Rya sheep are raised mainly for wool production. The breed is native to Sweden. The Rya sheep also called by Ryafår or Swedish Carpet Wool Sheep. The Rya sheep have a unique wool type that is long, wavy and shiny, which is often used to make carpets.
Rya sheep breed information
The Rya sheep are a medium-sized breed with wavy and shiny wool.
Both sexes are polled, the breed comes in many colors white, grey, brown and black.
The Rya sheep have long tails that don’t have wool on legs, tail, cheek, and forehead.
The adult Rya ram weighs 70 kg (155 lbs) and the ewe weighs 50 kg (110 lbs).
The Rya sheep are used for wool production to make carpets.
The staple length of three-month-old lamb wool is around 15 cm (6 in) whereas the adult wool length can be around 30 cm(12 in).
The height of an adult ram is 75 cm and the ewe is 70 cm at withers.
The average litter size is 2.1, Rya sheep are considered as a highly fertile sheep breed.
The Rya sheep are hardy, can forage in rough terrain and has easy lambing trait.
The Rya sheep have a unique wool type that is long, wavy and shiny
Things to know
The Rya sheep breed of Swedish Landrace origin contains some Norwegian Spælsau heritage.
In the early twentieth century, the Dalarna region had about 2000 Rya sheep, which were used to make decorations on national costumes.
In 1915, the breed was “re-discovered” as handicraft enthusiasts were searching for the sheep that produced the shiny wool once used in old Rya (shaggy wool) rugs.
The breeding goal for Rya sheep is the wool fiber length should be at least 15 cm with a maximum of 3 crimps per 5 cm.
There were about 2445 breeding ewes in 2013.
Characteristics of Rya sheep
| Breed Name | Rya sheep |
| Other Name | Ryafår, Swedish Carpet Wool Sheep |
| Country/Place of Origin | Sweden |
| Breed Purpose | Wool |
| Breed Size | Medium |
| Weight Ram(Male) | 70 kg (155 lbs) |
| Weight Ewe(Female) | 50 kg (110 lbs) |
| Lambing | single or twins |
| Good for Stall Fed | open grazing |
| Climate Tolerance | local conditions |
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