The East Friesian Sheep breed is native to the East Frisia region in northern Germany. After centuries of proper feeding and selective breeding, it developed into one of the most productive sheep breeds in milk production and prolificacy.
Due to its high milk production, the East Friesian is the most milked sheep breed worldwide. It’s docile, but greedy. Most food they eat goes toward milk production instead of building muscle.
The History of the East Friesian Sheep Breed
The East Friesian sheep breed originated from the Friesland region in northern Germany and the Netherlands. People mainly keep it for its milk. Sometimes, it’s used as a cross for other breeds to improve milk production.
In 1992, scientists exported four rams and eleven pregnant ewes from Sweden to New Zealand. They kept the sheep quarantined and started a breeding program using embryo transfer techniques.
Only embryos from the 15 sheep left the quarantine zone. These were forty rams, and the rest remained in isolation to expand flock size.
The impressive milk production and fertility rates prompted high semen sales from the breeding program, with over 50,000 ewes undergoing AI.
Quick Facts About the East Friesian Sheep Breed
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Breed name | East Friesian |
| Breed purpose | Milk |
| Mature body weight | Rams- 220 to 275 lbs.
Ewes – 165 to 210 lbs. |
| Average fiber diameter | 37 microns |
| Grease fleece weight | 8.8 to 11 lbs. |
| Fleece staple length | 4.7 to 6.3 inches |
| Care Level | High |
| Temperature | All climates |
| Temperament | Docile and lacks nervousness |
Characteristics of the East Friesian Sheep Breed
East Friesian sheep have pink noses and wool-less heads and legs. They don’t grow horns and mostly have pale hooves. This breed’s standout feature is its thin and wool-less tail, resulting in comparisons with rat tails.
The bodies of East Friesians are covered with a thick white fleece ranging between 35 and 37 microns, with an average staple length of 5.5 inches. Its weight varies between 8.8 and 11 lbs. A few East Friesian sheep have a dark brown fleece.
Regarding body size, East Friesians are pretty heavy. Mature rams weigh between 220 and 275 lbs. while ewes range from 165 to 210 lbs. However, the carcass is lean and good for food.
Typical Behavior of East Friesian Sheep
East Friesian sheep are renowned for obedience, a remarkable quality in dairy breeds. However, they don’t thrive in large flocks.
Instead, they perform well in small groups of one to three animals. This explains why you can’t find them on large-scale farms.
Although they’re easy to tame, East Friesians need close contact with humans. Therefore, it would be best to introduce them to people from a young age to achieve the desired levels of obedience.
READ ALSO: Do Sheep Recognize Their Owners?
East Friesian sheep get along with other domestic animals. They aren’t aggressive and territorial, so you won’t find them bullying smaller animals.
However, their calmness makes them defenseless. Even worse, they are a polled breed with no defensive features.
Due to this reason, it’s advisable to keep them from potential predators, including aggressive dog breeds. It also helps them to separate themselves from hostile horned sheep to prevent injuries or death.
Advantages of East Friesian Sheep Breed
Friesian ewes can produce up to 6 liters of milk daily for 220 to 260 days East when fed with a diet mainly of grass and supplemented with concentrates, hay, and silage.
The innate ability to produce large milk quantities and sustain lactation over extended periods differentiates East Friesian from other sheep breeds.
To increase the chances of a peak yield, time lambing to occur before the grass grows in spring. This way, you’ll get at least 400 liters of milk throughout the milking period.
Besides excellent milk production, East Friesian sheep are highly prolific. In addition, the breed guarantees a 100% transition from lambs to adulthood.
This explains why scientists used purebred East Friesians to cross with other breeds to improve prolificacy and milk production.
Disadvantages of East Friesian Sheep
The most significant disadvantage of East Friesians is their defenselessness. Since they don’t have horns and are naturally docile, they are prone to bullying by larger animals and predatory attacks.
Additionally, East Friesians are more sensitive to the common problems affecting sheep. This is because they’re a high-maintenance breed.
Taking Care of East Friesian Sheep
Here are valuable tips for taking care of your East Friesian Sheep.
Feeding
Like other sheep breeds, East Friesians are natural grazers that primarily feed on grass. However, you might need to supplement the feed, especially in winter, when the grass isn’t suitable for consumption.
Common supplements include concentrates, hay, and silage. It’s worth noting that this breed isn’t picky and will eat whatever is available.
East Friesians consume more than average sheep breeds to enable their high milk production. However, if they don’t get enough food, milk production reduces.
Grooming
It’s advisable to trim hooves to reduce the risk of foot rot. But, depending on the number of animals you have, hoove trimming may take more or less of your time.
Also, remember to shear the wool at least once yearly. A dense fleece can cause mobility and vision problems.
It can also harbor pests. Ensure you start clipping them when young, as they might not like it if you do it in their adulthood.
Confinement
East Friesian ewes aren’t good mothers. However, because they give birth to multiple lambs, it’s crucial to construct lambing pens to keep the young ones safe when the mothers aren’t around.
The pens confine the lambs until they can survive independently.
Deworming
Grazing exposes sheep to many parasites. Ensure you deworm your flock regularly to prevent life-threatening infections.
Wrapping Up
The East Friesian breed is the most productive dairy sheep worldwide, with an ability to produce up to 1,000 liters over a 260-day lactation period. However, this high yield requires a high-quality diet and proper care.
Ensure you provide adequate food and water, a clean habitat, and recommended vaccines to make the best of your livestock. More importantly, keep only a manageable number of East Friesian sheep so you don’t get overwhelmed.
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