Skudde

The Skudde is a nordic, short-tailed heather sheep. Its original homeland was East Prussia and the Baltic States. Today a few small herds can be found in these areas. The most noticeable feature of the Skudde ram is the imposing snail horn. The ewes are hornless or carry horn stumps. In individual cases, it occurs that ewes carry chamois-like “hornlets.” The animals are slender, the weight of the rams lies between 35 and 50 kg (77-110 lbs), that of the ewes from 25 to 40 kg (55-88 lbs).

The wool mixture typical of this breed consists of fine wool fibers, dispersed with short hairs and course cover hair. The colors are white, brown, black, and gray. White Skuddes have small pigment spots on the head. Lambs have a rust-colored marking in the nape of the neck and on the legs. This coloring disappears in adults.

Skuddes are not kept for their meat. They are suited for pasturing more barren areas. The meat is held to be a delicacy in circles of connoisseures. Skuddes come into heat aseasonally. Lambs are born at any time of the year. As a rule three lambings are possible in two years.