Alpine lamb project on the Hauser Kaibling
Over 800 sheep on the summer slopes
What is the Alpine lamb project?
The beginning
of the Alpine lamb project
In 2008, the sheep and goat breeding association and Hauser Kaibling Bergbahnen provided new impetus for sustainable landscape management by bringing more than 800 sheep onto the Hauser Kaibling. The aim was to graze alpine pastures and ski slopes in a targeted manner, provide scientific support and at the same time create added value for tourists.
Sheep farming has a long tradition in Austria and especially in the Liezen district. However, the decline in agricultural businesses, rising costs and a lack of personnel have led to many alpine pastures no longer being used . The result: scrub encroachment and overgrowth by shrubs and trees. In addition, global warming is pushing the tree line ever higher. The alpine lamb project is deliberately aimed at stopping this development and preserving the cultural landscape in the long term.
The implementation
Summer retreat for 800 sheep
To counteract this challenge, the Styrian Sheep Breeders' Association founded the Alpine Lamb Project together with partners such as the municipality of Haus im Ennstal, Hauser Kaibling Bergbahnen, LFZ Raumberg-Gumpenstein and the Stainach agricultural district authority.
Shepherds start preparing for the season at the beginning of May. All the animals are registered, weighed, dewormed and checked by a vet during the round-up. The sheep then spend around 120 days enjoying the summer on the alpine pastures, eating a total of over 1 million kilograms of grass, alpine herbs and leaves. With a total weight of around 40,000 kg , they make an important contribution to maintaining the mountain meadows.
The varied feed composition acts like a "spa stay on the mountain": The animals are healthy, develop optimally and provide high-quality meat. Ennstal lamb is professionally marketed by the Ennstal Sheep Farming Center - a product that stands for quality, regionality and sustainability .
Ecological slope maintenance
Sustainable pasture instead of heavy machinery
In addition to the alpine pastures, the sheep also graze on the slopes of the Hauser Kaibling cable cars. This is a particularly environmentally friendly form of slope maintenance: the use of heavy machinery is reduced and nature is protected. The LFZ Raumberg-Gumpenstein is scientifically monitoring the herd and investigating the effects on plant population, weight gain and meat quality.
Mountain shepherd at Hauser Kaibling
The most beautiful workplace in the world - with 800 fluffy colleagues
For the mountain shepherd, summer at Hauser Kaibling is not just about work, but also about living in harmony with nature. Every day, he or she accompanies around 800 sheep across the alpine meadows, looks after their health and ensures that the animals graze the slopes optimally.
The herd thus takes on important tasks for landscape conservation and biodiversity, while the shepherd determines the rhythm of the alpine pasture as guardian and companion. Visitors can experience this togetherness: when hiking, you can often meet the sheep up close, hear the sound of the bells and get an authentic insight into the traditional life of a shepherd - an experience that will remain unforgettable on the Styrian Genussberg.
