THISTLESTONE FARM
Thistlestone Farm, established in 1979, is family-owned and operated. We slowly expanded over the years and our flock now consists of approximately 300 head, Polled Dorset and Suffolk, purebred and commercial. We have been successfully managing, for many years now, an accelerated lambing program, where ewes have the opportunity to lamb 3 times in 2 years. All our animals are on the Canadian Record of Performance Testing Program (ROP) which now includes EPD's.
We have been a closed flock since 1988 to help ensure an excellent health status. We have never had any problems with scrapie, spider, foot-rot, etc. We have routinely tested negative over the years, in random testing for Maedi-Visna, Q-Fever, Brucellosis and Chlamydia. We have been acquiring any new rams through the use of Artificial Insemination.
In 1994, we imported British Suffolk embryos through the Scottish Agricultural College in Edinburgh, Scotland. These embryos were all from top breeders in the U. K. Suffolk Sire Reference Scheme. The embryos were then implanted into our ewes and lambs were born in April 1995. In 1996, we brought in new Dorset bloodlines to our flock, that originated from Australia, which feature heavy-muscling and traditional breed type.
Our main goal has always been to supply the sheep producer with sound, viable, working sheep. The Dorset having excellent maternal and out-of- season traits, the Suffolk having the fastest rate of gain, making an excellent Terminal Sire.
We have sold livestock across Canada and into the U.S.A. and Mexico.