Bentley Suffolks – Sires Used

Bentley Retallick

Basco dataRetallick has been a huge influence on the Bentley flock since moving to a forage only system. Retallick was sold as a shearling to Rob Pratt, but when we saw him a year later we were so impressed with him, we had to try and use him at home (luckily Rob allowed us to do that). He is now going into his 6th year, he is always fit and never fed! He is always clean and never lame!

Retallick is 50% NZ Suffolk and also carries 1 copy of the Myomax muscling gene. His lambs are born easily and have plenty of vigour and have really performed well on a grass only system (no creep feed).

We have many daughters now in the flock and they are showing the same good characteristics as Retallick!

Bentley Retallick
Bentley Retallick – in his 6th year, just sheared, no concentrates, fit as ever!
Bentley Retallick
Bentley Retallick – in his 6th year, just sheared, no concentrates, fit as ever!

Bentley Black Fern

Basco dataBlack Fern was our top lamb in 2017. He was brother to a ram sold to Logiedurno and his dam is one the best NZ bred ewes in the flock. He combined great performance on our system, EBVs in the Top 1% of the breed including a high-fat EBV which we were looking for and excellent colours & type.

Bentley Black Fern
Bentley Black Fern – as a 9 week old lamb & as a shearling in May 2018, just shorn.
Bentley Black Fern
Bentley Black Fern – as a 9 week old lamb & as a shearling in May 2018, just shorn.

Sandyknowe Sole Trader

Basco dataSole trader was bought as the top priced ram from the 2014 Sandyknowe ram sale. He was born outside in May, but was one of the biggest rams at the sale. Sole Trader is arguably the longest ram used at Bentley for 20 years. His first crop of lambs have not disappointed, they were easily born, with a high survival rate at lambing. They have inherited his length and have grown and fleshed very easily on our grass only system.

Sole trader also boasts Top 1% performance figures for both Terminal and Maternal Traits.

Stock Ram - Sandyknowe Sole Trader
Stock Ram – Sandyknowe Sole Trader
Stock Ram - Sandyknowe Sole Trader
Stock Ram – Sandyknowe Sole Trader

Huish Mcaw

Basco dataMcaw is a new ram purchased privately from David Rossiter early this year. He is a grandson of the New Zealand ram Collie-hills 243:2009, that we used via AI at Bentley in 2013. We were keen to have more his genetics within the flock. When we saw Mcaw’s style and tremendous conformation, on a forage only diet, we thought he ticked all the boxes. His dam was the famous Sandyknowe Ettrict 07-1 and he has good performance figures in all areas. We look forward to his first batch of lambs in 2016.

Stock Ram – Huish Mcaw
Stock Ram – Huish Mcaw – 25% NZ Genetics