Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T21:57:47.872Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

North European short-tailed breeds of sheep: a review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2009

Ó. R. Dýrmundsson  and
R. Niżnikowski
Ó. R. Dýrmundsson*
Affiliation:
The Farmers Association of Iceland, Bændahöllinni, IS-107 Reykjavík, Iceland
R. Niżnikowski
Affiliation:
Sheep and Goat Breeding, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Ciszewskiego Street 8, PL 02-786, Poland
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The short-tailed sheep, native of an area stretching from Russia to Iceland, are generally considered a primitive type. These robust northern sheep seem to have been spread by Norse vikings to several countries in this area from the late eighth century to the middle of the eleventh century ad. They have several common characteristics in addition to the fluke-shaped and tapered short tail, such as a wide range of colour patterns, dual-coated wool and the ability to thrive under harsh environmental conditions, often in isolated marginal areas. While 34 short-tailed breeds of North European origin can still be identified, it is clear that their population sizes have declined in most cases and several of them are now rare and endangered. Although these breeds have mainly been confined to certain localities, some of them have gained considerable distribution due to their genetic merits, such as prolificacy. Of these, the Finnsheep and the Romanov are best known being exported to several countries in the world where their genetic material has been utilized through crossbreeding with local sheep. This has resulted in the production of some new synthetic breeds. Meat is now generally the main product of the North European short-tailed breeds and their crossbreds, whereas wool, skins and milk are normally regarded as byproducts, yet of considerable economic importance in some cases. Such breeds have clearly a role to play in sustainable grassland-based production systems in the future.

Keywords

conservation, distribution, Northern short-tails, sheep breeds, utilization
Type
EAAP Annual Meeting 2008: Session Use and Importance of short tailed sheep breeds
Information
animal , Volume 4 , Issue 8 , August 2010 , pp. 1275 - 1282
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References

Adalsteinsson, S 1970. Colour inheritance in Icelandic sheep and relation between colour, fertility and fertilization. Journal of Agricultural Research in Iceland 2, 3–155.Google Scholar
Alderson, L, Titley, P, Morris, J 2001. Animal Health Bill. Impact on breeds of sheep with a genotype susceptible to scrapie. Information document prepared by Northern Short-Tailed Sheep Group with support from Rare Breeds International Traditional Livestock Foundation, 9pp. Retrieved June 26, 2008, from http://www.warmwell.com/aldersondec27.htm.Google Scholar
Brzostowski, H, Tański, Z 2008. Quality of meat of Skuddy lambs. Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meetings of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 258.Google Scholar
Buer, H 2008. Old norse sheep. Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 254.Google Scholar
Dýrmundsson, ÓR 1990. Íslenskt sauðfé og geitfé á erlendri grund. Freyr 86, 528–531.Google Scholar
Dýrmundsson, ÓR 2002. Leadersheep: the unique strain of Iceland Sheep. Animal Genetic Resources Information (AGRI) 32, 45–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dýrmundsson, ÓR 2005. Four – hornedness; a rare peculiarity still found in Icelandic sheep. The Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America Newsletter 9 (4), 6–8, and IceNewes and Ramblings, Issue 1, 2006, 17–21 (British Icelandic Sheep Breeders Newsletter).Google Scholar
Dýrmundsson, ÓR 2006. Sustainability of sheep and goat production in North European countries – From the Arctic to the Alps. Small Ruminant Research 62, 151–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eythórsdóttir, E 2007. Rannsóknir á erfðafjölbreytileika og verndargildi sauðfjár – og nautgripakynja í Norður Evrópu. Fræðaþing landbúnaðarins 4, 112–120.Google Scholar
Eythórsdóttir, E, Dýrmundsson, ÓR, Jónmundsson, JV 2008. The short-tailed Iceland breed of sheep. Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 253.Google Scholar
Fahmy, MH 1989. Reproductive performance, growth and wool production of Romanov sheep in Canada. Small Ruminant Research 2, 253–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fimland, E 2003. Verdiskaping gjennom bærekraftig forvaltning av husdyrgenetiske ressurser i Norden. Nordiske genressurser, Nordisk Ministerråd, 6–7 (ISBN:92-893-0767-6).Google Scholar
Finnsheep 1988. Experiments with Finnsheep and prolificacy in sheep. In Proceedings of a joint special symposium of the commission on animal genetics and on sheep and goats (ed. K Maijala), EAAP, Helsinki, Finland. EAAP Publication No. 39, 1988, published in the Journal of Agricultural Science, 449–629.Google Scholar
Fiszdon, K, Niżnikowski, R, Popielarczyk, D, Cieśliński, K 2008. Physical features of Polish Heath Sheep in conservation breeding. Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 255.Google Scholar
Frandson, RD 1975. Anatomy and physiology of farm animals. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, PA, USA.Google Scholar
Hlídar, SE 1937. Sauðfé og sauðfjársjúkdómar á Íslandi. Thorsteinn M. Jónsson, Akureyri, Iceland.Google Scholar
Hunter, N, Goldmann, W, Foster, JD, Cairns, D, Smith, G 1997. Natural scrapie and PrP genotype: case–control studies in British Sheep. Veterinary Record 141, 137–140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jakubec, V 1977. Productivity of crosses based on prolific breeds of sheep. Summary of reports presented at the EAAP Annual Meeting, Zürich, Switzerland, 1976. Livestock Production Science 4, 379–392.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kantanen, J 2003. Fåret i Norden – ett husdjur i 5000 år. Nordiske genressurser, Nordisk Ministerråd, 10–11.Google Scholar
Lityński, R, Niżnikowski, R, Popielarczyk, D, Strzelec, E, Głowacz, K 2008. Allele and genotype frequencies of PRNP gene in short-tailed Polish Heath Sheep in the flock under programme of preservation of domestic animal resources. Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 256.Google Scholar
Maijala, K, Österberg, S 1977. Productivity of pure Finnsheep in Finland and abroad. Livestock Production Science 4, 355–377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martyniuk, E, Sikora, J, Niżnikowski, R 2008. The Polish Heath Sheep: a breed that escaped extinction. Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 255.Google Scholar
Milerski, M 2008. Romanov Sheep in the Czech Republic. Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 254.Google Scholar
National Sheep Association 1998. British sheep. The National Sheep Association, UK, 240pp.Google Scholar
Niclasen, G 2007. Seyðalitir. Egið Forlag, Guðmund Niclasen, Faeroes.Google Scholar
Niżnikowski, R, Strzelec, D, Popielarczyk, D, Głowacz, K, Lityński, R 2008. Level of reproduction in short-tailed Polish Heath Sheep at the example of the flock under the programme of preservation of genetic resources of domestic animals. Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 256.Google Scholar
Ricordeau, G, Tchamitchian, L, Thimonier, J, Flamant, JC, Theriez, M 1978. First survey of results obtained in France on reproductive and maternal performance in sheep with particular reference to the Romanov breed and crosses with it. Livestock Production Science 5, 181–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryder, ML 1983. Sheep and Man. Duckworth, London.Google Scholar
Sevón-Aimonen, M-L, Strandén, I, Kantanen, J 2008. Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 253.Google Scholar
Sigurðsson, S 1938. Um búnað á Grænlandi. Búnaðarrit 52, 174–201.Google Scholar
Sikora, J, Kawęcka, A 2008. Characteristics of Wrzosówka sheep in a flock belonging to the National Research Institute of Animal Production. Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 260.Google Scholar
Svenska allmogefår 2005. Föreningen Svenska Allmogefår, Sweden, 16pp.Google Scholar
Tapio, M 2006. Origin and maintenance of genetic diversity in North European sheep. Acta Universitatis Ouluensis. A Scientiae Rerum Naturalium 473, 67pp. Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Finland. (ISSN 1796-220X, online).Google Scholar
Tapio, M, Tapio, I, Grislis, Z, Holm, L-E, Jeppsson, S, Kantanen, J, Miceikiene, I, Olsaker, I, Viinalass, H, Eythórsdóttir, E 2005a. Native breeds demonstrate high contributions to the molecular variation in northern European sheep. Molecular Ecology 14, 3951–3963.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tapio, I, Tapio, M, Grislis, Z, Holm, LE, Jeppsson, S, Kantanen, J, Miceikiene, I, Olsaker, I, Viinalass, H, Eythórsdóttir, E 2005b. Unfolding of population structure in Baltic sheep breeds using microsatellite analysis. Heredity 2005, 1–9. See also www.nature.com/hdyGoogle Scholar
Thomas, DL 2009. Performance and utilization of Northern European short-tailed breeds of sheep and their crosses, primarily in North America: a review. Animal (in press).Google Scholar
Thorgeirsdóttir, S, Sigurdarson, S, Thórisson, HM, Georgsson, G, Pálsdóttir, A 1999. PrP gene polymorphism and natural scrapie in Icelandic Sheep. Journal of General Virology 80, 2527–2534.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Villsauen 1997. Villsauhold i Norge fra attraksjon til næring. Villsauseminaret på Frøya 14,16. mars 1997. Norsk Villsaulag, Frøya saueavlslag og Frøya kommune. Temahefte utarbeidet av Trygve Fjærli, 54pp.Google Scholar
Zapasnikiene, B, Nainiene, R 2008. Biological and farming traits in Lithuanian Native Coarsewool Sheep. In Book of abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production No. 14, p. 258.Google Scholar

Databases and webpages:

www.fao.org/DAD-ISGoogle Scholar
www.efabis.tzv.fal.deGoogle Scholar
www.thio-hannover.de/einricht/eaap.Google Scholar
www.cryoweb.deGoogle Scholar
www.genres.deGoogle Scholar
www.nordgen.orgGoogle Scholar
www.sheep-isle.dkGoogle Scholar