Breeds of Sheep: Hampshire The Hampshire sheep acquired its name from the county of Hampshire in Southern England where they were developed. The Hampshire-Down evolved from the mingling of different strains of sheep from nearby counties. The Old Hampshire, Berkshire Knot, Willshire Horn and Southdown sheep were believed by most writers to be the original broods found in and along the borders of Hampshire County. In 1889 the Hampshire Down Sheep Breeder's Association was established in Salisbury, England, where it is still active. During that same year (1889) the American Hampshire Down Sheep Association was also organized, now known as The American Hampshire Sheep Association. Hampshire sheep were reported in the U.S. around 1840, but the first authentic record of importations was made in 1879. The Hampshire is a large, open faced and active sheep with a mild disposition. Mature rams weigh 275 pounds or more and mature ewes weigh 200 pounds or more in breeding condition. The ears should be moderate in length, thick, covered with a coarse dark brown or black hair and free from wool. The face is dark in color and practically free of wool from the eyes down. An unbroken woolcap extends from the neck over the forehead. Legs below the knee and hock are relatively free of wool. Hampshires are noted for their rapid growth and efficient feed conversion. Mature ewes will average a six to ten pound (2.7-4.5 kg) fleece that has a micron measurement of 25.0 to 33.0 and a spinning count of 46-58. The staple length of the fleece will be 2 to 3.5 inches (5-9 cm) with a yield of 50 to 62 percent.
Scott Kaden Executive Director Missouri Sheep Producers 13601 CR 7160 Rolla, MO 65401
Sarah Gehring, president•573-886-9417•
[email protected]•Ray Jones, vice-president•573-729-6324•
[email protected] Stacy Ward, treasurer•636-932-4664•
[email protected]•Scott Kaden, executive director•573-341-0284•
[email protected]
January 2012 Newsletter
MSP Annual Meeting Report The Missouri Sheep Producers (MSP) held it annual meeting on November 5, 2011 in conjunction with field day activities. The meeting was held at Lincoln University’s Carver Farm in Jefferson City, Mo. Over 70 members and visitors attended the meeting increasing attendance by three fold from the previous year. The day’s activities began at 9:30 and concluded at 4:30 and included a free lunch served by the Bonnots Mill 4-H Club. Representatives from Stegall Fabrication & Engineering, LLC from Moberly, MO were on hand throughout the day displaying and selling sheep handling and feeding equipment and Earl Veterinary Supply was also in attendance displaying and selling their veterinary supplies. American Sheep Industry’s (ASI) regional representative, Marsha Spykerman from Iowa, kicked off the meeting by updating the group on ASI programs and policies. Brett Pharo, from Pharo Polypays in Rapid City, MI, then spoke about his sheep operation and how he utilizes a low input/forage based production to achieve performance through genetics not grain and health through genetics not drugs. Jeanne Shuck then rounded out the morning presentations by giving a brief overview of the Missouri Make-It-WithWool program and contest. Lunch was followed by a short business meeting where the 2012 MSP board members were elected. The new board is as follows: • President - Sarah Gehring • Vice President - Ray Jones • Treasurer - Stacy Ward • District 1 - Suzanne Bush • District 2 - Matt Lambert • District 3 - Andrea King • District 4 - Trish Schneidermeyer • District 5 - Fonda Underwood • District 6 - Don Wissman
At-Large - Tony Francis, Jamie Vest, Leon Busdieker, Matt Pieter Afternoon presentations included the 2010 MSP starter flock recipients, Tyler Manson and Rebecca Jones. Each talked to the attendees about their experience raising sheep for the first year including a financial report on expenses and income. University of Missouri Extension Livestock Specialist, Mark Stewart, followed up with a presentation on sheep business savvy emphasizing what beginners should know and what experienced shepherds should remember. The day’s activities concluded with a tour of Carver Farm’s sheep and goat facilities and current research activities. •
State FFA Sheep Speaking Contest The Missouri Sheep Producers sponsors the annual state FFA sheep public speaking contest. This event is held in conjunction with the annual Missouri Farm Bureau meeting at the TanTar-A Resort at Lake of the Ozarks.
The contest is designed to develop individual public speaking skills and to promote interest in and awareness of the many different aspects of the sheep industry. FFA students prepare a speech pertaining to a sheep related issue and compete at local and district competitions. Six district winners are selected to compete at the state level. This year’s district and state winners were: 1st place state and Southwest – Kylie Ehlers, McDonald Co. FFA, 2nd place state and Northeast – Cassidy Ward, Warrenton FFA; 3rd place state and West Central Katie Nance, Midway FFA, Northwest Briana Hixson, Jamesport FFA; South Central - Josey Bush, Koshkonong FFA; Southeast - Carlee Buckner, Alton FFA. Each of the participants received a plaque and check from MSP for winning their respective district contest. Pictured below is 2012 MSP president Sarah Gehring with speaking contestants Katie Nance, Briana Hixson, Cassidy Ward, Josey Bush, Carlee Buckner and Kylie Ehlers.
Top ASI Sheep Stories of 2011 From record prices to drought and wild sheep to wolves, there was no room for the minor story when recapping the events of the sheep industry in 2011. The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) selected the following stories as a recap of 2011. 1. Let's Grow Campaign Rolled Out Producers from across the United States are participating in the Let's Grow with twoPLUS initiative to strengthen the lamb and wool industry's infrastructure for the long-term sustainability of the industry by increasing the number of sheep in production. With three goals in mind, the primary objective of this campaign is to encourage current producers to expand their sheep numbers by 2014. This initiative will result in 315,000 more lambs and 2 million more pounds of wool for the industry to market. To get the word out, media events were held in Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and California. The www.growourflock.org website contains the program details. 2. Federal Spending Package Includes Wild Sheep Language - The omnibus spending package included ASI-supported language regarding sheep grazing and wild sheep. The language prohibits the U.S. Forest Service from using funds to reduce domestic sheep grazing because of conflicts with bighorn sheep, unless the management is consistent with a state wildlife plan. This inclusion gives the industry and researchers the necessary time to finalize the implementation of promising vaccines to address disease issues, as well as strategies to implement best management practices to promote the coexistence of both species of sheep. 3. Industry Defeats Anti-Wildlife Services' Amendment - An animal-rights led amendment by the Humane Society of the United States and Natural Resources Defense Council to cut funding to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Wildlife Services (WS) Agency by $11 million was soundly rejected by the U.S. House of Representatives. Fully two-thirds of the House rejected an amendment to reduce funding for WS. 4. Generation Setting Wool, Lamb and Pelt Markets - Wool and lamb
prices hit all-time highs this year and sheep producers agree that this is a great time to be in the sheep business. A high demand for both products resulted in rising prices. 5. Superwash Line Begins Production - The superwash equipment that was reintroduced into the United States by the Sheep Venture Co., in association with ASI, began production this year. Machine usage has exceeded industry projections and, according to wool warehousemen, more than $1.5 million dollars in premium prices were paid to producers this year due to the superwash equipment. Additional commercial textile firms in the United States have entered the market because they could buy domestic wool and have the entire process done in America, thereby creating more competition. 6. Wal-Mart and Kroger's Announce American Lamb Programs - Two major announcements to carry American lamb in our nation's grocery stores occurred: Kroger, one of the nation's largest grocery store chains, launched an American lamb branded campaign and Super Wal-Mart announced that all 40 distribution centers would exclusively carry domestic lamb. 7. Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf Delisted - Legislation passed to delist the gray wolves in Montana and Idaho, as well as portions of eastern Oregon and Washington and north-central Utah, from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife. The language prevents courts from again intervening in the issue. 8. Drought Hits Texas Moving Record Number of Sheep Out of State In 2011, the sheep industry experienced the most dramatic shift in breeding sheep numbers seen in the past 15 years. Because of the drought in Texas, projections indicate that hundreds of thousands of breeding sheep from the nation's largest sheep-producing state were exported to farms as far east as Tennessee, north to Idaho and Wisconsin and west to California. 9. NASS Sheep Report Off and Then On Again - In October, USDA's National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) announced it would be discontinuing the annual Sheep Inventory Report, eliminating the only annual report provided to the sheep industry. The report has been conducted since
the 1860s. In December, NASS confirmed that it reinstated the sheep report and would begin collecting data. The report provides critical inventory and production information. 10. Superior Farms Closes Iowa Processing Plant -In May, Superior Farms closed its lamb-slaughter plant in Hawarden, Iowa, after acquiring the facility from Iowa Lamb Corporation in October 2010 stating reduced volume as a contributing factor.
United Producers Scholarship Program Columbus, OH - United Producers Inc. (UPI) is excited to support the future generation of agriculture through its scholarship program. UPI is offering two $1000 scholarships in each of its 16 districts to deserving high school and college students pursuing agriculture degrees. “The future of agriculture depends on those who are currently considering and pursuing a career in this critical industry,” said Dennis Bolling, President and CEO, United Producers Inc. “We want to do all we can to encourage students who have an interest in agribusiness, farming, veterinary medicine or other agriculture-based industries to pursue their careers, and this is our way of helping them do so.” Applicants must be a Preferred Member of UPI or a child or grandchild of a Preferred Member, and a 2012 graduating high school senior enrolled in, or a student currently attending, a college or technical school studying an agriculture-related field. Completed applications and essays must be postmarked by April 1, 2012. Visit www.uproducers.com for more information and to download an application form.
Wool Takes Cashmere's Crown
Pre-Lambing Ewe Management
The results are in, according to the Australia based Cooperative Research Center for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC), and wool is the winner. Objective testing has shown ultrafine wool garments can outperform 100 percent cashmere and high quality cotton for comfort and softness. Sheep CRC commissioned the manufacture of select ultrafine wool fabrics to provide a set of benchmarks for the measurement of next to skin comfort and handle. "It is the first time that ultrafine wool knitwear has been shown, using objective testing, to be superior to other natural fibers in terms of functional qualities valued by consumers," Sheep CRC chief executive officer professor James Rowe said. "Wools in the ultrafine micron category, used for the manufacture of these test garments, represent about two percent of the Australian wool clip and, therefore, constitute a very rare and valuable fiber resource." To establish a performance benchmark for wool garments, the Sheep CRC provided wool buyers with fleece specifications for the purchase of four bales of ultrafine wool (14-15.7 micron) through normal market. After purchase, the bales were identified as CRC 1 to 4 and sent to Italy for processing through to fabric. CRC 1 and CRC 3 were high-crimp wools and CRC 2 and CRC 4 were bold low-crimp wools, and each bale was processed separately and their fabric subsequently converted into garments. Using the measurement systems, the four garments emerged as being in a class of their own - a combination of being more comfortable and with better handle characteristics than any other fabrics used in the trials. Comparisons in the wearer trials included high quality cashmere and top-of-the-range cotton fabrics. Notably for the wool and textile industries, the results also showed that there was no significant effect that could be attributed to wool crimp at these fine diameters.
Time and effort spent on the ewe flock pre-lambing can result in relieving stress during lambing and improve health of the baby lamb. A few management checks or changes at this time can save dollars and time down the road. Pre-lambing vaccination - ewes should be vaccinated 3 weeks prior to lambing with Clostridia perfringes C & D with tetnus. This will stimulate the ewe's immune system to produce antibodies that will concentrate in her colostrum. The lambs will then have high levels of antibodies that will help prevent type C and tetnus. This is the best and most cost-effective way to protect young lambs against these two diseases. Nutrition - ewes should be on an increasing plane of nutrition. Requirements for ewes in late gestation greatly increase as they approach lambing. Ewes carrying twins or triplets require even more feed. Any thin ewes should be sorted into a smaller group to allow them to 1) eat a more concentrated ration and 2) have less competition for bunk space. If the ewes have been maintained on cornstalks as their primary feedstuff it is critical that you begin feeding vitamins if you haven't already. Crop residue has very low levels of vitamins and gestating ewes can become deficient. If the ewes are on a hay diet the vitamin level may be sufficient although you will still benefit from feeding a mineral high in Selenium and Vitamin E. These are important to ensure that the lambs are not born deficient in Selenium or Vitamin E which will predispose them to White Muscle Disease. Gestating ewe lambs are still growing and less competitive at the bunk so they need to be in a separate pen than the mature ewe flock. Shearing - If conditions allow, ewes should be shorn one month before lambing. This will allow the ewes to begin mobilizing energy from fat reserves. Also, lambs have a much easier time finding the udder of shorn ewes. Shorn ewes take up less space in the lambing barn and give off more heat into the environment. Care must be taken the first week after shearing. It is important that the ewes have dry shelter that will protect them from rain and snow. If the temperature is below
Reprinted in part from Stock and Land, Australia
zero shorn ewes will require additional energy which can most cost-effectively be supplied by increasing the grain fed to the ewes. Management - Small amounts of exercise is beneficial to the pregnant ewe such as feeding in an outside lot or allowing the ewes access to a small pasture during the day. Often this gives the shepherd an opportunity to see slow, limping, ketotic or problem ewes. These are all candidates to move to a smaller group such as with the ewe lambs. All feed fed to gestating ewes should be fed in bunks or feeders. feeding gestating ewes on the ground greatly enhances the transmission of abortion disease. Additionally, feeding 250 mg. per head per day of tetracycline will help control Chlamydia abortions. Any aborted fetuses and placenta need to be immediately removed from the pen to prevent transmission. The shepherd should always wear disposable latex gloves when handling aborted fetuses as many of the common causes of abortions can infect humans. Pregnant women should stay out of the lambing barn. For sheep health questions and supplies contact the Pipestone Vet Supply at www.pipevet.com or call 800 -658-2523 .
Environmentally-Friendly Sheep? A new model of sheep farming shows that genetic changes can help lower methane production, leading to lower greenhouse gas emission. With an aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 3 percent per year, the Welsh government is asking agriculture to look for ways to reduce emissions. A new study shows that with slight changes to trait selection in sheep, farmers can lower methane gas production in their herds by 0.08 percent per year. Though 0.08 percent is a modest reduction, methane gas has a higher impact on global warming than carbon dioxide. The model showed that by breeding for traits that increase litter size, a farmer can increase the efficiency of each breeding ewe, reducing overall energy expenditure in an entire herd. Increasing longevity would also reduce the number of animals needed to be brought in as replacements.
