The Icelandic goat is an endangered species and Helena and Stefan is one of the farmers working towards protecting and maintaining the goat stock in Iceland. Visitors receive a warm welcome from the goats, which are very friendly.
We have been welcoming visitors to our Goats for 3 years now and we have a lot of experience with a high rating on Airbnb which is 5 you can read stories there.
It is best to order via Airbnb under visit Icelandic goat. Goat inspection is every day in the summer at 17.30 and as needed in the winter.
What is done in goat inspection, we go into their fields and into goat houses if the weather is bad, we learn about the history of Icelandic goats, how they were brought to Iceland and how they were used. It's also fun to pat them, give hay and help me with the work if people want. It's also fun to take a selfie with a goat or a kitten. Inspection can take from 45 minutes to 60 minutes. this experience is ideal for children as the goats are all good and can be trusted
The Icelandic goat, also known as the ‘settlement goat’, is an ancient breed of domestic goat believed to be of Norwegian origin and dating back to the settlement of Iceland over 1100 years ago.It is believed that goats were first brought to Iceland by settlers and have been here without interference for about 1100 years. Not much is known about the status of the Icelandic goat population in the first centuries of the Icelandic settlement, as little is said about goats in written sources. However, goats are mentioned in ancient literature, for example in Snorri-Edda, Ljósvetningasaga, and Landnáma. In Snorri-Edda it is said that the thunder god Þór had two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstur, who towed his chariot. It also tells about the goat Heiðrún, but from her teats flowed a lot of mead that the fighters of Valhalla drank with good appetite. Place-names derived from goats are common throughout the country, such as Geitafell, Geitasandur, Hafursá, Kiðafell and Kiðjaberg.
Archaeological analysis of animal bones shows that in the 9th and 10th centuries, goats were present on most farms, but their numbers declined thereafter. By the beginning of the 13th century, goats had become rare, but the number of sheep increased. Today, goats are found in all parts of the country except in the Westfjords and goat property is very scattered. The goat population is considered to be in danger of extinction, but at the end of 2016 the population counted 1188 winter-fed goats in 104 herds.
The Icelandic goat is the only farm animal sponsored by the Icelandic government for the purpose of ensuring its survival.
