Zackelschaf Martina
A representative of the Hungarian Zackel sheep
The blonde-brown Martina is a Sbeauty of a jagged sheep, and born on Gut AiderbichlHenndorf.
Martina should use her story to promote the topic of the bedthreatened Hungarian nagged sheep.
The history of the Hungarian Racket Sheep
The Zackel sheep is a Hungarian sheep breed that has been around since the 9th century. Its ancestor is the Urial, a wild sheep that was domesticated in south-west Asia. Originally, the v-shaped twisted horns were screwed horizontally. The v-shaped horns have been around since the 16th/17th century.There was a lively trade in sheep’s wool and hides until the second half of the 19th century, when the breed began to be cultivated with finer wool – merino sheep. The flocks of Zackel sheep in the large Hungarian puszta became smaller and smaller. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Hungarian Racka sheep have been on the red list of endangered species.
The economic utilisation of Hungarian Zackel sheep
Zackel sheep are considered good milk suppliers, their meat is nutritious and not fatty. The milk yield of a sheep after the birth of a lamb is up to 60 litres. The breeding of Zackel sheep is increasingly moving towards their use as organic food.
Currently, the Hungarian Zackel sheep is mainly bred to preserve genetic purity. Interestingly, the Zackelschaf is becoming more and more important as a tourist attraction and there are more and more breeders of this great breed of animal.
Gut Aiderbichl and the endangered species of Hungarian Zackel sheep
For many years, Gut Aiderbichl has been increasingly committed to endangered animal species and breeds, including the beautiful Zackel sheep. Zackel sheep have been living at Gut Aiderbichl since 2014.
The coat of the Zackel sheep is curly and very thick. Eight years ago, we were amazed when the Zackelschaf lady Doris gave birth to two healthy lambs: we named them Eva and Martina. Today, Doris, Eva and Martina run amongst the large flock of Zackel sheep on the pastures of Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf.
Racket ram Hercules caused a huge surprise
Herkules was neutered, and caused joy and surprise at Gut Aiderbichl: he sired 9 baby sheep. It happens that castrated animals still have active sperm cells for a few weeks. After all, Mother Nature is more cunning than humans and is always up for a joke. Mia, Dorli, Fritzi, Tom and Jerry, Bonnie and Clyde, Keanu and Vanessa are all doing well and bringing cheerful bleating to the ancestral flock of sheep at Gut Aiderbichl.
Nature is inexorable and unchanging, and it does not care whether the hidden reasons and ways of its actions are understandable to man or not.
~ Galileo Galilei, Italian scientister, 1564 – 1642)
Martina is looking forward to a visit from you – let’s see if you can spot her in the flocking sheep.
