March 4, 2010 by fred.
With one ewe lamb left to lamb we can now turn our attention to presenting our 2010 lamb crop to you. The lambs will range in age from Jan. 20 to the 1st week of March.
The sires seeing the majority of service for this lamb crop include Marx 7007, Knop 5799 (Overload), and Levi (Knop 4981). Other sires seeing service include
Ike (Knop 5295), Gold Mine (Knop 5047), Roy (Knop 5865), and Step Ahead (Knop 5266). A more complete review of the genetics of these sires can be found on the sires page.
From a show lamb perspective, we will have many additional prospects to offer sired by Marx 7007 this season. We only had a handful of wethers sired by 7007 last season and they were very popular finding homes with the Randy Hill group of Indiana and the Porter family of Arizona.
Also selecting key show lambs were Weston Hill of OK, the Nelson family of MN, the McCauley family of NM, the Larry Daniel family of OK, the Ronda White family of IA, the Bob Bergquist family of NE, Tyler Leete of IA, and Megan Lawing of NC.
The Overload sire group is just plain interesting in terms of their phenotypic design, correctness of structure, and their 3D hip shape. They move about the pen in a very attractive, stylish manner. The growth curve of the Overload lambs appears to be favorable in size and scale projecting to either side of the middle 140’s show weight when optimum. There is no doubt that the PC genetics on the maternal side of Overload is strongly breeding through in terms of the old Heupel hip design locked in PC’s pedigree–maybe the best hip structure I have ever seen!
Most of the 7007 and DeSpain 86 ewe lamb daughters saw the service of the Levi (Knop 4981) ram we brought back to the genetic table. Levi is a very moderate sized mature ram (34″ at the shoulder) with a huge top, awesome levelness of hip and muscle. To state that his wethers out of the LSU and DeSpain Hampshire bred females are really nice would be an UNDERSTATEMENT!!!!!! This sire group is the youngest on the farm and will find favor with many show families this season. Several of these lambs resemble the lamb our daughter Brittney won Grand with in Kansas City, 1994 in terms of shape and design.
It is very rewarding to have satisfied customers using Knop rams. The double line-bred genotypic design of our rams insures that they will breed true. History documents that Knop rams will sire a great show lamb look and at the same time natural carcass merit. Our customers have shown that using Knop rams on Hampshire based females is a WINNING COMBINATION!!! A most recent example would be the Grand Champion lamb at the 2010 Dixie National bred by Ernie Tannehill. This champion’s mother was sired by Leo (Knop 4698) bred to a Cabaniss female.
We plan to open up our farm to viewing of the lambs on the weekend of March 20. We will be making weekly decisions on wether prospects as scrapie test results are received. Please consider this your personal invitation to view our 2010 ram lambs, show lambs and ewe lambs. Our wethers will compete at any level. The same can be said of our show ewe lambs as evidenced by Megan Lawing’s Supreme Grand Champion Commercial female at the 2009 North Carolina State Fair with a ewe lamb from our farm.
We look forward to your visit this year.
The Fred Knop Family
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March 7, 2009 by fred.
Friends
I am pleased to report that the wonderful book entitled “The Basis of Linebreeding” is now back in print.
The book can be ordered from:
Jim Lents
25398 SW Coombs Road
Indiahoma, OK 73552
Domestic shipment of the book is $30 which includes shipping and handling costs.
International shipment of the book is $40 U.S. which also includes shipping and handling costs.
Please include payment with your order along with the name and postal address for the delivery point of the book(s). Personal checks or money orders are fine for domestic shipment. Payment for international addresses should be via International Money Order denominated in U.S. dollars and payable in the U.S.A. This type of money order can be purchased at most commercial banks in your country.
If you have a special request such as an inscription or an autograph, please include such request with your order.
We are pleased to pass this information along to all connoisseur’s of linebreeding. You will enjoy the unique approach to understanding linebreediing afforded by this practically written guide.
Fred Knop
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February 19, 2008 by fred.
The Fred Knop Family congratulates Weston Hill of Oklahoma and his family for feeding and showing Woody’s twin wether lamb brother to high honors at two major shows. Weston’s lamb placed 2nd in class to the eventual Grand Champion lamb at the 2007 American Royal. He also placed 2nd in class to the Champion Suffolk at the 2007 NAILE. Weston plans to exhibit his lamb this winter in Oklahoma. We wish Weston well with his project.
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January 15, 2008 by fred.
Congratulations to Tannehill Club lambs, OK, for raising the Reserve Grand Champion Market lamb at the 2007 Arkansas State Fair. The mother of this lamb was sired by Knop 4698–Leo–a Captain/Orange Tag/62 combination.
Ernie reports that the Leo daughters in his flock have produced many of his top lambs and that the combination of Knop genetics with the Hampshire influence in his flock has worked quite well. We wish Ernie continued success with his Leo daughters.
We used Leo’s twin brother Howard extensively for our 2008 lamb crop. We believe Howard’s ram lambs will work quite well for those of you who may have flocks with significant Hampshire influence.
We are pleased to announce that Burson Club Lambs of New Mexico purchased a key Steppin’ Up/Marx 4-06 ram lamb, Knop 5327, last spring to use in their flock of Hampshire influence. We also wish Burson’s well with the offspring of their Steppin’ Up son.
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November 5, 2007 by fred.
The Fred Knop Family congratulates Sarah Sell for an outstanding effort in feeding and exhibiting a wether lamb purchased from us, Knop 5364, at the 2007 AK-SAR-BEN Livestock Exhibition. The lamb placed 6th in the Division 5 class from 154 to 157 pounds.
We now can share the carcass data from the 2007 AK-SAR-BEN. Sarah’s lamb measured the largest loin eye–4.5 square inches, with the exception of one lamb weighing over 160 pounds with a .05 square inch larger loin, of all the lambs at the 2007 AK-SAR-BEN show–491 head–including the live Grand Champion, Res. Grand Champion, and all the Division champions and reserves. The 491 lambs at AK-SAR-BEN averaged 3.37 square inches of loin eye area and .2 inch of back fat. The Grand Champion placed 198th in the carcass evaluation with a 3.45 sq. inch loin and .2 back fat. The Res. Grand placed 229th in the carcass evaluation with a 3.50 sq. inch loin with .2 back fat.
Sarah’s lamb was sired by Steppin’ Up and the lamb’s mother was a Howard daughter. This lamb was born on Jan. 22. Sarah’s lamb placed 3rd in class 17 at the Iowa State Fair judged by Larry Mrozinski. Sarah’s lamb was also named the Grand Champion at the Harlan, Iowa jackpot show and the South East Warren FFA market lamb show. The Fred Knop Family is proud of placings like this because we firmly believe that show lambs should not only look good in the show ring but should also be held accountable for unadulturated eximious carcass merit.
We will soon post a list of the bred females we will offer this season. Many of them are bred to either Steppin’ Up or Step Ahead. If you are interested in producing sheep that will work for you in the lambing barn and gain high honors in the show ring and on the rail then we would encourage you to evaluate our offering. We plan to offer less than 12 bred females so call soon to reserve your selections.
Fred Knop
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September 10, 2007 by fred.
Congratulations to Jordan Beck and the Dave Beck family for a very successful show season. In addition to the Grand Champion Market lamb at the Great Lakes Expo mentioned in a previous blog, recent winners include the Beck bred and raised 1st place lightweight Suffolk at the Ohio State Fair sired by a Knop 4-06 x Omega bred ram, and damed by Knop 984, a 4-06 x Omega combination.
Another recent winner would include a young wether exhibited by Jordan Beck that was bred and raised by the Fred Knop Family sired by Step Ahead and whose mother is Knop 632, sired by the Knop stud ram “Blue Boy”. This lamb was the Lightweight Div. Champion at the Paulding Co. Ohio Jackpot Show. This lamb also placed 6th in the 120=122# crossbred class at the 2007 Ohio State Fair.
Watch our website Champion tab for photos soon.
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September 10, 2007 by fred.
Congratulations to Adam and Megan Lawing and the Craig Lawing Family for exhibiting the Grand Champion Market lamb at the 2007 North Carolina Mountain States Fair. This Lawing family bred and raised lamb was sired by Knop 5157. a Captain son. The lamb’s mother was sired by Knop 4882, a Captain son. The maternal grand-mother was a Knop-bred female sired by Jubilee.
The Lawing family won 4 maket lamb classes and 3 ewe lamb classes. Also two lambs raised and sold by the Lawing family won their market lamb classes.
Adam and Megan also won 3 commercial ewe lamb classes.
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July 11, 2007 by fred.
Congratulations to Sarah Sell and family for exhibiting the Grand Champion Market Lamb at the 2007 S.E. Warren County FFA NPCLA Show. This Suffolk lamb was purchased from the Fred Knop Family flock. His sire is Steppin’ Up and his dam is a Howard (Captain) x 561 daughter. This was the first time this lamb has been exhibited. We wish you well at the Iowa State Fair.
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June 19, 2007 by fred.
Our family congratulates Jordan Beck for exhibiting the Grand Champion market lamb at the recent Great Lakes Show in Michigan. Eric Shellhouse of Ohio judged the show. The champion lamb was bred and raised by the Dave Beck family of Wauseon, Ohio. Both the sire and dam of Jordan’s lamb were bred and raised by the Fred Knop Family and were selected as a genetic package group purchased by the Beck family. A photo of the Grand Champion lamb will be posted soon.
The above example highlights the predictability and power of linebred Knop Suffolk and Blended Suffolk genetics. The Fred Knop family will offer several key packages of males and females this summer for your inspection that will produce championship calibur lambs like Jordan’s. These male/female packages will be offered on a first come/first served basis.
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