Our flock originates with medium-large stature Canadian bloodlines. These have been combined with carefully chosen artificial insemination outcrosses to renowned British stud rams (Supersire 95 and Bentley Figurine). Our flock bloodlines, along with a careful health program, deliver the highest breed quality, health, and outstanding productivity.
We use Genovis for genetic evaluation with important productivity indices for optimizing selection for breeding and for providing good objective evidence of expected productivity. This program helps us provide outstanding reliable terminal sires and brood ewes for our customers.
Breeding Stock Foundations
These are some of the sheep that have had or will have an important influence in our breeding.
STONEHILL 28C
Son of Bentley Figurine (a British stud ram), this ram helps provide the outstanding muscle and bone in the Stonehill lambs he sires. He has been sidelined this past year to allow us to test our two new rams, Stonehill 9H and Arkell Valley 90G. However, his influence is found throughout our ewe flock and he remains a viable genetic option for future breeding crosses.
STONEHILL 18Y
SHF 18Y is an example of an outstanding brood ewe, who at 9 years of age was still going strong, and reliably producing multiple births with high quality. See , STONEHILL 14H as an example. We have maintained a small ewe flock, but choose each replacement ewe carefully to ensure good health, good mothering and productivity.
ARKELL VALLEY 90G as a young yearling
AVS 90G is a stud ram who is an AI son of Supersire 95 bred by Ned Cursio. We have had an outstanding crop of fall lambs in 2020 and spring lambs this year from this ram. Genovis has listed AVS 90G as the 3rd highest ram with progeny with a Gain Index of 36.44 (>99%ile) on the Official List of Top Rams Proven for Breed Suffolk as of May 23rd, 2021 .
STONEHILL 9H as a junior lamb
Stonehill 9H is a lamb we bred with our star brood ewe, Stonehill 29C (an AI daughter of the British ram, Bentley Figurine) using the stud ram, IVH37G, owned by Glen Porteous. He has had a terrific first breeding season, producing an outstanding crop of lambs this spring. As a result, with Genovis, he has climbed to first place in the May 23rd, 2021 Official List of Top Rams Proven for Breed Suffolk with a Gain Index of 40.22 (>99%ile) and a Carcass Index of 37.8 (>99%ile).
BROOD EWES
These are some of our older brood ewes out in the pasture, in June 2020.
Breeding Stock Results
Here are a few examples of some outstanding stock that we’ve been able to sell recently. We are tremendously grateful to the breeders and farmers who have recognized the value of our stock and have helped us distribute our genetics all across Canada.
STONEHILL 48W
The Grand Champion Ewe at the 2009 All Canada Classic in Calgary, Alberta.
STONEHILL 6F & 10F
This junior ewe and ram lamb out of our current stud ram, SHF 28C (a son of Bentley Figurine) were awarded Genovis Grand Champions for Terminal Breeds at the 2018 All Canada Classic. They each had the highest combined scores for breed conformation and Gain Index.
STONEHILL 3E
This junior ram lamb was awarded Reserve Champion Suffolk Ram at the 2017 All Canada Classic in Red Deer, AB.
STONEHILL 9G
This junior ram lamb was the top selling ram at the 2019 All Canada Classic in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.
STONEHILL 7G
SHF 7G was the Genovis Terminal Breeds Grand Champion Ewe at the 2019 All Canada Classic.
STONEHILL 7H
SHF 7H is a Junior Ewe we are planning on retaining to add to our existing breeding stock.
Special Thanks
What is more valuable to us than any prize, is the respect and patronage of many excellent breeders and producers over the years. Special thanks to:
Kathy and Glen Parker (Parker Stock Farm, Three Hills, AB), Paul Wurtz (Wilson Colony, Coledale, AB), Ned Cursio (Arkell Valley Suffolks, Proton Station, ON), Robert Thiel (Ferme Felser, Beaconsfield, QC), Darryl Hopkins (Benlock Suffolks, Elmwood, ON), Jackie & Rob Paynter (Blueshank Farms, Kensington, PEI), Lynne & Arnie Droogh (Ewetopia Farms, Joyceville, ON), Karen Hayward (Trillium Woods Sheep, Shallow Lake, ON), Bob & Judy Pringle (Chatsworth, ON), Gary & Luanne Brien (Brien Sheep, Ridgetown, ON). We would also like to extend our gratitude to Dorothy Moore, our veterinarian, for the assistance she has given us over the years.
All Canada Classic
We are tremendously grateful for the work of the Canadian Sheep Breeders Association and its members across our nation. The All Canada Classic has been our most important meeting, show, and sale that we have attended on a regular basis. It provides a basis for recognition of excellence in confirmation by providing the opportunity to display our sheep next to other excellent breeding stock from across the country, followed by an outstanding auction for exchange of prime sheep genetics for all Canadian breeders and producers. Because of our enrolment in the Maedi-Visna program in Ontario, we have not been participating in shows such as the Royal Winter Fair, as we would not be permitted to return stock to our farm once it has been shown there. Ultimately, the judging that is most important to us are the judgments of our regular customers and fellow shepherds, as our stock is developed expressly for the purpose of improving the genetic basis for sheep productivity and health in Canada. We are immensely grateful to be a part of this community of conscientious, devoted shepherds and breeders.
We are indebted to Genovis for providing a sheep flock improvement programme that has provided us with the ability to make evidence-based decisions for breeding.
