History of the Stevens Ranch
Hello, and welcome to the Stevens Ranch. We would like to share with you some pictures and information about our Suffolk sheep.
We are located in the South Central part of Montana, 35 miles Southwest of Billings, the largest city in MT. Our ranch is near Joliet. We are only 30 miles from Red Lodge, MT. en route to the gorgeous Beartooth Mountains and Yellowstone Park. The Beartooths are known for their beauty and wonderful skiing.
We have been raising and breeding Suffolk sheep since 1978. Our foundation flock was built around bloodlines of the Jack Larsen flock of Spanish Fork, Utah. From 1981 to 1989, we purchased five stud rams from Mr. Larsen, including the bloodlines of the "Quest", "Quest II", and "The Key".
In 1994, at the All American Show and Sale held in Reno, NV, we purchased the Grand Champion Suffolk Ram "DTR 93-0898" from the Donner Trail Ranch of California. He was sired by Donner Jack "DTR 91-0769." He proved to be a great addition to our flock, and gave us many replacement females and countless Stud quality rams. We lost this great ram in 1999 but his prodigy runs deep in our flock.
In 1996, we purchased a ram (half an interest) from the Luxford Ranch. Luxford #95-857. We used this ram for three years with very nice results and have many beautiful females from him. He now resides in Illinois and was re-christened "Mountain Man".
Since 1994, we have purchased five Stud rams from the Whispering Hills Farm of Boring, Oregon. Several of these rams' grandfather was "The Boz" of George Brothers Suffolks. These have been just a superior group of rams and they have crossed very well with all our bloodlines, adding tremendous meat, muscle, and extreme beauty. They have proven to work well and have stamped their mark on our sheep by giving us the most beautiful Suffolk heads we have ever had!
Over the years we have concentrated on keeping the meat, bone and structural soundness in our sheep and insist that they stand on strong feet and legs.
We maintain a strict health and nutrition program. Keeping our rams, ewes, and lambs wormed and vaccinated on a timely schedule. Our lambs are put on creep feed at approximately 3 weeks of age and monitored very closely. We weigh them every 30 days keeping records from birth until dispersal and continuing records on the replacements.
For many years, we have maintained a 200%-plus weaned lamb crop. By our many repeat buyers, our rams have proven over the years to work well in both purebred and commercial flocks.
We show very little and prefer to sell private treaty at the ranch. We feel this allows people the opportunity to see the entire flock when making a purchase.
We attend the Miles City Ram Sale held in Miles City, MT. a nationally known sale. Our rams have maintained the high Suffolk average there for many years.
We have had a closed ewe flock since 1987. We are a B Ovis free flock, (Montana Flock #33). Our entire flock has been DNA tested for Scrapie at (CODON 171) and is negative for the Spider Gene. We are using only RR/NN rams. We are enrolled in the Voluntary Scrapie Flock Certification Program (MT Flock #14), are in the 5th level, and will complete it in January of 2006.
Effective Sept. 1, 2002, for your protection and ours, all of the sheep we offer for sale are branded on the left jaw with a three leaf clover symbol. It is a MT. recorded brand.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our Web site. If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Norm & Gail Stevens & Family
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Norm and Gail,
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Wrangler
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YamaHama Lama
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Larry Loose Lips
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