Do You Speak the Language?

If you are a long-time reader of this column, you’ll likely know that I am a strong proponent of Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGD).  These dogs can be a game changer for mitigating predation of sheep and goats but admittedly, implementation of a successful LGD program is much easier said than done.  Some people seem to be great at it, while others seem to have one problem after another.

Since 2015, we have been actively conducting research and educational programs to help farmers and ranchers with LGD management.  Over the years, I’ve read literature, studied the animals, and observed management practices that people use to make LGD programs work.  To be honest, it confuses me at times when I try to apply the scientific process to rule out what should or shouldn’t be done.

What we often take for granted in livestock research is behavior of ruminants within a flock or herd does not vary a whole lot. Sure, there are some nuanced cases of sheep or goats having individual personalities (the ex-bottle lamb definitely comes to mind), but “personalities” takes on a whole new meaning when discussing dogs. Each dog is absolutely different, which makes applying a stepwise scientific process to development a challenge.

As I have ruminated on the topic for years, there tends to be one major trend that seems to be consistent amongst those who raise successful LGDs.  People who are successful have a natural gift to work with animals.  These individuals are the same type of folks that train their own horses and working dogs, as well.  In essence, they speak the language!

My father is one of those types of people. I highly doubt he ever read a book on it.  Rather, he learned from experience and sought advice from others in the community.  Growing up on the ranch, I can always recall that he was training a horse for one purpose or another–a passion that he passed on to my brother.  As sheep and goats became more of a focus at the ranch, he transitioned to training working dogs and developing LGDs.  This became a passion of mine.

Over the years, I have tried to immolate his process to train working dogs but I inevitably adjust to what fits my style.  When we talk, our conversations are typically dominated by discussions around a working dog in training.  We have a friendly debate on who’s dog is better but I have to acknowledge he usually has the advantage.  Please don’t tell him I said that!

The point of my rambling about working dogs is that my family has successfully used LGD to protect sheep and goats for several decades.  A big part of this success is having good dogs, which are a result of having someone who can speak the language to make it work.

This begs the question.  Do you need to speak the language to have LGDs?  I would argue that you do not have to, but it helps if you do.  If you are not a gifted animal trainer, then you may look into purchasing a bonded LGD, similar to how people buy horses that are trained for a particular purpose.  With that said, LGDs that are bonded and raised on the ranch tend to have a higher success rate than those bonded elsewhere.  Depending on the situation, it may be best to bond freshly weaned LGDs at the ranch but to work closely with someone who speaks the language during the first year. Working with someone who has been successful will also allow you to pick up on some of the subtleties of dog training that are not always noticeable at first glance, but make a huge difference. Think of this as taking a canine language arts course!

Whatever your plan, it is imperative to remember that developing LGDs is a long term investment of time and money. Having the patience to see the process through will almost always allow you to come out ahead in the long run.

For more information about the Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog program, visit our website (sanangelo.tamu.edu/research/lgd/) or contact Bill Costanzo (325- 657-7311).  We also want to express appreciation to the Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board for their support of the program.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7324.  For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office.  If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.

 

Can the Texas Sun Energize the Sheep Industry?

This edition of Reid’s Ram-blings was composed by Jake Thorne, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Program Specialist.

I just filled my pickup up with $4.00/gallon gas on my way in to work today and though it was a tough pill to swallow personally, my greatest concern is for how current energy prices are affecting America’s farmers and ranchers. The extra squeeze on agriculture to continue to “produce more with less” is another formidable obstacle for a sector of society that seems to already have a mountain range of hills to climb. With that said, my job title isn’t “chief lamenter”, and I don’t write this column to pour salt on your wounds either. Instead, I choose to find the silver lining in every obstacle, and as the trend to find alternatives to fossil fuels intensifies, I do see a major opportunity “shining” on the horizon for West Texas sheep producers.

I started this with a pessimistic grumble about fuel prices, but pragmatically I do not pretend to fully understand the dynamics by which oil and gas production, renewable energy, and ranching comingle in West Texas. It seems crude oil at $100/barrel brings salvation to one landowner and is a blow on the chin for another; but don’t worry that isn’t what I am intending to debate with this piece. With that said, the push for renewable energy has made it all the way to the heart of American fossil fuel production country. Solar farms are popping up everywhere in our region, including in true Texas fashion, a 2700-acre behemoth in McCamey (naturally, the largest in the USA). Behind their tightly enclosed fences and underneath the rows and rows of glimmering panels, grass and weeds still grow. I stand behind the fact that there is not a more well equipped, economically sensible, and carbon-recycling consumer of weeds than San Angelo’s unofficial mascot—sheep.

Grazing underneath solar panels is not something new. This niche style of production has been well reported for some time here and there, but for the most part, it is a new thing in our area. Loosely, how it works is solar companies are looking for ways to effectively control vegetation that grows underneath the panels (of course, rain is required for this, but I promised no negative thoughts earlier, so we’ll disregard the drought for now). Mowing, weed-eating, or chemical treatment are all options, but tend to be labor intensive and expensive. So, enter the four-legged mowers. Sheep producer and solar farm company can work out a mutually beneficial agreement in which sheep, a species that generally don’t pose quite as much of a damage risk to the panels as some other ruminants, provide the vegetation control. It will vary depending on several factors, but the compensation for grazing to the sheep owner can be $20 up to several hundred dollars per acre. Not to mention, the fences are new and tight, and the panels provide excellent summer shade. More information about budgets, benefits, and previous grazing projects can be found at the American Solar Grazing Association website; https://www.solargrazing.org/ .

Now it should be pointed out that solar grazing is more than just dropping off a load of ewes at a site, slapping ourselves on the back for finding such an opportunity, and then coming back in a couple weeks to make sure the float hasn’t fallen off the water trough. In reality, the sheep will need to be monitored as will the level of vegetation, which is ultimately the goal for the solar company, to keep the weeds/grass down. However, as we all know, overgrazing isn’t the answer either, because what will grow back likely won’t be palatable and might have thorns on it ready to do battle with beast or man alike. Such is life in Texas, even our plants can be mean and tough. So the solution is usually to develop a forage-crop through seeding and perennial management. Produce something the sheep will eat and thrive on, but don’t graze it to the point of killing it off. This will likely mean grazing on the solar sites will also not be year-round.

As solar becomes more established in our area, I anticipate that it won’t be long before sheep will be a common occurrence under panels throughout the Concho Valley and grazing opportunities might be hard to come by. However, this generally is a pro-sheep area with ranchers and farmers already scouring the landscape for lease country. I encourage you to broaden your horizons and look for chances to graze solar sites wherever they are being put in across Texas, because there is a tremendous upside for both parties to have sheep under the panels. Not to overpromise on something we can’t deliver, but we have kicked around the idea of hosting a solar grazing conference here in Texas sometime in the future, be on the lookout for more information if that is something that ends up coming together. I know I have said it before, but I am really optimistic about the future of sheep production in the U.S. They are versatile, sustainable, valuable, good for the land, and generate fantastic commodities to eat or wear. Continuing to find ways to produce them in a dynamic world is going to be a win-win for all.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at jake.thorne@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7220.  For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office.  If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.

Risk Management

As I am writing this article, the world seems to be in complete disarray.  The news from Ukraine is absolutely heartbreaking.  Inflation and fuel prices are out of control.  And the drought across the sheep and goat region of Texas is worsening by the day.

On the bright side, the sheep and goat market has remained strong through all this turmoil.  While we hope that this market is the new normal, it is prudent we recognize the possibility of a down turn.  Trying to predict the market is risky business but it is the reality for industries that are price takers.

I keep thinking back to 2012, when the market collapsed.  Two years prior, I had just taken my first academic position at North Dakota State University.  The ethnic market had established itself as a major part of the US lamb industry, a historic drought in Texas was greatly impacting supply of lamb, and US dollar had weakened which reduced import pressure.  As a result, lamb and goat prices hit all-time highs.  All we could talk about at industry meetings was “This market is here to stay, and we need to capitalize on it!”

As with most commodities, the high prices started to reduce demand and harvest volumes slowed.  Lambs in the feedlots got heavier and heavier.  The US dollar started to gain strength which further enticed the oceanic countries to ramp up imports into America.  And as quickly as our domestic market climbed; it came crashing down.  The traditional lamb industry was hit the hardest, the non-traditional lamb industry to a lesser degree, and the meat goat trade came out mostly unscathed.

I am not necessarily predicting a major market crash in the near future. Factors are very different, and potentially more favorable in 2021 compared to 2011.  For me the real question is “How high can the market climb without negatively impacting consumer demand?”  Based on presentation at the ASI convention in San Diego, restaurant and retail markets are reducing orders and/or switching to cheaper import product.  The ethnic market for lamb and goat tend to not compete with imported product.  But a rising tide lifts all boats; therefore, it isn’t fully immune to it either.  And the same principles of supply and demand for both consumer and producer apply.

It is also prudent that we consider the seasonal market flux here in Texas.  The yearly market data we collect and publish on our website indicates strong markets in the winter markets and weaker markets in the summer.  As we transition to spring, the volume of animals sold at auction will go up with the natural production cycle and it will likely have a negative impact.  In addition, the ethnic holiday seasons are now earlier in the spring and early summer.

For me, the greatest risk for the sheep and goat industry in today’s market is buying high priced breeding animals.  As long as someone is making this purchase with a long-term approach, they should be fine.  But new or expanding producers that are relying on high priced lambs or goats in the short term might find themselves a tough situation, if a market correction occurs in the near future.

While, I tend to be an optimist and look at the glass half full, I also feel obligated to share my experience from being too optimistic in the past.  In full transparency, I was concerned last year that the market was going to see a correction and it didn’t.

As an industry, we must be able to weather the highs and lows of the market, along with drought, parasites, predators, just to name a few.  Hence the reason that raising livestock takes a special breed of people. Time and time again history has showed us that business’ that manage their assets and expenditures to be robust against price crashes are able to persist long-term.

Time will tell what our future holds.  Hopefully, that includes a stable and sustainable market for all segments of the industry.  Just as importantly, I pray spring rains are right around the corner to quench the thirst of this droughty landscape.

 

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7324.  For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office.  If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.

Dealing with Drought

As I drive around this region of the state the landscape is all just variable shades of brown- forage, dirt, and trees included. If it wasn’t for the blaring heater and an obnoxiously fluorescent Fahrenheit reading from the dash of my pickup, I could almost be confused if it is 20 or 120 degrees outside. Warm season grasses are dormant, cool season grasses never really came up, and even the wheat fields have mostly thrown in the towel. It appears that most everyone in West Texas (and much of the western U.S.) is dealing with this same abysmal situation, and here at the research station in San Angelo we have not been spared. Adding insult to injury the long-range weather forecast indicates that this will persist through the spring.

Typically, when wide-spread drought conditions occur, ranchers are left with no choice but to sell lambs or kid goats at lighter weights and often cull harder on their breeding females.  If a large percent of the industry takes this action at the same time, it can oversupply the market and force prices down.  Fortunately for the sheep and goat industry, this is the time of the year that supply of all classes of sheep and goats at market are lower and prices are strong.

Another option for ranchers is to feed through the drought.  Again, if a lot of people take this approach, then the price of hay and supplement (which are also in short supply because of said drought) will escalate.  The unfortunate situation for this year is the market for livestock feed was high even before the faucet from the heavens turned off in early fall.  Luckily, the high market price of sheep and goats have allowed for ranchers to purchase higher priced feeds and still generate a return on investment.

Like many of you, we are at a point that supplementation rates of our research flocks and herds have had to increase substantially to keep adequate condition on our animals.  Without rain in the near future, we won’t be “supplementing” the animals but rather feeding them most of their entire diet.  In this case, we will have to dry-lot most of the animals as leaving them too long on pasture will result in overgrazing that will make it even harder for the range to recover when drought breaks.

Fortunate for us, we pregnancy scanned all the ewes that are due to lamb this spring.  This allowed us to cull all our mature ewes that were not pregnant early this winter.  As drought persisted, we culled the two-year old ewes that were also open.  Then, we sorted off the thin ewes and twin-bearing ewes into a separate pasture to provide them with extra feed before lambing in March. If we can keep them in proper condition, the extra pound of energy these females get each day will more than pay itself back in the added lamb production. This strategy of separating singles and twin bearing ewes also ensures that the ewes that are physically hindered by late gestation of multiple fetus’ aren’t bullied off the feedline by the single carrying ewes who are stronger and more agile. Unfortunately splitting the flock spreads the guard dogs out a bit, but there is give and take with every management decision (insert cliché about “if it was easy…”).

As I talk with ranchers that have successfully navigated drought in the past, it seems that most good decisions are made early. Sometimes they don’t work out perfectly. But catastrophic effects of dealing with drought tend to occur to those that wait too long and are left with very few options. In hindsight I could have been a little timelier with this advice! Nonetheless, drought is something we have all endured before and will again. Every scenario in ranching is an opportunity to learn and this provides a good barometer for the resilience of your operation. With that said I absolutely hope that you all receive rain in the near future.  But if you don’t, I hope that your recent decisions are wise ones and allow your sheep and goat operations to sustain themselves for generations to come.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7324.  For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office.  If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.

Lifelong Learners

This edition of Reid’s Ram-blings was composed by Jake Thorne, Texas A&M AgriLife Program Specialist.

Sheep shearing school just wrapped up at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station in San Angelo this past month. Several Texans and even some out of state participants came together over the four-day course and learned the dance that is sheep shearing. Many of the students, even those who hadn’t ever picked up a handpiece before, were getting into the rhythm of long sweeping blows and harvesting full intact fleece by the final day, all in a timely manner that is as easy as possible on the sheep. With that said, learning to shear isn’t just something that happens. Registering for the course doesn’t guarantee you will be able to shear, and in fact, completing the course doesn’t even really make you a “shearer.” To be called a professional, you need several thousand repetitions and a constant desire to refine your technique. But back to the point of learning to shear, in all reality it is back breaking, physically intense, exhausting, and very frustrating. Almost everyone who has ever taken our course underestimates the challenge of learning to shear, mostly because they have seen someone who is quite good, make it look easy.

This concept of learning a new technique and then being asked to perform it in front of people is something we as adults struggle with, especially something physical. Most people who start out shearing are not very good at all, and being inadequate at something is bothersome to us, especially when others who are better than us are watching. Growing up, through school and sports, we are accustomed to learning and improving, and to some extent being judged on our abilities. As adults, we quickly forget how uncomfortable that is.

To be entirely honest, the vast majority of people who complete the sheep shearing school here do not go on to become professional shearers. Our original goal (and still main priority) of hosting this school was to supply the sheep and goat industries with shearers, however, I would venture to guess that maybe over half actually realize how hard of work it is and suddenly the cost of having someone come shear their animals seems quite worth it. Only a couple people every year take this skill and turn it into a service business, albeit a much needed one! With that said, everyone who goes through the course experiences personal growth that is truly amazing to see. Most start out enthusiastic, then quickly become defeated, then grith their teeth and persevere through the learning process and come out on the other end feeling accomplished. Some never make it past feeling defeated, as is the case whenever the challenge is hard.

As we start out another new year as member of the sheep and goat industry, I hope you make it a point to challenge yourself over the next year in a way that makes you uncomfortable, but ultimately more skilled and confident. You instantly become part of a small fraternity of others who have also learned said skill and you’ll find your network of friends and acquaintances expanding, even if that wasn’t the intent. As ranchers, we like to think of ourselves as being great problem solvers and accepting of challenges, but we are also prideful folk. Looking bad in front of other people is not our forte. It doesn’t have to be learning to shear a sheep, but really pushing yourself to learn or do something that you didn’t really think was ever possible will make us better in the end. They say moss doesn’t grow on a rolling stone, and while many think that is a statement about remaining physically active, I think it very much applies to our mental state as well. Lifelong learners usually live a long life.

Happy new year and I hope the dance lessons are worth it. Whatever dance that is.

 

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7324.  For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service County office.  If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.

2022 BHAGs

The new year provides us an opportunity to develop some goals for self-improvement.  Many of us set a goal to improve our physical, mental, or spiritual health.  But how often do you take time to develop some goals for the health of your farming and ranching business?

I’d encourage you to set some big hairy audacious goals (BHAG) for your sheep and goat operation.  The term BHAG comes from the 1994 book “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras.  BHAGs are meant to pull people out of a slump and energize them to implement a big picture-type plan that could take a longer time frame, like a decade, to complete.

The ranching community is mostly comprised of conservative people with very realistic expectations.  This gives us strength to endure hard times and protect the family ranching legacy.  However, it is a weakness, if we are trying to aspire to new heights and change the paradigm that your ranching operations has become accustomed to.

You must have been living under a rock this year, if you haven’t noticed a marked increase in the market value of sheep and goats of all shapes and sizes.  We all hope that these markets remain strong into the future and most indications are favorable to continuing this trend.  But let’s not become complacent by a high market. Why not use this as an opportunity to set a few BHAGs to increase the productivity of your flocks and herds?

Texas is blessed with a mild climate that is very suitable to raising sheep and goats without excess inputs, such as winter dry lot feeding or birthing our animals in shelters.  However, this blessing can also be a curse.  Texas generally raises one of the lowest lamb crops per breeding female compared to other states.  In my opinion, this is mostly a result of pasture-based management that increases the chance of predation, reduces our ability to prevent neonatal losses, and limits genetic selection for higher rates of fertility.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not promoting that Texas add significantly more labor to raising sheep and goats.  But I am promoting producers to develop BHAGs that will increase your lamb and kid crop, with minimal changes to your overall management plan.

Obviously, predation is one of the greatest challenges that traditional sheep and goat ranches face.  We must continue to employ a variety of lethal and/or non-lethal strategies to minimize the impacts that predators have on our industry.  But we must not allow predation to limit what other management strategies we employ to increase the reproductive efficiency of our sheep and goats.

In my professional opinion, the simplest and most economical strategy to increase lamb and kid crop is to source rams, bucks, or billies from breeders that utilize NSIP to generate EBVs for reproduction and other traits.  Not only is this a proven scientific process but I have seen this technology make dramatic improvements in lamb crop of my own operation as well as others.  I must warn you that there are only a few breeders in Texas that have adopted this technology.  However, as the demand for these animals grows, I am confident that more seedstock breeders will use the technology and improve the genetic potential of the Texas sheep and goat industry. My own professional BHAG is to have 100 sheep flocks and goat herds from Texas enrolled in NSIP by 2030!

Next, I would suggest to pregnancy ultrasound your flock or herds, especially for those that birth in the pasture.  This allows for females that are not pregnant to be remove from the herd or lambing/kidding pasture.  It also allows manager to sort females into different pastures based on litter size, which has several advantages.  First, birthing the females in separate pastures allows for selection of replacements from more prolific dams.  It also allows for improved nutritional management of females that require more feed to raise larger lamb and kid crops.

These are just a couple management strategies that can result in you reaching your BHAG to improve lamb/kid crop.  We have helped develop 12 factsheets on this topic that can be accessed at http://lambresourcecenter.com.

Happy New Year’s and good luck as you work towards new heights with your ranching enterprise!

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7324.  For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office.  If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.

Do You Podcast?

I am fortunate to hold a professional position where I am blessed with the opportunity to educate, prophesize, and/or ramble about industry-relevant topics. The details of what I share are based on a decade of higher education, followed by a decade of industry involvement. More recently, my daily routine hadn’t allowed for as much continuing education as I’d like, until I discovered podcasts.

About 2 years ago, we decided to produce a monthly podcast for the U.S. sheep industry.  This podcast is a collaborative effort of state extension specialists across the country and other leaders from ASI who also realized that jumping on the podcast bandwagon was a great way to spread awareness about happenings in the industry.  Our goal is to provide monthly interviews with researchers, educators, and allied industry on current topics relevant to sheep farmers and ranchers.

Currently the podcast “ASI Research Update” reaches between 500 and 1,000 listeners each month and continues to grow.  Erika Sanko, ASI Director of Analytics & Production Programs, coordinates this effort and Jake Thorne, Texas A&M AgriLife Sheep and Goat Program Specialist, serves as the host.

As an organizing member of this podcast effort, I’ve become a regular listener to a variety of other podcast channels as well.  This allows me to keep up with current sheep topics here in the U.S. and internationally.

We are all so busy these days that is hard for most of us to dedicate time for continuing education, either in front of a computer or in person at a meeting or event.  The fact that I can listen to podcasts in the car at my convenience really is ideal.  My phone syncs with my vehicle and these podcasts auto play with minimal effort or forethought.  I suggest researching channels that are of the most interest to you and subscribe. Don’t forget to go to your smart phone settings and allow notifications for new podcasts!

My favorite channels are listed below and hyperlinked.  I hope you find them as enjoyable, educational, and thought provoking as I do.

 

ASI Research Update

Sheep Stuff Ewe Should Know

Sheep Connect NSW (Australia)

Scene + Herd (New Zealand)

Now that I have included “learning” into my daily routine, my imagination has taken off as to what else I have been missing out on that can lead to a “better” me? Should I be shearing 10 sheep each morning for exercise? Or maybe racing my border collie on foot? Are there new lamb recipes that I haven’t heard of? Too much time to think however can really be dangerous for me. This is when I have to turn the dial back to the radio and allow music to calm my rambling mind.

 

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7324.  For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office.  If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can

Imports. Friend or Foe?

By now you know that I am a strong proponent of eating and promoting the consumption of lamb and goat meat. Bottom line, it is delicious, but the reasons to include lamb or goat in your meal rotation do not end there.  It is nutritious and versatile in the ways it can be prepared. And as producers I believe it is important for us to be advocates of our own products.

When we cook and eat lamb and goat ourselves, we also become better advocates for it.  I can’t count the number of times, I’ve heard “I only like lamb when Reid cooks it.”  Over time, the fear of something different and we gain another advocate.  Be Patient!

As a routine customer, I’m always inquiring about the origin of the product. Often, they are sourced from another country. Imported lamb is perceived by many consumers as exclusive and superior products.  In reality, most imported products are purchased by American restaurants or grocers because of price and availability.  Currently, domestic products are sold by wholesalers at roughly double the price of imported products.

Over the last decade, half the lamb and a third of the goat meat consumed in the US are imported.  So far in 2021, lamb imports are nearly double US production (Figure 1). The top two countries that provide most of the lamb and goat meat are Australia and New Zealand, but that might be about to change.

In September of 2020, the Biden administration lifted a 30-year-old ban on British lamb and mutton from being imported into the US. The ban was originally created in response to the first outbreaks of BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease. With U.S. markets off the table until now, most of their exports were going to Europe. While it is unclear how this will affect American producers, one silver lining is that lifting of the ban also allows for the import of United Kingdom (UK) sheep genetics, such as semen and embryos.

The UK is the third largest exporter of sheep meats globally, behind Australia and New Zealand.  I had the privilege of touring the UK sheep industry in the fall of 2019.  During this tour, we learned that the British export roughly half of their lamb during peak production and import a similar equivalent of lamb from New Zealand during the off season. This “trade off” seems to work given that the UK and New Zealand have similar production systems but are located in different hemispheres.

I’d anticipate that British lamb will likely be marketed at similar value to other imported lamb products.  In theory, more supply will bring down lamb prices at the food counter and inevitably reduce value of lambs at the farm gate.  But I’ve come to realize that the US lamb market is complex and difficult to project.

The US lamb industry grossly undersupplies the demand and it is unlikely that we will grow to a level to meet this demand any time in the near future.  While I’d like to see our industry expand, it is more likely that we will see a further reduction in overall lamb and goat production.  Both from farmers exiting the industry and operations that reduce flock or herd size.  Furthermore, the rapidly growing non-traditional market prefers to harvest lambs at 25 to 50 percent lighter weights than conventional markets.  Harvesting lighter lambs results in even lower volume of domestic lamb production.  To keep a supply of lamb for the growing American appetite for lamb, we are likely going to need more imports.

In my opinion, the negative impact of imports are due to a discrepancy in value.  Imports tend to be cheaper for a variety of reasons.  First, emerging domestic demand has driven up the market for lambs and goats above global prices.  This is good for sheep farmers but it also creates opportunity for imports to gain a stronger foothold in traditional channels.  Second, the imports tend to have lower costs of production due to limited predation, access to more animal health products, economy of scale, government support programs, etc.

The goat market isn’t as affected by imports as they lack a sizable volume of goat meat for export.  Goat meat imports also come from Australia and New Zealand; however, their goats tend to be feral or very extensively managed.  Based on my impression, export demand has impacted their national herd size and further long-term exports appears to be unsustainable.  As an example, I have a friend in Australia that is proud to have successfully exterminated goats from their farm, as if they were pests.

In summary, the US lamb and goat industry is very much influenced by global trade. We need imported product to satisfy US demand and continue to grow the American appetite for lamb and goat meat.  However, imports have a competitive advantage due a lower cost of production than US sheep and goat producers.  I will be very interested to see how the markets react to future imports. What is still in our control though, is how we can be better advocates for lamb and goat meat. We’ll just have to take a page from Blue Bell’s playbook and “eat all we can and sell the rest.”

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7324.  For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office.  If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.

Superior vs Optimal

There is the saying “Everything is Bigger in Texas.”  Texans are proud to have the largest populations of sheep and goats of any state in the union.  While the size of our sheep have been getting larger and larger over time, by no stretch of the imagination do we raise the biggest sheep in the US.  Sheep in the Midwest and Intermountain West tend to be much bigger.

The mild weather and diverse native rangelands of Texas makes this a great place to raise sheep and goats.  However, these range conditions tend to better support smaller-framed animals, but this puts us at odds with our general tendency to want bigger and better things.  I too am drawn towards selecting replacement rams and ewe lambs that standout in the crowd. But this strategy can have unintended consequences.

For years, we have used the term, “superior”, to define animals that we believe to be the best.  But as time progresses, I find the term, “optimal”, to better represent what ranchers see the most value in.  “Superior” makes the assumption that merit is defined by one universal set of rules; whereas, “optimal” suggests a balance of many traits that have been carefully curated for a particular environment or management style.

Texas sheep and goat operations are all unique.  They have different resources, strive to produce varying products, and construct different goals to measure success.   These differences outline the production traits that are optimal for each operation.

The performance of sheep and goats are a combination of genetic potential and management.  If an animal has the genetic potential to grow faster, grow more muscle, raise more offspring, or better fight off parasites, it still requires proper management to reach its potential.  There are no free lunches!

Moreover, many of these genetic attributes work against each other, especially when feed resources are limited.  For instance, an animal that grows faster and has a larger mature size may be less likely to raise multiple offspring or fight off internal parasites.  Can sheep and goats be genetically selected to do “all of the above”?  Maybe, but it takes a strategic approach fitted with the appropriate management.

If you are a long-time reader, you know that I am a strong proponent of estimated breeding values (EBVs).  These values provide a reliable prediction of many of the economically important traits to find the “optimal” genetics for each operation.  EBVs are a powerful tool to ensure data-driven selection and enable you as a producer to identify and select for your “optimal”  traits. Feel free to contact us to find out how to source animals with EBVs tailored to your operation.

An often-overlooked strategy to optimize sheep and goat productivity is crossbreeding. A common example of a successful crossbreeding strategy is to maintain a ewe flock of maternal, moderate framed females who are well adapted to the environment and range conditions, and then breeding these ewes to a ram that supplies the growth and muscle that we often get paid for at the sale. Not to mention, when the ewes and rams are different breeds, the resulting hybrid vigor is particularly advantageous regarding lamb survival and size. Using crossbreeding to outcompete purebred stock is as close to a “free lunch” as can be found in livestock production.  Historically, the use of black-face rams, typically Suffolk or Hampshire, on finewool ewes is the best example of this in Texas.  The cross-bred, smut or speckle faced, lambs would generally wean 10 to 15 lbs heavier and all lambs were sold.  Straight finewool rams were used on roughly half the ewes to generate replacement females.

Today, this practice is still somewhat common in finewool sheep but the use of terminal sires is not a common practice in the hair sheep industry. It is a viable strategy and needs to be considered more often.

Continuously breeding for animals that are always a little bit superior for a particular trait, without regard to the negative impacts this may be having in other areas has been an epidemic in livestock breeding since the beginning of time.

In summary, sheep flock or goat herd productivity can be optimized by selection of animals that have the desired traits fit for the environment they are raised in. EBVs are a great tool to source the right genetics; however, it is still best to source genetics produced in a similar production system.  Even greater levels of productivity can be realized if ranchers’ source maternal-oriented sires to raise replacements and terminal-oriented sires to produce offspring destined for harvest. Always remember, at the end of the day, optimal animals are those that work best for you and, your profit depends on your ability to identify your own “optimal” traits.

 

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7324.  For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office.  If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.

Capitalizing on Opportunity

September is my favorite month of the year.  As a child, it marked the end of long, hot summer days and a return to school. Yes, I am one of those weird kids that looked forward to school.  The social aspect of school was a good break from the solitude of the ranch life.  And of course, the return of Friday night lights!  But, in truth, education is what I liked best.  Now as a parent of school age kids, I appreciate fall even more!

September represents a shift in production systems.  It is either the start of a new breeding season for winter and spring births or starts the fall lambing or kidding season.  The days are starting to shorten and cool down, which brings about a shift from warm season to cool season grasses and forbs.

The fall also represents a shift in the overall market of sheep and goats.  The larger volumes of lambs and goats during the summer are starting to dwindle.  The reduction in supply starts to have positive impacts on market price.  While, this year has tended to follow the seasonal patterns, the base value of lambs and kids are high.  Historically, feeder and light weight slaughter lambs would have sold for less than $2 per pound and kid goats would have sold for less than $2.50 per pound.  This year the market averaged about 50% higher than normal.

There is no guarantee that the markets will remain high into the future but the factors that have driven up demand and limited supply aren’t likely to change in the near future.  So, how do sheep and goat producers take advantage of a good situation?  From my perspective, there are several options to consider.  First, grow lambs and kids to heavier weights. Second, shift breeding season to market lambs and kids in winter months. Third, improve flock/herd reproduction to market more lambs or kids.  There are other options as well, but for the save of space I will limit to these three for this article.

To help sheep and goat raisers project when, and at what weight, to market their lambs and kids, we have developed several marketing tools.  There are charts updated weekly on our webpage (sanangelo.tamu.edu) that are a summary of USDA AMS data from Producers in San Angelo.  They show a weighted average price for the current year, prior year, and five-year average before that.  These help to assess the market from a longer-term perspective, instead of weekly shifts.  We have also developed a prediction matrix for change in value of lambs and kids by month and weight range that is based on over ten years of data from the local auction reports.  This matrix was used to develop an iPhone app that conducts the calculations and displays them in charts.

A subject of common discussion among sheep and goat raisers is timing lambing or kidding to market offspring during the peak winter months or prior to an ethnic holiday.  While, this may seem very logical, it isn’t as easy as it may seem. We often see a reduction in the prolificacy of some sheep and goats during the spring because they are natural fall breeders. Also, there are undoubtedly costs associated with extra supplement needed by pregnant females during the winter, but ranchers make money on margins and while inputs may be increased, the potential value of a fall lamb or kid crop could more than make up for this.

Improving a lamb or kid crop is one of the greatest challenges for a sheep or goat rancher to accomplish because of the need to maintain good nutrition, thwart predators, prevent disease, and adapt to what mother nature provides.  Sheep and goat folks take great pride in their animals and will do most anything to keep them healthy and productive.  But I’d like to challenge you to raise the bar for what you’d consider a good lamb or kid crop.  Measure your success or failure and document this in a place that is easy to find and remind yourself.  Do this not only for your betterment but for the opportunity that this provides the next generation on the family ranch.

It is my professional opinion that most of our Texas flocks and herds lack the genetic potential to seize the opportunity that lies ahead of us.  In essence, ~ 120 percent lamb or kid crop might be the best we can do, whereas small ruminants with an improved reproductive genetic potential could have raised a 50 percent larger lamb or kid crop.

Selection for higher reproductive potential is possible, but, it won’t happen overnight. Lamb or kid crop is multifaceted set of traits and many of these traits are low to moderately heritable. Unlike, wool or growth traits that tend to be moderate to highly heritable and negatively correlated with reproduction.  There is a high probability that we have selected against reproductive fitness due to over emphasis on wool, growth, and carcass traits.

To make real and measurable increases in lamb and kid crop, I feel strongly that we need to do a better job in selection of replacements for a higher reproductive potential.  The best prediction tools on the market for genetic potential are EBVs (estimated breeding values) from flocks or herds in the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP).   Most commercial operations won’t have the time and resources to generate EBVs on their own sheep/goats, but rather they can source rams or billies with above average EBVs for the reproductive traits.  Keep in mind that rams or billies won’t increase the lambing or kidding rate of the flock or herd until their daughters are raising offspring.  It is a long-term investment.

This fall is looking like the start of another fantastic opportunity to market lambs and kids for high value. Capitalizing on these opportunities are the types of decisions that help keep businesses alive and ranches in families for generations.  Let’s try and seize the opportunity for the next generation to have a brighter future than our own. If AgriLife Extension can be of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7324.  For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office.  If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.