Sheepfarming in Slovakia
(Dr. Katarína Grunwald)
Who would not know sheep-cheese noodles, sheep cheese or sheep‘s whey in Slovakia? The sound of bells and flocks of white sheep on mountain meadows has been part of the colouring of the country lying under the Tatra for centuries. Sheep farming is among the oldest agricultural activities in Slovakia. Its origin goes back centuries before the time of Jesus Christ. Osteological material found give witness about growing sheep farming in the oldest populated areas of Slovakia. The method of keeping sheep was unsignificantly different from progressive breeding ways in other parts of Central and Western Europe. Ancient Slavic tribes kept sheep as most useful animals giving them many benefits - milk and meat for food, wool and fur for clothing all of which helped our ancestors in surviving and allowing them to settle down in areas not very suitable for agriculture.