Ontario Suffolk Sire 
Reference Association

His spider test was NN, which is normal.

Some performance data on Sir Bernlak:

Born Jan 11 1997 Twin

Birth weight 5.7 kg

50 Day adjusted weight 31.8 kg

100 Day adjusted weight 54.4 kg

Average Daily Gain 0.45 kg

100 Day EPD 0.85 (52%)

Lambplan Index 126.5

Lambplan ywt 1.748

Lambplan yfat –0.246

Lambplan yemd 0.319

I guess shepherds are very individualistic and all want to go their own way.

If we don’t some other breed could eventually become the Terminal Sire breed of choice. Suffolk’s are the world’s best terminal sires, lets work together and keep it that way.

Suffolk Sire Reference Rams in the United Kingdom are in great demand and fetch a very good price.

The same can happen in North America if we market high health status, superior performance animals to the commercial Producers, and educate them of the benefits to their flock and pocket book of using an OSSRA ram.

John Douma OSSRA secretary

OSSRA also had Ross Fenwick from the Australian Lambplan at the meeting who did an excellent job explaining how Lambplan works.

Since SFIP’s Delma Kennedy is working on fine tuning our indexes, Lambplan graciously agreed to run our data with help from Ross Fenwick and Suzan Meszaros who has helped OSSRA a great deal.

OSSRA’s board of directors has decided to adopt a modified version of the Lambplan Blue dot, Red dot identification system.

"Blue tag" will represent the top 25% of the rams in the combined index (75:25:0) for Terminal Sires.

The next 25% of the rams qualifying would be "red tag"

These tags would be circular with OSSRA stamped on them. This method should help people who do not fully understand EPD’s or EBV’s know that these rams are top quality in performance.

At The Sheep Focus 1998 sale, OSSRA will be having a few yearling Suffolk rams with these tags so that the general public will become aware of the procedure.

Our member from Indiana is currently planning on entering a couple of animals at this event in May 1998.

OSSRA’s

About 100 attended the

First open house held at Windy Brae Suffolk’s near Lucan Ontario was a great success.

Visitors were able to see the 1997 Reference Sire "Rocky Mountain Magic" from Blue Spruce Ranch in Colorado.

Commercial exhibitors included SR Genetics, Ewebyte Sheep Management Program, Micotil a new antibiotic which is very effective against pneumonia.

Dr Brian Buckrell demonstrated ultrasound equipment and educated visitors on A.I in sheep.

Gallagher Fence did fencing demonstration, we had pasture walks.

Vetrepharm also had a display promoting Glanfac.

After a successful day all the members were able to get to know each other better at a supper meeting held at a local restaurant.

US members came from as far away as Colorado, Ohio and Indiana.

OSSRA at World Sheep and Wool Congress?

We are currently discussing the possibility of attending the World Sheep and Wool Congress in California this year.

Our directors have been trying to work out a deal with various Government and Sheep Industry organizations to assist us in attending the World Congress.

Our Webmaster Joe Stephenson is doing an excellent Job improving our website at http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/6516

Our Chairman Bill Duffield can be reached at

Dennis Wilson our director from Indiana can be reached at phone 219-566-2436

They were very interested in what we are doing, and OSSRA being the first in North America to implement a Sire Reference Scheme

Sir Bernlak 1998 Reference Sire


Codan 25E

Twin January 7, 1995

Birth Weight: 5.1 Kg 50 Day Adj. Wt: 27.9 Kg ADG: 0.54

Gain EPD: +0.3 Kg Gain ABC: +1.8 Kg

This ram was Station Tested at Arkell in Ontario.

Country Music is the 3rd certified meat sire in the in the USA.

Sir Gawain was the number 1 Suffolk at the Illinois Test Station.

Sir Palomides' offspring have been twice carcass evaluated by OMAF.

This semen is now available to the general public, as this ram has been retired as Reference Sire (all ram semen is only available to OSSRA members for the first two years after being chosen as Reference Sire

Codan 25E our First Reference Sire

If there is anything that you want to put in this newsletter please send it to me so I can include it in the next issue, which will be published when we have enough material to fill it

OSSRA