Iceland Travel Journal 冰島旅行日記 22 - 2019.10.18 Icelandic sheep 冰島羊

Day 5's Notes - Continued 繼續第五天的雜記

The Icelandic sheep is one of the world's oldest and purest breeds of domesticated sheep, brought to the island by Vikings during the ninth and tenth centuries. Valued as a triple-purpose breed, it provides gourmet meat, high-quality dual-coated wool, and milk.

The breed is typically short-legged and stocky, yet slender and light-boned. They are generally horned, though hornless (polled) and multi-horned (polycerate) animals occasionally occur; a specific polled strain is known as the Kleifa.

The sheep's most distinctive feature is its dual-coated fleece, which can be white or a variety of other colors. Notably, the face and legs are without wool, and the animals are highly resistant to cold, often being left unshorn for the harsh winter months.

Icelandic ewes are highly prolific, boasting a lambing percentage between 175% and 220%. A unique strain within the population is the Leadersheep, which possesses a hereditary predisposition to safely lead other sheep across dangerous or challenging terrain.

We found the Icelandic sheep utterly charming, captivated by their fluffy bodies, stocky build, and beautifully curved horns. They were so cute that we felt compelled to linger there, not wanting our time with them to end.

冰島羊是世界上最古老、最純正的家養羊品種之一，在九至十世紀由維京人帶到冰島。它是一種用途廣泛的品種，可供美味的肉、優質的雙層毛和羊奶。

這種品種通常腿短而粗壯，但骨骼纖細輕盈。它們一般有角，但偶爾也會出現無角和多角的羊；有一種特定的無角品種被稱為克萊法羊 (Kleifa)。

這種羊最顯著的特徵是有雙層羊毛，羊毛可以是白色或其他各種顏色。但是它們的臉部和腿部沒有羊毛，而且這種羊非常耐寒，通常在嚴寒的冬天都不剪毛。

冰島母羊繁殖力極強，產羔率在 175% 到 220% 之間。有一種獨特的品種，稱為領頭羊，它具有帶領其他羊安全穿越危險或崎嶇地形的遺傳傾向。

冰島羊在我們眼裏非常迷人，毛茸茸的身體、肥嘟嘟的體格、捲捲的優美羊角，深深吸引了我們。它們如此可愛，讓我們忍不住流連忘返，不想離開。

Photo Date: 2019.10.18