Choosing a Breeder

Wowza!

Cold and raw today.  Snow flurries. A good day for the wood stove. Winter is making its presence known.

Now is the time that most shepherds are putting their breeding groups together and this leads me to a discussion of Finnsheep breeders in general.

There are two organizations for Finnsheep here in the U.S.

The first and oldest of them is The Finnsheep Breeders Association:

www.finnsheep.org

There are 50 breeders listed throughout the 50 states. Fossil Creek Farm is NOT listed though we are indeed members.

Then there is the second Finnsheep breeders group. This group is newer and has a different focus than the first. We are listed in the breeders directory with IFR.

http://www.internationalfinnsheepregistry.org/

There are 40 breeders listed there and we are included in that directory.

Our farm, like many,  has dual memberships with both registries.

Since Finnsheep are a relatively little known breed in the US, with a small population of purebred, registered animals compared to other breeds, many of the breeders listed in either directory are newbies, such as myself.

Choosing a breeder to supply animals for your flock means that depending on your location and your budget you might choose to buy from a long standing experienced breeder or a knowledgeable, passionate but new breeder.

Registered Finnsheep breeding stock can range between $200.00 - $800.00 depending on the shepherd and the various qualities present in the sheep.

Almost all breeders, established and new, breed for the usual things.

• Confirmation ( breed standard )
• Fleece quality
• Temperament
• Maternal instinct
• Parasite resistance

Not necessarily in that order.

Some breeders focus on Scrapie resistance. Scrapie being a deadly disease that if detected will result in confiscation and euthanizing of a breeders entire flock. Scrapie is similar to "hoof and mouth " disease. For the most part, the USDA seems to think it much less of a threat than in previous years.  . Animals with an inherent resitance to Scrapie will have RR or QR blood types. These animals are usually at the higher end of the price scale and appeal to commercial flock shepherds.

All breeders start their flocks with bloodlines from an established flock. Through strategic pairings of various animals, new bloodlines are established, particular to that shepherd, but essentially the foundation animals have common ancestors in their lineages.

Some shepherds raise sheep as a commodity, others as a passion. Some for commercial purposes, others as fiber pets. Some for a livelihood, others for the shear joy of it.

What's important in selecting a breeder is that he/she knows and understands your flock goals and suggests animals that are suited to those goals as opposed to selling you an animal they no longer want.

Most flocks have a few culls - animals which for one reason or another do not fit the breeders criteria as breeding stock.

Different breeders manage culls differently. Some will keep them and breed them anyway which can often result in diminished quality of the flock in general. Others will neuter the rams and sell them as companions or fiber pets. Many go to auction and/or directly to the freezer which assures their genes will not eventually find their way into the pool and keeps the integrity of the breed intact. Its possible that a cull might appeal to a buyer if that buyer doesn't intend to breed, but use the animal strictly for fiber or meat.

Whether you are thinking of purchasing from an experienced and well established breeder, or a new and passionate breeder it pays to do your research before hand and be up front with your flock goals.

Talk with several breeders, visit the online breeder organizations and learn what the breed standard is, the organizations' mission is, and what your own goals for your flock are to be.

Your potential breeder should be willing to mentor you and your flock as you become established, via phone, emails and in person if feasible. This may or may not reflect in the cost of your foundation animals.

Membership to one or both of the breed organizations will be helpful. A point to consider here though is, the International Finnsheep Breeders Registry is not reciprocal with the Finnsheep Breeders Association. If you buy animals registered through IFR, they are in effect the same as unregistered as far as the FBA is concerned. So, if you choose IFR animals they will not be appealing to people who favor membership with FBA. At this time I do not believe dual registry is an option for IFR animals.

You can register FBA animals with IFR and achieve dual registry in that manner, but IFR animals are not registrable through FBA. This is a consideration and one which should be carefully weighed when you determine your flock goals.

Regards,
Kathryn