Dairy Sheep- Icelandic Traditional Geocache

Sheep have been milked for thousands of years, perhaps before any other animal. The dairy sheep industry is highly developed in many countries, especially in and around the Mediterranean. In the United States, sheep dairying is a small part of a small industry. Most U.S. sheep dairies are located in Wisconsin and the New England states. At the same time, there are sheep dairies in many other states, and the interest in sheep dairying seems to be on the rise. 

The Icelandic breed is also being touted as a dairy sheep. In Iceland, it was historically used for milking. While Icelandics will produce less milk than the specialized dairy breeds, they are hardier and known for having good udder conformation. For the small farm cheese processor, Icelandics may be a good choice. They may also be better-suited to grass-based production systems than the specialized dairy breeds.