Ålands sheep

Åland sheep (03)

Ålands sheep The Åland sheep are thought to descend from an ancient sheep indigenous to Swedish Gotland and introduced to Åland during the 17th century. The breed was almost extinct in 1980 when the remaining animals were collected together. The Åland sheep is adapted to harsh climate of small sea islands. The breed is short-tailed with several coat colours; white (15 %), grey/grey mouflon(45 %) and black/black mouflon (25 %) together with colour patterns in some animals. Horned and polled occurs in both males and females. The wool has two fibre types. Litter size ranges from 1 to 4 lambs. The sheep are adapted to island climate.
The population numbers around 200 sheep (year 2000).

Local name: Ahvenanmaan lammas
References: Juha Kantanen and Miika Tapio
Agrifood Research Finland MTT, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Finland.
Photographs: Agrifood Research Finland MTT, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Finland.


Origin and diversity of North European sheep breeds

	Åland sheep (03) The Åland sheep are thought to descend from an ancient sheep indigenous to Swedish Gotland and introduced to Åland during the 17th century. The breed was almost extinct in 1980 when the remaining animals were collected together. The Åland sheep is adapted to harsh climate of small sea islands. The breed is short-tailed with several coat colours; white (15 %), grey/grey mouflon(45 %) and black/black mouflon (25 %) together with colour patterns in some animals. Horned and polled occurs in both males and females. The wool has two fibre types. Litter size ranges from 1 to 4 lambs. The sheep are adapted to island climate. The population numbers around 200 sheep (year 2000). Local name: Ahvenanmaan lammas References: Juha Kantanen and Miika Tapio Agrifood Research Finland MTT, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Finland. Photographs: Agrifood Research Finland MTT, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Finland.	List of North European sheep breeds: -Ålands sheep Cheviot sheep Dala sheep Dala fur sheep Danish landrace sheep Estonian Ruhnu sheep Faeroe sheep Fine wool sheep Finnish Grey landrace Finnsheep Forest sheep Fuglestad sheep Gotland sheep Greenland sheep Grey Troender sheep Gute sheep Icelandic leader sheep Icelandic sheep Latvian darkheaded sheep Lithuanian coarse wool sheep Norwegian feral sheep Norwegian Old Spael sheep Norwegian Spael sheep Romanov sheep Roslags sheep Russian Viena sheep Rya sheep Rygja sheep Steigar sheep Texel sheep White faced Marsh

Created by ThEP and EE Edited by Emma Eythorsdottir for the North SheD group. Agricultural Research Institute of Iceland.