Sam's Icelandic Sheep Farm, llc

The two summers of 2007 and 2008 taught me quite a bit about Icelandics and their survival here in Missouri. My goals for breeding have come from these tough lessons.

In 2007, the issue of extreme parasite conditions hit very hard. My vet says that everyone was hit hard, especially by the baberpole worm.

In 2008, it was extreme heat for over three weeks straight. The temp neer dropped below 100 the entire time. Once again, many in this area lost livestock, including me.

Because of this, my focus now and for the next years is on heat tolerance and parasite resistance. Of course, heat tolerance might be an easier thing to breed into the flock, but none the less, I plan on working those two items until my flock is both heat tolerant and sturdy against parasites.

It's important to note that both parasite resistance and heat tolerance are not only based on the animal's breeding, but also on the farm and farmer's ability to provide consistent levels of nutrition required for animals to thrive and conquer these conditions.