The Codan Suffolk Flock is located outside of Wyoming, ON, Canada
just
north of HWY 402
The Codan Suffolk Flock is located outside of Wyoming, ON, Canada
just
north of HWY 402
The
Flock: The original flock was established by owners Bill & Lynne
Duffield in 1965. Through the years ewes, were purchased from such flocks as MSU
and Culham. In 1991 the flock was closed to purchasing ewes from outside the
farm. Rams to service this flock were purchased from test station sales in
Canada and the USA such as Ontario, Alberta, Iowa, and Illinois. One of our
studs was a son of Country Music, the third certified meat sire in USA. We
closed the flock to bringing in outside live rams in 1994 and switched to new
genetics of frozen ram semen by the use of AI only. This means under
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) definition that the flock is a totally closed unit. In
1999, we used the Third Ontario Suffolk Reference Sire ram and two of our own
ram lambs of which one was an AI ram using the data from Sheep Flock Improvement
Program of Ontario (SFIP) and Lambplan from Australia.
We were one of the original flocks putting rams into test stations in Ontario and the only Canadian flock to test ram lambs at the Ohio Station, USA. Our rams have been at/or near the top of the Suffolks at all these stations.
Since we are a strong supporter of healthy sheep we took lambs to the test
station for carcass class only so we do not bring ram lambs home that have been
exposed to animals from other farms. Several years ago our carcasses averaged a
2.96 square inch loin eye at 110 days from birth to slaughter. We used Glanvac-6
and culling to prevent and eradicate any caseous lymphadenitis (CL) in our flock
and there has been no signs of CL for many, many years. In 1990 our flock was
ELISA blood tested for Maedi Visna (OPP) and at that time we had no reactors.
Every year since we randomly sample 10-15% of the flock to monitor our Maedi
Visna free status. We are into our seventeenth year of testing of Maedi Visna and have
never had a positive reactor. Over the years our ram lambs have been used at
United Breeders in Guelph, at the New Liskeard flock (dispersed), and Centre d'insemination ovine du Quebec (CIOQ) and by serious commercial
breeders. Before entry to the Quebec AI stud, the rams were tested for 7
diseases and were all negative. In 1997, we started scanning all our lambs
around 100 days of age for back fat and loin eye depth. We have been blood
testing for the spider gene on our stud rams to verify that our flock is
completely free of
this problem and codon test as well. In 1999, we were one of the
first farms to join the Ontario Sheep Health Program (OSHP) having a producer #
0001. We have met the specifications for a eighth year for the Ontario Sheep Health Program Certificate Level 1, issued
September 18, 2006. In Level II, Maedi-Visna Section (OPP) we are now classified
"A" with all animals including 180 days and older lambs being
negative. This flock currently is the only registered Suffolk flock in all
of Ontario that is recognized under the Ontario Veterinarian College (OVC) at
the University of Guelph, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and the
Ontario Sheep Marketing Association to attain this level.
Codan Suffolks
since 2003 to 2006 every year has blood tested
10% of all aged ewes and these again were all negative for m-v. In 2007, the
majority of Canadian laboratories have switched to the AGID test as the ELISA
compound using wasn't dependable. Our test adults came back negative.
We are also a founding member of the Ontario Suffolk Sire Reference Association (OSSRA). Three of our rams have now been selected as Reference Sires for OSSRA. The last was "Sir Segremore", KXK 81J, the fourth reference ram.
Bill is also a director of the OPP Concerned Sheep Breeders Society.
In 2001 Codan Suffolks successfully completed the Livestock Medicines Education Program.
Lambplan average for 2007 Codan Breeding Ewe Lambs is 173.21 (For Carcase plus index)
Results back from Footrot gene-marker test for 2007 one stud less susceptible & unknown, the other stud is unknown. (See Certificate page for explanation]
We are part of the new Scrapie Flock Certification Program
(SFCP)
Phase I, Level B August 2007
Seven Ewes have died, or ordered put down on the farm since we entered this program and the heads tested for scrapie
Results ALL -ve (Scrapie Free)
Breeder of ram lamb, KXK 69S with Highest Growth Index 2006 of 4.02 Ontario Sheep Flock Improvement Program (SFIP)
Codan 33R (420KXK2005050033) was a nominated ram for research in Australia in 2006 by Sheep Genetics Australia.
Breeder of Ewe lamb with Highest Growth, & Terminal Index 2005 Ontario Sheep Flock Improvement Program (SFIP)
Breeder of Ram with Highest Maternal, Growth, & Terminal Index 2004 Ontario Sheep Flock Improvement Program (SFIP)
51P ranked 3rd in 2005 National Ram Report without Progeny
Codan rams ranked 1st & 2nd in 2005 National report with Progeny
Codan Suffolks has the First Highest ranked Suffolk in "web sires, terminal analysis (15 May 2002 - 15 May 2004)" under Australia's Lambplan. This ram is Codan 33L or listed as 420KXK2001010033. Codan 69M or 420KXK2002020069 (15 April 2003 - 15 July 2006) has exceeded Codan 33L on this list.. Codan 27P (420KXK2004040027) was next on this top 300 overall terminal sire list as of 15 March 2005 - 15 Feb 2006. All the above have departed and 420KXK2005050033/Codan 33R is now on this list with 183.5 Codan 67S is now on this list at 193.2 from 15 July 2007 - 165 August 2007.
Also on the 15 February 2003 and 15 March 2003 Terminal - Top 150 420KXK-2002-020054 was number 1 for female progeny but on 15 April-15 September dropped to second spot with carcase + at 214.60. She is now listed as 214.33 for 15 May 2004. A second female under Dam list, Codan 56M, has a carcase+ of 218.1 on 15 October 2006 (Started as number 1 15 July 2006) . 420KXK-2004-020080 15 October 2005 was at 189.3, and now 15 October 2006 is 199.7. Two more ewes are listed which are 420KXK 2000 000032 and 42 0KXK 2005 050058
In the female progeny 420KXK 2006 060056 has just been listed for June 2006 and is still on this list March 2008. This is also on the Lambplan web site. In September 2004 this list was expanded to the Top 300.
In the top 300 terminal sire list, in the dam section, 15 March 2003 - 15 November 2004, there is a Codan ewe, 420KXK-2002-020060 at 185.9 carcase plus index. A second ewe made this list in March 2004 which was 420KXK2000000056 but in Sept 2005 at 205.5.. April 2004 is a 3rd Ewe 420KXK2003030074 with a 187.15 index, but by December 2007 is now 197.0. We now have 4 ewes listed in the overall terminal section for July 2007.- March 2008. In May 2008 we have only 2 ewes.
The Male Progeny section of the top overall 300 terminal list 420KXK2005050033 on 15 June 2005 had an index of 209.6 - 15 October 2005 is 208.6. In the revised new system this ram is not on list as of 15 May 2007 is 183.5. There are several other Codan animals currently in the overall terminal list.
Note: 1 November 2005 started a new Lambplan system called Sheep Genetics Australia.
Codan
56M
(420KXK2002020056) was the number one ewe in the top 300 overall terminal
dam list of Lambplan for the 15 July 2006 - 15 May 2007 data. In June 2007
another ewe took her place but is still in the top 300. June 2008 she still
is in top
overall 300 list.
More information & Pictures of Female & Offspring
Codan Suffolks is the only Suffolk flock in all of Ontario that continuously Tests for Loin Eye Depth, and Fat Depth. Eleven years of scanning (2007). True Data here, no guessing, not just visual but exact.
All new genetics are introduced into our flock through semen (Artificial Insemination) to minimize the chance of introducing disease
Some Codan ram lambs at six months of age
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Studs at Codan |
Codan
Suffolks
4957 Michigan Line
RR 2
Wyoming, ON, Canada N0N 1T0
"Performance All
The Way"
Edited: June 29, 2008 by Bill Duffield
