|
Permaculture-based consulting, education and stock for today’s homesteader |
|
See our adult breeding stock: Meet the Flock To see lambs for sale, click here.
We raise Finnsheep (Finnish landrace) as a major component of our food sylvipasture system. Finnsheep are a multi-purpose breed that produce fine, soft, lustrous wool in a variety of natural colors that is perfect for hand spinning. Their meat is mild flavored compared to standard market lamb breeds, and they can also be milked. Their most famous characteristic is their prolificacy—triplets are standard, but they can have up to 7 lambs at a time! Their prolificacy gives them a unique genetic contribution to sheep breeding programs, which is one of the reasons preservation of this rare breed is so important. Finnsheep are friendly, easygoing sheep—not as skittish as some breeds. They are naturally polled (no horns) and have short tails which don’t require docking. They reach sexual maturity earlier than other breeds and should give birth to their first lambs at 12 months. Finn lambs are typically smaller than other breeds with good “get up and go”, so the ewes need less assistance in birthing. One last trait we especially appreciate about this breed is their enjoyment of woody browse and weedy pasture. We have used them to help clear brambly fencerows and overgrown areas, and while they don’t bush-hog like a goat, they do a pretty nice job. Learn more about American Finnsheep at http://www.finnsheep.org.
Our breeding goals include selecting for vigorous growth and nice meaty frames on 100% pasture, good quality wool production in a variety of colors, parasite resistance, and good dispositions. Prolificacy is a trait that we appreciate, but are not breeding to emphasize it, as larger litters are harder to support with grass-based management and there is a limit to how many lambs even a Finn ewe can feed on her own. We are new to this breed and have a very small flock, but we have selected our foundation stock with these characteristics in mind. |
|
Finnsheep |
|
Brambleberry Permaculture Farm LLC |
|
Finnsheep |
|
If you’re in the market for a web host, you can help support us by joining Fat Cow though our website! They’ll give us a nice little commission for every person who signs up using this link: |
|
Esprí and Darren Bender-Beauregard Paoli, IN 47454 Phone: 812.723.5259 |
