
Use AI to improve your flock. time? Sheep in Iceland mostly get hay silage with 45-60% DM (dry matter) during the winter. It is also recommended to have Shear as soon as possible before salt blocks. If the quality of the hay is poor, the sheep are fed housing sheep for the winter. concentrates (grains) around mating and before lambing. Shear in the spring 6 weeks before lambing. Hypocalcemia can be a risk What research has been done in Iceland re: mineral when shearing too close to lambing. requirements for the sheep? No research has been done in
If a very cold winter is expected, recent years on mineral requirements. leave fleece on the rears (back half of the sheep) of older ewes. What does the soil science research show, can you point Consider leaving them in full fleece us to in-depth studies of soil chemistry? No – that is not my as another option. best thing to explain.
Check and trim (if necessary) the hooves of all sheep before lambing/ What perimeters of mineral supplementation levels are shearing. recommended to Icelandic shepherds? The rule of thumb is that good hay silage has a good level of all minerals. Sheep farmers Provide free choice salt blocks to all need to analyze more samples of hay to have an idea of which sheep. Use minerals especially formulated for sheep for your minerals are needed. region of the country. What are the copper requirements for sheep in Iceland? Provide fresh water daily to all Literature searches don't show that the Icelandic soils or the sheep (24/7). Keep drinkers and forage plants in Iceland have extraordinarily high copper buckets clean. Consider an concentrations. But the breed is usually given higher copper than automatic watering system. other sheep breeds in the US, so we are curious if it that is also needed in Iceland. We have not researched the level of copper
8 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2 requirements that is optimal for Icelandic sheep. But I recommend 10 ppm copper per kg/DM per day. On my own farm, the soil is poor in copper, and I try to find minerals with copper to feed the ewes with extra copper during the winter. I have seen signs of poor copper levels in my herd.
What nutritional and management advice do you have for producing fine fleeces? I have not thought much about that so I don’t have any advice about that.
Other than scrapie, what diseases and parasites are sheep subject to in Iceland? Which ones are particularly problematic, and what is done about them? The biggest is the lung problem caused by Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in lambs. We are trying to make vaccine against that – that takes long time. On my farm I use preventive things. All lambs get anthelmintic before age of 3 weeks with protection against lung worm to delay the effect of Mycoplasma, which often starts in the wound created by lung worms.
Flock Management
When I was at an Icelandic sheep farm the owner had 450 ewes all running free range with sheep from other farms. If there are rams among them, how do they manage documented genetic integrity? In most cases all sheep are brought home before mating so this is not problem. If that happens and the farmer has no idea which ram is the father, then the lamb is recorded as born with unknown father.
Movies, social media, tourism ads suggest all sheep in Iceland are completely free range through the summer, and everyone participates in rettir to round them up. Are all sheep free range or are there some who keep their sheep fenced in pastures for the summer (which is more the norm here in the US)? What factors into the decision to do one or the other? The common practice in Iceland is for all ewes to graze as free range. A few farmers have sheep fenced in on the home farm but never all of them. It is different how much land each farmer has fenced, and some can't feed all their sheep with lambs at home during summer. On my farm, I may keep a few ewes on the home farm that are old or may have had mastitis during the spring and the udder is damaged, and their lambs are fed on grasses. I do that so it is more likely to get lambs to reach an acceptable weight in autumn.
There was mention in this forum at one point of Icelandic farmers leaving out blocks of lava for the sheep to trim their own feet. I've seen ours try to do this on the side of a concrete slab. Will all the sheep do it naturally if they have access to a lava block? I’m not sure what you mean with the question – this is not done in my area. I inspect the hooves on all my sheep around lambing and trim those that need it with cutters.
Do you use Icelandic horses to round up sheep? Or do dogs do all of the rounding up? On my farm I use horses to round up the sheep. If I have a good dog, I use it as well – but it takes time to train a good dog.
When running mixed horned/polled flocks what is the rate of horned lambs needing to be pulled during lambing? I have had several interesting discussions about this the past week with folks saying they are pulling more lambs than usual due to stuck horn buds. I have both horned/polled ewes at my farm and I can't see a difference in that I need to pull more horned lambs than polled. I also need to pull polled lambs because their head is often bigger and the poll little higher than on horned lambs.
9 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 We are very poor and lazy in recording the weights of newborn lambs. Old data from the Hestur Farm (the property of the Agricultural Society of Iceland and managed by Iceland’s Agricultural College) says single lambs 4.5 kg (9.9 pounds), twins 3.5 kg (7.7 pounds) and triplets or more 3 kg (6.6 pounds).
For farms breeding via AI, do you keep any intact rams, and why or why not? Or, if you do traditional breeding, how many rams do you use and how many ewes per ram? There are no sheep farms in Iceland that breed all (100%) of their flock with AI. The farmers that use AI inseminate 10-15% of the flock; in some cases up to 30%. In traditional breeding, it is common to use each ram on 20-50 ewes. I think the number of ewes is often based on how much space there is in each block in the sheep house. On my farm, I try to use each ram on 25-35 ewes each year. If I think the ram is good, I will use him on more ewes.
Miscellaneous
What is a good/optimal slaughter weight for pastured rams and wethers? Around 35-40 kg (77-88 pounds) slaughter weight.
What is the optimal time to slaughter? Average slaughter age of lambs in Iceland is 140 days – the slaughter house is only open for 8-10 weeks each year, so all sheep that need to be slaughtered are killed during that time. (September/October)
When are sheep sheared and what determines the timing? What do you do with the wool? The ewes are sheared in November before we start to feed them inside. The wool is sent to a wool factory. The poorest part of the wool is exported for industry production, but the better part is used as knitting yarn in Iceland.
When do you lose the snow on the ground? In fact we can get snow in every month in Iceland. It is mostly unlikely from May-September. Last winter was very mild and I got very little snow on the ground. On my farm, typically there is no snow on the ground by end of April. We can have snow in the hills and mountain all summer long in some cases.
Has increased tourism in Iceland affected the sheep industry as a whole? Has it made any difference to you personally? Not at all – we are trying to market lamb meat as traditional food but it goes slowly. It has not made a difference on my farm.
Photo, Eyjólfur Ingvi Bjarnason
10 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2 rom the Archives Reprint article from ISBONA Winter 2003
11 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 by Amika Ryan
I never intended to tan sheep pelts into beautiful sheepskins in my bathtub… I started off like most sheep owners. After sending my lambs to the butcher to be processed and wrapped, I wanted to send the pelts (of my bloody, dirty, and generally icky Icelandic Sheep carcasses) to a tannery and magically get back perfect, soft, clean and beautiful sheepskins.
However, when I picked up my freshly skinned pelts from the butcher, there clearly was a problem. All seven of my pelts had gaping holes in them! Nooo! You can imagine my horror and frustration.
I took the pelts home and set them up in my garage, salted them, and then began calculating. I quickly concluded that the cost of shipping the salted skins to a tannery would exceed the value of the finished sheepskin. What was I going to do?
I put on my big girl pants and tanned those thangs myself…at home… in my bathtub!
Want to know EXACTLY how I did it? Read on.
Do you have a pelt that has been salted and is now completely dry (cured)? And, have you thought about maybe tanning it yourself, instead of sending it out to a tannery? If your answer to both questions is an enthusiastic "YES," then you are ready for the first step.
What You’ll Need
Cured Sheep Pelt
Utensil, such as a wooden spoon
Salt
Baking Soda
Unicorn Power Scour
Dawn dish soap
Fleshing Tool (I use a fleshing tool by Trap Shack)
Fleshing Beam (aka edge of my bathtub)
Deer Hunter’s & Trapper’s Hide & Fur Tanning Formula
Nitrile Gloves
Large Bath Towel
Salted Pelts
12 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2 Step 1: Bathtub, Meet Sheep Pelt
Knock off all of the loose salt and your bathtub is ready to meet your pelt! Now, you don’t HAVE to use your bathtub to begin the process of tanning your sheep pelt. You can use any suitable container that holds water, as long as you are able to get the water comfortably warm.
Get the brine solution ready by making a concentrated brine solution of fine salt and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in a relatively small (kettle-sized) amount Rehydrating the pelt of very hot water. Use 2 pounds (1 quart) of salt and 1 pound (1/2 quart) of baking soda. Mix with a utensil of some sort until respectably dissolved.
Put the entirety of the concentrated brine solution into the tub or other water container of your choosing. For the bathtub, fill it about 1/4 of the way with warm water. Mix well.
Throw your pelt into the brine in your bathtub, flesh-side down. Use your mixing utensil to submerge the pelt so that the fleece gets soaked through. The heavy, wet fleece should be enough to hold the pelt underwater. You may add more water at this point if the pelt is not completely submerged.
The pelt will need to soak for 3 to 6 hours. Stir the pelt occasionally, and make sure that it is fully submerged each time.
After 3 hours or so, the pelt should be completely rehydrated and soft. A good way to check this is to feel the legs. If they are still stiff, the pelt needs to soak longer.
When your pelt is soft, you’ve made it to Step 2!
Step 2: Rinse, Wash, Rinse, Wash, Rinse
Drain the brine water from your bathtub. Rinse the soft, yet dirty (very dirty) pelt in clean, warm water.
Next, wash the fleece (the fiber-side of the pelt) with Unicorn Power Scour or Dawn. Rinse.
Then wash and rinse the fleece again! And maybe again, if you have a very dirty pelt. The result you are going for is pretty clean, but not perfect.
Done? Now, you’re ready to flesh!
Step 3: Fleshing Is Fun
Get your fleshing tool! It can be a fleshing knife, kitchen knife or, my favorite – the fleshing tool by Trap Shack. For my fleshing beam, I use the rim of my bathtub, skin-side up. I find that the shape of my bathtub edge is perfect for fleshing. Alternatively, you can make a fleshing beam from a 6” PVC pipe if you want to work in an upright position (blueprints coming soon!). Fleshing the pelt
13 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2
Fleshing is a skill, somewhat of an art, and definitely a labor of love.
Scrape as much of the flesh, fat, and membrane from the skin as possible. Put some muscle into it, unless you are using a sharp knife to flesh, then be very careful. You don’t want to puncture the skin, or scrape too far down into the hair follicles.
Practice makes perfect. Be patient and take your time. This is the hardest part, but you’ll feel great when it’s over and you have a pretty pelt to show for it.
Step 4: Degrease & Final Wash
Once you get the pelt nicely fleshed, wash the flesh- side of the skin using Dawn dish soap. Dawn is a great degreaser and you’ll want to make sure there isn’t any oil on the skin. This makes the tanning formula absorb well.
Wash the fleece again with Unicorn Power Scour or Dawn.
Rinse the entire pelt in warm water two or three times, until the water is clear. Washing the pelt Before you can proceed to Step 5, the pelt needs to be somewhat dry. Meaning, the pelt is soft and moist, yet not dripping wet or dry and hard. You can achieve this result by hanging the pelt over a sawhorse for a few hours and letting it drip-dry. I prefer to expedite the process by throwing the pelt into my clothes washing machine for the spin cycle only. Just the spin cycle!
Step 5: Sunburn-free Zone Tanning
Is the pelt the perfect amount of dry? Now, you’re ready to apply the tanning solution! Finally, right?!
Warm the bottle of Deer Hunter’s & Trapper’s Hide & Fur Tanning Formula in a pot of hot water. Lay your pelt out on a flat surface, skin-side up.
Once the tanning formula is warm, shake the bottle well (with the cap securely closed, duh), and put on a nitrile glove. Apply an even layer of tanning formula to the flesh side of the pelt, rubbing firmly into all areas of the flesh. Use about 4 oz for a large sheep pelt.
Fold the pelt in half, skin to skin, and lay it on a large towel. Leave it folded for 12 to 16 hours. I usually time mine so that it tans overnight. In the morning, Tanning the pelt open the pelt skin-side up and let it dry slowly over the next 2 to 3 days on the towel.
14 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2
Step 6: Stretch It Out
Now is a good time to stand up, stretch, and take some deep, relaxing breaths!
Stretch the pelt periodically with nitrile gloves on, starting 8 to 12 hours after you initially opened up the pelt after the first night.
The second night, fold the pelt in half, skin to skin. This will slow the drying of the pelt and allow you to sleep, not worrying about the pelt getting too dry and stiff while you’re busy counting sheep.
On day three, you will really need to be on top of your stretching, as the pelt should be almost dry.
I stretch over the end of a 2” x 6” piece of wood (that also happens to be a very narrow bench in my case). Get creative, many normal-looking things around the house can double as an implement of stretching. Think, bed post, top of a chair, handrail of a staircase, etc. Stretching the pelt
You now have a sheepskin! Hooray!
Step 7: Finishing
I use most of the pelts that I tan to make home decor items, such as pillows or upholstered benches. This means that nobody is ever going to see the flesh-side of the sheepskin. So, I don’t need to worry about the color or texture of the skin. I sew or patch any holes and get on with my crafting.
If you’re going to enjoy your beautifully home-tanned sheepskin as-is, you may use sandpaper to even out the texture and color of the flesh-side of the sheepskin. You will also definitely want to trim around the edge of the sheepskin with sharp, pointed scissors. Be careful not to cut the fleece as you trim.
And there you have it! Tanning your own sheep pelt in your bathtub can be a gratifying, rewarding, and economical experience.
Amika Ryan and her daughter Madison are Lead Sheep Concierges at Copia Cove Icelandic Sheep in Sheridan, Montana. Amika also teaches online courses and workshops for sheep enthusiasts and crafters who want to utilize all of the raw materials that sheep so thoughtfully provide; milk, fiber, pelts. You can find her in the Facebook group called DIY Sheep Crafts, which is where sheep The finished product craft lovers come together to grow ideas and share awesome crafts.
15 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 by Rosemary Brown
Maja Siska I had a wonderful visit with Icelandic fiber artist, Maja Siska, who was vacationing in Estes Park, Colorado, en route to a teaching venue at the spinning and fiber arts gathering, PlyAway, in Kansas. Maja lives in the south of Iceland, Skinnhufa area.
We spent a tremendously fun and inspiring morning talking Icelandic sheep while spinning yarns! Maja shared insights into her technique of "wild lock spinning," or spinning directly from raw, unwashed, not-at-all-carded Icelandic fleece. Washing and setting of twist is accomplished after the fact. She incorporates her resulting unique yarns in her art installations and also uses the yarns as tactile elements for apparel knitting.
This "wild stuff" spinning is a world apart from the normal fuss of the scouring, blending, and brushing or carding of fleece prior to spinning it. The tidy, even-steven ways one learns as a "proper" spinner with the craft of yarn preparation have to be tossed aside or "unlearned," then, when working in this contrastingly daring and free way.
The lovely accomplishment is the preservation of crimp, curl, and the long, trailing ends of the tog. And, with no brushing of the fleece into batts prior, this style of spinning from the raw lock does not blend away the color intonations of straight-off-the-back-of-the-sheep Icelandic wool, thus honoring the beauty of the natural look of the sheep. It is "an ode to the sheep," as Maja would say.
Maja brought with her some exceptional seven months’ growth ewe fleeces from shepherd friends in Iceland for us to try. A former shepherd, she does not currently keep her own flock but has access to the "top pick" of fleeces among her shepherding friends.
As a weaver myself, I was intrigued by her recent foray into the skill of weaving, using a vertical, warp-weighted loom her husband crafted for her in a design similar to the ancient Viking loom. Some of this very slow, deliberate, and tactile woven work is included in her current exhibition, "Ode to the Sheep," which has been shown recently in Rejkjavik, Iceland at Grafiksalur and again this fall at the Lerwick Museum in Shetland. The weaving technique she used with this Viking loom for her exhibition is called "rya" and only the back shows the grid of the weave. The front has the tendrilled look of a sheep’s pelt.
16 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2 "The process is like a journey of reverence. I am transforming the raw fleece with my hands into something new, without losing the inherent beauty and wildness of the proud Icelandic highland ewe, which mirrors so well the Icelandic soul (þjóðarsálin)."
Of the installation, she says: "All objects are hand made by me from the raw material of sheep from around me, using age old tools and crafts, as well as new ways of working with wool." A little background Maja shares in connection with her gallery exhibit about herself and her current work in fiber arts:
Born 1969 in Germany, Maja has been a resident of Iceland since 2000. She is a trained architect and has worked creatively in several mediums like oil on canvas and oil on corrugated metal before turning her attention to wool. She lives in rural Southern Iceland in sheep country and is surrounded by wool, a highly underrated raw material in her opinion. By working with wool, employing age-old techniques as well as developing new ones, she builds a deeper connection with the land and people, a connection that she hopes to convey to the onlooker.
Maja Siska's installation works are handmade directly from the sheep's fleece using methods of spinning, felting, weaving, and tanning. The wool is spun, pulled, and formed, and its characteristics tested. By using old craftsmanship the artist experiences a connection with the past, sheep husbandry, and, last but not least, discovers the roots of Iceland's national identity.
The installation projects a gratitude towards the sheep's products as well as its beauty and persistence.
"This exhibition focuses on the symbiotic relationship between woman and sheep. It is about the personal and existential experience with and the connectedness to the sheep, the circle of life, the give and take of sheep husbandry. It is also a manifest to the cultural importance of sheep in Iceland as the base for survival on this island." Of this long, curving piece, Spin Helix Spin, she says:
"Everything is connected. Look at the helix, or spiral: from far away our galaxy looks like a spiral. The spiral can be found in many plants and animals, we have a spiral on the back of our heads, the rim of our ears is called helix. DNA, the building block of life, is in the form of a spiral.
17 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 "As I am spinning wool into yarn, making a spiral, I connect with the raw material, with my environment and I connect with 30,000 years of spinning history. Grasping the yarn with my hands I am also grasping it with my mind. A deep level of understanding and connectedness is reached. I am but a small part in a big whole. This connection automatically leads to caring, it creates empathy for the surrounding, the planet, the universe.”
"Living in big cities, in manmade surroundings, consuming processed goods, growing up indoors, in artificial landscape, in front of computers and TVs, we are no longer "in touch" with the natural environment. The connection is lost. When this connection of the individual is lost, there is no understanding, no respect, and no empathy: nothing to stop the pillaging and destruction of nature." (Text inspired by Renate Hiller).
More about Maja Siska: www.skinnhufa.is Facebook ~ Icelandisfullofwool
Gudrun Bjarnadóttir Gudrun Bjarnadóttir is quite famous among fiber artists in Iceland for her work researching and rediscovering indigenous dye plants. A botanist, she also has a shop near Borganes, "Hespa," which is filled with Icelandic wool yarns that she has dyed with natural plant materials. The name "Hespa" is an old word, meaning "a skein of yarn." She calls her studio "Hespuhúsid," which means "the skein house," and it is next to her home in the mountainous countryside near the agricultural university in Hvanneyri, as well as the symbolic Troll peak (or "Skessuhorn").
Gudrun tells how she became enamored with dye work: "It was not a surprise to anyone that I fell in love with coloring wool with plants. My mother was a sewing teacher and she taught me to knit and crochet. My grandmother taught me to identify the plants and love nature. And I love the Icelandic sheep, the wool, and all types of old handcraft.
When I was writing my master's thesis about ethnobotany (the study of regional use of indigenous plants), I came across information about coloring with plants. I was writing about how we used plants in the old days and I compared it to Norway and the British Isles, since we came as settlers from those countries. I wanted to know if the knowledge was something we brought with us from our old homeland or something that we discovered in a new place with new flora. While writing I found information about plant dyeing and I started experimenting. I completely lost control of my hobby. At first, I was coloring to knit from the wool myself but soon I realized that I had colored too much. I took the yarn to a local farmer's market and sold some. And then people started calling me at home and asking to buy yarn and to look into the dye pots. Before I knew it I was receiving busloads of people to look into the dye pots and buy the yarn. That is how the idea of the open studio Hespuhúsið started.
18 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2
"My master’s thesis revealed that some knowledge about dyeing was brought with the settlers from Norway and some things we needed to discover by ourselves. In Iceland, we use roots for food more than in Norway and we also use the Iceland moss (cetraria islandica) much more than in Norway. Much of what grows in Iceland grows in Norway, 97%, but they have so many other plants that are bigger or better in some way, so even though we should have known the vegetation in Iceland from Norway, maybe we did not since in Norway there are so many more plant species and options of using nature.
"My knowledge started with very old information while writing the master's thesis, then I started buying books online about coloring and also using Google for information. The chemistry and methods have not changed for thousands of years but some modern help has been applied. I use household cleaning ammonium instead of urine, for example, and I also have electricity for my dye pots.
"It is very important in plant dyeing to experiment and try for yourself. Make mistakes, do things your own way. Nothing is wrong in the coloring process, no color is wrong. They are just different. Just be careful, if using chemicals, to protect yourself and nature. Respect the plants and never take too much of them, especially the lichens that grow so slowly. In the old days when people got copper, iron, tin, chrome in powdered form to change the color, they did not know that they were bad for the wool, you, and the environment. Today we know that and hopefully all dyers stay away from the bad stuff.
"Plants that I use and were used in the old days: Birch (betula pubescens), the leaves for yellow and I have used the bark for pale pinkish as people did in the old days. Heather (Calluna vulgaris) was commonly used for dark yellow and also dark moss green in the old days. Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) leaves give yellow and the roots a beige brown/pink color if boiled with urine. Coloring lichen (Rock lichen) (Parmelia sp.) was used for brown and reddish colors. Lady’s bedstraw (Galium verum): the roots were used for red. Rhubarb is an imported food plant from the Middle Ages. The leaves are big and green and therefore give yellow and the roots give an orange brown color.
19 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 "I do not have so much time now to experiment and there is so much left to try. In Iceland there is no tradition in coloring with mushrooms since we have had few trees, but with better climate the last 20 years, trees and mushrooms have started growing faster here. I also need to do more with lichens. I am so busy with the studio right now and giving classes, fun experiments will have to wait.
"I give classes and all the last ones have been fully booked. The classes are quite short, only about 5 hours and just meant to get people started to experiment by themselves. It is sort of a 'crash course.’
"I do pick most of my plants myself, except for madder root and indigo, which I buy online. They give red and blue and those colors we cannot get so easily from Icelandic nature. Other plants I pick close to my home or I take daytrips to secret places for the coloring lichen. I get help from my students who help me in the autumn when I am picking plants and drying for the winter. They are fundraising for their graduation trip. Drying the plants is only a way of preserving them for the winter so I can color all year round.
"The yarn I use is Icelandic wool from the Istex factory. Soon I will buy wool from Uppspuni and color it or sell it with its natural sheep colors. I do handspin, but that is only a hobby that I rarely have time for anymore. "I work alone in my studio. Over the summer time I have help at the studio since it is very busy with the opening hours and I need to get away sometimes for teaching plant identification at the Agricultural University.
"My studio is in the countryside where I have a beautiful view and the plants all around. I live in the same place that I have my studio. The plant dyeing is my main job but I do some teaching at the Agricultural University that is in the next village. It goes well together to teach botany and work at my studio with the plant dyeing.
"I do have a shop on Etsy.com and I ship to very few shops outside of Iceland. The yarn will never be mass- produced so I cannot produce enough to ship all over the world. The kits that I have are very popular with the tourists and they are sold in Rammagerðin, a high quality souvenir shop that is all over Iceland."
Gudrun’s yarns were used to create a beautiful landscape design/installation at the Reyjkavik Airport (shown at left).
Follow Gudrun Bjarnadóttir on Facebook: Hespa / Hespuhúsid and at Etsy: Hespa
20 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2
Hulda Brynjólfsdóttir Another up and coming fiber artisan with big plans is Hulda Brynjólfsdóttir of Ásahreppur, near Selfoss. A teacher and mother of three, she established a new venture just this year, a small wool mill geared toward producing high- quality yarn. With gentle processing and a focus on the natural colors of Icelandic wool, the mill will be able to produce softer and more varied varieties of yarn and batts than a larger mill might. A crowd-funding effort helped fund the purchase of equipment and to make conversions of space on her farm.
Hulda tells the story of Uppspunni, the first-ever mini wool mill in Iceland: "We are farmers in South of Iceland, farming with 250 sheep and 25 beef cows of Aberdeen Angus and Galloway breed. Icelanders have always bred their sheep mostly for meat and, for last couple of years, the price for meat has gone down, so that it is now nearly impossible to earn a living from sheep farming, unless one has some other income. There is also one big factory that takes all the wool from farmers and makes yarn or exports it for carpet making. The price for that wool has also been rather low.
"I have handspun my wool for few years and wanted to do more of that and try to have more income from our wool than we had. So we started to think what we could do. A friend of mine asked me why we didn't open a mini mill, and after having looked thoroughly into it we found machinery we liked in Canada and purchased them. Belfast Mini Mills in Prince Edward Island have specialized in making mini mills and have them all over the world. We were the first to get them to Iceland. They arrived in a container in June 2017 and July 1st Andrew Carpenter from PEI came and plugged them in and taught us to run them.
"Our sheep are grazing in our home pastures for four months. We have them in stable and they can go out when the weather is nice for 6 months. From beginning of July until beginning of September they are grazing in the mountains.
"We drive them on trailers 95 km one way to the mountains and set them free between two big rivers where they cannot cross. It takes 4 days to gather them together again and when that is done, 24 people (or more) go to the mountains and stay there over night, gathering sheep during the day.
“This is a big event and a tradition in Iceland, where friends and family of the farmers come together and help each other bring the sheep home.
"We take our sheep to the barn in beginning of November and shear them the very same day. That way the wool is extra clean and easy to work with.
"Also I have bred my sheep for few years now with wool-quality in mind and just last year I bought a pelt ram (‘feldfe’ ~ a sheep that is bred for their pelt, quite rare, and bred on very few farms in South-
21 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 East of Iceland). They are mostly grey or black and there are standards they must follow. The tog is longer and curlier than from ‘normal’ Icelandic sheep. Also a bit softer than the tog on the other. What is the most difference is the glow or shine of the wool on the pelt sheep. The ram I bought is grey and the lambs born this spring are grey and black. The wool from them is different from our ‘old’ flock, it is exciting to see how it will develop in the future.
We have now started our mill and it is going rather good. I make a few kinds of yarn, which I name after the hidden people of Iceland (elves, fairies, dwarfs, and trolls). I shall concentrate on the pure and natural colors of the Icelandic sheep, so I will produce white, black, grey, and brown yarn. The plan is to dye some of the white yarn to get green, yellow, red... etc, but for now we are only focusing on the natural colors.
I am going to have a little shop at the mill, where I will sell my yarn and maybe some other products from sheep and have people visit to take a look at the mill. When I have more wool next winter I will be able to make more yarn. Then I shall bring them to a store in Reykjavik, which has offered to sell it for me.
So far, we’ve knitted sweaters, hats, and stockings from the yarn, and everything is soft and warm. People have started to make contact, ordering yarn or process for their own wool, which is very exciting and makes you optimistic. Especially when people drop by and buy something.
Hulda also sells online, mostly through Facebook ~ uppspuni.is and through email: [email protected].
Fiber artist and shepherd, Rosemary Brown shares life with sculptor husband, Kenn, and their Icelandic flock in the high mountains of Western Colorado.
22 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2 The Creek’s Edge
Improved genetics through VAI. Quality breeding stock 15331 Dawkins Rd. for sale Rapid City, SD Regional delivery available Randy & Terri Carlson
57703 1494 Red Brick Road 605-393-1972 Alan Leighton Dixon, IL 61021 - 815.288.5886 [email protected]
23 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 Washing Instructions for Icelandic Fleece by Elaine Clark
This is the procedure that I have come to use after washing Icelandic fleece for more than 20 years. It seems to work very well. If you are sending wool to a mill for processing, this can be cost effective. I have found that the fleeces are accepted at the mills for processing without needing to be re-washed there. At a cost of $5-7.50/lb for washing at a mill, it is worth the effort to wash your own if you can. If handled carefully, the fleeces are clean, soft, and not over-scoured. The main concern when washing Icelandic fleece is its ease of felting, which can be a plus if you are making mittens or boots, but will make a fleece uncardable if care is not taken when washing. I have had no trouble as long as I followed this method.
First wash. To wash the fleece you will need a container large enough to put the fleece in without too much crowding. I use 5 gallon buckets. You can use a plastic tub if it can hold enough very hot water to cover the fleece with room to spare. A large sink will work with a screen to prevent the wool from going down the drain. Fill with very hot water, at least 110° -120° F, so hot you should not be able to put your hands in it comfortably without gloves before you add the fleece. I use 130° F water, and find it works very well, as it stays above 110° F for a long time. The grease/lanolin in wool melts at about First wash First rinse 107° F. Never run water directly on the fleece (for a whole fleece some folks like to use the top loader washing machine tub. This can be good, but DO NOT let the washer agitate or you will have a felt doughnut. This I know from experience!!) To this water add your detergent; do not use soap, and do not use laundry detergent with “brightening agents.” I like Dawn dishwashing liquid, the “original blue” product. I use 2 ounces for the first wash and 1 ounce for the second wash in about 4 gallons of water. Stir gently to disperse the detergent; you don’t want suds. Gently place the well skirted fleece in the water. DO NOT AGITATE OR WRING IT. Simply push it once or twice gently under the water, then don’t touch it. Some people place the fleece in net bags for ease of handling. Let the fleece soak for about 20-30 minutes or so. Cover the container to keep the water from cooling off too fast: aluminum foil or the cover that came with the bucket works well, or the washer lid, or a plastic drainboard over the sink. Again, be sure the washer is not on to agitate. It is safest to set it to the spin cycle that doesn’t run any water run on the fleece. Lift the fleece out very gently after the soaking to let the water drain. I scoop the fleece out of the bucket into one side of a double sink and then pour the dirty water remaining down the drain of the other sink. It is not helpful to pour dirty water on the fleece. From my sinks for the wool washing, the water does not go into a septic system, but out to the ground. You may not want to have the lanolin in your Washing buckets septic system. A few gentle squeezes will get most of the
24 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2 water out. You can do it by the large handful, or you can use the spin-cycle on your washer - for a small amount of fleece I found that a salad spinner works well. Be careful handling the wet fleece, it felts easily. I use the washer to spin dirty water out of the fleece after soaking it in buckets. Two or three fleeces can fit nicely in the washer (a 30 year old Maytag). If washing a small fleece or divided fleece, you can simply squeeze out the water once or twice and drain in a colander, on a rack, or on a screen over a tub or sink.
Second wash. Return the warm, drained fleece to a container filled for a second washing of hot water and detergent. Follow the same procedure using only the one ounce of Dawn for 3-4 gallons of the same temperature hot water as the first wash. The water should be the same temperature as the fleece or warmer; do not put it in cooler water. The fleece should still be quite warm if you work quickly. The trick is to not change the temperature of the fleece drastically at any time, but I have found that if I let the fleece get cool, putting it in hot water does not seem to cause felting, but putting a warm or hot fleece in cold water can. Again remove the fleece from the dirty water and drain or spin out the dirty water. Unless the fleece is exceptionally dirty, two Second wash Second rinse washes is sufficient.
Rinsing the fleece. Fill your container again with the same temperature hot water. Gently place the drained fleece in the water and push it down gently a few times to submerge it. Let it soak for 10-20 minutes and follow the same procedure to drain/spin out the water. The water may look fairly clear after one rinse, but I always do two rinses (and a third if the water is not clear after two). You want to be sure that there is no tacky grease or detergent residue, especially if you are sending the wool out to be processed.
Drying the fleece. Remove the fleece from the last rinse and, if you have not spun them out in the washer, roll in towel to remove the bulk of the remaining water. Place the fleece on a rack, screen, or net to dry. You want to gently open the fleece so there are not big heavy clumps that will not dry well. If you find some partially felted areas, gently pull the fleece open to dry. Pick out any vegetation you may have missed when skirting. Once the fleece is dry, you can shake out any small vegetation left behind. Putting the fleece outside in nice, warm, breezy, dry weather is great; woodstove-heated rooms or a room with a dehumidifier will also work well to dry the fleece. A fan can help. You want to have it dry in a day or two so that is doesn’t get musty smelling. I use wooden clothes-drying racks with plastic racks on them, or ladders on sawhorses with plastic garden mesh fence rolled out on the ladders. Any rack or mesh that you can spread the fleece out well on will work.
Storing the fleece. I keep well washed, thoroughly dried fleece in clear plastic bags that are tied shut to keep out moths. Store out of the sun, as the fleece will “sweat” in the bag and water will condense in there, which can cause mildew or musty smell. Sealed plastic tubs can work also well for storing fleece. Elaine Clark, of Frelsi Farm, raises Icelandic sheep in Maine, working towards producing the finest breeding stock, with an emphasis on wool and meat. She has also breeds Icelandic sheepdogs and continues to offer purebred, home-raised farm dogs and pets. Their flock of Icelandic chickens adds beautiful color to the landscape.
25 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 Shepherd’s Pie with Mushrooms, Stout, and Horseradish Potatoes
Recipe courtesy of American Lamb.com Recipe provided by Andrea Slonecker
Ingredients Directions Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Season the lamb with 1 1/2 tea- 2 pounds American lamb stew meat, or shoulder or leg spoons of salt and several grinds of pepper. In a Dutch oven, cut into 1-inch cubes heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, Salt and freshly ground pepper cook the lamb, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 tablespoons unsalted butter Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the pot and melt over 1 large yellow onion, diced medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and garlic, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds vegetables just begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Uncover, 3 stalks celery, sliced 1/4-inch thick sprinkle with the flour, and stir it in. Pour in the stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring to combine completely with each addition. 8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, halved Add the stout, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to 2 garlic cloves, minced a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Return 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour the lamb to the Dutch oven, cover, and place in the oven to cook until the lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. 2 cups lamb stock, such as Saffron Road, or low- sodium beef broth Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large saucepan and add 1 cup Irish stout, such as Guinness enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Season generously with salt, cover the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. 2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary Uncover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain well, then re- turn the potatoes to the pan. Cube 3 tablespoons of the into large chunks butter and add it to the potatoes. Start mashing the pota- 1 cup sour cream toes, and then gradually begin adding the sour cream. Stir in 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish the horseradish, and season with salt.
1 cup frozen peas When the stew is done, remove it from the oven and in- crease the temperature to 400˚F. Taste and adjust the sea- soning. Stir in the peas and pour the stew into a 3-quart baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly on top, and use a fork to make decorative lines or peaks. Cube the re- maining 1 tablespoon of butter and dot the top. Bake until the potatoes are crusty and browned in spots, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes, then serve hot.
http://www.americanlamb.com/consumer/shepherds-pie-with -mushrooms-stout-and-horseradish-potatoes/
26 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2
The
In each issue we highlight rams whose genetics are available through the Sheep Breeding Center of South Iceland - better known as Southram. Featured here are Kornelius (horned), Krapi (polled), and Ungi (leadersheep) as three rams whose offspring will be a part of North American flocks in the spring.
AI Sire Kornelius Kornelius is a horned heterozygous grey mouflon ram, carrying moorit and spotting. He is longbodied, broad, and muscular, with good back, rump, and gigot muscling. He scored 85.5 points on the scale, with 111 for TMI scoring, 121 for carcass quality, 105 for leanness, 111 for milkiness of his daughters, and 112 for prolificacy. He is described as a vigorous and good looking ram!
AI Sire Krapi Krapi is a polled heterozygous white ram, who carries spotting but likely no moorit. He is longbodied, broad, and muscular, with good back and rump muscling, and superb gigot muscling. He scored 84.5 points on the scale, with 111 for TMI scoring, 125 for carcass quality, 122 for leanness, 100 for milkiness, and 108 for prolificacy. He is described as a vigorous ram!
AI Sire Ungi Ungi is a horned, black, spotted leader ram. He comes from a well-known leadersheep breeder in northeast Iceland and displays the well-known leader abilities. He will be used for AI for preservation of those abilities, which are quite unique to the Icelandic sheep. All colors and patterns can be expected from Ungi's offspring, depending on the mother
For more information on using AI in your breeding, contact ISBONA breeders Kathy Taft Boyden, Elaine Clark, Margaret Flowers, or Alan Leighton.
27 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017, Volume 22, Issue 2 Upfield by John Franson
hen the blessed rains have ended and the pasture grass dwindles to its dried brown dormant stage, we lead the sheep upfield in search of new growth. For a few more months they will find nutritive succulent green each day. Only after the last of the grass is shrouded by snow will we look to the hay in the barn, still fragrant and light green and piled high enough to get us to spring.
Once this daily migration has begun, the sheep begin to anticipate it each morning. In the early gray light, dreaming of sweet grass and tired now of sleep, the leader ewes round up the flock and stand at the gate waiting to be let out. The gathering is a loud event and the waiting a little louder. Sheepsong searches the open windows of the house, disabusing us of any lingering notions of lazy languorous sleep. They are ready to work another day in that measured march toward early winter when they will finish their grazing and become our nourishment.
Restive, they rush through the open gate impatiently, grab a few bites of gravel weeds, and trot up the road. One of us leads the flock, calling their names and exhorting them to keep moving. The grass is somehow a little greener on the roadside and they sneak mouthfuls along the way. The dogs follow, along with a second person, looking for any obstreperous hungry ram lambs who want to dally.
Up the hill the flock is let into a new field where they spread out and drop their heads. The long-rooted alfalfa, with its delectable second growth and little purple flowers, reaches above the prickly dried senescent pasture grass that was cut in June. Shrubby leaves and fir needles are also on the menu, tempting, providing other tastes and textures and obscure nutrients. This is what they have waited all night for and they are happy as only sheep can be.
While the world wakes up to more grim news and less common ground, we watch the sheep awhile as they nibble and chew. The white dog moves among them, friendly and deferent and eternally good natured. She patrols the field. After checking the perimeter for hungry coyotes, she will find a shady spot, sleeping with both ears alert and one eye open.
Each evening we head upfield again to bring them all home. The white dog is happy to see us, craving attention and praise for another good day of protection with no conflict. We whistle, clap, and call, and the sheep come running, bucking and jumping along the way. Then they hurry home ahead of us, their daily work finished. Soon they will lick fresh salt, minerals, and dried kelp. And the daily routine will be finished once again, bringing enough sustenance for all of us.
John and Julie Franson tend sheep at Cold Pocket Farm, a horse-powered farm in Idaho.
28 Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America - Fall 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2