The animals at Svisdal
The sheep
Our sheep are mountain sheep. They graze in Grødalen and Svisdal in the Sunndalsfjella mountains all summer and come back to the farm in the autumn. They are where our meat and sheepskins come from.
ca. 140
ewes
Grødalen og Svisdal
summer pasture
Norwegian White sheep
the main breed (NKS)
Our sheep
From mountain pasture to Fjellsau
In addition to the cows we have sheep that graze in Grødalen every summer, surrounded by mountains and lush pastures. They graze in a national landscape protection area and on the edge of Dovrefjell–Sunndalsfjella National Park.
Most of our sheep are of the Norwegian White (NKS) breed, but we also have a number of coloured sheep (fargespel).
Rough grazing is an important part of our farming. The sheep make use of vegetation in areas that could not otherwise be used for ordinary food production. At the same time the grazing helps keep the cultural landscape open and alive.
Meat from young sheep
We have chosen to focus on meat from young sheep. These are animals that will not stay on for breeding and are therefore going to be slaughtered anyway. Instead of the meat simply going into ordinary meat production, we want to process and sell it ourselves, so that this fine ingredient gets the attention it deserves.
Meat from young sheep has much of the same mild, good flavour as lamb, but often more meat on the bone. It is a versatile ingredient that suits far more than traditional fårikål. We sell slices of leg and neck that are well suited to fårikål, flavourful stews and slow roasting in the oven.
We also make traditional pinnekjøtt (salted and dried ribs), which is only salted and dried, with no other additives.
Mountain sheep
Under the name Fjellsau we sell meat from our own sheep that have grazed in the mountains throughout the summer. These are seasonal products available in limited quantities.
With Fjellsau we want to show that meat from young sheep is a valuable food resource that deserves a bigger place on Norwegian dinner tables.
Ear tags
Ear tags and radio collar
All our sheep have one yellow and one green ear tag. The tags carry the sheep’s own number and the farm’s number, so we know who each sheep is and where it belongs, even when it is out with other flocks on the mountain.
1
Yellow tag
Sits in one ear, with the sheep’s number and the farm’s number.
2
Green tag
Sits in the other ear, with the same number. The sheep is still marked if one falls out.
3
Radio collar
A radio bell from Telespor on the collar. It shows where the sheep is on the mountain, so we can find the flock again during the gathering.
If you see a sheep with a yellow and a green tag in Grødalen or Svisdal, it is probably ours.
Lambing
Lambs in the barn and at pasture
The year with the sheep
From lambing to slaughter
April–May
Lambing
The lambs are born in the barn. Most ewes have twins.
June
Turn-out
Ewes and lambs are let out onto the mountain pasture in Grødalen.
Summer
On the mountain
The sheep roam freely in the Sunndalsfjella mountains and graze on grass and herbs.
September
Gathering
We bring the sheep down from the mountain, often over several weekends.
October
Slaughter
Most go to Nortura at Malvik. Fjellsau is processed at Øre Vilt in Nordmøre.
Winter
In the barn
The ewes are indoors on hay from our own meadows.
Sunndal Beitelag
Predators or damage to grazing animals?
Svisdal Gard is a member of Sunndal Beitelag (the grazing association). If you see predators, or find injured or killed grazing animals on the mountain, you can report it at sunndalbeitelag.no.