The Icelandic breed is not docile. They are alert, and fast on their feet. Most of them are quite individualistic, and flocking instinct is poor. They tend to spread out, making good use of sparse pasture, and are good browsers – enjoying eating brush, wild grasses, and sedges. The ewes are good mothers, with high milk production. Behavior in Icelandic sheep has been compared to that of feral or early domestic animals. Some are nervous, but when they get to know their shepherd they become quite friendly.
While the breed is world-famous for its wool, in Iceland it is bred almost exclusively for meat. Although the lambs are born small, they grow fairly quickly – on good pastures they should reach 80-90 pounds in 4-5 months, at which time they are weaned. The cool, wet climate in Iceland precludes the production of most grains, so the breed has developed a very large rumen that allows them to eat larger quantities of a rougher forage and still thrive. In Iceland, they are not fed any extra grain or creep feed, but are brought to slaughter straight off summer and fall pastures. Dressing percentage is around 45%. The meat is fine-grained, has a distinct, delicate flavor, and is relatively low in fat. The leaner carcass and mild flavor can appeal to the palate of even those consumers who “just don’t like lamb”.
The wool is loved by artisans. The fleeces are open and are low in lanolin, offering significantly less loss in weight than many other breeds, when washed. Icelandics are dual-coated – the fleece has an inner and an outer coat typical of the more primitive breeds. The fine
undercoat is called the thel and the coarser outer coat called the tog. The thel is down-like, springy, and soft, with a spinning count of 64-70, and is generally around 20 micrometers in diameter. It provides the loft for the outer coat and insulation for the sheep. The longer tog, generally around 27 micrometers in diameter, is similar to mohair – wavy or corkscrewed rather than crimped, strong,