Firefly Fields

"Kahvi" means coffee in Finnish. He is our first brown sheep and is a true, genetic brown like the brown sheep in Finland. He started out as a dark brown lamb and then turned sort of a reddish brown. By the time of his second shearing (just before his second birthday), he was sort of a taupe brown.

Kahvi is an F2 (second generation) of out the imported semen from Finland. His sire is Usko and his dam is Mara. Both of these sheep are black but carry a recessive gene for brown. He was born in March of 2006 and we are so glad to have him!

True genetically brown Finnsheep are characterized by a liver colored nose and eye rims and a dark red tongue. This helps to distinguish them from sheep which may appear to have brown wool but are, in fact, genetically black. When brown Finnsheep become sun-bleached, their wool tips are often almost blonde.

Genetically black Finnsheep that appear to have brown wool can be the result a "fading gene" which results in a "fading black", or from wool tips that have lightened from sun-bleaching. ("Fading black" Finnsheep may fade to either brown or grey.) Genetically black Finnsheep have a black nose and eye rims and a purplish, black tongue.

Age 15 months

Finn rams in living color!
Kahvi - brown (front/left), Usko - black (front/right) and Rammy-lamby - white (rear)

Baby Kahvi

Photo of Baby Kahvi showing his liver colored nose and eye rims and dark red tongue

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Last update: June 22, 2008