Atlas
RSG/BZ When a little road trip turned into the most unexpected purchase. We took the opportunity to visit Russell’s Sheep Company while taking in National FFA convention. The only thing better than the hospitality was a March buck lamb they called Atlas. It was a unanimous decision, before we left the driveway, that we wanted him to be a part of Bar-Zel Suffolks. We were confident he would make a statement on the green shavings in Louisville and he did not disappoint. He won March classes in both the junior and open shows. Thank you to the Russell’s for working with us on Atlas we look forward to all he has to offer!
View his pedigree on Digital Suffolk, Reg # 685656.
TAMPA Linke 22-248 Purchased from Wesley Linke (Linke Suffolks) at The EVENT in 2023. Sired by REPO VD 1-188 and out of a RED daughter. TAMPA’s granddam’s sire is KIMM 16-223, a mating I made when we were working with Bob that made a valuable set of triplets in 2016. That set of lambs sold for $5300 that year. Jim found 16-223, the diamond in the rough, a genetic giant. I could go on for days about his pedigree, Suffolk grow power and maternal matron dominance, but I won’t. Just like that set of triplets, what drew me to TAMPA was his twin sister, I saw her and thought she was everything I wanted in a Suffolk female. The girls in my life said buy him since his sister is so cool, so we did. And after one lamb crop, I am glad we did, TAMPA, sired good Suffolk breed character, big tops and more front-end extension and length from flank to flank. Study his lambs, I think you will find some value.
BOOM Bar-Zel 23085
Banana x Bonfire (Bar-Zel 75)
BOOM is sired by Banana and damned by Bonfire. His pedigree is loaded with influential genetics embedded in our flock that has given us the desired look, touch, and body type. BOOM is the maternal brother to BRAND and his twin brother covered ewes at Alves Livestock in California. Not only did Bonfire perform well on the show road taking Grand Champion numerous times, but when it was time for her to retire from the showring she only continued to impress us in the lambing jug. After her first lamb crop in 2022 we were anxiously awaiting her lambing day in 2023. After this lamb hit the ground, even Christy agreed he was special; so he had to be pretty good. We do not think we have raised a buck that is so attractive through his front end, wide pinned, big backed which lays the foundation for the boldness through the center skeleton and yet so progressive back to his rear flank. As you study his video you will see how athletic he is on the move, but so stout in his skeletal build. From birth, we knew he was special. He got better every day and in true stud fashion, his lambs do not disappoint!
Bar-Zel 2222 is sired by Banana and damned by BZ 9131. His 5-generation pedigree is loaded with influential genetics embedded in our flock that has given us the desired look, performance and consistency we demand. Kimm 13023 (3X), Kimm 4081 (2X), BZ 5055 (2X), BZ 2006 and BZ 9025. 22’s twin sister was Champion Suffolk Market Lamb at the 2022 South Dakota State Fair 4-H Show. Then, she lambed and raised BZ 23100, a ewe lamb that was Champion Suffolk Ewe at the 2023 South Dakota Junior Suffolk Show. Phenotypically, 2222 is constructed like a stud. Stout from the ground up and powerful from the head back. Attractive from any angle and good on the go. In his first lamb crop, 2222 sired the high selling ram in our production sale going to Joe Emenheiser, 2 nd high selling ram and ewe lamb both going to Lavonne Beckler. All while only being bred to a dozen ewes. Enjoy his picture and video as we eagerly await his 2024 lambs.
Bloodline BZ2253
“Bloodline”genetically needs no introduction. He is a Banana x Baby Farve. Study his baby picture. He stamped that same saleable, showring look in his lambs. His lambs have a body shape where their chest floor and point of their shoulders are structurally aligned. Their silhouette is progressively deeper as they transition from mid-rib to their rear flank. And from behind the apex of their shoulder blade have the correct slope, yet opens to a square rack and loin edge and a square, wide hook to pin placement with plenty of center twist shape down low. Combine these style points and carcass traits with the longevity and maternal traits that come with the Baby Farve line and you have a ram that can be a major contributor and generator at Bar-Zel Suffolks. We love his lamb crop and look forward to his future contributions in our program. Lastly, he was used at Skartvedt Suffolks 2 years ago and as a yearling their “Bloodline” daughter was Reserve Champion Ewe at the Iowa State Fair FFA show and 1st yearling ewe in the Open Show. The best is yet to come.
Cookin'
Chillin'
Cookin' and Chillin' Cookin and Chillin are twin brothers we bought last June from Chris Miller. They are sired by BZ 2149 (Banana x 5007) and dammed a Miller ewe that carries the genes of Suffolk breeding pillars like: Slick Slack, Mac/Grif 38 and 144, Slack ICE, Kimm 7012 and 30. Both Cookin and Chillin weighed 190# the first week of June being early January born lambs. Additionally, they come with genetically proven maternal traits that emphasis mothering ability, milk production, udder shape and sound teat placement. You will see the many positive contributions these rams made to our program this year.
BAR - ZEL 2119 SMACK x BZ 9009
2119 is a son of Smack. He sires growth, muscle and breed type. Successfully used in LaVonne Beckler’s flock the last 2 years. The sample size might be small in 2024 as he was used used to clean up and it looks like most ewes were covered.
BRAND SMACK x Bonfire (Bar-Zel 75)
2283 Is damned by our most phenotypically appealing show ewe, BZ 75 "Bonfire". Bonfire won or was in the hunt everywhere we showed her as a lamb and a yearling, but most important to me is her contribution to the flock when the glory days are over. So far, she has aced the test. The buck is sired by Slack 6563 "Smack”. 2283 is a stout, wide based stud with an expressive rack and big turn to his loin edge. A rear shot provides a great view of his top , the width he has at the top of his dock, and the center and lower leg shape he possesses. In limited use as a lamb, 2283 sired the 4th high-selling ewe lamb in our May production sale. We think he is the real deal and are excited to see his lambs out of our Banana daughters!
Raesa and Christy wanted to venture into making some of our commercial rams thicker and bigger bodied and the club lamb ewes we have trendier in their look and more explosive in their muscle mass. Banana surpassed our expectations. This homebred buck was bred up thru the % registry program offered by the USSA. All lambs sired by him will be white papered and shown in registered Suffolk classes.
Phenotypically, this ram offers traits we have not seen in the 42 years of lambing ewes. Rack shape, loin edge, hip shape and hock correctness, Consistency, consistency, consistency!!! Banana sires muscle shape, level docks, and expansion thru the lower 1/3 of the lamb’s rib cage. Although he is moderate in his frame size his offspring grow fast and efficiently up to 120 days. We look forward to Banana’s contributions in our flock for years to come.
Raesa and I went buck shopping 2 years ago and the stories we can tell from that trip!!! Great father and daughter time. Christy and I have used many Tom Slack rams in the past and it was Raesa’s inagural trip to Tom’s. We came home with Smack. Bought with our great friend and fellow Suffolk enthusiast, Ron Alves. This ram offers muscle shape not seen in the Suffolk breed very often. His lambs grow well but he likes to wait until February to make things happen and that doesn’t work very well for us. However, this ram is so unique in his size, length, rack shape and muscle mass for a Suffolk, that we have a few early lambs by him and a bunch of April yearlings and lambs. Check them out I think you will like what you see.
Spot was just the ram we were looking for when we went to the MacCauleys’ in Pennsylvania. We thank them for leasing him to us for 2 breeding seasons. The only problem with this ram: we didn’t own enough ewes to breed him to. He reminds me of my Grandpa’s stud rams of the early 70’s except “Spot” is waaay better. He comes at you so wide based both coming and going, on bear paw feet, tree trunk bone and tick rib shape that Suffolks were known for, but the big difference is he is smooth in his chest, level in his top and attractive in the pasture. His impact for our commercial ram customers has been immense and his legacy in our flock will be carried thru his daughters. A Suffolk ram that is good in every decade.
This buck was the fastest growing and high seller of the 2019 sale. He went to Lavonne Beckler of MN and she had two great lamb crops from him. We bought him back last spring because we always are looking a predictable source of growth genetics. Lavonne called him “Dandy” and he worked that way for her and in our program this spring.
Bar-zel 28 28 was destined to be stud from the day he was born. Stout, square on the corners, level and flexible with a desire to grow. And grow he did, at 180 days this buck weighed 226# with an unassisted birthweight of 18 lbs. This video also demonstrates a functional look from the side. Shallower in his chest with a progressive deeper look thru his mid-section and into his rear flank. For a big growthy buck, he packs some muscle as he still adjusted over a 3.25 sq.” eye to 135 lbs. As he steps away from you he tracks wide at his hocks with a big swinging set of nuts. Pedigree is solid. We leased Spot from MacCauleys to get some daughters that had that “Tick” center body and width he possessed. Bonus he sired that trait in his rams too. His mom is a stand out Kimm 5211 daughter that we bought from Bob after we lambed those partnership ewes for 4 years. She measures the tallest at the shoulders for those who can't find a good one without the help of a goodness stick. But there is more to her story. She sired a show buck for us in 2018 that sired a bunch of great daughters that are still working in our flock. They have been prolific, timely lambers, with udders that will hold up for years. He was sold to Ron Alves, CA.
