Finnsheep for the Commercial Market

Purebred Finn ewe and lambs
photo: PH Farms

F-1, first generation cross Finn ewes are a valuable asset in commercial flocks. When outcrossed, F-1 ewes tend to be more prolific than the other purebred breed, but their weaning weights are considerably higher than that of purebred Finns.

First cross (F-1) Finn ewes produced the following return when compared to purebred Dorsets in a 1980 study at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute:

Breed	Litter Size	Weaning Weights
Dorset	1.44	59.8
1/4 Finn x 3/4 Dorset	1.74	59.2
1/2 Finn x 1/2 Dorset	1.94	58.7

A similar study carried out by the U.S. Meat and Animal Reserach Center in 1972 confirms that Finn-cross market lambs have a growth rate equal to other purebred breeds. Prolificacy plus comparable weaning weights mean that Finnsheep add profit and increased yield to meat producers. Hybrid vigor pays off and is best attained by breeding purebred Finnsheep or 1/2 (F-1) Finn rams to ewes with no Finnsheep ancestry.