Spring 2012 Lambing is Complete

Lambs arrived from March 31st to April 17th.  I have to say, this year represents the best ever total crop.  An increase is quality has been determined for all monitored catagories and this is really exciting.  All the lambs are healthy and vigorous and we are looking forward to seeing the codon 171 test results.  Blacks are rich and brilliant and the browns are vibrant and deep.  We have moved to preserve the type A dilution and are developing unique lines just for this pattern.  Seperate lines are being created for brown on brown and black on black to farther intensify the depth of color and it is exciting to see the progress.  We hope to have about 80% of our fall breeding flock scrapie resistant and additional details on this process will be made available on our website as test results become official.  The International Finnsheep Registry continues to grow and it is very nice to be able to work with such a positive group of breeders who care so much about the Finnsheep breed.  I hope to have more photos to share once the weather clears and I can get out to take more photos.

Fall Photos? What?

 October is usually a month of beautiful fall color, crisp mornings, ever shortening but clear and sunny afternoons and evenings by the fire. I was just a little surprised to see some wet snow coming down the week of October 9th but little did I expect that October 29th had an even bigger surprise in store.

 The weathermen predicted rain most of the day, turning into snow at about 4pm.  It never happened...6:10am had heavy snow falling from the sky and it just kept coming!  By ten am, the power was off and that't the last we saw our electric meter turn for a full week.

  During the storm, I was talking for a bit on the phone to a friend in WI; she couldn't believe we were having such a storm, stating she viewed PA as being "in the tropics!"  Needless to say, she got some very white photos of "life in the tropics" as soon as the power booted back up!

  Good news is, we don't have any tree trimming to do this year, Mother Nature did an amazing job all on her own!  

October 2011, Reflection, Decisions and Moving Forward

Fall is a great time of year for the shepherd.  The craze of the lambing season is long over, the summer chores are all complete and lambs have long left the farm to go to their new homes.  As we turn our focus on the breeding season, we take a long look at our stock, make notes and spend some time in the office reviewing data.  Fleece mircon counts, codon 171 status, current flock genetics, importation of new genetics, markets and the economy all are analyzed as we begin to make breeding decisions.  In our home, this is usually done with the aroma of simmering apples, being cooked down for sauces and butters before canning!  An apple tart and cinnamon tea seems to help the thinking process!

The sheep and wool industries are two industries that are actually growing in our current economy and they represent a wise investment for current and potential farmers looking to add or expand income streams.

As a Finnsheep breeder, producing one of the world's most prolific sheep, I am especially excited about the new possibilities opening up for the breed.  As the quality of our wool, the resistance to scrapie and the improvement of the conformation and growth rate of our sheep is reaching our business targets (and industry requirements for quality) we are able to offer more products of higher quality to more markets than ever before.  

While Finnsheep representatives of the past may have elected to not respond positively to the needs of the market and their clients, we have.  We have listened to the valuable input from each and every one of our clients and we have so appreciated the time you have taken to educate us regarding your needs.  It is because of you that we are able to produce products that suit your needs and goals and we look forward to working with all of you.  We can all profit from new ideas, directions and relationships. 

As grocery store prices continue to rise and the quality of the food available in them continues to decline, farm producers who can raise and sell quality products will continue to be successful in the marketplace.  Those of you who choose to add Finnsheep to your wool and lamb production programs will realize a stronger profit margin, building a better bottom-line and stronger community for everyone. A quality Finnsheep will increase flock production, provide a high-quality, extremely marketable wool clip, produce lean delicious meats for the table and will be hardy and disease resistant.  The unique versatility of the breed allows the producer to market in more than one area, building varying income streams, a key requirement to a successful farm business.

We hope you enjoy the splendor of fall.  Breeding decisions will be posted on our website by the end of October.

Support for Opening the American Finnsheep Registry

   There is alot of discussion right now concerning opening the American Finnsheep Breeders Association (FBA) registry which is currently the only registry available for the Finnsheep breed in North America.  The proposed opening of the flock book was instituted by breeders concerned about attaining scrapie resistant genetics (the Finnsheep breed is QQ) as well as the growing percentages of inbreeding found in the North American flock. 
   I have recently worked with a client who is seeing the affects of intense inbreeding beginning to manifest in her flock (infertility, lamb loss, dwarfism, lethal expression, supressed immunity etc.).  The loss, both physical and financial is high not to mention the emotional toll to the shepherd.  Needless to say, my client is making some dramatic changes.
   A well-planned improvement program has been developed for the breed and hopefully FBA members will vote to make the program available to those members who need to make restorations to their flocks.
   There has been an attempt to instill fear regarding the improvement plan by some that are concerned about the opening of the registry.  Such commentary should be delayed until the program is released.  How can one comment on what one has not seen or read?
   Some are concerned about the "purity" of the American Finnsheep being diluted with such a restoration program, however I must state that the American Finnsheep is not a purebred breed; it is a composite developed by crossing several breeds already existing in North America at the time the initial Finnsheep were imported.  The breed, as it exists in North America, is not purebred like the Finnsheep of Finland.

   A controlled opening of the flock book, with well-defined criteria,  is necessary to preserve the breed in North America.  Without the addition of new genetics and restoration of traits and characteristics of the breed,  the breed's disappearance from our shores will be excellerated and a local genetic resource will be lost.

Organic, Non-GMO, Grass-Fed Offers More Nutrition Regardless of Product!

While our farm primarily raises grass-fed lamb for the breeding stock market (can't legally say organic), we also have a flock of truly free-ranging chickens whose eggs we sell from the farm.  The other day I was reading an article in Mother Earth News regarding the nutritional benefits of eggs from free-ranging hens that are allowed to eat what birds are supposed to eat (seeds, grass, bugs, etc.).  Here are some interesting facts. Hens on pasture lay eggs that have:  1/3rd less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3rds more vitamin A, 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, 7 times more beta carotene and 4 to 6 times more vitamin D than commercially produced eggs.   I know that grass-fed meats also have superior nutrition (and because they are leaner, less calories per serving) to any commercially raised and finished meats as well.  I encourage customers to learn where their food comes from and how it was produced and processed; it can change not only your decision on where to spend your food dollars, but also, your health!

Berks County Sheep Farm Heats Up!

  With heat indexes scheduled to exceed 100 this week, sheep at Trimburfield are keeping cool in their shaded, well-ventilated barn.  Lambs and older sheep come in every morning and settle down for the day in front of one of several fans positioned for maximum air circulation.
  When the heat index is this high, animals need shade, good ventilation and plenty of fresh cool water to stay healthy.  Animals that seem depressed, disoriented or overly heated require immediate attention; if in doubt, call your veterinarian.  When transporting animals, try to arrange transport for the cool hours of the night or early morning and make sure to keep water with you to offer every two hours while on the road.

                                       Young Ram Lamb Keeps His Cool While Resting Indoors  

Trimburfield Farm Finnsheep

Our family farm is located in the rolling hills of Berks County, Pennsylvania.  Specializing in premium Finnsheep and wools, we strive to provide the very best in care and products that not only preserve the unique characteristics and traits of the Finnsheep breed but also allow breeders to be competitive in varied markets.

We produce and sell premium breeding stock, very high-quality raw wools and grass-fed meats.  No antibiotics, hormones, chemicals or dyes are ever used in our program and our animals are never kept on feedlots or feed by-products of any kind.  The extra care we take shows in our animals and the products they produce.

To learn more about our farm, please visit:  http://www.trimburfieldfinnsheep.com/