The Roslag sheep ( sv, Roslagsfår) is a breed of endangered domesticated sheep that originated in and is almost exclusively found in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Origins

Roslag sheep originate from the remnant populations of Swedish landrace breeds that used to be rather common all over the countryside, but are generally believed to have come from Raggarön in Roslagen, Sweden from where the breed takes its name.Nordic Gene Bank Farm Animals
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Appearance

Small and generally white or ivory colored (although 10% of the population are black or white-black bi-colored), they are a short-tailed breed who are usually used in the production of wool and

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

. The wool of the Roslag sheep is a carpetwool type; with long, straight or curly guard hair and a thick cover of underwool, which can be up to 30 cm long. Only the rams of the breed are horned. Ewes can lamb throughout the entire year and usually have only one lamb, but twins do occur. The average adult weight is only 35-40 kg (80-90 lb) for ewes and about 50 kg (110 lb) for rams.

Genetic viability

Although there is considerable genetic variation in most of the

northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...

an sheep breeds, Roslag sheep, as well as Dala Fur sheep (also originating in

) and Estonian Ruhnu sheep exhibit the highest within-population inbreeding due to declining numbers of the breeds. A contemporary estimated number for the population of Roslag sheep by the Nordisk GenBank Husdyr is 496 individuals. Several flocks can be found at the Bokö Nature Reserve on the islands of Bokö, Brånnholmen and Långholmen alongside endangered Swedish

Ringamåla cattle Karlshamn Municipality (''Karlshamns kommun'') is a municipality in Blekinge County in South Sweden in southern Sweden. It borders to Olofström Municipality, Sölvesborg Municipality, Ronneby Municipality and Tingsryd Municipality. The city of ...

.Bokö Nature Reserve

Protection

The Swedish Peasant Sheep Association represents the interests of individuals breeding Roslag Sheep and is responsible for the breed's conservation. Some owners of Roslag Sheep are members of the Swedish Sheep Breeders' Association, and thus follow the breeding plan for the breed determined by the

Swedish National Board of Agriculture The Swedish Board of Agriculture ( sv, Statens jordbruksverk, commonly known as ''Jordbruksverket'') is a Government agency in Sweden that answers to the Ministry of Agriculture. The agency headquarters is located in Jönköping. It is responsi ...

. The Swedish Sheep Breeders' Association registers those sheep holders who are entitled to environmental subsidies for the conservation of endangered breeds.

References

{{reflist Sheep breeds originating in Sweden Agriculture in Sweden Sheep breeds