Tautersheep, also known as Tautra sheep, are an extinct
breed of sheep from Tautra island in Frosta, Norway. They were a sheep with
fine wool resembling the Spanish merino. The origin of this breed is disputed,
but could possibly be a merino sheep brought to Tautra several hundred years ago,
and afterwards mixed with old Norse sheep, others have claimed that the origin
is from the English Ryeland sheep, which suggest that the Tautersheep was a far
younger race.
The fine wool of the Tautersheep became very popular at the
end of the 19th century, increasing the demand for the growth of the wool,
which caused problems because the wool had a tendency to grow over the eyes of
the animal. As early as 1805, 70 Tautersheep were exported to Sweden, and in
1884, some were sold to Denmark, and later, exported to The Faroe Islands. The
fertility of this sheep was low and they had problems with the stony Norwegian
terrain. As foreign sheep breeds became more common in Norway in the 20th
century, the interest in breeding Tautersheep declined.
After the Second World War, the individuals of the breed
gradually grew fewer. In 1959, only one place bred Tautersheep, six grown
individuals and five lambs were the only ones left, the breeding organization
dismissed the breed and the sheep were advertised, but no buyers turned up. The
last Tautersheep were then slaughtered and the breed then became extinct.
About Tautersheep Sheep
