|
The Finnish Landrace or Finnsheep is a breed of domestic sheep which has a high incidence of multiple births – it is common for a ewe to have three, four, or even five lambs at once. In North America, several instances of births of seven lambs have occurred, and the record in Finland is nine live lambs. The lambs are often small, but are vigorous at birth and grow well. The lambs mature early and can be mated at six months of age. Ewes commonly breed out of season and some may lamb twice in a year.〔''Finnsheep In Finland'', by H. Goot, 1973 (Special Publication No. 28, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel〕 The breed belongs to the group of Northern European short-tailed sheep, which also includes Shetland, Icelandic, Romanov, Spaelsau, and several other breeds. The Finnsheep is often used in crossbreeding programs to increase lambing percentage, and Finnsheep blood is found in many of the newer breeds. In the USA, the breed is promoted by the US Finnsheep Breeders Association. Finnsheep were first imported to North America by the University of Manitoba, Canada in 1966.〔 〕 ==Characteristics== While there is a range of wool fineness across individual Finnsheep, the American Sheep Industry’s Wool Council ranks Finnsheep in the fine end of the medium wool category.〔''Wool Grades and the Sheep that Grow the Wool'', from the American Wool Council, a division of the American Sheep Industry Association, 6911 South Yosemite Street, Englewood, CO 80112-1414 - (http://www.sheepusa.org ).〕 The wool has a soft handle, a moderate crimp and a high luster. Finnsheep have a similar range of fleece colors to that of Shetland and Icelandic sheep. White is genetically dominant and the most common color. Black and black/white piebald (spotted) sheep are also fairly common, while brown, grey and fawn Finnsheep are very scarce in the USA. Markings such as white stockings, tail tips, white crown or facial markings including the panda-like eyespot pattern, are common in colored Finnsheep. Australian Finns are universally white; the wool has superior length, softness, better radius of curvature and reduced prickle factor. In Australia, wool quality and length have improved greatly to the extent that there are now sheep which can be shorn twice per year and whose advantageous wool characteristics have been extensively incorporated into the Merino flock. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Finnsheep」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|