THE decision to import Gotland genetics has been a wise investment for Cheryl Crosbie from Violet Town.
Mrs Crosbie has been working with Gotland sheep, rare in Australia, for the past three years and said they are a triple purpose sheep who provide the opportunity to supply a meat, wool and pelt market.
“Lambs are born jet black and change to a grey colour by five months of age,” Mrs Crosbie said.
“The Gotland breed has a high quality grey curly-pelt which is soft to handle and has a high lustre and low bulk.
“They are a polled breed with a black face and black nostrils and no wool on the poll or legs.”
The decision to work with the rare breed wasn’t a choice made overnight for Mrs Crosbie who spent two years researching the breed before importing genetics from Gotland studs in Finland and Denmark.
She currently has a flock of 60 head which she will use to form a stud a build numbers to 80 pure Gotland ewe as well as 50 crossbred Gotland ewes.
Mrs Crosbie and her husband Warren also run a commercial crossbreed flock on their property but will phase this out as the Gotland enterprises build up.
