The Faroes is a breed of domestic sheep

Domestic sheep

Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...

 native to the Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...

. One of the Northern European short-tailed sheep

Northern European short-tailed sheep

Northern European short-tailed sheep are a group of sheep breeds and landraces from the British Isles, Scandinavia, and the area around the Baltic. They are thought to be derived from the first sheep brought to Europe by early farmers...

, it is a small, very hardy breed. Faroes ewes weigh around 45 pounds (20.4 kg) at maturity, and rams are 45 pound. Rams are horned

Horn (anatomy)

A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...

 and ewes are usually 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...

, and the breed occurs naturally in many different colors. Faroes tend to have very little flocking instinct, and will range freely in small groups in pastureland. They are most closely related to the Old Norwegian and Icelandic

Icelandic sheep

The Icelandic sheep is a breed of domestic sheep. The Icelandic breed is one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep, which exhibit a fluke-shaped, naturally short tail. The Icelandic is a mid-sized breed, generally short legged and stocky, with face and legs free of wool...

 breeds.

Cultural impact

First introduced in the 9th century, Faroes sheep have long been an integral part of the island traditions. The name Faeroe itself is thought to mean "sheep islands", and the animal is depicted on the Faroe Islands' historic coat of arms

Coat of arms of the Faroe Islands

The coat of arms of the Faroe Islands first appears in one of the mediæval chairs in Kirkjubøur from around the 15th century. It depicts a Ram on a shield. Later uses show a Ram in a seal used by the , members of the Old Faroese law Court, the Løgting....

. Lamb and mutton dishes made from Faroes sheep, such as skerpikjøt

Skerpikjøt

Skerpikjøt is a typical dish of the Faroe Islands. It is a type of wind-dried mutton....

, are a large part of traditional island cuisine. The breed is primarily kept for meat production, but wool is used for traditional knitwear like the Faroese shawl.