The Nordic Short-Tailed Sheep Breeds.

The main purpose of this site is to point out the exceptional characteristics in these breeds with regard to their ability of survival in difficult environments, where they can exist in spite of rough climate, limited feed and predators. Some flocks even depend partly on seawater and seaweeds.

Sheep feeding on seaweed 1951
Photo: Jack Peterson - © Shetland Museum

Among these breeds, the spaelsau is the most common Northern Breed and can rightly be called “A North Atlantic Breed”. This site will of course describe the Spaelsau in general, but also in detail – even going down to the smallest of details – to the codons of the prion gene!

Old Spael feeding on seaweed 2000
© Photo: Sheep-isle 2000