Ontario Suffolk Sire 
Reference Association

Sire Reference Profile
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Each year a new Reference Sire(s) will be chosen. Breeders in the OSSRA program will breed a minimum of fifteen (15) registered Suffolk ewes to the reference ram. The progeny from the reference breedings combined with the balance of each producer's registered Suffolk flock, bred with the flock sire(s) will then go into the sire reference monitoring program.



The monitoring program begins with the recording of lamb birth weight, born alive/dead, along with ROP supervised weight at 50 day and 100 days of age. This data will then be combined with loin-eye depth and back-fat determination at 100 days using ultrasonography to develop an Estimated Breeding Value. Birth weights and percent born alive will be used as an indicator of lambing ease, which is an important factor for any shepherd.

A selection committee made up of OSSRA members, with every committee member having an equal vote, will select the new Reference Sire(s) based on EBVs and the overall structural correctness of the rams under consideration.

 

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