Our linebred breeding program insures consistency and predictability in the offspring of our rams and females for our customers. We believe that a ram needs to look like a ram and a ewe needs to look like a ewe. Our sheep can actually survive and thrive on grass in the summer time (what a novel idea!).

The ram lambs and ewe lambs are sired by the following Knop-bred sires: Steppin’ Up, Step Ahead, Woody, Ike, and Howard. Other sires include Marx 4-06 and Henry (Houghton Hampshire).

If you plan to be in Iowa in May or traveling to Sedalia in June we invite you to plan to stop by the farm. Or if you are in Sedalia and need something to do on the Friday between the show and sale our farm is only a few hours to the north. We are convinced you will be pleased with the uniquely linebred Crazyhorse Suffolk/Mayer Hampshire genetics that our flock offers.

Fred Knop

There are many more male lambs not featured in our sample photos that are just as industry appropriate as those we have featured. We hope you can stop by this spring to evaluate the entire lamb crop.

Please call us or e-mail us with your questions about specific sheep or your special show lamb requirements. We will do our best to be of assistance.

Fred Knop

We will identify these females in April and May. This may well be the most uniquely bred collection of Suffolk based females to sell in quite a few years anywhere. We plan to offer the females by private treaty and will price them on an individual basis. Our females have proven themselves over and over to work consistently with almost any club lamb based gene pool in the industry.

This decision will also necessitate the selling of a large group of the 2008 ewe lambs. They will also be offered by private treaty at the farm priced on an individual basis.

We hope you will consider the genetic merit of this offering. If you are planning to purchase some key females this year or to add genetic depth to your existing flock, then this set will without a doubt work for you.

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.

We believe that the 2008 lamb crop will be the strongest, most well-bred set we have ever produced. Be sure to make plans to stop by this spring. Consider adding a Knop Suffolk or Crossbred market lamb to your show string. Our linebred rams and females, available in this form nowhere else, will “nick” on almost all the currently popular club lamb derivatives in our industry. Our rams and females will add Suffolk phenotype, bone, correctness of feet and legs, muscle, length of body, growth, carcass merit, excellent hides, awesome maternal traits and milk production, and the ability to win in the show ring to your flock.

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

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.

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.