History
Lesvos sheep (also mentioned as Mytilene) originated in the homonymous Aegean island. The breed’s origin is not clear. It possibly stems from crosses of fat-tailed sheep from Asia Minor with thin-tailed autochthonous sheep or even imports of the Kamakugiuruk sheep from the Ismir region. The breed is well adapted to the island’s xerothermic conditions. Its productivity is relatively high and demonstrates excellent hardiness to local conditions. It is bred for its milk production in semi extensive conditions in the northwest part of the island, where sheep breeding is the main livestock keeping activity. Most breeders are members of farmers’ co-operatives with headquarters in Lesvos villages (Agia Paraskevi, Parakila, Skalochori, Stypsi). They participate in productivity monitoring programmes and held book keeping supported by national and European Union funding. The sheep are kept throughout the year in pastureland or olive groves. Since pastureland is degraded, supplemental feeding, usually consisting of maize and cottonseed cake, is necessary nearly year round. Lesvos sheep have been exported and bred on other Aegean islands and Mainland Greece (Attica, the Peloponnese, Macedonia and Thrace) for many years.
Morphological Traits
Lesvos are a medium size, mixed wool and semi-fat tailed sheep. Average weight and height at the withers for rams is 67kg and 71cm and ewes 50kg and 63cm, respectively.
Most rams are horned and most ewes polled. The head is small and slender with a moderately convex profile. Foreparts are comparatively more developed than the hindquarters. The body is long. The udder has good conformation. The tail at its base shows great variability with width fluctuating from 7-13cm and length 25-40cm. The head, the limbs and the belly are wool free. Colour is variable. The greatest percentage has white bodies with black or chestnut spotting on the face, ears and/or legs. An appreciable percentage of animals is entirely black or chestnut-black.
Population
According to 2019 data from the Centre of Animal Genetics Resources (CAGR) of Athens, the total population of the Lesvos breed is approximately 270,000 animals. The status of the breed is considered ‘Not at Risk’.