Heidschnucke

The Heidschnucke is a traditional German heath sheep, especially associated with the Lüneburg Heath and nearby sandy, nutrient-poor landscapes. The name covers related heath types, with the Grey Horned Heidschnucke the most familiar form outside Germany. These are light, active sheep with hard feet, coarse mixed fleece, and a primitive outline. In the grey variety, lambs are born dark and mature into silver-grey sheep with darker heads and legs.

Heidschnucken are kept as working grazing animals as much as farm livestock. They maintain open heath by eating grasses, heather, birch shoots, and other rough growth that more productive breeds may ignore. Flocks need room to travel, practical shelter, and careful parasite and foot management when moved onto wetter or richer ground. Their meat is marketed regionally, and the fleece is better suited to rustic textiles, felting, or craft use than to fine apparel yarn.