Concord Hill Icelandics

Concord Hill Icelandics, located 35 miles north east
of Lexington, Kentucky, is pleased to offer purebred,
registered and unregistered Icelandic sheep.
We carry both horned and polled sheep and lambs in
our flock. Icelandic sheep, with their beautiful fleeces,
generate such a wide variety of superior quality
products that anyone (including women and children)
interested in a home business in farming, will find them
quite useful, as do handspinners, felters, and crafters.
Our home business page has many ideas for
marketing homemade items using Icelandic sheep milk,
fleece, and pelts. In addition to our sheep, we have a
luscious range of Icelandic fleeces sure to please the
most discriminating handspinners.
Felters are pleased with the ease that Icelandic
wool/fiber works into a wide variety of high quality,
valuable items. Working from home, one can begin a
wonderful adventure using Icelandic fleeces. See our
home business page for a short sampling of ideas from
which one can draw. With a little thought, time, and
creativity, working from home does not have to be
merely a dream for women as well as children and men.

Spinners, Crafters, and Felters
Let us put together for you an Icelandic lamb
flock suitable for felters and spinners.   With a
wide variety of wool/fiber, colors, and patterns,
we would be happy to help you pick out several
lambs to start or add to your felter's/spinner's
flock.   For those who are not quite sure they are
interested in a breeding flock, you might
consider a wethered ram.
In addition to their wonderful, soft fleeces, and
gentle temperaments, wethered ram lambs
will make good, safe companions for you and
your children. Our handspinner's page has
details of special interest to anyone wanting to
be creative and express themselves with wool.

Grass Based Farmers and Commercial Farmers
If you have bought any type of commercial feed, you
realize that the prices have been going up with each trip
to the feed store. Fortunately, you can have a flock of
Icelandic sheep and never have to purchase ANY
grains or commercial feeds to keep them growing and
gaining.   Icelandic sheep are truly low input sheep in
every way!
There is a good reason that many farmers are
interested in grass based farming. Not only is it better
for the animal involved, but it also means healthier
products for the consumer. The farmer can also
produce these higher quality goods with less expense
and labor. Icelandic sheep are quickly gaining notice
from those interested in a totally grass based farming
operation. Sheep do best on a field rotation system,
as do most types of livestock, however, unlike other
types of livestock, they fertilize a field evenly and their
hooves almost till it into the ground. Grass based
farming is the naturally healthy way to grow! I do not use
ANY corn or feed (except for an occasional treat or
bribe) with our sheep except grass and good quality
grass hay, as Icelandics tend to gain weight easily.
Obesity contributes to health risks and causes huge
lambing problems.   Unnaturally large lambs cause many
avoidable problems. Grain causes many more problems
with Icelandic sheep than it prevents!     Icelandic sheep
also do not require alfalfa hay prior to lambing,
although I have recently discovered that alfalfa hay
does not seem to cause overly large lambs at birth. If
your hay is good quality, alfalfa is not necessary and it
costs more...but is actually very nutritious and gives the
ewe and lamb a healthy start...if you have the excess
money to spend. We have often had 200% lambing
records and lost no lambs to health problems at birth
after feeding only grass hay all winter. We have now
had literally hundreds of lambs born here, all healthy
and spunky on grass hay and grass alone.
Also of interest; by purchasing an Icelandic ram lamb,
commercial sheep farmers can add to their flock the
many qualities Icelandic sheep are noted for: lively
lambs, unassisted in-field lambing, fast weight gain,
and finishing on mother's milk, grass or grass hay alone-
without the lost profits that come from expensive
graining and creep feeding.

Home Business Possibilities with Icelandic
Sheep (ways to enjoy working from home!)
In this day and age many families long for the
simplicity of days gone by. Days when families
grew together, instilling the basic values
necessary to develop more traditional character
traits in their children. With Icelandic sheep,
women and even children can own and manage a
farm which promotes family unity and
responsibility. Even young children can pitch
in, washing buckets, raking out stalls, and
contributing in a meaningful and useful way.
Icelandics with their manageable size and many
marketable qualities, make them a profitable
home business venture. Working from home,
parents and children, making memories together.
The following are just a VERY brief sampling
of some ways. Our home business page will
have more ideas:

Dairy sheep, homemade cheese, homemade soap
Those interested in using sheep milk can also
turn to Icelandics to meet their needs. Icelandic
ewes are often very milky (many times raising
triplets without any additional pampering) and
they possess the intelligence necessary to train
easily to the milking stand. This is a benefit for
those wishing to own a sheep dairy, make
homemade cheese, enjoy their own fresh yogurt,
or make an endless supply of homemade soap.
Icelandic sheep milk produces desert quality
yogurt, naturally sweet without added
sweetener. Our home business page lists a
sampling of the possible marketable products
from Icelandic sheep. Homemade is still best;
especially straight off your own farm!

Sheep Meat
To those who find sheep meat not to their taste,
the flavor of Icelandic sheep meat is mild and
does not have a strong, muttony flavor. In fact,
Icelandic sheep have won international taste
tests for several years. With gourmet flavor,
restaurants and specialty stores are eager to
offer Icelandic meat. Within the Icelandic breed,
there are certain blood lines which are naturally
more meaty than others. They tend to be
shorter and more stocky than some of the other
bloodlines. Icelandic sheep dress out well,
leaving more meat per lb. than some other breeds,
all on grass and milk alone!

Kentucky's Peaceful Past Revisited
Many years ago, the hills and fields of Kentucky were
dotted with sheep. They added a peaceful air to the
Bluegrass landscape that had nearly vanished. With
the decline of tobacco, Kentucky is in the process of
searching for ways to diversify. Once again, when
driving down a country road, sheep are returning,
quietly grazing in the fields. Icelandic sheep add a
totally new dimension to the picture, without many of
the problems traditional sheep have come to be known
for. Icelandic lambs are born very lively, often having
eaten their first meal before the arrival of their twin.
Lambing season is no longer a time of worry and
exhaustion due to loss of sleep. It's a time of
excitement and anticipation as those fluffy little
lambs enter their new world, usually with no assistance
from their shepherd. Our flock is expected to lamb
on grass in the spring and, although we try to keep
an eye on them 'just in case', it's almost always
unnecessary. Lambing difficulties are truly rare
within the Icelandic breed which makes them much
more manageable for women dreaming of working from
home. Becoming a shepherd is a peaceful alternative
to the world's frantic pace.

Everyone has their difficult
struggles in life, regardless of
where they live, what they do
to survive, and what their
personal beliefs are
concerning God and their
values. We are no different.
2008 has been a year full of
very difficult events in our life.
Because of the added
excitement and heartaches
this year has provided, there
have been very few times that
I have been able to 'get with
it' enough to update our
website as often...or as
well...as I would like.
We are very hopeful that
most of the worst is behind
us, and our sheep can begin
to get more attention! We
have been very blessed with
wonderful friends, many who
we have met through sheep
sales. Another blessing is
that our sheep have
remained exceptionally
healthy, despite the fact that
they have had to take a back
seat to life's complications. I
am almost scared to say this
(yes, superstition from my
Irish roots is shining through
now!) but we have had
virtually no parasite problems
this summer at all. Our grass
grew some after last summer's
severe drought (which left the
field looking similar to a
brown paper bag) in
addition to the fact that we
have too many sheep for our
acreage. The lovely crop of
Nodding Thistles and Iron
Weeds that have ruined
many of our fleeces~ and I
have wanted to kill for the
past 6 years~ has practically
died away (go figure!). And
our new Great Pyrenees
guard dog had a litter of
pups who are great with the
sheep. Our lambs are happy
and bouncy and life is
relatively peaceful on the
farm!
The kiddies and I are ready
to swallow hard, plow through
the bumps and bruises life
hands us, and begin a new
day in our lives with our
wonderful Icelandic sheep ! I
am very hopeful that our
website will, once again, be
updated regularly and will
inspire visitors to discover
the many fantastic reasons
we are completely sold on the
Icelandic sheep breed!

Dyeing Icelandic Sheep
Wool:
Although there are many
chemical dyes available on
the market to dye your
Icelandic wool, nature has
provided many dye materials
probably growing in your
own back yard! Others can
be planted in the spring to
provide you with your very
own wool dyeing garden.
Icelandic wool takes dye well
and spins almost effortlessly
and Icelandic fleeces come in
a wide range of colors
naturally, so dyeing is
unnecessary for many
projects! Icelandic fleeces
contain less lanolin, so they
don't require as much
washing to get the fleece
ready to accept your
favorite dye! Please visit our
Dyeing information page if
you think this is something
you could enjoy! I am
gathering info. for it now.

French Angora Rabbit Wool:
My youngest daughter began
raising French Angora Rabbits
in 2007 and has really grown to
love their unbelievable wool! If
you can imagine touching a
cloud, then you have an idea
what Angora rabbit wool feels
like. Although it can be spun
alone, Angora wool blends very
well with Icelandic wool and
makes a wonderful yarn for
baby items and adult sweaters
in a variety of lusciously soft
colors. Check out Chloe's
Angora rabbit page for more
information on the Angora wool
available and get your name on
her waiting list for the next litter
of baby bunnies!

Our New Additions:
Last spring we added some
fantastic new blood lines to our
flock.   Four new ewes came to live
with us and they have each raised
some dandy lambs! Lots, and lots
of milk, silky exceptionally nice
fleeces, nice meaty confirmation,
perfect lambs and a beautiful set
of triplets to round out the
picture...Well, I just can not say
enough about these girls!
      Although we will probably be
keeping several of our ewe lambs
in the spring from these new girls,
we are hopeful that we will be able
to offer lambs to others too. I
think they promise to add some
superb characteristics to what we
have to offer! If you want to visit
our newest girls, please visit our
New Ewes page!

Our 2009 Spring Lambs:
We had several very lovely
Icelandic lambs last spring
and are looking forward to
fulfilling the dreams of
handspinners, crafters, and
fiber artists by providing the
start to your own fiber flock in
2009. The idea of owning
one's own small, manageable
flock of Icelandic sheep to
supply wool that can make
every project imaginable a
reality, is just something
that makes me feel excited!
Icelandic sheep are typically
shorn twice per each year,
with each ewe giving 2 lbs. or
more of wool per shearing.
This could give a fiber artist
plenty of wool to work with
and possibly share with their
friends while maybe leaving
some to swap or sell.
If your 'craft' is more along
the lines of cheese making,
Icelandic sheep are one of
the milkiest breeds around.
Another wonderful quality
about Icelandic sheep milk is
its natural sweetness. When
making your own goodies
such as yogurt, you can feel
great because the milk itself
is actually sweet enough so
you can use it without adding
any sugar to your recipe!
Icelandic sheep dairies are
beginning to become more
common in various areas
across North America.
Not only is Icelandic sheep
milk a naturally sweet treat
when making cheeses,
yogurts, and such, but it is
also fantastic when making
homemade soap.
If you are considering the
addition of some new
Icelandic sheep to your
pasture, be sure to visit our
2009 Spring Lambs
page...but be warned,
Icelandic sheep can become
an addiction!
There is more information
about the uses of Icelandic
sheep on our home business
page if you are interested.

Wethers?

What on earth could one possibly
want with an Icelandic wether?
Wethers are altered rams.
So...what good are they anyway?

Wethers have a wonderful
disposition, don't have a 'ram
scent', and make wonderful pets
for children to learn to care for.
Rams should NEVER be kept
as pets, however, wethers are
perfect for this purpose.

Spinners often don't want to deal
with all that goes along with
breeding animals...they just want
an available source of wonderful
Icelandic wool in their back yard
to create with. A wether, in many
cases, is the perfect answer for
them! Not only are they usually
more friendly and gentle than many
breeding sheep, but in most cases
their fleeces are softer than one
that is capable of breeding.

Since rams should be kept
separate from the ewe flock for
most of the year, they need
companionship. Wethers make
the ideal companion for a ram.
They are not competition, so the
ram should view a wether as a
friend rather than a rival.

If one is so inclined, a wether is a
good addition to the table. I
almost cringe to say that, but it is
true. They don't have any 'ram
flavor' and their meat is tender
and mild. I am not very tempted to
eat my friends, so I will probably
only order my 'sheep meals' from
other Icelandic breeders. Maybe,
someday, I will become more
practical, but for today... well, I'm
just not!

Can anyone still afford to raise
sheep?
Last summer I spoke with someone who farms. He
told me that the price of grain was forcing many
farmers to sell their cattle or, at the very least, cut
their numbers down significantly. Of course, this
was making the price of cattle hit very low market
prices (for the time being) due to the high numbers
going to the stock yard at the same time. Who can
afford to raise livestock and grain them even when
grain is not unbelievably expensive?

Well, since we raise a fair number of chickens, I
could certainly sympathize with the situation. I
even considered (very reluctantly) selling many of
my laying hens because the price of their feed was
getting to the point where I could hardly justify
having them at all.

I am quite certain that it's the same situation with
those who raise the more common breeds of sheep.
Other breeds generally don't thrive on grass and
hay alone and are going to cost more to raise than
they will be worth. Not so with Icelandic sheep!
Although the rising price of hay is definitely a
problem to address, there is no need to give
Icelandics any grain or commercial feeds at all. If
you have a nice pasture, and can put your hands
on some good quality grass hay, you can keep
sheep during this frustrating time in history for the
American farmer. Yes, the initial cost of a nice
starter flock of Icelandic sheep is fairly expensive
in comparison to a flock of commercial sheep, yet, if
you deduct the cost of graining those same
commercial sheep over a year...well, you do the
math! If the idea of sheep is something that
sounds like the perfect farming venture, check into
the Icelandic breed. The eventual savings over the
commerical sheep breeds will show up pretty soon!

Our Icelandic Sheep~
We have been very blessed with some
exceptional sheep over the past years. We
began raising Icelandic sheep in March of
2003 and have had so many very happy
moments with them.
We have chosen to select our sheep for
parasite resistance, easy lambing, lamb
vigor, feed efficiency on only grass and
good quality grass hay (no grain), fleece
quality, and milkiness.
The rams we will be using this fall (2008)
and in the future are coming from some of
the milkiest ewes we have ever had on our
farm. Each of these rams have exceptional
fleeces that are absolutely the softest
imaginable. They also appear to be very
parasite resistant, which is a definite plus
on any farm. This does not mean that we
will ever feel comfortable enough to stop
making regular checks for parasite
over-load, but it is nice to be able to relax a
bit during the summer months.
It's our hope that we will be able to have
lambs to offer that are superior in quality in
every way!

New to our farm are our Great Pyrenees Livestock
Guardian pups. We are quite pleased with how nicely
they are growing and learning to be great guardians of
our flock from their mother. Our Great Pyrenees are
good with children, sheep, chickens, turkeys, and
guineas as they have been raised around them from
birth. They have not been exposed to cats, however,
but I think that they will adapt to them also if worked
with and introduced properly.
Update: We have no more pups available at this
time, but are looking forward to offering more in the
future.