The Racka is a breed

Breed

A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...

 of 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...

 known for its unusual spiral

Spiral

In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a central point, getting progressively farther away as it revolves around the point.-Spiral or helix:...

-shaped horns

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...

. These unique appendages are unlike any other domestic sheep horns, and may grow up to 2 ft (0.6096 m) long. The smallest standard length is 20 in (50.8 cm) for rams and 12–15 in (30.5–38.1 cm) for ewes.

Originating in Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, the Racka has existed since at least the 1800, when the first registry was established. It is a hardy, multi-purpose breed used for milking

Sheep milk

Sheep's milk is the milk of domestic sheep. Though not widely drunk in any modern culture, sheep's milk is commonly used to make cultured dairy products. Well-known cheeses made from sheep milk include the Feta of Greece, Roquefort of France, Manchego from Spain, the Pecorino Romano , the Pecorino...

, 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....

 and meat. Their wool is long and coarse, and appears in two general types: a cream wool with light brown faces and legs, and a black variation. Ewes weigh around 88 lb (39.9 kg), and rams 132 lb (59.9 kg).

The breed's unique appearance and quiet disposition would make it a desirable animal for hobby situations.

Characteristics

This breed is unique with both sexes possessing long spiral shaped horns. The cork-screw horns protrude almost straight upward from the top of the head.

There are two major color patterns with the Racka. The most common color is brown wool covering the heads and legs with the fiber varying in color from dark brown to light brown and white. Individuals can also be solid black. The wool tips on the black colored sheep fades to a reddish black with exposure to sunlight and they get oloder the points of the fiber turns gray. The fiber diameter varies within this breed and generally is found to be 12 to 40 micrometres with a yield of 38% to 65%. Staple length is approximately 30 cm (11.8 in). Fleece weight must be at least 3 kg (6.6 lb) for rams. The softness and crimp of the wool would indicate its interest with handspinners.

The minimum acceptable mature body weight for ewes is 40 kg (88.2 lb) and for rams 60 kg (132.3 lb). The rams average 72 cm (28.3 in) in height.