Why we chose Finnsheep

After deciding to start a sheep farm, the largest decision to make was which breed to choose. After much research, we settled on Finnsheep.

Our children are still quite young so for safety’s sake we wanted a sheep that would be small, docile, and friendly so that we would never need to worry about the kids playing with the sheep. Since I (Jessica) am a passionate knitter, whatever breed we ended up with was definitely going to be a good fiber breed.

Finnsheep met all of our requirements plus some. They are small and notoriously friendly, have no horns, have naturally short tales, and come in a wide array of adorable colors and color patterns. They also produce a gorgeous fleece that is perfect for knitting with, and we are planning on making naturally colored yarns to share with knitters everywhere.

And on top of all of that, they are a famously prolific breed that has so many lambs in one birth that they are referred to as litters. Quadruplets and quintuplets are perfectly normal for Finnsheep to have. This prolificacy will help us build our flock quickly and give us a larger lamb crop to sell every year.

Finnsheep are known as a triple-purpose breed. They are used for their wool, meat, and milk. Different breeders focus on different traits, and we have chosen to focus on wool for a high-quality yarn in the end. Our 10-year-old is determined to have a milk animal so we are planning to let her milk the sheep with the fewest lambs. Given how high the milk production in this breed is, I have no doubt that the ewe will be able to share some milk with our daughter along with feeding her own lambs. And a few of the ram lambs may end up going to freezer camp at the end of the summer.

Finnsheep are ideal for a small homestead or for a flock of pet sheep. They are small, hardy, easy to manage, and can be used for several different end products. We are delighted by our flock and are looking forward to sharing the Finnsheep magic with others.

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