FINNSHEEP!

THE PRODUCTION BREED:

· Prolific and maternal

· Breed year-round

· Lustrous, soft fleece

Finnsheep are one of several closely related breeds of sheep (short-tailed sheep) originating in Scandinavia and Russia. Finnsheep were first imported into the United States in the 70's. Finns are more docile than some of the other short-tailed breeds and are unequalled in prolificacy, averaging 3.2 lambs with litters of up to seven live lambs recorded. Since Finns have short tails there is no need to dock them. Undocked, uncastrated purebred Finn lambs are in great demand in the ethnic meat market.

Finnsheep mature early with ewe lambs breeding at six or seven months. Most ewes will breed out of season and some have proven outstanding producers on the Star system developed at Cornell University breeding repeatedly on a more frequent than 12 month interval.

Finn lambs and Finn-cross lambs are very vigorous at birth and have a much lower than average mortality rate. Finn ewes are good mothers and should be able to wean triplets unassisted.

FINN-CROSS EWES

Under intensive management systems, some commercial producers favor a 50% Finn-crossbred ewe. Under more extensively managed systems, a 25% Finn-cross ewe may be more desirable.

· Near 1% increase in % lamb crop weaned for each % Finnsheep breeding in the ewe.

· Finn-cross ewes will breed at 6 or 7 months of age.

· Lambs sired by meat breeds out of Finn-cross ewes performed as well as those from other cross-bred ewes.

· Livability and lambing ease are excellent in lambs from Finn-cross ewes.

FINNSHEEP BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION

HC 65 BOX 495

DERUYTER, NY 13052

(315) 852-3344, www.finnsheep.org