Husum sheep market: Triumph after the blue tongue crisis!

Husum sheep market: Triumph after the blue tongue crisis!

On August 23, 2025, one of the largest buck auctions in Germany took place in the Husum exhibition halls, which was organized again for the first time after the blue tongue crisis last year. The Husum sheep market had a lot to offer and around 550 award-winning animals found new owners. This was an important event for breeders who were struggling with the consequences of bluetongue, which killed many animals last year and posed major challenges for the industry. As ndr.de reports, veterinarians fear that the disease could also play a role this year and that some enclosures will remain empty.

The managing director of the regional association of sheep and goat breeders, Janine Bruser, also pointed out the generational change among breeders, which leads to reluctance in the number of rams offered for auction. The average price for a buck was 716 euros last year, and there is already speculation about a possible increase in prices this year. Some extraordinary animals were presented at the auction: breeders presented 1 A animals in the ring, and the awards for the best animals traditionally took place on Wednesday morning. Criteria such as muscles, wool and external appearance were evaluated.

The diversity of races

The auctions were diverse and included breeds such as the Blue Headed Meat Sheep, Suffolk and Swifter. Around 70 breeders from various federal states, including Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bavaria and Hesse, took part. Among the Merino sheep, the Triesdorf Agricultural Schools were the best in age groups I and II, while a ram from Trinkl GbR was at the top among the Suffolks. The black-headed meat sheep and Texel rams also found their winners among the breeders, which impressively demonstrated the great competitiveness of the breeding breed, as wochenblatt-dlv.de shows.

The situation in the industry is uncertain due to bluetongue. This disease has been widespread in Europe since 2014 and has also reached Germany in recent years. Symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing and inflammation, which all too often have fatal consequences for the affected animals. Since then, it has been strongly recommended that animals be vaccinated to curb the spread. Numerous farmers and veterinarians are worried that the problems could continue if the spread of BTV-4 and BTV-8 continues, as fli.de informs.

It remains to be seen how the prices and availability of the animals will develop in the coming months. At a time when many farmers are under pressure, the Husum sheep market could bring new perspectives for breeders - and help ensure that the important traditions of sheep farming in the region are not forgotten.