Grey Troender sheep

The Norwegian Grey Troender ( _no. Grå trøndersau) is an endangered breed of domesticated sheep that originated from crossbreeding native landrace sheep with the now extinct Tautra sheep in the late 1800s. There are currently approximately 50 individual animals, nearly all residing within Norway. [ [http://temp.nordgen.org/husdyrdatabase/en_visrase.asp?id=69 NGH Nordisk GenBank Husdyr] ]

Originally bred in the Trøndelag region of Norway, from where the sheep derives its' name, the Grey Troender are most commonly varying shades of grey in color with distinctive white markings under the eyes. [ [http://www.rala.is/beta/25%20Norwegian%20Grey%20Troender%20sheep.htm North Shed: Origin and diversity of North European sheep breeds] ] However, black, brown and white woolled Grey Troenders occasionally do occur. [ [http://www.rala.is/beta/25%20Norwegian%20Grey%20Troender%20sheep.htm North Shed: Origin and diversity of North European sheep breeds] ]

Both rams and ewes are polled with and the breed have half-long or variable length tails. The wool of the sheep is uniform with mean fibre diameter of 32.3 microns and 2-3 kg greasy fleece weight. The wool was traditionally used for handicrafts and the pelts were used for woolskin rugs. [ [http://www.rala.is/beta/25%20Norwegian%20Grey%20Troender%20sheep.htm North Shed: Origin and diversity of North European sheep breeds] ] The adult live weight of ewes is between 70 and 80 kg. The mean litter size is 1.8 lambs born per year. Lambs are generally slaughtered at 6 months age (30-40 kg live weight). [ [http://www.rala.is/beta/25%20Norwegian%20Grey%20Troender%20sheep.htm North Shed: Origin and diversity of North European sheep breeds] ]

The present population numbers only around 50 sheep is but increasing. In 1998, the Committee on Farm Animal Genetic Resources established a project for collecting and freezing semen from Grey Troender sheep rams in an effort to revive the breed. [ [http://temp.nordgen.org/husdyrdatabase/en_visrase.asp?id=69 NGH Nordisk GenBank Husdyr] ]

ee also

*Domestic sheep
*List of breeds of sheep

References