Experiencing country life in Norway

The wandering husband has returned, and as part of our agreement, he promised to write a blog post about his sheepish adventures and sheep lambing in different countries. So this blog post is written by Matthew.

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This year, I have had the opportunity to lamb sheep in four countries. It all started on the Isle of Man last November, followed by Estonia in March, Scotland in April, and Norway in May. It has truly been quite an adventure. For many years, this has been a dream of mine, but when our farm was larger, it would have been impossible to manage.

I have been in charge of lambing our flock for the last 18 years, but this was not my first experience with sheep. I grew up on a sheep and beef farm on the Isle of Man and started my small flock of Jacob sheep when I was 10 years old. Caring for animals has always been in my blood, and I can't imagine a spring without the joy of new life being born.

However, after lambing 1,800 sheep this year, I am ready for a break!

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In this post, I will focus on my time in Norway, as it presented significant cultural and geographical differences compared to my previous experiences in sheep production.

Countryside in Norway

I visited a farm in the Trøndelag region of Norway, located less than 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle. They breed Norwegian White Sheep and, most importantly for me, a breed known as the Spaelsau. The Spaelsau is classified as a primitive breed and is part of the Northern Short-Tailed (NEST) breeds. This was particularly exciting for me because Spaelsau sheep belong to the same family group as the Swedish Finewool, Gotland, and Romanov breeds that we have on our farm. Additionally, they are related to the Manx Loaghtan breed from my childhood home on the Isle of Man. We discussed NEST breeds in greater detail in the blog post "Sustainable Wool" published in December.

During my flight to Norway, I was worried that I hadn’t packed warm enough clothes for the trip, especially as there was still a lot of snow in the mountains. However, I was relieved to see that as we landed, green landscapes became more common.

In Norway, winters are extremely cold, so sheep are kept indoors during this season. They typically give birth inside as the grass begins to grow in spring. For the first few weeks after lambing, sheep and their lambs are kept close to the barn. This ensures that the lambs bond strongly with their mothers and allows time for the snow in the mountains, their summer home, to melt.

Sheep are organised into groups based on the mountain areas they have inhabited over the years. During their first season together, the sheep pass on important knowledge to their lambs. The mountain regions are vast, so the sheep must know where to find water, shelter, and shade. This behaviour, known as hefting, is crucial not only in Norway but in other parts of the world as well. In Norway, hefting is particularly important because there are no fences in the mountains; unhefted sheep can easily wander off and become lost.

Nearest Neighbours

These traditions and knowledge are vital to maintain, as breaking the hefting tradition makes it very difficult to restart the process. Over hundreds of generations, hefted sheep have adapted to their specific environments. For instance, grass quality affects the size of the mature animal, temperature influences the type of wool, and soil minerals determine which animals thrive in the landscape. This adaptation is why there are over 1,000 sheep breeds still in existence today worldwide. 

Spaelsau Lambs

The NEST breeds of sheep have developed into 34 distinct breeds across Northern Europe, tracing back to common ancestors transported by the Vikings around 800 AD to the lands they conquered and settled in. Understandably, they brought their sheep with them, as they relied on these animals for essential products, including wool, fat, meat, bones for tools and jewellery, and manure for fertiliser—resources provided by an animal that can thrive on low-quality grass, which is abundant in Northern Europe. 

In a changing climate, I believe it is essential to protect regional breeds, many of which are classified as endangered. These breeds can thrive where other animals cannot, as they have done for centuries, particularly on the fringes of nature. My time in Norway reinforced the idea that many remote rural communities still rely on sheep to sustain their way of life. To continue this tradition, we must honour and utilise all the resources available to us.

In recent years, especially during the COVID pandemic, we have been reminded that there is a life outside of crowded cities—a life that revolves around the changing seasons and is governed by natural forces much larger than ourselves. However, even in these settings, one must find a way to survive. Looking back, I realise that I unknowingly chose a path that people have followed for centuries: aligning my survival with that of the sheep.

Until next time,

Matthew & Reena