The Icelandic is the Icelandic breed of domestic sheep. It belongs to the Northern European short-tailed group of sheep, it is generally short-legged and stocky, slender and light-boned, and usually horned, although polled and polycerate animals can occur. The fleece is double-coated and may be white or a variety of other colors the face and legs are without wool. The sheep are highly resistant to cold, and are generally left unshorn for the winter. Icelandic ewes are highly prolific, with a lambing percentage of 175â220%. A unique strain within the population is the Leader sheep, which carries a hereditary ability or predisposition to lead other sheep safely over dangerous ground.
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