OUR FINNSHEEP

 

 

Since we have enjoyed Lambing Season and since we always wanted “Just one more lamb!  Please?”  The Finnsheep or Finnish Landrace Sheep were perfect additions to our farm.  A breed of sheep world renowned for having Litters of Lambs; Out of Season Lambing Abilities; good Maternal Instincts with plenty of milk, often able to feed 3 and sometimes 4 lambs without assistance; a fine soft fleece for the Hand spinner;  plus a “Low Fat” Meat is a fine combination to have available to offer.

 

Let us introduce you to our Finns!   Most of our Finn Sheep come when they are called by name.  If you scratch them under the chin or on the chest they wag their tails like a dog.

 

First our two RAMS came:

 

oc19#056 

Stillmeadow Sultan, NY 69 # 597, Our Black Finn Ram that carries White, and Pied as well!  He is one very patient and considerate ram.   All the ladies come to spend a few minutes talking through the fence with him. Sultan is fading Black, as the wool grows longer with plenty of sunshine the Black fades toward the color you see here.  In the spring after shearing he is actually Black.

 

oc19#057 Stillmeadow Yukon, NY 69 # 586.  Our White Finn Ram that carries Black, White and Pied genetics so far White is the only color that has appeared in his offspring regardless of the color of the ewe.  Since Finn Sheep are excellent meat sheep this is a  distinct advantage in a market where white is the preferred color.  One of the best temperaments in a ram!

 

 

 

And Then Our EWES Came… one plus…

 

 jy14#020   Stillmeadow Cream NY 69 #338.  She has had many lambs for her previous owner and this year she gave us triplets plus fostered the black one just to the left and hiding behind her.  We retained her daughter Hope #726.  We still have one of her ram lambs available…LHF # 727.  During the 2008 Lambing Season we encountered an outbreak of Toxoplasmosis.  Cream died without delivering the triplet spotted lambs she was carrying.  We are fortunate to have Hope to replace her.

 

Thanks Elizabeth from Stillmeadow Finnsheep of DeRuyter, NY for breeding Sultan, Yukon and Cream… and selling them to us.

 

oc19#003   Then came a little Faith this spring:  Faith is PA 43 GH 193.  She is solid Black and carries White, Black, Piebald plus BROWN genetics from a ram from Finland named Ventii.  In 2008, Faith bred with Sultan birthed triplet white lambs.  We kept LHF855, Connie, as a replacement ewe.  LHF 854, a ram lamb is still available.  He is not registered.  Registration would be made available with his purchase.  

 

 

Then came FOUR EWES more:  Heike, Blackie, Patience plus Charity

 

oc19#010   Heike PA 43 GH 94.  She is the largest Finnsheep Ewe I had ever seen!  I expected  she would pass those wonderful genetics on to her offspring.  Heike was also one of the many ewes we lost to Toxoplasmosis.  She also died without giving birth to the six lambs she was carrying.  We have her daughters, a granddaughter and a sister to maintain the genetics characteristics.

 

oc19#078  Blackie PA 43 GH 96.  Our first Black Ewe with Spotting Genetics!!!  I was so thrilled when we saw her!  She stayed close to her mother Heike and that meant at a distance at first… what a beautiful ewe!  In 2008 she had single white lamb, LHF 828, that was named Haika and kept in our flock.

 

oc19#051  Patience-N-Patches PA 43 GH 196.  Patches is Black with Spots… She carries White, Black, Piebald plus BROWN genetics due to a ram from Finland named Ventii.  In 2008 Patches was bred with Yuki (Stillmeadow Yukon) and yielded 2 white ewe lamb: Cream, LHF 848 and Snow, LHF 846.

 

Thanks Grace Hatton for breeding and selling such wonderful Finnsheep to us.

 

oc19#052   Charity WITT VA26-227.  A White Surprise lamb for Linda Witt, she was a total blessing for us!  Her conformation and size is grand.  I look forward to seeing her mature and pass on her genetics to her offspring. She carries White, Black and Piebald!

 

Thanks Linda Witt for breeding and selling such a wonderful Finn ewe lamb to us.

 

In the Fall of 2008 we purchased 3 ewes and a ram from Grace Hatten, plus we bought a ram from Sandy DeMaster in Wisconsin that is 50%AI from Finland.  Pictures and notes will be added in the near future. 

 

So now we have our foundation flock beginnings… we would like to add in both Browns and Grays into our flock… but that is going to wait till after we see what genetic possibilities these ewes and ewe lambs will give to us…  I am so excited and look forward to this upcoming spring!

 

In the meantime we are looking further into the genetics that have been brought in from Finland.  From what I have seen so far, we will be trying to locate and purchase more.