# Tunis vs. Icelandic?



## Abbey (Nov 20, 2012)

We currently have one icelandic and one tunis which we will be slaughtering this december. Come spring we plan on buying our breeding stock and getting started breeding our own lambs for slaughter. We want to do grass fed, and our pasture isn't spectacular. We hope to improve it with rotational grazing, but all the same, I narrowed down to these two breeds based on their hardiness and good foraging skills. Hoping for input from tunis or icelandic breeders on their appropriateness for a grass-fed operation. I am REALLY impressed with our Icelandics ability to eat ANYTHING and her intense will to survive, she seems more hardy. Our tunis is super sweet and gentle but also kind of meek, less able to fight for food and easily spooked. Are my sample sheep representing the breeds accurately?


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## Bridgemoof (Nov 20, 2012)

I will add my two cents about both breeds. Well, the one Icelandic whether I have is actually an Icelandic/Jacob cross, but he has mostly Icelandic characteristics.  I love him and he has never had any problems. His weight has always been good. He does great on pasture or grain. He's never gotten sick. The Tunis, on the other hand, and I have two ewes and now a ram lamb, have had problems from day one. Knee problems, weight problems, hoof problems, skin problems, birthing problems, ugh.  I don't like the Tunis and will most likely be getting rid of them come spring.

One Tunis ewe is skinny and I have her in a separate area to feed her grain to get her weight back up. She had a lamb in July, and I guess is still recovering from that. The other is fat as a cow, and I'm not sure if she's pregnant or not. They were both on pasture during the summer months, yet their weights are so far apart from one another. The Tunis are also off season breeders, so if you are running them with a ram full time they can get pregnant anytime. I don't believe the Icelandics are off season. My Tunis are not the friendliest. They are kind of skittish. They do make good mom's though, once they get through the pregnancy problems. One ewe had twins and one of them was still born. The other ewe we had to pull her lamb, he was pretty big and had a hoof stuck back. They both recovered pretty well and took good care of their babies. I believe the Tunis throw much bigger lambs than the Icelandic.

As for their wool, the icelandic are definitely a nicer wool. The tunis is much courser, but I just recently discovered that it's great for felting, so I like it for that. But for spinning it's not that great. Plus it's super super greasy.

I would definitely opt for the Icelandic. I hope this helps, and good luck!


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## Abbey (Nov 29, 2012)

Thank you for your experience. This is my feeling too. Tunis are suppose to be really hardy and good for pasture only flocks, but they just seem so much less able to take care of themselves or something. I don't know. Icelandic are so un-sheep like.


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