Danish Landrace (sheep)
Encyclopedia
The Danish Landrace is a breed of sheep endemic to Jutland
in Denmark
. The breed, which had a population of approximately 370 in 2000, is descended from Heath sheep and Merino
, with early specimen interbreeding in the 19th century with Leicester and Oxford Down
. While up to 10% of males have horns, the breed is polled
.
With males averaging 70 to- and females 50 to-, they are a medium-sized, double-coated long-tailed sheep that produce 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) of fleece
which is used in manufacturing wool
blanket
s and carpet
s. The face and tail of the sheep are spotted brown, but they are predominately white.
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The breed, which had a population of approximately 370 in 2000, is descended from Heath sheep and Merino
Merino
The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep...
, with early specimen interbreeding in the 19th century with Leicester and Oxford Down
Oxford sheep
Oxford sheep is an English breed developed in the 1830s by crossing the Cotswold with a forerunner of the Hampshire, and using the resulting cross-breeds to form the basis of the present-day breed...
. While up to 10% of males have horns, the breed is polled
Polled livestock
Polled livestock are livestock without horns, of species that normally have them. The term refers both to breeds or strains which are naturally polled through selective breeding and also to naturally horned animals which have been dehorned...
.
With males averaging 70 to- and females 50 to-, they are a medium-sized, double-coated long-tailed sheep that produce 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) of fleece
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
which is used in manufacturing wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
blanket
Blanket
A blanket is a type of bedding, generally speaking, a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleeping. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket. Blankets are generally used...
s and carpet
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
s. The face and tail of the sheep are spotted brown, but they are predominately white.