Allie, Grandma of the Gotland Sheep

This is Allie. She's currently our oldest sheep at 4 years old.

She's had several of her own little lambs, and some of those have had lambs of their own! Just this past April, she had triplets!

Just like the breed standard requires, Allie has a fully black colored face. Her legs are smooth and black too, without any wool.

Allie's wool is a glorious mix of black, grey, white, and even a little brown. Her curls are dense and silky. It can be very deceiving to pet a Gotland sheep. You might expect soft and fluffy curls. However, they produce a great deal of lanolin (like many woolly sheep). At first, it feels oily, but then the lanolin is quickly absorbed. You then realize Allie trades pets and scratches (which she loves) with the gift of moisturized hands!

Allie can be a little jumpy at times, especially if you try to guide her into something she doesn't want to do. At night when it's time to head into the barn, Allie is the one running back into the field, showing great concern that we shepherds get our daily exercise!

However most of the time, Allie is the calm matriarch. She's ready to rest her chin on your hand, immensely sweet and kind. Like all good moms, Allie helpfully bleats away when we've left the hayrack empty, never one to let the rest of the flock go hungry.