525A - Sheep Gathering

Icelandic sheep roam freely on extensive pastures during the summer. In spring and autumn they graze on cultivated land. In autumn the sheep are rounded up and herded back to sheep cotes to be sorted by their owners. The number of sheep in the country in 2006 exceeded 455.000 and registered sheepowners that year numbered 2.435. The Icelandic sheep has earned world renown for the quality of its wool while in Iceland sheep are bred mostly for the meat. More than 80% of the income of sheep breeding comes from the meat. The lambs are very small when they are born but they grow quickly and in good pastures they can reach a weight of 36-40 kilos in 4-5 months. These lambs are not fed with artificial feed. After the summer grazing period they are slaughtered. The meat is delicate and very tasty and their products, wool and skins, are of the highest quality.