Drought-ridden San Angelo Texas to host 2013 Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School

Dr. Frank Craddock, PhD., professor and Extension sheep and goat specialist stationed at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center in San Angelo, Texas, will be directing his 6th Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School in San Angelo, July 13–17 (application deadline is May 3). San Angelo, home to Angelo State University, Texas A&M University Animal Science Department and the new Angelo State University Food Safety and Product Development Laboratory, will allow participants to conduct live lamb and carcass evaluation and fabrication of lamb products.

“This year’s school will be an education in what happens when you are faced with managing sheep and goat production during hard times,” Craddock said. “We have had one inch of rain so far this year and it is going to take a lot more than that before we can even think about restocking. If it weren’t for leasing land for sport deer hunting and oil and gas exploration we would be in worse shape than we are. We will visit the hunting program and the oil and gas people will also be on the program to give participants a clear view of what is happening here. For anyone wanting to know what to do to prepare for down times, this school is going to be a good one.”

What goes on at Leadership School doesn’t stay at Leadership School

One of the reasons for the success of the Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School is that what goes on there, doesn’t stay there. When Howard Wyman started the school in 1985, it was to bring sheep growers together so they could see first hand what happened to their product after it left the farm. That still happens, but it isn’t the only thing that happens. Students return home and share what they learn.

Leadership School alum spreads the word in MinnesotaRandy Kinney, a second HWSIL School participant and a member of Dakota

Lamb Growers Co-op, ASI and a director member of the Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers, attended the Philadelphia school to learn more about the ethnic market. Kinney, who holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and undergraduate degree in Farm Management, runs a 85 ewe flock and finishes 150–225 lambs in Glenwood Minnesota.

“I thought I knew quite a bit about the ethnic market until I attended the Philadelphia School,” Kinney said. “I discovered it is bigger and wider than I could have imagined and I gained a whole different perspective about what I could be doing. There is a lot that we can learn from the Internet and emails but there is nothing that compares to having a hands-on experience with the top people in our

Spring – April 2013

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Dr. Frank Craddock, Texas A&M

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National Lamb Feeders Association

www.nlfa-sheep.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President Milt Ward, ID (208) 221-4432Vice-President/Treasurer Steve Schreier, MN (507) 763-3754Co-Secretaries Tom & Karin Watson, OR (541) 567-5905Immediate Past President Don Gnos, OR (541) 928-8929

Directors to 2014 Ryan Indart, CA Joe Harper, WVDirectors to 2015 Mike Harper, CO Jeff Hasbrouck, CODirectors to 2016 Bob Harlan, WY Stan Boyd, ID Administrative Office 1270 Chemeketa St. NE Salem, OR 97301-4145 Ph: (503) 370-7024 Fax: (503) 585-1921 info@nlfa–sheep.org

Newsletter Jan Jackson, Editor janjjackson@comcast.net

Drake’s Market NewsBy J. Richard Drake, Drake Livestock Company, Monday, April 1, 2013

The 1st Q is all but over. I was hoping the slaughter would come in around 550,000 hd. It looks like the slaughter will be about 497,000 hd. or 53,000 hd. shortfall. I believe the shortfall comes because of the excessive weight that elements some of the demand. I have said it before, but based on my analysis of carcass weights, the industry has a healthy industry when the industry has 12.5% 55/dn, 22.5% 56/65, 30% 66/75, 21% 76/85, and 14% 85 & up. With the genetics that is in the industry today, I feel the industry can utilize 35% 76 lb. carcasses and up. This is a little heavier than I would like, but I am trying to be realistic. The key is to have a balance in our heavies and lights. The weight classifications on the two ends fit a small majority of our customers. The packer/processor needs an average weekly live slaughter weight of about 140 lb. This will do three very important things….. (Give the consumers what they want—improve quality—level out slaughter). Our major competition (Australia/New Zealand) work very hard to give OUR consumer what they want. Why can’t we?

Retailers (our consumer) have been able to diversify to other proteins so far (whole bird chicken is at all-time record highs) and turkey burgers are showing up in fast food restaurants. Cold weather across much of the US East Coast and parts of the Midwest so far has negatively impacted sales compared to last year when weather in heavily populated areas was warmer. As weather improves, there should be some pent up demand that could start the grilling season. Challenges remain on the demand front, from slow growth in disposable incomes (some say negative growth), relative high rates of real unemployment and underemployment to a growing gap in incomes. Export demand for beef and pork remains finicky.

The USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report indicates continued large stocks of frozen meat and poultry as of the end of February. Total meat and poultry in freezers on February 28 was 2.188 billion pounds, 5.7% higher than last year and 2.6% higher than last month. The increase came from poultry. Chicken inventories exceeded last year by 6.1% and turkey stocks grew by 14.1% versus 2012. Lamb and mutton inventories are as follows:

F eb. 28 J an.31 F eb.28

2012 2013 2013 2/28/2012 1/31/2013

,000 ,000 ,000

20,851 18,768 19,841 95.2 105.7

F R E E Z E R IN V E N T O R Y

% o f

Remember, the above numbers consist of both imported and domestic. Australian weather has been good over the past two months (early dryness, but as of late, good moisture). New Zealand has been experiencing one of the worst droughts in more than 30 years, leading to water shortages and parched pastures. This has led to increased slaughter of cows and lambs. New Zealand will have more lamb and cow meat for the US in April and May. Australian shipments will depend greatly on what other markets are willing to pay, and so far China has been quite willing to clean up the additional supply. Australian lamb slaughter

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President’s MessageSubmitted by Milt Ward, NLFA President, Paris, ID

I called Mike Harper the other day for advice on what positive notes I could put in this letter. His best advice was to go to sleep and pretend I had a dream on how great 2012 was for the industry. However, I woke up and realized it was a nightmare.

For an old man to dream about the sheep market instead of pretty girls is a little disheartening, but I guess it's just facing reality. As far as my opinion, I think we still have a long way to go to get the industry back to levels we can live with.

One positive factor Greg Ahart told me, was that Superior has increased kill in Denver on old crop lambs and hoped he could keep the market increasing for the meat. I wish the best of luck to both Greg and Superior.

Feedlots in Colorado are getting full again and still some lambs in Imperial. California springers are finding it tough to get moved, although the Ram Sale in California was stronger than most expected. There are still some producers with a positive attitude.

We are planning on a great Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School in San Angelo this year (July 13–17). They are still having a terrible drought; hopefully, we can take them some rain. I encourage all members to apply to this year’s school or if you know anyone that might be interested, pass on the word. •

industry. What I’ve learned has helped me in many aspects of my operation and has allowed me to share new ideas and information with fellow sheep growers.”

What to expect in San Angelo

The current city of San Angelo Texas, was founded by European Americans in 1867, when the United States constructed Fort Concho as one of a series of new forts designed to protect the frontier from hostile threats. The fort was home to the famous Black Calvary, otherwise known by Native Americans as Buffalo Soldiers. San Angelo, which has an average of 251 days of sunshine a year, is located at the region where Central Texas meets West Texas weather.

– Jan Jackson

See Leadership School Itinerary on page 8

Hats off to sheep producers donating time to the industry

As I kill time in the Denver airport on my way home from a couple days of meetings in which the directors selected individuals to serve on the American Sheep Industry Association’s (ASI) councils and committees, I

ask myself, “Why do so many sheep producers volunteer their time to help the industry?” There is very little financial reward and in some cases, a very large time commitment, and yet every year we have more and more talented and deserving volunteers filling positions on councils and committees. It occurred to me the answer might be because we all raise sheep.

As soon as man domesticated the dog, he was able to get the sheep in the barn and/or keep them in the pasture. When you domesticate an animal they not only become dependent on you but you become dependent on them. Most non-sheep people (including our customers) assume we raise animals for financial reward. I believe those of us raising sheep today would say financial reward is only part of the reason.

We know that the more we give to our sheep the more the sheep give to us – not in just protein and fiber but in personal satisfaction. Our volunteers know the more we give to the industry the more we will receive in return. We all need to thank the people who volunteer to help lead our industry. Our hats are off to you.Clint Krebs, ASI President (taken from Sheep Industry News).

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➤➤➤ Drake's Market News – continued

was 26% higher during January compared with last year. At 1.82 million head—an extra 376,000 head year on year. January equates to about our yearly slaughter. Australian sheep (mutton) slaughter for January increased 59% to 820,000 hd.

Lambs on feed in the major feeding regions are around 356,000 hd. which is a decline of about 5.1% from last year. This does not look like a large figure, but remember the industry was harvesting 2012 lambs (375,000 hd) in September last year. As with last year, the industry was out of balance with carcass weights. California spring lambs are coming on the market now. They are lighter than last year which is good. The question is who owns these lambs in the feedyard. This is a hard question to answer. The producers, feeders, and packer/processors are in a tough spot now. Does the producer liquidate the herd, get rid of everything. This is not attractive because there are not a lot of bids for breeding stock and Mother Nature has not stopped the drought. The producer can also finish the lambs, cutting out the feeder market and sell on the live market once they are finished. This choice is not any easier. Feed prices are high. Whoever owns these lambs, the idea is to finish them as a quality weight. Notice the new terminology—“Quality Weight”. In general, I would like to see the “Quality Weight” being in the 140 lb. range.

Producers will not retain ewe lambs as they have in the past two years. The practice of not holding ewe lambs could put 300,000 hd. of lambs back on the feeder market. As in 2012, 2013 slaughter lambs in Colorado feedlots gained weight as harvesting slows. Lamb remains a perishable product and storing lambs in feedlots is tough on feeder margins. Packers felt the pinch as lamb was stored in freezers. Cold storage averaged 21.2 million lbs. monthly, up 25% each month year-to-year. Producers are suggesting that lambs be stored at proper weights in the freezer rather than in the feedyard. The amount of risk and capital to do this makes the idea not workable. Heavy carcass weight does make plant throughput less expensive, but this factor does not make a quality product for the consumer. The consumer has to be the bull’s eye.

Price reporting on feeder lamb prices comes out of three (3) markets that are mainly Ethnic markets. For the normal lamb feeder, you need to note this and not purchase lambs against these markets. This is only one good reason to lower your income taxes.

Feed costs continue to remain high. The drought has corn and other feed stuffs in a very volatile situation. The US Department of Agriculture has projected the 2012/13 corn could range from $6.75 to $7.65 per bu., compared to $6.36 per bu. in its 2011/12 season. Ending stocks for the corn season are expected to be very tight. Recent reports, though, have more corn showing up in farmer’s hands. I question these numbers. What farmer would hold an excessive amount of corn or soybeans when the sale price has been as high as it has been for the past months? For the next few weeks corn prices will move down. Corn growers intend to plant 97.3 million acres in 2013, up for the fifth consecutive year, slightly higher than last year and 6% higher than in 2011. The number of acres planted or the inventory across the world will not be as important as the weather. West of I-35 drought conditions persist. East of I-35 moisture is ample. Hay prices are expected to stay high for supplies are extremely tight and prospects for increased production are very uncertain. ♦

NLFA thanks our Legacy Fund Donors for their generous support of the Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School…

American Lamb BoardNational Sheep Industry

Improvement CenterOversea Casing CompanyPremier 1 SuppliesSRC Milling Co., LLCUtah Wool Marketing

Phil CohnMike Corn - Roswell WoolMike Harper LivestockJay Hasbrouck - Double J

Lamb FeedersMilt Heins Wool & LivestockDan LippertDon Meike - Sussex RanchSteve SchreierMargaret WaiteMilt WardTom & Karin Watson -

Silverdale Farms

As well as many of the previous Leadership School attendees who are helping maintain the program for others with their annual contributions.

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Sheep are far smarter than previously thought

they could find food in the same colored bucket each time.

The sheep learned this in about the same space of time it takes monkeys and humans to conquer comparable tests – after about seven sessions.

When she swapped the food into a different colored bucket, the sheep then adapted in the same amount of time as mon-keys and rodents typically do.

In a more complex task where the sheep had to learn where the food was according to colored shapes, the animals picked up the new rules within 32 attempts.

Professor Morton said: “The sheep learned that color was irrelevant and that shape was what mattered.

“This is a really sophisti-cated rule change and is gener-ally something that humans take some time to learn. Mice and rats can’t do it at all. Marmosets take longer than the sheep did to learn, while Rhesus monkeys are quicker.

“So we can probably classify sheep as being a bit like a slow monkey in terms of intelligence.”

Professor Morton has also conducted trials to test the spatial memory of sheep and found they are able to navigate

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Sheep are widely regarded as some of the most dim-witted creatures in the animal kingdom, but new research has revealed they are far more intelligent than they have previously been given credit for.

Scientists at the University of Cam-bridge have found the creatures have the brainpower to equal rodents, mon-keys and, in some tests, even humans.

The results suggest that sheep have relatively advanced learning capabili-ties, are adaptable, can map out their surroundings mentally and may even be able to plan ahead.

The findings will surprise any motorist who has had to follow a stray sheep trying to escape oncoming traf-fic by running down the middle of a country road.

The animals’ tendency to blindly follow the flock has led to sheep becoming enshrined in the English lan-guage as a description for unquestion-ingly doing what others are doing.

In George Orwell’s Animal Farm they were portrayed as easily led and of lowest intelligence of all the farm-yard inhabitants. Even the look the animals adopt when chewing grass has led to the phrase “sheepish”.

But professor Jenny Morton, a neu-roscientist at University of Cambridge, said sheep had been greatly underval-ued for their intelligence.

She said: “They have a reputation for being extremely dim and their flock behavior backs that up as they are very silly animals when in a group – if there is a hole they will fall into it, if there

is something to knock over, then they will knock it over.

“So I didn’t expect them to be so amenable to testing and certainly didn’t expect them to be so smart. In our tests they performed at a level very similar to monkeys and humans in the initial learning tasks.

“When we then changed the rules they still performed as well as monkeys and better than rodents.

“They are quite intelligent animals – they seem to be able to recognize people and even respond when you call their name.”

Professor Morton, whose research is published in the journal, Public Library of Science One, was studying sheep intelligence in the hope they may be useful as an animal model of Huntington’s disease, a neurodegenera-tive disorder that leads to dementia and affects muscle control.

Researchers in Australia have created a genetically modified sheep that displays symptoms similar to Huntington’s disease in humans, but it is unclear whether the animals would undergo the same cognitive decline that would make them useful for test-ing potential treatments.

Professor Morton put a flock of seven normal Welsh Mountain sheep through a series of tests to examine their learning ability as a mark of their intelligence.

In one test she used yellow and blue colored buckets to see how long it would take the animals to learn that

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What is the value of using real-time ultra-sound for estimating carcass measures in live sheep?

Gregory S. Lewis, Ph.D. USDA, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Sheep Experiment Station Dubois, Idaho

U.S. Sheep Experiment Station research indicates that at a standardized body weight and backfat thickness: • Wethers with larger loin-muscle areas (i.e., rib-eye area), measured between the

12th and 13th ribs, yielded larger and more valuable carcasses;• These relationships were detectable with ultrasound;• Body weight and backfat were standardized statistically so that carcasses

could be evaluated on an equal basis—that is, to level the playing field.• For each standard deviation (0.36 in2) increase in carcass loin-muscle area,

dressing percentage increased 1.57 percentage points/head, gross carcass value

Ohio sheep growers visit the NorthwestSALEM, Ore. –The best way to learn about the sheep industry in the west is to go there, and 20 people on an 8-day Ohio State University sponsored Extension Study Tour to Idaho and Oregon did just that. Led

by Roger High, Executive Director of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, the group flew from Columbus, OH to Boise, ID, picked up four vans and started visiting sheep operations.

High, whose goal is to educate his constituents by visiting sheep operations around the world, has led groups to Virginia, Idaho, Utah, Oregon and Australia. He hopes to do a European Study Tour in 2014.

“Producers in the east don’t know the issues of the west.” High said. “We don’t have the same predators, animal rights groups, foreign worker problems and environmental groups affecting grazing land that the west has and it was good for us to see.”

Though High had driven to Oregon and back years ago, he said he hadn’t really remembered how diverse the state was and that it was not all green.

“We were able to take in some sites in between visiting producers,” High said. “We were hosted by Margaret Soulen-Hinton, Weiser & McCall, ID; Krebs and Cunningham Ranches near Pendleton, OR; Hull Columbia Flock, Bend; Hubard-Roselawn Hampshire flock, Monroe; Don Gnos in Albany and the coast; and Brenda Miller’s Suffolk Farm in Woodburn. We visited Ryan Glazier’s Forage Farm and saw where we get 80% of the grass and legumes that we use for forage. One member of our group brought four rams home from Hubard-Roselawn in Monroe and we still got back in time for the Ohio State University vs. Nebraska Football Game.”

More information is available by contacting Roger High at (614) 246-8299, rhigh@ofbf.org or by visiting www.ohiosheep.org . •

increased $5.12/head, and boxed carcass value increased $6.84/head;

• For each standard deviation (0.31 in2) increase in ultrasound-measured loin-muscle area, dressing percentage increased 0.95 percentage points/head, gross carcass value increased $3.15/head, and boxed carcass value increased $3.86/head;

• This means, for example, that the carcass from a wether in this study with an ultrasound- measured loin-muscle area that was 0.31 in2 larger than the average of the group would be worth $3.15 more than the average carcass; and

• Increasing ultrasound-measured loin-muscle area 1 in2 should increase gross carcass value by approximately $10.00.

Based on U.S. Sheep Experiment Station research, genetic selection for larger loin-muscle area should be expected to improve carcass merit and carcass value of market lambs. And, live animal ultrasound can provide reliable estimates of carcass measures. •

Reference: Leeds, T. D., M. R. Mousel, D. R. Notter, H. N. Zerby, C. A. Moffet, and G. S. Lewis. 2008. B- mode, real-time ultrasound for estimating carcass measures in live sheep: Accuracy of ultrasound measures and their relationships with carcass yield and value. J. Anim. Sci. 86:3203- 3214.

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➤➤➤ Ultrasound – Continued…

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Use of Natural Selenium-Rich Feeds to Manage Selenium Deficiency in Oregon Sheep

Dr. J. Bret Taylor, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Sheep Experiment Station Dubois, IdahoBret.Taylor@ars.usda.gov

SePR, a pelleted product, was manufactured by the US Sheep Experiment Station in cooperation with Intermountain Farmers Association (Salt Lake City, UT) using a natural selenium-rich, high-protein forage as the main ingredient. The recommended daily allowance was 1.5 to 2 lbs per ewe, and the product was fed to ewes during early lactation at three Oregon locations. At Locations A and B, SePR was included as a part of the total ration. At Location C, SePR was fed daily as a pasture supplemental feed. Ultimately, SePR was fed for 22, 20, and 40 days at Locations A, B, and C, respectively.

SePR enhanced the selenium status of ewes and nursing young. Selenium content of whole blood in ewes increased 21%, 18%, and 52% for Locations A, B, and C, respectively. Selenium content of whole blood in lambs nursing ewes fed SePR increased 25% and 117% for Locations B and C, respectively; whole blood samples were not collected from lambs at Location A. Note that the increases were greatest for Location C, which is an effect of feeding SePR twice as long as was fed at other locations. Also note that lambs did not consume SePR and, thus, received the benefit of the product through the ewes’ milk. This response demonstrates that the best time to enhance selenium status of lambs is to feed SePR to the ewes during early lactation.

Selenium content of wool doubled at all locations after SePR was fed to the ewes. Enrichment of wool with selenium is similar to what is observed in skeletal muscle when SePR-like products are fed to sheep. When a doubling of wool selenium is observed, one can expect a similar response in muscle. This is where products that are high in selenomethionine, like SePR, really “shine.” Selenomethionine is an amino acid form of selenium, which readily incorporates in the skeletal muscle. The muscle tissue acts as a “selenium reserve,” which slowly releases selenium back to the body over long periods of time; an effect not possible with sodium selenite.

These data demonstrated that feedstuffs that are naturally rich in selenium can be used in a short-term feeding program to rapidly enhance the long-term selenium status of ewes and nursing lambs. This selenium enrichment will have a long and lasting effect that remains with the lamb during the finishing phase of lamb production.

The U.S. Sheep Experiment Station is grateful for the cooperation of the Oregon sheep producers that participated in the project and for the financial support provided by the Oregon Sheep Commission. •

This report describes the progress relevant to a cooperative agreement between the Oregon Sheep Commission and the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, US Sheep Experiment Station.

➤➤➤ Sheep are Smarter – Continued…

by forming memories of their surrounding environments.

She is also now conducting tests to see whether sheep are able to plan ahead.

Previous research at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge has also shown that sheep have the ability to recognize faces and react to different facial expressions.

Farmers in West Yorkshire have also reported flocks of sheep with apparent problem solving skills after the animals found they could overcome cattle grids by rolling on their backs.

“Mice are mainly used in Huntington’s disease research but they are short-lived animals and don’t show the kind of decline we see in humans,” added Professor Morton.

“Sheep can perform executive cognitive tasks that have never been shown to exist in any other large animals apart from monkeys.

“This means they have great potential for studying cognitive function as well as being a model of Huntington’s disease.” By Richard Gray, The Telegraph, www.telegraph@co.uk

National Lamb Feeders Association1270 Chemeketa Street NESalem, OR 97301-4145

First-Class MailU.S. Postage

PAIDSalem, OR

Permit No. 106

Sunday, July 14, 20133:00 pm Check-in6:00 pm Reception followed by dinner 7:00 pm Orientation Session Introduction of Staff and Students

Assignment of study groups Group photos

Monday, July 15, 20137:30 am Board bus for Angelo State University8:00 am Lamb and goat carcass evaluation and

fabrication at ASU Meats Laboratory Angelo State University Farm – Meat Goat Performance Test

12:00 pm Lunch2:00 pm N&K Ranches – Boer goats and Hair sheep4:00 pm Sawyer Ranch – Rambouillet sheep and

Spanish goats5:30 pm Opportunities & Obstacles of Texas Ranching

• Brush control, poisonous plants, wildfires, drought, range conditions

• Oil, gas, wind energy • Predation 7:00 pm Dinner Return to San Angelo to work on group study

assignments.

Tuesday, July 16, 20137:00 am Board bus for morning tours7:45 am Denis Feedlot, Vancourt

9:15 am Custom Skin Company 10:15 am Producers Livestock Auction11:30 am Bollman Industries (wool scouring facility)12:30 pm Lunch1:30 pm Board bus for Texas A&M AgriLife Research

and Extension Center2:00 pm Role of Sheep Industry Organizations • State Sheep Organizations

• American Sheep Industry Association • National Sheep Industry Improvement Center • National Lamb Feeders Association

2:30 pm Role of Land Grant Educational Institutions3:00 pm Current & Future Research Efforts at the Texas

A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center4:00 pm Break4:15 pm Three Challenges of Texas Ranching - Water,

Wool, and Wildlife6:00 pm Dinner - prepared by Mr. Kenny Blanek from

lamb and goat you fabricated Return to motel to work on group study

assignments.

Wednesday, July 17, 20137:30 am Depart in personal vehicles for the Texas A&M

AgriLife Research & Extension Center

8:00 am Study Group Meetings9:00 am Study Group Reports11:00 am Wrap-up and adjourn school

HOWARD WYMAN SHEEP INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP SCHOOL

San Angelo, Texas • July 14-17, 2013

Applications are due May 3, 2013. Postmarks are accepted or fax to: 503.585-1921. For information, contact NLFA: 503.364-5462.