Meet the Flock: Ewe 40, My Favorite Finnsheep

They say you shouldn’t have favorites—but I do, and her name is Ewe 40 (just “40” from here on out). She’s been my favorite ever since we brought home our first Finnsheep flock back in 2020. From day one, 40 stood out—not just for her beautiful light brown fleece, but for her calm, friendly nature. She’s the kind of ewe who meets you at the gate, ready for scratches, and she has a gentle way with the rest of the flock too.

40 is a natural leader, and the other sheep follow her lead—literally. If she’s willing to go somewhere, the whole flock will follow. But if she decides she’s not on board, you can forget it. That’s the kind of influence she has. And it’s not just her personality that stands out—her mothering instincts are equally impressive.

Over four lambing seasons, 40 has raised 14 lambs, most often triplets (with just one set of twins). Every single one of her lambs has been brown, no matter which ram we bred her with. She’s a classic example of why we love our Finnsheep so much: excellent mothers, naturally gentle, and incredibly attentive. I’m convinced Finnsheep can count—40, and all of our other ewes never lose track of their lambs and always keep them close.

One of the things I love most about this breed is how they form tight family bonds. It's not unusual to find 40 napping mid-morning or mid-afternoon with her daughters from previous years snuggled up beside her. It's a sweet, peaceful reminder of how connected these sheep are—both to each other and to us.

And then there’s her fleece. 40 grows a soft, light brown wool that spins into the most gorgeous yarn. It’s perfect left natural with its sunbleached tips, but it also overdyes beautifully. I recently took some of her first-year yarn and dyed it a rich, magical blue. It turned out so stunning that I’ve stashed it away for a special project this winter—maybe a shawl or even a cardigan if I can find the right pattern. (I've never made a cardigan, but 40’s yarn seems like the perfect excuse to try something new.)

This year’s fleece is already looking lovely, and I can’t wait to skirt it and send it off to the mill. I’m hoping for another beautiful batch of yarn from my favorite ewe.

If you’re a fiber lover looking for high-quality Finnsheep wool for your next project, be sure to check out our online store. We offer small-batch yarn and roving from our own flock—raised, sheared with care right here on our Kansas ranch, and process our wool in a Kansas mill.