I've always wondered whether Finnsheep are 'for real'. Do they really spit out four to five lambs a year and do well, grow well and thrive? Is the wool good? Having that many lambs a year just seems a little too good to be true.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), March 12, 2002

Answers

All the sheep people on here will give you a better answer, but when I was at Cornell 25 years ago they were setting up sheep programs where a certain percentage of Finn was added into the mix just to boost the numbers of lambs born. I don't recall the specifics of the program (I can hardly remember getting out of bed this morning . . . :) but it involved an intensive program where the sheep were highly managed to lamb as often as possible. Nutrition was perfect, etc. I know the professor in charge was quite pleased with it at the time, but sheep aren't too big in NYS so I don't know much more about it.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), March 12, 2002.

I only know what I've read, lot's of small fragile lambs per "litter" The sheep themselves aren't that big either. You can extrapolate that as they are not used as the main breed in the sheep industry here or in Aus/NZ that the lambs are more trouble than they are worth? If I remember right (and I'm pretty tired from lambing chores) the Rideau Arcott has some Finn in the mix. (REE-Doe Arcott as in Animal ResearCh OTTawa part of Canada Argriculture's Central Experimental Farm) Rideaus have small lambs and lots of them (but more like twins, trips and quads, not septuplets!)and they grow very fast. There's E Freak (sorry East Friesan) for milk production too. If you want lot's of fast growing light lambs (new crop to 90 pounds) then look at getting some Rideau Arcott. I have none for sale all my good females are needed for at least 5 years. I can put you in contact with breeders though.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), March 12, 2002.

I have Finns and love them. I have a few different breeds and you can tell who are the hardiest because there are quite a few Finns and I started with the culls of someone.I usually have twins with them and they are generally up and at it to nurse. They do not have long tails or face or leg wool which is nice. I had bought a ewe which had quads and have had quite a few triplets.The wool is wonderful and treasured by handspinners. They either have a super soft fleece or a wavy lusterous one. I have right now twin black ewe lambs each one with a different fleece.I have heard of a management system to get two breedings a year from them but I only have lambs in the spring. They are out of season breeders I hear. I like them to cross breed and plan to get a Cotswold ram this year to breed with some of them.

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), March 12, 2002.

They scare me to death! When my black face x breeds lamb triplets it is a mess. I like to see twins which is mostly what I get, but each year I get a couple of triplets. I would rather have all singles than mess with my triplets. For One I never let mom just do her thing, I think they need my intervention at all hours of the night. So you can see I am not a Finn Mom. Debbie

-- debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), March 14, 2002.

I had Romanov sheep for 8 years. They are related to Finns. Toughest sheep I ever had. Sure beat the Dorsets I have now. Anybody that didn't triple left the flock and quads were normal. The record for Romanovs is 9! Surviving! When doing chores, just take a bottle with you and anybody that's hungry gets topped off. Works great.

-- Brenda (bjk@gmavt.net), April 29, 2002.