watch some ewes maneuver to stay between
their lambs and Crazy Aunt Champagne, for
example, which seems to show that they are
particular who they let play with the children.
Those babies playing are a welcome
springtime sight. They race and jump and frolic
and then pile up in the sunshine and all sleep
together. Sometimes, it looks like they are
springing on all four feet. We can’t help but smile
at their antics as there is nothing much cuter
than a lamb at play. Finnsheep babies mature
earlier than other breeds and the ram lambs can
impregnate their mothers at four months old, so
their childhood is short. We separate the ram
lambs from the others at four months old.
We also make time to sit and watch the
lambs just after shearing. The new haircuts
change the appearances of the mama sheep
so dramatically that sometimes their own lambs
don’t know them. The little things run from sheep
to sheep bleating in search of a familiar body.
They always find their mother, but it is quite a
chaotic situation for a while.
Our enjoyment doesn’t change the fact
that we are still novices with a great deal to
18 West Virginia Farm Bureau News
learn. We belong to the Finnsheep Breeders
Association and get the helpful “Short Tales”
newsletter they publish. Their website is also
excellent: http://finnsheep.org.
Updates on his sheep are sent along to Bill,
but the stories are not as good as being there.
We’ll always be grateful for the opportunity he
provided to us to add this remarkable breed to
our little farm.