2023-2024 Eighth Issue Dorper Journal

DORPER Journal

AMERICAN DORPER SHEEP BREEDERS’ SOCIETY vision

BRAD ROEDER from our president:

Hello Dorper Breeders,

I would like to start by talking about what an incredible run the Dorper breed has had over the last 20 years that I have been a part of. The Dorper / Hair sheep breeds now dominate the local sale barns, with the vast majority of these going to the ethnic markets. This is an excellent testament to the hardiness of the Dorper breed. We have also made incredible inroads into the show ring with a major presence in the youth and open show. I know the show ring can take animals in the wrong direction, but the youth experience and exposure to the breed has been a major plus.

The Society continues to make significant investments in bringing some of the best minds from South Africa to judge a portion of our major sales/shows, teach our Dorper courses, and inspect sheep. Hopefully, with the next round, we can certify more judges, as our list has become somewhat stagnant with Covid shutting down our schools. If we don’t get more judges certified over the next year or two, we will need to examine our courses and make some hard, and no doubt heated, discussions on the right path forward. Our national sale in Duncan, Oklahoma, brought in just under the million-dollar mark, thanks to all the quality sheep our breeders are letting go of. This also speaks highly of the demand for Dorper sheep across the country, with new breeders coming online weekly.

Please check out one of our wonderful shows or sales at Ft Worth in late January, The Western State Sale in late May in Reno, the Mid-American Sale in Duncan in mid-April, the Southern States Sale in Cookeville in mid-July, the Hill Country Sale in Fredericksburg in mid-September, NAILE in Nov or one of the many regional shows and sales around the country. At the shows and sales, you can visit with breeders, participate in youth events, and enjoy the fellowship of the Dorper Family.

Some of the things I want to see worked on are sales for more range-ready rams to help service our commercial producer, selection of internal parasite resistance through FECAL Egg counts, and highlighting our producers who are doing value-added by selling lamb cuts directly to consumers. All these things take time, manpower, and resources to develop, but I think are a necessity if we want to stay at the forefront of the breeds in the US.

The Dorper business is very diverse and has a lot of different avenues for profitability. It will be exciting to see where the Dorper breed will take us in the next 20 years.

Sincerely,

Add Dollars to Your Flock with Dorpers

BREEDERSpotlight

ROEDER RANCH

Roeder Ranch was founded in 1895 just west of Fredericksburg on the banks of the White Oak Creek. The ranch is now in its sixth generation of caretakers and over the years the ranch has exhibited many different species of livestock including Herford cattle, Delaine sheep, and Hampshire hogs just to name a few. Our family has always taken pride in exhibiting the high-quality animals raised on the ranch at local fairs and major state shows.

About 20 years ago, we noticed Barbados and their crosses brought as much at the auction as wool sheep. So with limited labor, we invested $25 a head in some older ewes that turned out to be possibly Katahdin, St Croix, and Wiltshire horned ewes. Quickly seeing the promise of this new endeavor, we promptly started adding Dorpers as our pocketbooks allowed us. With rams for River Wood and Texas-born ewes from 3C, Powel Ranch, and Wilson Ranch, our herd grew along with our circle of friends in the Dorper world. With two kids hitting the show ring, we started concentrating heavily on strictly raising show whethers for the market shows. Over the last several years, we have realized that sheep could be dual-purpose and compete in both rings and still be functional in the pasture.

The only thing we usually sell off the ranch is show whethers starting in April with fall borns and June and July for spring borns. Show quality ewes and rams sell either at Duncan or at the Texas Hill Country Sale in Fredericksburg. We also run a production sale in early August through CCI.Live selling over 30 lots of ewe lambs, mature ewes, stud rams, and breedings. If doing a pedigree search, our herd prefix is “Icon” and you can find us on Facebook under Roeder Ranch or Brad Roeder.

We have been unbelievably blessed in the show ring, having multiple champions each year in both the breeding and market rings. We not only take pride in seeing our sheep hit the show ring with power and class but love seeing our Dorper queens be productive on the ranch. We would like to thank all the buyers who have allowed us to continue to grow in the Dorper world. We strive to raise and sell animals that we would be proud of and use in our own breeding program. To all of the friends and family we have gained over the last several years, we will see you at the next show.

BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • ROEDER RANCH

CAITLIN JACKSON from our executive director:

I proudly serve as the Executive Director of the American Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society (ADSBS). I may be a little bias when I say that I have the best job in the world! I have the opportunity to promote, in my humble opinion, the best breeds of sheep because they possess the all-around traits that offer unparalleled value to the U.S. sheep industry that are necessary to profitability.

Dorpers bring immense value into a sheep operation with their powerful maternal and terminal traits. You can expect that these sheep will work for you and are very prolific with twinning rates easily achieved. Dorpers make excellent mothers and while they do well in all lambing-type operations they excel in pasture-lambing and are also nonseasonal breeders. No matter your type of operation they will work in your production system for your target markets without difficulty. You will continuously be impressed by the rapid growth rates that Dorpers possess and your lambs will get to market weight quickly and efficiently. Their carcass conformation is outstanding and once you try Dorper lamb you will never want to consume any other type of protein. If your target market is direct-to-consumer your customers will praise the flavor profile of Dorper lamb and you will soon have a line wrapped around the block.

Dorpers are also easy to manage and excel in pasture-based operations and do well in multispecies grazing systems as they are non-selective grazers. Adaptability is another important characteristic that Dorpers are well known for and are not only present in every state of the U.S. but thriving. You’ll also be very appreciative of their ability to shed which decreases your labor costs tremendously in comparison to wool-breeds. It should be of no surprise that Dorpers have risen to the top in popularity in all sizes of sheep operations. From small hobby flocks to largescale commercial flocks Dorpers are becoming a major influence in the U.S. sheep industry

ADSBS is the official registry of Dorper and White Dorper sheep in the U.S. and the Society has experienced unbelievable growth in membership and sheep registrations. This growth in popularity and excitement has led to record-setting sales which continuously fuels the fire of demand for Dorpers. We take pride in our mission to grow demand for Dorper and White Dorper sheep by delivering modern and efficient member services and registry that support traditional and progressive producers in areas of marketing, education, branded programs and genetic improvement.

Help us accomplish our vision to be the leading sheep breed organization that’s committed to increasing profitability and sustainability of the Dorper and White Dorper breeds by becoming a member and be active in the Society. There are many opportunities to get involved and become a change-maker. Check out our website and social media to see the latest news and upcoming events and make plans to join in. I truly believe that our greatest resource is our membership, and you have the skillset that we need to continue to grow our breeds. Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to learn more about the versatility of Dorper and White Dorper sheep or have any questions about ADSBS.

See “ewe” around!

Caitlin B. Jackson

Thank you to the Clay Cowdrey Family of Mirror C Livestock for purchasing their Champion White Dorper Ram-NK 2090, that was later named Reserve Supreme behind INNOVATION...and also, pictured to the right , are the Hohertz family of Early, TX on purchasing NK 953, that was champion from the Texas Hill Country show and sale, and he was the Grand Champion White Dorper ram at the 2021 N.A.I.L.E (top 5 for Supreme), and Junior Champion Ram at Fort Worth... AND FINALLY, THANK YOU SBAR-T Livestock for purchasing the FIRST record breaking ewe of 2022 at the Mid America show and sale in Duncan, OK– NK 2076. THANK YOU TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS! YOU’RE THE BEST!!!

NK 2090

NK 953

NK 2076

Founded in 1986, National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP) is committed to helping U.S sheep producers improve profitability through the use of genetic information. NSIP provides predictable, economically important genetic evaluation

Examples of Genotypes

• RR at codon 171

• NN for spider lamb syndrome

• EBV

Why Use EBVs?

and carcass traits) are in the 25-45% heritability range, which means 55- 75% of what you see with visual appraisal alone is due to environmental factors, and not genetics. Genetic evaluation programs like NSIP weed out the environmental influences and help breeders identify animals with superior genetics.

ESTIMATED BREEDING VALUES

Genetics are passed from parent to offspring but environment is not. Even the most highly heritable traits (like growth information to enrolled flocks by converting performance records into relevant decision-making tools. This allows NSIP members to combine this genetic evaluation along with visual assessments when selecting breeding stock for purebred and commercial flocks. NSIP is the only U.S. organization to offer sheep producers a proven genetic selection system by which to improve flock productivity and quality.

Genotype vs. Phenotype

For sheep, quantitative genetics are described through Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs). To have the best understanding of quantitative genetics, it is essential to understand phenotype and genotype.

PHENOTYPE: An animal’s phenotype (how it looks, how it performs) is a combination of genetics and environment.

PHENOTYPE = GENETICS + ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE

GENOTYPE: The genetic makeup of an animal, usually derived from a DNA test or a genetic evaluation.

Example of Phenotypes:

• Structural correctness

• Actual weaning weight and yearling weight

• Loin eye area

• Type of birth

• Body condition score

EBVs are science- based, industry- tested measurements of heritable traits that can be tracked and measured. NSIP develops Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) which sheep producers can use to select animals for important traits, including productivity, quality and flock health. EBVs are used to measure the genetic merit of individual animals for those traits financially important to commercial sheep production.

HERITABILITY is the percentage of an animal’s observed or measured phenotype due to genetics. This varies by trait. Even in the more highly heritable traits, most of the observed or measured difference in individual animal performance is due to environment.

• Birth weight 16%

• Weaning weight (60 days of age) 15%

• Post Weaning Weight (120 days of age) 28%

• Mature body weight 40%

• Multiple births 10%

• Milk production 10%

• Loin eye area 35%

• Fat thickness over loin eye area 30%

Many economically important traits cannot be evaluated simply by looking at the animal or production records. Using EBVs is the proven method of accurately predicting if an animal will pass on important traits such as growth rate, reproductive proficiency, carcass quality, and parasite resistance. By using EBVs, breeders can get an idea of how an individual will perform, which is helpful in designing a breeding program where the environmental factor is eliminated. Producers can compare individuals based on genetic merit from flocks across the country.

EBV & EPD

For those familiar with EPDs used in cattle, EBVs are very similar. EPDs denote the breeding value of an individual animal’s progeny, whereas EBVs denote the value of the individual animal.

An animal with a Postweaning Weight EBV of +6 will have an EPD of +3. Since NSIP EBVs are expressed in Kilograms (kg), we can convert the EBV to pounds by multiplying by 2.2 lbs per kg. A shortcut is to just view the EBV in kg as essentially the EPD in lbs as it will be within 10% of the value. So, it would be expected that a ram with a Postweaning weight EBV of +6 would sire lambs that would be 6 lbs heavier at post - weaning than lambs sired by the average ram.

Dorper /White Dorper EBVs

Growth: EBV or weaning (WWT) and postweaning weight (PWWT) can be used to select faster growing animals. Adjustments are made to account for litter size and lamb sex.

Loin eye muscle depth (EMD) EBV (mm): indicator of muscle from ultrasound loin muscle depth measurements between the 12th and 13th ribs in live animals, adjusted to the standard postweaning weight of 110 lbs. A positive Loin Eye Muscle Depth EBV should produce offspring with larger loin eyes.

Fat depth (FAT) EBV (mm): is an indicator of fat between the 12th and 13th rib in live animals, adjusted to the standard

postweaning weight of 110 lbs. A negative FD EBV should produce leaner progeny with lower, more desirable yield grades.

Worm Egg Count: intended for selecting sheep with parasite resistance. EBVs include weaning (WWEC) and postweaning (PFEC) fecal egg count.

Maternal Traits: Number of lambs born (NLB) and number of lambs weaned (NLW) can be used by breeders to optimize lamb production.

SRC Index: The self-replacing carcass index (SRC) combines growth, carcass, parasite resistance and reproductive ability into a single value for comprehensive genetic selection of multi-purpose sheep.

Customizable Options

Producers can design their breeding program to focus on using the EBVs that will help them to best achieve the goal they have set for their flock. NSIP offers a Searchable Database that includes all animals enrolled in the program. This is a helpful tool in identifying breeding stock with EBVs that may be useful in a breeding program. The database can be accessed by anyone, not just NSIP members, and can be found at http://nsip.org/searchable-database

Enroll

Visit the NSIP website to find more about the enrollment costs and application process.

 Free flock data management software.

 Free training and mentoring support from a like-minded sheep breeder.

 Advanced genetic evaluation calculations.

 Comprehensive reports on individual animals and breeds.

 Listing on NSIP website.

 Option to consign to NSIP sales.

 News and updates via email.

Requirements

To participate the required information for Dorper/White Dorper that must be recorded:

• Sire and Dam

• Birthdate, type of birth, and rearing

Dorper and White Dorper sheep do not need to be registered to be enrolled in NSIP.

Connect nsip.org

Jake Thorne, Dorper/White Dorper

Breed Representative, NSIP Board of Directors – Jake.Thorne@ag.tamu.edu

Rusty Burgett , NSIP Program Directorinfo@nsip.org

➔Find NSIP Breeding Stock at the Center of the Nation Sale July 30th in Spencer, Iowa or NSIP Terminal Sire Online Sale July 12th @wlivestock.com!

More Breeders Across the US are Turning to NSIP

Producers enrolled in NSIP have many tools at their disposal to evaluate their breeding decisions and track progress. Enrollment in NSIP by Dorper/White Dorper breeders in the US is rising and the value of this technology will only increase with expanded participation. A complete list of Dorper and White Dorper flocks in NSIP can be found at http://nsip.org/dorper-breeders/

NSIP Dorper & White Dorper Flocks

AMERICAN DORPER SHEEP BREEDERS’ SOCIETY

long range plan

strategic initiatives:

Marketing& Communication: Grow demand for Dorper genetics

Dorper Lamb Program: Develop and grow dorper lamb program

Education: Expand education opportunities for members

Youth Programs: Grow youth member development programs

2022-2030

Genetic Improvement: Implement use of modern genetic technologies

I. Marketing& Communication: Increase demand for Dorper and White Dorper sheep by marketing breed accomplishments in genetics and performance:

a.) Develop the Dorper story narrative for producers of different sizes and business imperatives

b.) Identify target producers and understand the appropriate communication and marketing channels they would be most impactful

c.) Develop a robust and modern marketing and communication plan that targets current and potential Dorper sheep producers, national and regional sheep industry associations and broader sheep trade media

d.) Create a modern informational booth for display at promotional events

e.) Update the website and printed materials

II. Dorper Lamb Program: Further develop and grow the Dorper lamb program: Continue developing the business model to grow the Certified American Dorper lamb, and local/regional Heritage Dorper lamb programs:

a.) Develop the business plan to pay for the licensing, royalties and marketing of CAD and HD lamb programs

b.) Recruit lamb processors and producers to participate in the lamb program

c.) Raise funds in partnership with the American Lamb Board to develop the marketing for the CAD and HD programs

d.) Start selling branded Dorper products in 2023

III. Education: Expand educational and engagement opportunities for members:

a.) Create and distribute a survey directly to members to determine educational needs in 2022. Develop and implement in-person and digital educational resources and learning opportunities to achieve education targets will be developed from the results of the survey

b.) Develop and offer educational and development opportunities at shows and online events

c.) Standardize a Dorper Standards training model that has clear metrics of success and demonstrates understanding and application of the standard, with potential to scale to make the greatest impact

d.) Offer additional opportunities to attend Dorper School in other regions of the United States

IV. Youth Programs: Grow youth member development programs: Develop programmatic opportunities for youth members [beyond the showring and record books], and grow their potential to be future leaders in the sheep and lamb industries:

a.) Survey producers and educators to determine an appropriate learning and leadership development plan for youth members.

b.) Provide resources to build the development plan and recruit youth members to participate

IV. Genetic Improvement: Develop, facilitate and promote use of advanced technology or genetic selection tools for seed stock and commercial Dorper and White Dorper sheep while maintaining the Dorper standard:

a.) Have a plan to incorporate ultrasound technology by 2023 for implementation in 2025 to provide sale consigners additional data to support genetic selection decisions.

b.) Develop a plan to partner with universities or genetics companies to design a realistic process to process EBV/EPD or genetic markers that can be used as a genetic selection tool by 2023.

The BOD will recruit members to lead four independent committees and orchestrate timing of the work. Other standing committees such as the National Show & Sale Committee, Southern States Show & Sale Committee and Finance Committee will remain independent, but will work in collaboration with the four new committees. Each committee will seek approval from the BOD on committee goals and timelines, recruit members and develop and be accountable to an annual budget.

execution of strategic plans:

SHARON HOLMAN from our past president:

It has been my pleasure to serve as your President from 2021-2022. As I reflect on the last two years, I commend my fellow board members for the great work that has been accomplished. Organization structure is as important to an organization as a solid foundation under a building and great advances have been made to modernize and improve processes for our Society. Some of the greatest accomplishments the Board and I have made over the last two years include:

• Official Registration Rules and Regulations replaced the current rules to provide modern guidelines on advanced reproduction systems and offer more clarity on registration guidelines. Additionally, short easy to read fact sheets and helpful hints will provide further guidance on the registration process.

• Modernized bylaws have been written to replace the current outdated document. These new bylaws improve our processes but retain the core principles. You, as a member, will have plenty of opportunity for feedback and final vote.

• Internal Employee Policies and Procedures for ADSBS staff and board members have been developed and implemented that support the Bylaws and assure accountability and transparency.

• Improved member engagement through new committees is the truly best change that has been implemented to involve members across the U.S. in the decision-making process. These committees are dynamic and there is a place for you if want to serve your organization and get involved. Most meetings are held virtually with opportunities for you to host local programming in your state and region. As exciting as all those accomplishments are, the one thing I am most excited about was the decision to hire a fulltime Executive Director to manage our vibrant and multidimensional Society. Caitlin Jackson stepped into that role in January 2022 and has been instrumental in implementing all of these processes. She is the center point of all committee meetings and board meetings. Let her know how much you appreciate her and do not hesitate to call or email her with your questions and ideas.

Thank you for your support and confidence during my tenure as President. I take my leadership responsibilities very seriously and I am looking forward to continuing to serve as a Board member for the next three years and work on policy and projects that will make our Society the best.

American Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society

The American Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society - the official registry for Dorper and White Dorper sheep in the United States, was organized in December of 1995. In October of 1996 the first event was held in Cameron, Texas with attendees from Mexico, Canada, South Africa and several regions of the United States. The first business meeting was held, and a board of directors was elected. By December 1996, the organizational by-laws were formalized, and the Society was incorporated.

SEARCHABLE MEMBER DIRECTORY

https://dorpersheep.org/member-search/ MEMBER APPLICATION

https://dorpersheep.org/membership-form-adult/

JUNIOR MEMBER APPLICATION

https://dorpersheep.org/junior-member-application/

ONLINE REGISTRATION DATABASE WITH SEARCHABLE ONLINE PEDIGREE

https://bit.ly/3z1CzgP

PURCHASE DORPER LAMB DIRECTLY FROM ADSBS MEMBERS

The following ADSBS Members are proud to offer Dorper lamb available for retail purchase. Please contact these members directly if you are in the market for local high quality Dorper lamb. – please use contacts on this page:

https://dorpersheep.org/dorper-meat-sellers/ and a note to check the website for the most up-to-date listing

Ewe Lamb Futurity Programs

https://dorpersheep.org/futurity-program/

purebred white dorpers. We love showing sheep. We want our flock to be winners in the show ring that can also produce and maintain condition in the pasture. So we have picked our flock to work towards that goal. If you are looking for show sheep or if you want to grow your commercial flock, we can help with both.

BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • BINKLEY FAMILY

The following persons have successfully completed judges’ training programs conducted under the direction of the American Dorper Sheep Breeder’s Society, and are therefore accredited Dorper and White Dorper judges. All certifications are designated at the pleasure of the ADSBS Board of Directors. **Denotes previous judging experience.

LISA GREENE

Tgreene141@tds.net

765-522-1133

**TIM HALL

570-758-8542

**LESLIE HARRIS harris_leslie@yahoo.com

361-207-3831

**KURT HENRY waylocattle@yahoo.com

254-867-4822

**ROGER HIGH rhigh@ofbf.org

614-499-2931

**TRAVIS HOFFMAN Travis.w.hoffman@ndsu.edu

701-231-2222

**EDWARN JULIAN Ejulian781@gmail.com

330-325-9150

**NORMAN KOHLS nandkranch@aol.com

325-853-2226

**PAUL KUBER pskuber@wsu.edu

614-302-1600

**WILLIAM KUECKER wgkuecker@gmail.com

615-633-8179

**SARA KUYKENDALL sarajkuykendall@gmail.com

608-538-3312

**BURK LATTIMORE blewes@aol.com

806-894-3081

**CHANCE NEFF

Cjn032@aol.com

325-939-9323

**PATTY PARTIN partin@jtsfarm.com

325-966-3775

**SHAWN RAMSEY sramsey@tamu.edu

979-229-7683

**JUSTIN RANSOM Justinr.ransom@gmail.com

630-212-0091

**BRAD ROEDER roeder@ctesc.net

830-889-4512

**FREDDY ROSSOW deercreekdorpers@gmail.com

785-533-4444

TIFFANY SEAGRAVES

Tiffylyn13@yahoo.com

479-238-3535

**DAVIS SMITH djsmicol@ffni.com

219-474-3216

THOMAS TEAFATILLER thomas1027@hotmail.com

479-427-9410

**BILLY WADE wadewesthamps@yahoo.com

503-931-6827

**RON WALDRON eaststarlivestock@gmail.com

937-215-2411

**JESS YEAMAN yeamanlivestock@gmail.com

830-683-7432

ROBERT YELVERTON rvyelverton@hotmail.com

830-864-4865

BREEDERSpotlight

POWELL HOLMAN

The sister team of Claire Powell and Sharon Holman are lifetime ranchers and understand the love and sacrifice that keeps a family working together. Powell and Holman were pioneers in the boer goat industry and built a reputation for excellence through hard work and determination that they have utilized in building their herd of Claire and Sharon’s White Dorpers (PHP White Dorpers) and Sharon’s herd of Dorpers (Holman Ranches)

A trip to South Africa in 1999 to visit boer goat farms turned into a dual purpose trip as they discovered dorper sheep. The labor intensive boer goats made them appreciate the mothering ability, udder structure and the hardiness of the dorper breeds which made the decision to focus solely on sheep a relatively easy one. The partners started their herds with embryos and live sheep they imported from Australia in 2006. This strong foundation has developed into top herds that are competitive in the show ring and highly sought after by serious producers of lambs for the meat market. Powell and Holman raise their sheep in the pasture where they lamb unassisted and raise their lambs under mostly harsh dry west Texas conditions.

Along with selling sheep at the ranches they also market their sheep in public and online auctions. They participate in the National Show and Sale in Duncan OK and the Texas Hill Country Dorper Association Show and Sale in Fredericksburg, TX and DorperNation.com. PHP White Dopers and Holman Ranches Dorpers are humbled by the enthusiastic bidding for their sheep.

The ranches are located in Eldorado, TX and Sonora, TX. Follow them on facebook @powellholman, facebook@holmandorpers Claire 325-226-0734 Sharon 325-226-1973

SHEEP BREED STANDARDS DORPER & WHITE DORPER

The Dorper and White Dorper Standard of Excellence was developed by the South African Dorper Breeders’ Society to provide guidelines and consistency across both breeds.

GENERAL APPEARANCE

An ideal Dorper and White Dorper sheep should be symmetrical and balanced where the height, width, length and depth of body are proportionate. Dorper and White Dorper sheep should maintain a 60:40 ratio of height to body and legs giving the sheep maximum carcass capacity.

SIZE & GROWTH RATE

Dorper and White Dorper sheep should be of good size and weight for their age. Mature rams average around 230 pounds and mature ewes average 180-210 pounds. Discriminate against extremely large or extremely large animals under the same environmental conditions.

DISTRIBUTION OF FAT

TO EVALUATE DORPERS AND WHITE DORPERS

There are three key points to emphasize when evaluating Dorper and White Dorper sheep.

First - functional efficiency and structural soundness

Second – Masculinity of rams and femininity of ewes

Third - Muscling

Fat should be evenly distributed as a thin layer over the carcass. Sheep should be firm and muscular when handled. Too much localization of fat on any part of body is undesirable most especially on the brisket, fore, flank, and the dock.

COLOR PATTERNS & PIGMENTATION

The color pattern is the only characteristic where there are different standards for Dorpers and White Dorpers. When evaluating color pattern imagine a “cut-off line” that runs from the point of hock along the underside of the animal to the below the knee; dividing the animal into two sections. In ewes the underline goes up the reproductive parts. The cut-off line is the same for Dorpers and White Dorpers.

HEAD - Strong and long with eyes widely spaced and protectively placed. A strong nose with well-shaped mouth and well fitted deep jaws is desirable. Rams should appear masculine and carry secondary development, such as wrinkled skin, on a broad muzzle Ewes should have well defined feminine features. The size of the ears should be in relation to the head. Discriminate against heavy horns and a dewlap under jaw. Scurs are acceptable. Cull faults include overshot or undershot jaws.

FOREQUARTER & NECK - Medium length, well-fleshed, wide, and well-coupled to the forequarter. Shoulders should be firm, broad, and strong. A moderate protrusion of the brisket beyond the shoulders, moderate width, and good depth are ideal. Strong forelegs, straight legs and strong pasterns are vital to longevity. Hooves should be strong and not to widely split. Cull faults include weak pasterns and defaults in leg conformation, bull shoulders that inhibit free and natural front-leg movement and lack of brisket development.

BARREL - Measured from behind the shoulder blade to the front of the hip and should be long, deep, and wide with well-sprung ribs. Sheep should have a long, straight back with a well-developed loin muscle. Ewes should have a defined feminine wedge with front-end refinement and a powerful barrel and rump. Rams should display a reverse wedge with deep chests and power.

HINDQUARTER - Should be long and combined with a wide rump that is well-fleshed on the inner and outer twists where muscling extends down to hocks. The hind legs should be straight and strong. Cull faults include unsound feet, long or weak pasterns and defaults in hock structure.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS - Should be well-developed. Ewes should have a developed udder free of masses with two teats. The scrotum of a ram should not drop below the point of hock and the testicles should be equal size. A split of 1.5 cm deep is allowable on the scrotum. Any abnormalities of the udders or scrotum, inadequately sized reproductive organs or prolapse of the anus or vagina are considered cull faults.

DORPER

A white sheep with a black head and neck is the ideal. A limited number of spots on the body and legs and darker dappling on pink skin is acceptable. Dorpers should have complete pigmentation on the anus, reproductive organs, and hooves.

COLOR FAULTS

• Totally white sheep or sheep that are predominately black.

• Excessive brown or white hair around eyes or on the face

• No pigment on any part where required

• Blue in one or both eyes

COVERING

WHITE DORPER

A white sheep with full pigmentation on the eyelids, under the tail and on reproductive organs is the ideal. Color may appear on the hooves.

COLOR FAULTS

• A sheep covered in total with any other color in its covering other than white

• No pigment on any part where required

• Blue in one or both eyes

Dorpers and White Dorpers should have a short, loose, light mixture of hair and wool on their body with a natural clean underline. The head should be covered in short clean hair. Sheep may naturally shed all their wool or have wool covering remain on their sides, hindquarters, and neck. Wool on underlines and belly is undesirable. Covering faults include sheep that have coarse hair, long and dense wool, or a coarse hairy mane.

The information in this publication is sourced from Dorpers Into The New Century by Dolf Lategan, an official publication of the South African Dorper Breeders’ Society. Manuals are available in English and Spanish may be purchased from the American Dorper Sheep Breeders Society. Please visit www.dorpersheep.org to order a manual.

The American Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society is the official registry for Dorper and White Dorper sheep in the United States. Founded in 1996, the nonprofit organization serves breeders and producers of the prominent meatproducing hair sheep breed, which is the fastest-growing segment of the American sheep industry. American

Hallsville MO 65255

573-696-2550

office@dorpersheep.org

www.dorpersheep.org

DORPER MEMBERSHIP

STATS BY COUNTRY STATE PROVINCE REPORT

BREEDERSpotlight

DAY LIVESTOCK

Day Livestock is located in the southern part of the Show-Me State of Missouri. We currently have over 100 dorper and white dorper ewes in our flock. Here at Day Livestock, we strive to raise quality seed stock for the registered and commercial sheep breeder, while keeping in mind all the important qualities and traits found in the breed.

The Day’s also like raising sheep that can not only win in the pasture, but in the show ring as well. We are working very hard on developing a quality ewe base that will meet our goals and standards we have for our flock. Just as in our Registered Angus Operation, we feel the cow or ewe is the most important part of our breeding program. The magic is in the ewe lines.

Brier Day, the owner of Day Livestock is very enthusiastic about showing and promoting the dorper breed. He is very active in 4-H as president of his club. Brier is a freshman this year at Marshfield High School where he is involved with the FFA group.

We would love to visit with you about your goals for your dorper sheep flock and see if we have something that might have genetic value, that would help you push your program. To find out more of what we are doing and what’s going on find us on Facebook or give us a call. We always have sheep for sale on the farm.

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BREEDERSpotlight

RR DORPERS

RR Dorpers has farms in north central Texas and northwest Arkansas. Bob and his son, Justin Ransom, have been involved with raising livestock for decades and started raising Dorpers almost 20 years ago. They started with a small flock of commercial Dorpers, but with their passion for competitive livestock judging and showing, their flock quickly transitioned to champion quality stock.

The Ransom families continue to grow their flock by retaining some of the best performing ewes and purchasing exceptional ewes and rams from elite flocks. In 2017 and 2019 they invested in the flock by importing Australian embryos from the van Niekerks of Dell Dorpers, whose genetic lineage goes back to one of the oldest Dorper studs in South Africa, owned by John Dell. The Ransoms have visited several stations in Australia seeking the best quality embryos and genetics, that offer an ideal outcross. Today the Ransoms lamb 100 head of fullblood ewes and run 50 head of commercial recips. They collect the best proven rams, most notably Patriot and his sons, as well as Australian imports, then offer semen for sale, plus they offer embryos from specific matings as available upon request.

RR Dorpers has had success in the show and sale ring (thanks to Bob and the grandkids spending hours of work in the barn), but more importantly, our commercial buyers continue to come back year after year to purchase the rams that sire thrifty and heavy lamb crops. We hope you will go the extra mile to come visit us at our place in TX or AR, or at least stop by and visit us at the sales. More info can be found at www.rrdorpers.com.

Are You Ready?

All Antibiotics will be Prescription-only in 2023

Dr. Sandy Stuttgen, DVM US-Madison Division of Extension, Taylor County

The Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine’s plan for supporting veterinary antimicrobial stewardship will be fully implemented in 2023 when all remaining over-the-counter antibiotics are switched to prescription-only status.

The medically important antibiotics (used by humans and animals) becoming prescription-only include injectable tylosin, injectable and intramammary penicillin, injectable and oral tetracycline, sulfadimethoxine and sulfamethazine, and cephapirin and cephapirin benzathine intramammary tubes. In addition, the OTC status of the swine antibiotics lincomycin and gentamicin is switching to prescription-only.

Vaccines, dewormers, injectable and oral nutritional supplements, ionophores, pro/prebiotics and topical non-antibiotic treatments will not require veterinary prescription.

The Center for Veterinary Medicine evaluates the safety of drugs used in food-producing animals, the impact drug resides have on human intestinal microflora, and the development of human antimicrobial resistance. Drug residues in meat, milk, eggs and honey from treated animals expose bacteria to trace amounts that don’t kill them, but rather allow for the development of antibiotic resistance. Veterinarians are tasked to slow the rate of bacterial resistance by using antibiotics only when necessary to treat, control or prevent disease. Doing so preserves antibiotic efficacy for humans and animals.Under the new rule, producers with a current veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) may purchase antibiotics directly from their veterinarian or from a distributor with the vet’s prescription. Local distributors (for example, farm supply stores) are evaluating their ability to manage prescription pharmaceuticals in the future. Wisconsin Administrative Code updates will make it easier for veterinarians (within the context of the VCPR) to use telehealth technologies and dispense medication prescribed by another veterinarian.

The VCPR is the key that unlocks the medicine cabinet. Wisconsin Statutes’ Chapter 89 defines the VCPR as the relationship between a licensed veterinarian, a client (who owns the animal) and the patient (the animal) in which all the following apply to the veterinarian:

• assumes responsibility for making medical judgments regarding patient, and client agrees to accept judgments and follow vet’s instructions

• has sufficient knowledge of patient to initiate general or preliminary diagnosis because of recent exam or medically appropriate and timely visits to animal’s premises

• is readily available for follow-up treatment patient may need, including adverse reactions to medications used or prescribed by veterinarian

Livestock veterinarians are in short supply in some areas of Wisconsin, so it is with urgency that I encourage all producers to develop their veterinary relationship. Engage a veterinarian today to visit your farm to advise treatment protocols and drug orders so you are prepared to treat your animals in a timely and effective manner.

National FFA CONVENTION

Dorper Projects Lead Two Junior Members to National Proficiency Titles

John Buyrl Neely, Tennessee National FFA Champion Agriscience Fair Animal Systems Division 5

John Buyrl Neely of Auburntown, TN. was named the 2022 National FFA Champion Agriscience Fair Animal Systems Division 5 at the National FFA Convention in October. John’s parents are Dr. Alanna Vaught and Johnny Neely.

Neely’s study was titled: Se-eing is Believing: A study of treating late gestation Dorper ewes with supplemental Selenium and the transplacental effects. This purpose of this comparison study was to determine if treating late gestation Dorper ewes with a series of supplemental Selenium (Se) injections prior to lambing influenced birthweight, weaning weights, and body condition scores (BCS) of lambs versus late gestation ewes not receiving the treatment and their offspring. To evaluate, data was obtained from Dorper sheep. Quantitative data was obtained from the fall 2021 lamb crop. The target population (N = 15) for this study was lambs born between November 3, 2021, and November 10, 2021, to ten, five-year-old Dorper ewes. All lambs were sired by the same White Dorper ram. The treatment group consisted of five dams who received supplemental Se injections each week, for four weeks prior to lambing. The control group consisted of five dams who did not receive the treatment prior to lambing. Therefore, eight lambs were born to dams receiving the Se treatment, and seven lambs were born to dams not receiving the treatment.

This study examined birthweights, weaning weights, and BCS, and sought to determine if there was a difference in the weights and scores of the treatment group’s offspring as compared to the control group’s offspring. All lambs were weighed at birth, and every seven days until day 35. Lambs were weighed a final time at 60 days of age and assigned a BCS. There was no difference in birthweight of the two groups. The eight lambs born to the dams receiving the treatment had a 11.55% higher weaning weight than lambs born to dams not receiving the treatment. Although not statistically significant, the study reveals lambs born to dams receiving the Se treatment had an overall 0.92-point higher body condition score than lambs born to ewes not receiving the treatment. As a result, this study indicates that lambs born to ewes treated with a series of Se injections late gestation had a 11.55% higher weaning weight and a 0.92-point higher body condition score than lambs born to ewes not receiving the treatment.

John Buyrl was named National FFA Runner-Up with another Dorper study in 2020. JB is currently a freshman at Motlow State Community College. He owns John B. Neely Livestock which consists of livestock transportation throughout the US. He also brokers livestock, specializing in commercial hair cross ewes.

95th ANNUAL National FFA CONVENTION

Dorper Projects Lead Two Junior Members to National Proficiency Titles

Conner Cowdrey, Texas National FFA Sheep Production Proficiency Winner

Conner Cowdrey has been raising his own flock of Dorper and White Dorper Sheep for the last 9 years. Working with his family, Conner took on many responsibilities over the years in helping their operation, Mirror C Livestock,grow and become a recognized name in the Dorper industry. During Conner’s senior year at Brock High School, at the prompting of his agriculture science teacher, Mrs. Laura Horner, Conner completed his Sheep Production Proficiency.

The proficiency includes a four-year detailed record book of Conner’s personal flock of sheep, their offspring, and many details of how Conner managed his flock including feed rations, vaccinations, breeding selections and successes in the show ring and sale ring.

Conner’s proficiency won third at the Texas FFA Convention in 2021. Mrs. Horner then recommended that Conner update his proficiency with one more year of data and compete at the state level again in 2022. At the Texas FFA Convention in July of 2022, Conner’s Sheep Production Proficiency was awarded first place by Texas FFA.

The state title gave Conner the opportunity for his proficiency to compete at the National FFA Convention on October 28, 2022, in Indianapolis, IN. After an extensive interview process in September, Conner traveled to Indy and was ultimately named the National Champion with his Sheep Production Proficiency.

Conner is currently a sophomore at Texas Tech University where he is an Animal Science major and a member of the Texas Tech Ranch Horse Team. In July of 2022, Conner traveled to Des Moines, IA to complete 12 days of training at the World Wide College of Auctioneering.

Conner will continue his education at Texas Tech as he begins his professional auctioneer career.

Spotlight

KELLY HAIR SHEEP

Kelly Hair Sheep is owned and operated by Coltin, Kathryn, Brisco and Harper Black, located in Zephyr, Texas. Kelly Hair Sheep was established about 10 years ago right after their show goat operation was dispersed. They began their herd with a set of commercial ewes acquired from Hodges in Sterling City and quickly began to love raising hair sheep. Their mothering abilities, hardiness and feed conversion was incredible and they were soon hooked. After being in the show goat industry for many years, the family went looking to strengthen the quality of their commercial flock. Their searches took them all over the country searching for outliers of the Dorper breed. The unique individuals they acquired from breeders such as Roeder, Kohls, Hamilton Sheep Station, Wildcat and Powell played right into their hand and family’s history of breeding distinctive livestock. From those early years the family has maintained an extensive closed flock utilizing line breeding of some of the highest quality Dorpers and White Dorpers in the industry.

Creating breeding stock is of high priority for their future accolades but there is no questioning that Kelly Hair Sheep places their highest level of attention in producing show lambs for the youth as market lamb projects. Both Coltin and Kathryn were brought up in the stock show industry and their children are following their footsteps. Their son, Brisco, is at the beginning of a highly successful career within the ring. “The values taught and lessons that are learned are second to none for our younger generation.” That being said Coltin and Kathryn have been at the forefront of progressively growing the Dorper market wether sector across the United States by producing wethers that are of good quality, easy to feed and appealing to that customer base. In the early years they spent countless hours working with a multitude of associations and stock show committees to include Dorpers in their venue. The perception has been extremely positive and the growth has been steadily rising abroad not just with youth participation but countless influential stockmen jumping on board to produce Dorpers for the show industry. Each year they do an extensive keep/cull process on their female base but have grown their flock to 200+/females. They run both registered and commercial Dorpers and White Dorpers. They offer the vast majority of their sheep for sale through online sales and select private treaty offerings at the ranch in Texas. “Our goal is to offer the public something unique and that is hard to come by elsewhere.”

The Black’s are passionate about their Dorper program and the direction in which it is going. Coltin and Kathryn typically have sheep for sale year-round and encourage visitors to stop by at any time to tour their operation. Their sheep have certainly garnished the highest of achievements and a lot of attention. Kelly Hair Sheep continues as any successful operation should, one satisfied customer at a time.

THE HISTORY OF THE DORPER SHEEP

During the 1930’s it became apparent that the sheep breeds available at that time, were not able to produce the type of high-quality carcass required by international meat markets under the extensive & often harsh grazing conditions of South Africa. The South African Department of Agriculture, together with local sheep breeders, therefore embarked upon a long-range research and development project in order to rectify the problem and produce a meat sheep breed that would yield a higher quality carcass and thrive under arid to semi-arid conditions.

In the early experiments it was discovered that the Dorset Horn X Blackhead Persian produce the most desired attributes, so it was decided to concentrate all research on these two breeds.

The Blackhead Persian sheep, a hardy, fat-tailed desert breed from Arabia, was selected for its nonselective grazing, coat shedding, hardiness and good mothering abilities. It also brings remarkable fertility, with the ability to breed every eight months and to produce a high number of twins. Additionally, Blackhead Persians have very valuable skins that were desirable for the production of fine leather products. The Dorset Horn was selected for its rapid growth rates and carcass attributes. The resulting cross of Dorset Horn rams with Blackhead Persian ewes produced fast growing and heavily muscled lambs yielding very satisfactory economic returns under a variety of environmental conditions. The Dorper ewes from this cross were excellent mothers that could be bred in any season.

The breeding project was finalized in 1946 and the Dorper earned a prominent place in the history of South African agriculture. In 1950, the South African Dorper Breeders’ Association was formed.

Several sheep breeders in South Africa originally decided to concentrate upon the breeding of a white sheep. These white sheep were bred out of Dorset Horn X Blackhead Persian or the Dorset Horn X Van Rooy crossbred. These first white sheep were known as “Dorsian” (“Dorsie” in Afrikaans). A separate breeders Society was formed, however in 1964 it was decided to affiliate with the Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society, since the aim was to breed the same type of sheep with exception of the color, calling the black head sheep Dorpers and the unmarked sheep White Dorpers

The first Dorper sheep were imported into the United States from South Africa in the early 1990’s by Jurgen Schultz of Texas where the Unites States Department of Agriculture placed the flock under a 5-year scrapie quarantine. In June of 1995 the first Dorper and White Dorper embryo transfer lambs were born from South African embryos in recipient ewes imported from Canada by Dr. Teh in Oklahoma. Interest in the breed spread and Dorper and White Dorper sheep can now be found in every state thriving in a variety of different operations and markets.

Dorpers Into the New Century • by Dolf Lategan

A textbook that includes extensive descriptions of the specific attributes of Dorper and White Dorper sheep. It is a training manual from South Africa that includes wonderful photographs that clarify both good and bad characteristics as well as related articles on nutrition, health and flock management.

$40 + $3 Shipping

To order: https://dorpersheep.org/dorpers-into-the-new-century/

BREEDERSpotlight

DEARY CREEK DORPERS

Deary Creek Dorpers is a small family operation nestled in the foothills of the Palouse Divide and located in Deary, Idaho. We’re a small family operation, both in human crew size and flock size. Our Dorper breeding ewe flock stands at 48 head presently. We started our flock in 2014 with the same objective we have today-breed Fullblood Dorper Sheep that meet the South African Dorper Standard. We bred a top quality foundation ewe flock via embryo transfer of Kaya and Dell genetics in 2018. Five years later those ewes and their progeny continue to consistently produce T4 and T5 phenotypes. We regularly have our flock inspected by certified South African Dorper Society inspectors. We focus on our lambs’ quality and select for desirable traits; high rates of gain, heavy muscling, solid frames and twin births, maintaining records to manage the program. Our commercial lamb flock is logically a happy consequence of the seed stock flock. We can produce and process delicious Dorper lamb for retail sale because well, let’s face it, not every lamb is a T4 or T5! We have consigned our best seed stock rams and ewes privately and at ADSBS and WSDA show/sales events since 2017. Over the years we’ve forged new friendships, discovering a tremendous support and networking system within our Dorper ‘family’. Look for us and our wonderful Dorpers at the WSDA Show/Sale in 2023! We welcome visitors to Deary Creek Dorpers, love to show folks around our little piece of heaven, talk sheep, and will probably treat you to a lamb gyro for lunch or a nice rack of lamb for dinner!

COMMITTEES

MARKING & COMMUNICATIONS

Jennifer Ransom

Bill Kuecker

Emily Vincent

Justin Rogers

Karen Weatley

EDUCATION

Ben Binkley, Chair

William Phipps

Freddy Rossouw

Jeremy Gray

Nick Voss

Yates Colby

YOUTH

LeAnn Winters, Chair

Amanda Houser

Ron Waldron

Edie McDaniel

Lori Hohertz

Susan Robinson

Yates Colby

GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

Dennis Fennewald

Darroll Grant

Cathy Diaz

Debbie Wold

BRANDED DORPER LAMB

Justin Ransom, Chair

Nick Forest

Becky Miller

Ray Smalley

Herman Radke

Laurel Chapman Burner

Kerry Paul

Lance Weaver

JR Howard

NATIONAL SHOW & SALE COMMITTEE

Brad Roeder, Co-Chair

Justin Rogers, Co-Chair

Edie McDaniel

SOUTHERN STATES SHOW & SALE COMMITTEE

Ben Binley, Chair

Danny Jones

Kevin Paul

Alanna Vaught

BE A CHANGE MAKER

See a committee that you would like to serve on? Committee assignments rotate so if you are interested in serving on a committee email Caitlin Jackson.

American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control

DEWORMER CHART: SHEEP

*I mportant -­­-­­Please read notes below before using this chart*

Meat withdrawal periods

Valbazen® Suspension (11.36 % or 113.6 mg/ml): 7.5 mg/kg orally; approved in sheep with meat withdrawal time of 7 days. Do NOT use in pregnant ewes in the first trimester (45 days) of pregnancy or 45 days after removal of ram(s).

Ivomec® Drench for Sheep (0.08% or 0.8 mg/ml): 0.2 mg/kg orally; approved in sheep with meat withdrawal time of 11 days. Protect from light when storing. Avoid giving injectable products made for cattle and pigs orally.

Prohibit® Soluble Drench Powder (Sheep): (Note that this drug is also sold as Leva-Med®) 8 mg/kg ORAL dose. Approved for use in sheep with meat withdrawal of 3 days. The drench solution is prepared by dissolving a 52 gram packet in 1 quart (943 ml) of water. This yields a solution with 49.6 mg/ml. Always make sure to follow directions on packet when preparing. If dosing lambs, it is safer to dilute further (1 packet in 2 quarts of water), and then administer twice the amount listed on the chart. The larger volume administered will provide a wider margin for safety if there are small errors in dosing.

Cydectin Sheep drench (1 mg/ml): 0.2 mg/kg orally; approved in sheep with meat withdrawal time of 7 days. NOTE that the cattle pour -on should not be administered to sheep orally – this is not permissible under the extra--‐label drug use law. ALWAYS use the sheep oral drench.

Note that there are no milk withholds provided due to the fact that uniform milk withholds have not been established in sheep.

Comments

In order to deliver effective treatments to their animals, it is recommended that producers learn which dewormers still work on their farms by doing fecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT, comparing before and after fecal egg counts) or having a DrenchRite® larval development assay (LDA) done. Several land grant universities now offer low cost ($5/sample) fe cal egg counting for this purpose. For more information, go to https://www.wormx.info/lowcostfec. For information about the cost and availability of the DrenchRite test, send an email to avatta2@lsu.edu.

To improve the effectiveness of deworming treatmen ts, it is now recommended that sheep be given combination treatments. A combination treatment is when you give drugs from different classes to the same animal at the same time. It is important not to mix the different drugs together as they are not chemica lly compatible. They should be given separately, but can all be given at the same time, one right after the other. It is always recommended to treat sheep selectively given their individual need for treatment based on FAMACHA© score and/or the Five Point Check©. Sometimes performance (ADG, milk production, litter size) is used as a criterion for deworming. This recommendation is even more important when using drugs in combination. If all animals in the flock are treated, resistance to the dewormers will dev elop rapidly, and if using a combination there will be nothing left to use when this happens. Go to wormx.info for more information on drug choice and drug resistance.

This chart was originally developed by Ray M. Kaplan, DVM, PhD and Lisa Williamson, DVM, MS (University of Georgia). It was last updated October 2021 by Michael Pesato DVM DABVP (Mississippi State University).

BREEDERSpotlight

NARROW GATE FARM

Narrow Gate Farm is a seedstock producer of registered fullblood and purebred Dorper and White Dorper sheep. Located in middle Tennessee, the flock currently consists of more than 200 brood ewes and a dozen stud rams. Also on the farm is a growing number of Dorper and White Dorper cross commercial sheep.

The farm is operated by Danny Jones and son, Dillon Jones. Dillon works full time in the sheep business, splitting his time between management of the flock at Narrow Gate Farm, and also working in multiple states with his professional sheep shearing business.

Having several years of experience in other sheep breeds, the Jones family purchased their first five Dorpers in 2007. White Dorpers were added to the flock 5 years later. With a goal of increasing the numbers in both breeds, the flock has grown steadily through both the retaining of many of the ewe lambs produced as well as purchases from other top-quality flocks around the country. With breeding decisions, an emphasis has been placed on producing structurally sound sheep with eye appeal. In general, pairings are made with a consideration of individual ewe characteristics and then placing each ewe with the ram best suited to move her offspring in the desired direction. Strong production capabilities are also a major goal on the farm. Ewes will lamb primarily on pasture with targeted lambing months of September, November, January, March, and June. Ewes are retained that can produce on pasture with little additional feed input. With the warm, moist climate of the Southeast, it is also vital that sheep in the flock are parasite resistant.

Narrow Gate Farm markets breeding-quality lambs and yearlings annually at the ADSBS sales in Duncan and Cookeville. Purchases are available periodically off the farm and online sales have recently begun. Notifications of upcoming sale events are normally listed on the Narrow Gate Farm Facebook page.

BREEDER

FACTORS AFFECTING LAMB QUALITY VALUE&

Sheep producers constantly strive to improve lamb quality and value within their flock in order to produce an acceptable commodity for their buyers. These buyers could be either lamb packers or lamb consumers from the general public. Acceptability of the finished product can have major impacts on profitability for the sheep operation. Here are a few tips to consider that may improve the quality and value of lambs produced by a flock.

First, let’s start with an understanding of what quality is. Eating quality is a perception by the consumer based on some key characteristics such as tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall acceptability of the product. Basically, we want all lamb consumers to have a good eating experience, which may add more value. We can help to ensure this good eating experience for consumers by considering the main factors that affect lamb quality and value.

There are several points that producers can control to manage lamb quality. Aspects such as genetics, feed, growth rates, body condition and husbandry practices can greatly impact lamb quality.

Genetic impacts

flavor when compared to lambs finished on a grain diet. This flavor may sometimes be referred to as “gamey” to some individuals not accustomed to lambs finished on forages. In contrast, meat from lambs produced with extended periods of high grain diets can result in off flavors and soft fats that leads to higher rancidity and decreased shelf life. The decision to finish lambs on grain or grass should be made based on customer preferences. Know what your customer wants you to produce.

GROWTH RATE

Rations can certainly impact lamb growth rate, but tenderness remains similar between fast and slow growth rates. Regardless of the growth rate (fast or slow), it is very important that lambs maintain a consistent growth rate from weaning to harvest. This is especially critical during the last two weeks of finishing just prior to slaughter.

start

with selecting breeding

stock with appropriate muscling. Consumers certainly prefer larger loin eyes when selecting lamb chops. However, producers may want to avoid genetics that carry the Callipyge gene, a genetic mutation responsible for increasing muscle size and appearance in sheep. Although this appearance may look attractive to some individuals, the Callipyge mutation can also greatly decrease tenderness of meat produced from Callipyge carcasses. In other words, Callipyge genetics produce lamb chops with larger loin eyes, but those lamb chops tend to be very unacceptable to consumers from a tenderness standpoint.

GENETICS FEEDS

Feeds can impact lamb flavor profiles. Lambs finished on a high forage diet produce a more intense

Rations will also impact the amount of time is takes for lambs to develop intramuscular fat, also known as marbling, found in the meat. However, meat quality differences can be minimal if lambs are fed to a particular end point (harvest) weight. At this end point collagen degradation rates will be greater in lambs with high growth rates. What this means in terms of lamb quality is that the collagen tissues break down more quickly in lambs fed to gain weight faster and thus results in a more tender meat.

BODY CONDITION OR FINISH

Lambs should be marketed when they reach a desired body condition or finish. Lambs fed to a yield grade 2 or 3 are often the most ideal for packers and consumers. A lamb with a yield grade 2 will have 0.16 to 0.25 inches of backfat at the 12th rib, while a lamb with a yield grade 3 will have 0.26 to 0.35 inches of backfat. This is an important consideration when producing lambs, because animals with an adequate amount of finish should yield a high-quality carcass that has enough fat to produce meat with desirable sensory qualities. These qualities should provide the

consumer with a good eating experience. Adequate fat cover also provides enough insulation over the carcass to prevent cold shortening, a quality defect caused by chilling small or lean carcasses too rapidly. Whenever a carcass is hanging in a cooler for chilling, the muscle tissues can shorten if the chill rate is too fast. “Cold shortening” can lead to extremely tough meat because the “shortening” effect causes the muscle structure to remain in a constant state of being contracted. However, the amount and extent of shortening can be lessened whenever the carcass has adequate finish because it chills more slowly. Very small and/or lean lamb carcasses may need a two-step chilling process to avoid excessive cold shortening.

Appropriate amounts of finish impact the value of lambs to packers. Lamb carcasses exhibiting excessive fat cover will have a lower value because it costs the packer time and money to trim the excess fat. Lamb meat with appropriate amounts of fat will also be more acceptable to most consumers. In contrast, under finished lambs can develop quality defects due to excess drying of the meat while hanging in the cooler.

Husbandry Practices

Husbandry practices can also affect meat quality due to various stressors at the farm, stress caused by transport and the pre-slaughter environment. Always seek to minimize stress when handling or transporting lambs by reducing noise and by handling animals gently. Do not mix lambs from different groups into one pen or lairage, check loading ramps and trailers for any areas that could cause bruising and avoid overloading the trailer. Also, be sure to move animals slowly and avoid vigorous exercise. Chasing lambs around the pen can be quite stressful to sheep at any age.

Whenever an animal is stressed or has vigorous exercise prior to slaughter, glycogen becomes depleted in the muscle tissues. Animals store glycogen, a form of sugar or energy, in muscle tissues. This impacts the pH level of the muscle tissue after slaughter which can impact meat quality. Once an animal is harvested, the stored glycogen is converted to lactic acid which decreases the meat pH from about 7.2 to 5.5.

The meat derived from stressed animals with depleted glycogen levels maintains a high pH (> 6.0), which has a negative impact on meat quality. The meat color will remain dark upon cutting into chops or roasts, will produce a more intense flavor and have a decreased shelf life.

Pre-slaughter husbandry practices can help to manage glycogen reserves in muscle tissue. Lambs that have not been appropriately weaned prior to slaughter should be processed immediately on arrival at the processing facility to minimize stress. Weaned lambs that have been hauled a long distance should receive an adequate rest period prior to slaughter. All lambs should have access to water to prevent dehydration which could lead to meat quality issues such as dark colored meat. Dehydration also leads to decreased carcass weights and dressing percentages.

Lambs should be held off feed for a 12-hour period prior to slaughter. This allows the GI tract to empty, which decreases the likelihood of fecal contamination on the carcass. For lambs that may be scouring prior to shipment, feeding additional hay may stop the scouring. However, avoid feeding hay in high enough levels or for extended periods of time that may result in lambs losing weight within the two weeks prior to slaughter.

Overall, increasing the quality and value of lambs begins with paying close attention to nutrition, selecting animals with adequate muscling, feeding them to an appropriate body condition, keeping lambs clean and making sure that lambs are gaining weight throughout the finishing phase and especially during the last two weeks before harvest. Minimizing stress to the lambs will also positively impact meat quality. Paying close attention to these few simple production aspects can result in higher quality meat and more satisfied consumers.

For more information on improving lamb quality and value, check out Quality Sheep Meat: Achieving a Brilliant Finish to Your Lambs or Lambing Eating Quality Summary of Good Practice.

Written by Melanie Barkley Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Campbell

Meat quality can be impacted by producer management practices as well as processing practices just before and after slaughter

CHISHOLM TRAIL YOUTH DORPERAssociation

In 2017, The Chisholm Trail Youth Dorper Association was founded with the idea to help raise awareness about Dorper and White Dorper breeds, educate youth members who will be our future shepherds, and contribute a portion of our proceeds to a scholarship fund for graduating seniors that are members.

We started out hosting one small show in Taylor, TX in 2017 with a small futurity ewe sale and have rapidly grown and evolved in the last five years.

The CTYDA now hosts four shows a year: “The National” - held in January, created as a replacement Fort Worth show during COVID-19. This show includes an open and youth show and is open to all breeds of sheep. We also have a judging class and a skillathon.

The “Back to Our Roots Show” - held in June and is our signature small, Dorper only show.

The “Hill Country Classic” - held in Fredericksburg after the THCDA annual show.

The “Chisholm Trail Showdown” - held in October, is open to all breeds of sheep and includes a jackpot show for market wethers (lambs and goats), wether dams and does, and wether sires.

As this is a youth organization, we value the input and feedback from our members. For this reason, we have instated a youth board of directors and a group of junior directors. The board is guided by Directors Edie McDaniel, Zach Hewitt, Aaron McDaniel Amanda Foust, as well as Youth Advisor Kristen McDaniel.

Current Youth Board members choose prizes, locations and schedules for shows and include: Kathryn Richter, Avery Walton, Alyssa Whitehead, Ellie Petersen, Hannah Hewitt and Hutsyn Hohertz.

Our Junior Director group helps with show set up and giving out prizes and currently consists of: Kristopher Richter, Paisley Lord and Alfred McDaniel.

Western States Dorper Association is for both the commercial and registered stock breeders as well as Dorper and White Dorper breeders. Western States Dorper Association provides a valuable networking tool for both producers and consumers within the Western United States. The Western States Dorper Association is a regional affiliate with the American Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society.

What’s Cooking In The Brood Ewe Pasture?

8056 “Mizzou.”

Purchased at the Riverwood dispersal and is the Dam of the record setting ram White Halter. She was flushed to Tonio for falls and is bred back to Bing.

Eaststar 1916, 2020 Reserve National Champion Ewe. From the heart of the Crown ewe family and due to Tonio this fall.

Eaststar 2029, 2020 National Champion Ewe, 2021 Reserve National Champion Ewe. From a great Riverwood ewe. Lambed in February with “Bing” twin ewe lambs and bred back for fall to “Tonio.”

Missouri Dorpers

The Kind We Are Building On The Kind We Like to Keep Sell!

We realize the norm is to chase trends, but after 35 years in the livestock industry we have watched folks who have done that end up chasing their tails in the long run. So we are sticking to our guns and will keep making big bodied, long sided, feminine and maternal ewes and masculine, powerful rams. Make Eaststar you one stop shop for the N.B.S kind!

January Bing daughter from the heart of the Crown ewe family.

February Bing daughter from 2029 and her twin sister looks just as good.

This ram sold in the 2021 National Sale to Willow Creek Ranch. Supreme Ram at the 2022 California State Fair.

Champion Ewe of the 2022 Ohio Showcase Sale sold to Mace Lambert, MO.

Champion Ram at the 2022 National Sale and sold to Missouri Dorpers.

BREEDERSpotlight

S BAR T

This is Darla & Travis Turley, we are the owners of S Bar T Livestock in Goldthwaite, Texas. We started our flock of White Dorper Sheep in 2010. We purchased the Ram we called “Brutus” in 2011 and began building our flock. We had the privilege of hosting a visit from Theuns & Paula Botha from South Africa in May of 2013. Theuns evaluated our whole flock and taught us about what a productive white dorper should look like. Theuns told us what to keep and what to cull and we eagerly listened and followed his guidance. There was one ram that Theuns wanted us to “take and show and let him know how he did”, this was the ram we called “Hoss”. “Hoss” was the Reserve Champion Ram at NAILE 2013.

We continued to build our flock of White Dorpers with the wisdom and words that Theuns had instilled in us. Always remembering what he said every time we chose our stud rams and ewes to keep in our flock. We then purchased “TKO” in May 2012 and this ram took our flock to the next level.

In September 2016 we were honored to have a flock inspection with Justin Kirkby from Australia and again we listened to every word and continued to build our flock based on the knowledge from these two outstanding sheep men. One of the main things these great men told us was to focus on femininity in the ewes and masculinity in the rams. Without those traits then you will not have a productive flock. Later that year our ram “Wyatt Earp” was crowned 2016 National Champion Ram at NAILE and added many other accolades to his winnings after that. “Wyatt Earp” has had a huge impact on our flock with his ability to produce both stud rams and stud ewes. He continues to do so today.

Theuns and his granddaughter, Paula, came for a visit in May of 2017 and he again evaluated every animal and was very impressed with the improvements we had made in our flock. Justin and Theuns were both impressed by “Wyatt Earp” our newest herd sire. “Wyatt Earp” has made a huge impact for the S Bar T and has sired multiple National Champions along the way. His daughter, GR912, was a two-time National Champion and his son “Grand Slam” was the first white dorper or dorper to ever win Supreme Champion at NAILE in the history of the white dorpers and dorpers. What an honor for us to experience. We, at S Bar T Livestock, strive to raise the very best white dorpers in and out of the show ring. Our sheep must not only be able to excel in the show ring but also in the pasture. They are bred to pay their own way. Our motto is Quality Breeding with Integrity.

We couldn’t do what we do without our Akbash guard dogs. We started raising them in 2019 because we got tired of trying to find a good dog when we needed one. We run 13 of these dogs with our flocks and we sure couldn’t do it without them. They are worth their weight in gold to us.

We pride ourselves in not only raising good sheep but also helping new breeders start their own flock and be able to answer questions and help them along the way. We are especially passionate about the Youth & our ADSBS youth futurity because without the youth we have no future. These kiddos are the future of the ADSBS breeders and we will always help and encourage these kids as much as we can.

Our free time is spent with our family. We try to attend as many of the grandkids and nephew’s sports events as possible. We also like to hunt deer and hogs with the family.

We believe the future is bright for the White Dorpers and Dorpers and we will continue to breed productive sheep based on the South African Breed Standards.

ADSBS Registry

Q. Where can I find the ADSBS Registration Rules & Regulations?

A. registrations

The ADSBS Registration Rule and Regulations and official registry forms can be found by visiting www.dorpersheep.org under the Registry tab on the menu bar.

Q.Do I need to be a member to register or transfer sheep?

(Rule 100) A.

Q.

No, regular members, junior members and “NonMember” individuals or corporations are eligible to register and transfer sheep with the ADSBS.

Q.

How do I register new animals?

A.

Q.

Animals for registration must be submitted on an ADSBS Application for Registration. Applications must be filled out properly for an animal to be registered. You can obtain the Application for Registration forms by requesting them from the ADSBS office or download them from the website: www.dorpersheep.org. (Rule 206)

What do I do if I lost my registration paper?

A request for a duplicate registration paper may be submitted to the ADSBS office for a $10 fee. A.

Q.How do I properly fill out an application?

A.

Who can register a new animal?

A.

Q.

You must be the recorded owner of the dam at the time the lamb was born to apply for registration. If the sire was leased or borrowed, you will need to submit a “Breeding Certificate” from the ram owner at the time you submit your Application for Registration. (Rule 700)

What constitutes ownership?

A.

Q.

The breeder is the owner of the animal at time of breeding (Rule 104). First Owner is the owner at time of lambing (Rule 103). If you do not own the sire then you must include a Breeding Certificate of service filled out by the owner of the ram. (Rule 211)

The owner of my sheep is my ranch, who can register my sheep?

A.

A correct application form includes the following: animal gender; tag number; permanent ID (if any): DOB; birth type; sire and dam information. (Rule 206) The offspring will be registered in the name of the owner of the dam at the time of offspring birth. (Rule 209 D)

When an animal is owned by a company, ranch, farm, club, corporation, University or school, family, partnership, joint ownership of related or unrelated persons, or any entity other than an individual, ADSBS must have an Agent Authorization Form on file to indicate who may sign documents for that entity. (Rule 706)

*Helpful Hint: You may have up to three authorized agents on file with ADSBS.

ADSBS Registry

Q.

special transfers

What is a special transfer?

A. Q.

A type of transfer, not classified as transfers in the ordinary usage of the term, with fees established by the Board of Directors.

Who qualifies for a Special Transfer?

A.

transfers

Q.

Transfers from estates to heirs under terms of wills or court orders, transfers from court orders, transfers to individuals of partnerships, transfers upon dissolution, or a legal name change. (Rule 308)

Q.

How do I transfer an animal that has been registered?

A.

How do I proceed with a Special Transfer?

A.

Animals may be transferred by submitting the original registration certificate with transfer completed on reverse side along with appropriate fees. Transfer fee may be paid by either seller or buyer.

(Rule 300)

*Helpful Hint:

If more than one certificate is sent in at a time, each certificate must be completed with the signature and date of sale, as well as the name and complete address of the new owner.

Q.

First you will need to identify the membership that all the animals will be transferred too. Next you will need to mail in all of the Registration Certificates for the sheep in the flock with the transfer section completed on the reverse side for each animal. You will also need to include documentation that proves the legality of the transfer. If you have any questions call the ADSBS National Office.

*Helpful Hint:

• On the transfer section you will need to record a date of sale. The date of sale determines the ownership of the offspring, so be sure to use a date that will not interfere with any lambs that are born and needs to be registered.

• • If the date of sale is more than 90 days when you submit the Special Transfer, you will not be charged late transfer fees and you will still be eligible for the special rate.

Q.

Will ADSBS process a transfer without a signature from the recorded owner?

No. ADSBS requires a written signature from the owner on record. Unsigned transfer requests will be returned for a signature authorizing the transfer. (Rule 301) A.

Q.

What do I need to provide to ADSBS to prove the legality of the transfer?

A. Q.

Papers and documents necessary to show that the person requesting transfer is legally authorized and entitled to request such transfer. (Rule 308)

How much is a special transfer?

A.

How long do I have to record a transfer with the ADSBS once I’ve made a sale or purchase?

To avoid a late fee, submit transfers to the ADSBS for processing within 90 days of the sale date. A.

Q. Can I fax transfers on animals that have been registered?

No. The original certificate of registration must be mailed to the ADSBS National Office in order to complete a transfer. (Rule 300) A.

The special rate is $2.00 per head, or otherwise determined by the ADSBS Board of Directors. This rate is only allowed once.

*Helpful Hint: You will need to mail in the registration certificates for all animals in the flock at one time to qualify for this special rate. Any animals sent in after will transfer at the regular fees.

Q.How do I register lambs from registered bred ewes I purchased?

A.

On the back of the ewe’s official registration certificate there is a section called “Certificate of Service” that should be filled out prior to transferring the ewe into the new owner’s name. (Rule 306)

Q.What is a breeding certificate?

A.

If you are registering lambs sired by a ram you did not own at the time the ewes were bred a Breeding Certificate must be submitted to the ADSBS National Office. The Breeding Certificate can be found on the ADSBS website and includes the following: Ram Flock Name and Number; registration number; signature of the ram’s owner(s); date(s) of service. (Rule 206C)

*Helpful Hint: If the ewe was pasture-bred and the exact date of breeding is not known you can use the range of dates that ewe was exposed to the ram.

Q.

How does my animal get its name?

Q.

Can an animal be registered and transferred at the same time?

A.

Q.

Yes. An animal can be registered and transferred directly to the new owner by completing the transfer information on the Application for Registration form. This includes listing the buyers membership name, complete address, and date of sale. A transfer fee applies in addition to the respective registration fee.

Will ADSBS forward registration certificates directly to the new owner?

A.

Yes. The registration certificate of the animal being transferred will be mailed to the buyer from the ADSBS National Office once full payment is received. If a seller does not wish to have the registration certificate mailed to the buyer, a written request will need to be included stating that the paperwork should be returned to the seller.

A. Q.

Animal names consists of two parts. The first part of an animal name is the applicant’s Flock Name. The second part of the animal name is the ID of the animal provided by the applicant.(Rule 209). For example: My Dorper 1234 - the Flock Name is “My Dorper” and the animal ID is 1234

What is considered Permanent Identification?

A tattoo, USDA scrapie number or electronic identification tag (EID) A.

*Helpful Hint:

• You are not required to have a permanent id.

• If you register your animal with a USDA Scrapies tag and it falls out, you will need to contact the ADSBS National Office to notify them of the new USDA Scrapies number.

Q.

Can I register a live imported Dorper or White Dorper sheep that is registered in another country?

A.

Yes, if you purchase a live animal that was registered in any of the Recognized Dorper Registry Associations/Societies, and the animal was born in the country of that registry association/society, that animal will be eligible for re-registration with the ADSBS. You will need to send to ADSBS the original certificate from the Recognized Registry Association/ Society and appropriate fees. The ADSBS will assign the animal an ADSBS registration number and return both certificates to you. (Rule 204)

*Helpful Hint:

• The ADSBS only accepts international registrations from countries that are legally allowed to import into the United States. For full import information on live-animals visit the USDA website.

• Only Fullblood animals may be registered. Imported percentage animals are not eligible.

Q.

How long does registration take to complete?

A.

Q.

The timeline is dependent upon mail delivery speed, as well as the amount of work in the office at that time. A reasonable estimation time during peak season (March-August) is five business days for mail delivery, five days for work completion, and five business days for return delivery. That is a total of 15 days. It is important to note this time may be extended if the seller has to send the registration papers to you after registration.

May I telephone in work requests?

No. All wok orders must be submitted to the National ADSBS Office. A.

ADSBS Registry cont.

embryo transfers (ET) Q.

What documentation do I need to submit with my Application for Registration to register an embryo transfer lamb?

A.

Q.

artificial insemination

Q.

Does ADSBS allow for ewes to be artificially inseminated?

Yes, ewes may be bred by artificial insemination using either fresh, chilled or frozen semen. (Rule 400) A. Q.

I own the ram, what documentation do I need to provide to register lambs?

No additional documentation is needed with the Application for Registration. (Rule 401B) A. Q.

I do not own the ram, what documentation do I need to provide to register lambs?

A.

Q.

You will need to have a “Certificate of Semen” transfer signed by the owner of the semen submitted to ADSBS National Office by mail or e-mail at time of sale and with the Application for Registration of the resulting offspring. (Rule 401A)

What documentation do I need to provide if the semen is imported?

A.

You will need to submit a properly completed and signed Embryo Transfer Form with each application for registration of lambs resulting from that particular embryo flush. If the embryo that you are registering was frozen you will also need to submit the Certificate of Embryo Freezing in addition to the Embryo Transfer Report. (Rule 503)

*Helpful Hint: All these forms can be found on dorpersheep.org under the Registry tab or by contacting the ADSBS National Office

What is the Embryo Transfer Report?

A.

At the time of the embryo flush, the person or company providing the service is required to complete an embryo transfer report and will include the following information. (Rule 501)

A. Record of service (date, registration number and permanent ID of embryo, sire)

B. Registration number, permanent ID (tattoos), and DNA case number of donor ewe

C. An AI service, a completed and signed AI memo must be included

D. Date of embryo transfer

E. Name and signature of technician/company

F. Number of embryos recovered

G. Number of embryos transferred

H. Number of embryos frozen

I. ID of recipient ewe(s)

*Helpful Hint: If your veterinarian or embryologist has their own version of an Embryo Transfer Report, that documentation may be submitted instead of the ADSBS Embryo Transfer Form with the Application for Registration as long as all the information required under Rule 501 is listed.

Q.

What documentation do I need to submit with my Application for Registration to register a lamb that I purchased as an embryo?

A.

If you purchased either a fresh or frozen embryo you will need to submit an Embryo Ownership Transfer Form and Embryo Transfer Report with the Application for Registration. The form can be found on dorpersheep.org under the Registry tab or by contacting the ADSBS National Office. (Rule 503B)

*Helpful Hint: One embryo ownership transfer form must be submitted with each change of ownership.

Q.

I transferred embryos from multiple donor ewe into one recipient ewe, how do I register those lambs?

You will need to provide DNA parentage verification in addition to the other forms required for registering an Embry Transfer Lamb. (Rule 501J) A.

Q.

Dorper or White Dorper sheep semen imported from other countries must have documentation from the supplier verifying that the semen is from Fullblood stock. Copies of these documents must accompany the registration application. (Rule 401E)

Q.

When I apply for registration for an embryo transfer lamb who do I list as the breeder?

The breeder of an embryo is defined as the owner or lessee of the dam (in this case, the donor ewe) at the time of service. (Rule 500) A.

I imported a frozen embryo, how do I register the lamb?

You must have documentation from the exporter verifying the embryos originated from animals eligible for registration with ADSBS. These documents must also accompany the application for registration. (Rule 504) A.

*Helpful Hint: Federal rules and guidelines for importation of live animals, embryos, and/or semen applies. (Rule 204I)

American Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society Fee List

Circle the following that apply to you:

Junior Membership Dues (21 & under) Junior’s Date of Birth:___________________

Registrations

Purebred/Fullblood current registrations (18 months of age & under)

Purebred/Fullblood late registrations (19 months & over)

Percentage current registrations (18 months of age & under)

Percentage late registrations (19 month & over)

Transfers

Purebred/Fullblood current transfers (0-90 days from date of sale)

Purebred/Fullblood late transfers (over 91 days from date of sale)

Percentage current transfers (0-90 days from date of sale)

Rechristening (if animal has been registered, enclose the Certificate of Registration) Registration Number____________________ Rechristen Name___________________________

Duplicate(s) (only current recorded owner can request a duplicate) Flock Name & Number and Registration Number_______________________________________ $5/hd for Percentage Animals $10/hd for Purebreds/Fullbloods

Correction(s) (enclose incorrect Certificate of Registration and identify the error)

Name & Number and Registration Number_______________________________________

for Purebreds/Fullbloods

Dorpers Into the New Century Training Manual - Circle ENGLISH or SPANISH

Shipping/Handling (exclude if paying ONLY membership dues) $3.00

Rush Fee(s) ~ Date Needed_____/_____/_____ (in addition to regular fees, rush fees are $10/hd) $10/hd write RUSH on the outside of your envelope

Percentage late transfers (over 91 days from date of sale) Check or Money Order or Credit Card Payment (add 4% to the Amount Due)

___Return my work order by USPS Priority Mail (include an additional $10)

___Return my work order by USPS Express Mail (include an additional $30)

EVALUATING THE DORPER & WHITE DOrPER PEDIGREES & GENETIC DIVERSITY

Harvey Blackburn

National Animal Germplasm Program, Agricultural Research Service, USDA Fort Collins, CO

All closed populations of livestock are confronted with the issue of increased levels of inbreeding over time since their populations are closed to the introduction of new genetics from other breeds. This is particularly true of breeds that were imported with few founder animals and therefore a limited breadth of genetic diversity among the imported animals.

Breeders need to be aware of their animals’ inbreeding levels for several reasons:

1. Inbreeding may be used to increase similarities among animals and therefore be used in marketing.

2. Inbreeding can help to identify animals that are carriers of undesirable mutations.

3. As inbreeding increases, genetic variability can be reduced and therefore slow genetic progress.

4. Increased inbreeding can lead to depressed animal performance and/or fertility.

Part of our work at the National Animal Germplasm Program is to quantify genetic variability of U. S. livestock breeds and to conserve genetic variability through collecting genetically diverse germplasm. Therefore, we gained access to the pedigree files from your Association. We used pedigree information to determine the genetic relationships and inbreeding levels for all animals contained in the Association’s pedigree files. Furthermore, this data was extended to group individual animals sharing similar genetics into groups or clusters. With information computed from pedigree files, Dorper and White Dorper breeders have a baseline of inbreeding information concerning their breeds and potentially new ways of designing mating programs that may maintain genetic diversity among these populations.

The pedigree files supplied to us contained animals born from 1965 to 2020. The pedigrees for Dorper and White Dorper were treated as separate breeds. ForDorper, there were 4,373 unique sires and 27,004 unique dams; and White Dorper had 2,288 unique sires and 16,900 unique dams used in the analysis.

Over time, more animals were inbred at some level (Figure 1a, b) for both Dorper and White Dorper. This type of result is typical for all closed populations, and the vast major of animals in both breeds have an inbreeding coefficient that was equal to or less than 5% (Figure 1c, d). Usually, inbreeding depression does not impact performance for most traits until it reaches 12 to 15%.

That said, with advancing generations the peak seen on both graphs will shift to the right indicating higher levels of inbreeding among the entire population.

To understand inbreeding trends over time, animals were assigned a generation number (e.g., animals in the pedigree with no known parents were considered generation 0 and generation 1 were the progeny of generation 0). Figure 2a,b show how inbreeding changed as generation number progressed.

Figure 1. Percent of animals within different inbreeding categories.

Figure 1a. Percent of Dorper Animals with F > 0 by Birth Year

Figure 1b. Percent of White Dorper Animals with F > 0 by Birth Year

Figure 1c. Percent of Current Dorper Animals by Inbreeding Category

Figure 1d. Percent of Current White Dorper Animals by Inbreeding Category

EVALUATING THE DORPER & WHITE DROPER PEDIGREES & GENETIC DIVERSITY

Harvey Blackburn • National Animal Germplasm Program, Agricultural Research Service, USDA • Fort Collins, CO

In looking at Figure 2, it is important to note that the rapid increase in inbreeding after generation 8 or 9 in Dorper and after generation 8 in White Dorper may be due to fewer animals being registered at the time the data was acquired, therefore more registrations may increase or decrease the averages for these generations. We can also see from these two graphs that the inbreeding trends for both breeds was similar.

As research has proceeded, it has become more apparent that the actual level of inbreeding may not be as important as the rate of inbreeding (e.g., inbreeding increase per generation). Ideally, and as a target, it is desirable to keep the rate of inbreeding to less than 1% per generation. Maintaining rate of inbreeding below 1% will also preserve genetic variability for future selection. As Figures 2c and 2d show in later generations the rate of inbreeding has increased.

Exploring the subpopulations of each breed can be accomplished using pedigree data and computing the genetic relationship among members of each breed. The genetic relationship among animals in the population can then be used to cluster each breed into subpopulations that are more related to each other than the entire population. We show four primary clusters for Dorper and three primary clusters for White Dorper (Figure 3a, b). As Figure 3 shows, each primary cluster can be subdivided into smaller groups or subclusters. As primary clusters are subdivided, the genetic relationship and inbreeding levels can increase. For example, White Dorper cluster 2 can be partitioned into four subclusters (2a,2b, 2c, and 2d). Each of those subclusters has a different genetic relationship within the subcluster and among subclusters. While the overall relationship and inbreeding among animals in cluster 2 were relatively low, 2.7% for genetic relationship and 1.35% for inbreeding, evaluating the subclusters reveals a different picture. The genetic relationship for 2a was 3% (inbreeding = 1.5%) and for 2c was 26.8% (inbreeding = 13.4%). The clusters and subclusters provide insight into the breed’s structure and can potentially be used to guide mating decisions. Continuing with the cluster 2 example, owners of animals in cluster 2c may wish to make matings outside cluster 2c to lower inbreeding levels (if so desired); while breeders with animals in cluster 2a have the flexibility of selecting mating choices within 2a, potentially without increasing inbreeding levels dramatically, or any of the other subclusters.

Figure 2. Average inbreeding by generation (2a & 2b), where generation 1 are the initial animals of the registry (e.g., parents are unknown or imported) and rate of inbreeding

As breeds, Dorper and White Dorper have low to moderate levels of inbreeding. In previous generations the rate of inbreeding has been below 1% per generation. However, in the most recent generations rate of inbreeding has increased suggesting that within both breeds genetic variation is contracting, and this can have ramifications on the rate genetic progress can be made through selection. Breeders can control these factors by using a wide variety of sires and dams in future generations. The cluster analysis demonstrates some groups within the breed have obtained high levels of inbreeding that merit management. Depending upon the breeding goals of the owners’ decisions can be made to perform future matings within clusters or to utilize different clusters as a future source of mating choices.

Breeding programs are long term endeavors. Altering the performance levels of breeds and/or individual flocks is a multigenerational effort which takes time and requires consistency in selection. The information provided in this analysis can assist in making long term breeding decisions in terms of managing inbreeding and therefore genetic diversity among the two breeds.

per generation (2c, 2d).

Figure 3. Genetic relationship clusters for Dorper and While Dorper. Figure 3a (left) Dorper with 4 main clusters and 8 subclusters. Figure 3b (right) White Dorper with 3 main clusters and 8 subclusters.

BREEDERSpotlight

N&K RANCH

N&K Ranch has always been about making a difference in any industry we have ever been involved in , from hogs and Rambouillet sheep in our early years, to currently Dorpers, white Dorpers, Boer goats, and registered Red Angus cattle. This is family owned and operated in Eldorado, TX, and as in the early years , it was about the KOHLS KIDS- Kallie, Kaci, and Kayla. Now, it’s about the KOHLS KIDS’ KIDS, and other great kids , we have adopted along the way. WE have always tried to be innovative in our breeding programs to move the industry forward, especially in the Dorper and White Dorper sheep. We would like to thank all the customers that we have had over the years, and we value your friendship and your business. Please remember to join us every Labor Day weekend for our annual production sale, and we will see you all in Duncan, OK in April.

SCOTT

P. GREINER, PH.D. EXTENSION ANIMAL SCIENTIST, SHEEP VIRGINIA TECH

Body Condition Scoring

SCOTT P. GREINER, PH.D. EXTENSION ANIMAL SCIENTIST, SHEEP VIRGINIA TECH

Body Condition Scores (BCS) are a practical management tool to be used in conjuction with nutritional and other management strategies to optimize production of the flock. Condition scores are subjective in nature and utilize a five point scoring system (1-5) to classify sheep according to body fatness. BCS can be determined by either visual appraisal in short-fleeced sheep, by palpation in sheep with significant fleece length, or a combination of the two. The five BCS are as follows and relate to the figure below:

Body Condition Scores (BCS) are a practical management tool to be used in conjuction with nutritional and other management strategies to optimize production of the flock. Condition scores are subjective in nature and utilize a five point scoring system (1-5) to classify sheep according to body fatness. BCS can be determined by either visual appraisal in short-fleeced sheep, by palpation in sheep with significant fleece length, or a combination of the two. The five BCS are as follows and relate to the figure below:

BCS 1- emaciated, very thin

BCS 2- this, “lean”

BCS 1- emaciated, very thin

BCS 2- this, “lean”

BCS 3- average, “nice shape”

BCS 3- average, “nice shape”

BCS 4- fleshy, “bloomy”, fat

BCS 4- fleshy, “bloomy”, fat

BCS 5- obese, very fat

BCS 5- obese, very fat

Using the above figure as a guide, ewes can be handled over the spine, loin and rib to assess BCS. Corresponding fat depots in the breast, crotch, and topline can also be visually estimated in sheep with minimal fleece. Most relevant is the ability of the shepherd’s ability to relate BCS to optimum given the stage of production of the ewe and utilize this BCS to guide other management decisions and actions.

EWE BODY CONDITION SCORING

As shown above, optimized productivity is associated with differing BCS for various stages of production. Flushing is the practice of increasing energy intake, and therefore body condition, during the 10-14 days prior to breeding. This practice has been shown to be effective in increasing ovulation rates, and thereby increasing lambing percentage by 10-20%. The response to flushing is affected by several factors, including the body condition of the ewe. Ewes that are in lower body condition (2 or less) will respond most favorably to the increase in energy, whereas fat ewes (BCS 4-5) will show little if any response.by increasing dietary energy preceding and during breeding season.

Ewes should be in their best BCS at lambing. BCS 3+ is considered ideal, which provides the ewe adequate energy reserves to call upon during lactation. Additionally, ewes moving upward towards BCS 3+ the last third of gestation are less prone to metabolic disorders (ketosis, pregnancy disease) compared to excessively fat ewes or thin ewes which may have low lamb birth weights and lamb vigor. Furthermore, reducing BCS at improper time such as the last third of gestation frequently results in ketosis and poor lamb survival.

The most critical time to assess BCS and make use of it as a management tool is 4-6 weeks pre-lambing. Remember that ample time is needed to see results of nutritional changes. A second important time to assess BCS is a month prior to breeding. Application of BCS at this time will allow for changes to be made which can impact breeding success and percent lamb crop. While these two times are important, BCS is best utilized as an everyday assessment of the current status of the flock to help guide decisions.

Lastly, it is important to assess potential reasons for ewes with poor BCS at various stages of production. Poor/ low BCS can be the result of inadequate nutrition or a variety of health issues (parasites, disease). In summary, body condition scoring the ewe flock is an important aspect of total flock management. Efforts to provide adequate, cost-effective nutrition and management strategies rely on accurate use of BCS.

BREEDERSpotlight

EAST STAR LIVESTOCK

Eaststar Livestock is owned and operated by Ron and Holly Waldron and family. The main facility is in St. Paris Ohio but also rent facilities and pasture in Richmond, Indiana. Their prefix is know nationally as one of the elite flocks of White Dorpers with strict standards on performance and phenotype. Since establishing eight years ago they have sold sheep across the states and have exported rams as well to high end seedstock and performance based flocks. Ron and Holly will be a familiar face to most due to the volunteer work they do at most A.D.S.B.S functions especially for junior program and Ron was named the 2022 member of the year . Visitors are always welcome at their farm and also enjoy phone calls from fellow breeders from around the globe.

SHEEP Counting

EXPLAINED BY A SHEEP FARMING BANKER

For those that do not know me, I have been in Agricultural banking for most of the last 10 years. In that time, I have lived in three different states, financed projects in seven different states and had the privilege to work with some of the best producers and lending institutions you will ever meet. My professional life has revolved around row crop, cattle and most recently poultry lending. All sectors have their merits, but I have always said if you want to know what a person truly believes in, ask them how they spend THEIR money and where they spend THEIR time. Obviously, there are restrictions and exceptions to this statement, but the basic premise holds true in most situations. So, to answer my own question; in addition to day job, my wife, kids, and I also have a small flock of Dorpers.

Our journey into the Dorper business was a little unorthodox. However, what it comes down to is a few common key elements that bankers/financial people think and talk about frequently. I’ve been told by several individuals that sometimes these common elements can be confusing for people that don’t deal with them all the time. Everything an operation/business goes through reflects on their balance sheet and income statement in some way. The elements that dictate decision making are the numbers on these two documents. I’m going to spend the rest of this article discussing what these elements are, how they work and what your banker sees when you bring these documents to them. If you run your operation on your own cash, the information below still applies and should be the dashboard for how well you operation is performing.

BANKER EXPECTATIONS

A banker is going to ask you for a set of documents. Depending on their process they will probably ask you to fill out an application, provide a balance sheet, projections for your operation, tax returns and/or income statements.

• A balance sheet is often called a personal financial statement or a PFS interchangeably. There are actually small differences in the two terms but for the sake of this article, a PFS, personal financial statement and balance sheet are the same. If you are one of the few that understand the difference between these documents most likely the rest of this article will be a waste of your time. What everyone should remember is that a balance sheet is a snapshot of an operation at a specific time. So, on month/day/year this is what I have and what I owe. That simple. I like to refer to this as the farmers transcript. All an operations success and failures will reflect somewhere on your balance sheet.

• Projections also are called a cash flow. If you are requesting a large line of credit, the banker may want you to do a monthly cash flow. A monthly cash flow put simply is an estimate of what you expect to spend each month and what you expect to make each month. A smaller line of credit, livestock note, or real estate note may only require an annual cash flow. This is the condensed estimates for the entire year. In my experience farmers really get hung up on this. Most of them think this is a do or die type of document. Let’s clear the air…... a projection is an estimate and will most definitely be wrong 100% of the time. You’re probably asking why do them anyway. The short, politically incorrect answer is that most bankers are bean counters and have no idea of how a real operation works. This gives them some type of roadmap to understanding what you are trying to accomplish with your business. The more acceptable answer is that each farmers operation is unique, and a projection gives the underwriters (bankers, analysts and committee members) a roadmap to understand why your tax returns and income statements look the way they do. Furthermore, it gives an idea of what to expect in the future as your operation expands.

The last item(s) mentioned is the tax returns and or income statements. Here is the statement every banker is already prepared to hear when they ask for these items. Farmer to banker “I can send you my tax returns but the are going to show a loss, I never show a profit.” I’m going to stop this thought right here. All bankers have heard this comment and we all understand how it works. I will save my opinion of some of those CPAs for a more personal and private conversation but at the end of the day the tax returns at a minimum show a “conservative” view of your operations performance. On a side note, if your CPA is recommending that you go out and buy a new tractor, trailer or load of sheep each time you show a profit in order to avoid paying taxes, it would be in the best interest of your operation to find a new CPA. Back to the topic at hand, an income statement and tax return, although different in presentation “should” have similar numbers in the same years. Some professionals may ask if you are reporting on a cash or accrual basis. I not going into the differences between the two. If you understand the differences, once again this article will probably not help you. If you don’t know which of the two your operation runs on, I feel safe in saying that you are running on a cash basis. Don’t get hung up on this term. Just know that you will need to provide a tax return or an income statement to your banker for the last three years of operation. An income statement is sometimes referred to a profit and loss or P&L statement. There is no difference in an income statement or a P&L. An income statement in is a condensed version of the farm’s ledger of activities for a specific time period. Most often it goes from January to December for a given year. It shows all credits and debits. I refer to this as the operations report card.

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT FROM YOUR BANKER

• He/she should be well versed enough to understand what an ewe, ram, lamb etc. is. They should also know basics of production…. what goes into your product (lambs) ie. grain, hay, meds and where you can sell them. This may sound obvious but remember not many people know about sheep. If they don’t understand the basics, it will make your discussions with them difficult and their ability to help you make accurate decisions near impossible.

• The banker should show an interest in your operation. A banker that does not ask a lot of questions and show legitimate interest on their face is going to spell problems for you down the road. An individual that is interested is one that keeps your operation at the forefront of their mind. A banker that is interested and understands the basics of your operation is one that will help you find ways to sell more lambs, increase your sell price and reduce your costs.

In the next section of this article, I am going to go over some basic terms you will see on your balance sheet and income statement.

BALANCE SHEET/PERSONAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT (PFS)

Asset (Formal definition) – Investopedia states an asset is a resource with economic value that an individual, corporation, or country owns or controls with the expectation that it will provide a future benefit.

Asset (Stated Plainly) – This is anything you own….

*Please note that when you spend money on a product for your operation it becomes an asset. In addition to the obvious items such as livestock, equipment and land; common items that are often forgotten and costly are Vet supplies, Mixed Feed, Hay, Chemical, Fertilizer, bulk diesel etc.* DON’T SELL YOURSELF SHORT, EVERYTHING IS EXPENSIVE AND NEEDS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

Liability (Formal definition) – Investopedia state a liability is something a person or company owes, usually a sum of money. Liabilities are settled over time through the transfer of economic benefits including money, goods, or services. Liability (Stated Plainly) – Every dollar you owe to anyone in the world…

*With liabilities you should have record of the current amount you owe on all your debts in addition to the interest rates if there is one and how many more payments you have left. Items often forgotten are, the balance on trade accounts such as John Deere parts and service line, Coop bill, feed bill, etc. This only includes items that have been billed not items to be billed.*

Net Worth (Formal Definition) – Investopedia states net worth is the value of the assets a person or corporation owns, minus the liabilities they owe. It is an important metric to gauge a company’s health, providing a useful snapshot of its current financial position.

Net Worth (Stated Plainly) – Estimate of what you would have if you were to sell everything off and pay everyone back.

*Net worth is also referred to the equity in your operation. *

The balance sheet gets a lot more technical than theses three terms but if you can understand the information above, it would give you a foundation to build off of and a better understanding of how your daily work translates into future wealth for you and your family.

INCOME STATEMENT / PROFIT & LOSS STATEMENT (P&L)

Expenses or Debits (Formal Definition)- Investopedia state an expense is the cost of operations that a company incurs to generate revenue.

Expenses or Debits (Stated Plainly) – Money you spent on your operation….

*Its easy to lose track of expenses. It is very important that EVERTHING spent is tracked for both tax and operational purposes. If you don’t have accurate expenses, you cannot figure out how much it costs to produce one pound of lamb. I will save technicalities for a later date but if you can’t calculate what it costs you to produce one pound of lamb to the penny, most likely you are losing money.

Short story, my first P&L was a page out of a notepad that my grandmother gave me in high school. It was really sophisticated…., it had flowers on top and horizontal lines evenly down the page. My line items were the listed as simple as hay / $ or feed / $. Every time I would go to the feed store, I would take it out of my wallet, fill it out and fold it back up. It wasn’t much but it worked. I tell you all this because it doesn’t really matter all that much how you track it, it just needs to be accurate. *

Income or Credits (Formal Definition) – Investopedia states income is the money that a person or entity receives in exchange for their labor or products.

Income or Credits (Stated Plainly) – What you receive from selling lambs, hay etc.

*This is a category that most people are good at getting right. For some reason, sales are the easiest part of the business for producers to keep up with. It is good to keep record of sale weights, price per pound and deductions. Keeping this helps in tax season and helps you avoid miscalculating your take home cash.

Net Income (Formal Definition) - Investopedia states net income also called net earnings, is calculated as sales minus cost of goods sold, selling, general and administrative expenses, operating expenses, depreciation, interest, taxes, and other expenses. It is a useful number for investors to assess how much revenue exceeds the expenses of an organization. This number appears on a company’s income statement and is also an indicator of a company’s profitability.

Net Income (Stated Plainly) – Profit…the amount of cash you made in a year …. kind of.

*You will notice that I said… kind of. Net income includes expenses that are ridiculous to most producers such as depreciation. We won’t go into what depreciation is… how accountants use it and the endless opinions that exist on the item. What you should know is that depreciation is a real expense, but it is not a cash expense so including it makes it confusing for most producers. A better and more accurate calculation of a farms take home cash is operating profit

* To keep things simple, your P&L does not have depreciation unless your accountant prepares one for you. If it does, just add the depreciation back to your bottom line (net income) and that will give you an indication of what you made for a year.

I hope this information is found to be useful. Furthermore, I hope everyone has professionals that can help them through all the specifics of their farm documents. I’m certain that I will see many of you around at our Dorper events. If there is anything I can do to help you, please reach out.

Thank You,

Lance Weaver The Sheep Farming Banker Elmdale Dorpers

GREAT LAKES REGION DORPER AND WHITE DORPER ASSOCIATION

https://www.facebook.com/groups/240954492995945/

CONTACT

Ron Waldron Cell • 937.215.2411

Email • eaststarlivestock@gmail.com

TEXAS HILL

https://thcdorper.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1450205991946735

CONTACT

President - JR Howard Cell • 325.812.8558

Email • jrhoward19@hotmail.com

MID AMERICAN DORPER

https://www.midamericandorper.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MADBreeders

CONTACT

President - Tom Clark Cell • 313.825.3470

Email • tlclark@whetstoneprairie.com

ASSOCIATION

https://www.facebook.com/groups/westernstatesdorpers/

CONTACT

President - Kevin Gamble Cell • 919.605.5815

Email • kevin.gamble@codorpere.com

MID-SOUTH

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1508782966039906/ CONTACT

President - Dale Carter Cell • 912.240.0427

Email • dalecarter704@gmail.com

http://www.chisholmtraildorpers.com/aboutus.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ chisholmtraildorpers

CONTACT

President - Edie McDaniel Cell • 512.484.0392

Email • edie@mbarwwhitedorpers.com

BREEDERSpotlight

EMSOFF LIVESTOCK COMPANY

Emsoff Livestock Company was born of a dream. It began as a single high school FFA market lamb project in the mid 90’s where Crystal discovered her love for sheep. Crystal later earned a degree in Animal Science from Abilene Christian University in Texas, where she met Frank who was pursuing his own degree in Range and Agronomy. They married in 2001, moved back to Crystal’s hometown in northeastern California and shortly after began breeding sheep.

At Emsoff Livestock Company quality has always been our highest priority. We have never been satisfied with coarsemade, unsound or sloppy sheep, believing strongly that a sheep can be both attractive and functional. We select for sound feet and legs, strong top-lines, pretty front ends, good rib shape and an abundance of natural muscling. We have always maintained that these traits can and do align with the coveted Breed Standard and to ensure this, we have had our flock inspected regularly by South African inspectors, who have consistently typed the overwhelming majority of our ewes and rams as Stud Quality types 4 and 5.

At the same time, we have not sacrificed the incredible performance that makes a Dorper a Dorper. Our 300 acre high desert ranch is located where the Sierra Nevada mountain range collides with the Great Basin. At an elevation of 5,000 feet and an average of just 11 inches of annual precipitation (most of which falls as winter snow), our climate is harsh, with hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. No lush irrigated pastures here! Our sheep travel miles a day over rugged rangeland rustling for feed. Our ewes live outdoors year-round, going to the barn only for winter lambing. We expect our ewes to be excellent mothers, we have a zero-tolerance policy for ewes rejecting lambs and our ewes milk abundantly. At the other end of the life-cycle, Emsoff lambs have competed favorably in carcass contests and more than satisfy our meat buyers! We, along with our two sons, Case and Justus, regularly show our Dorpers, both to increase exposure and interest in the amazing Dorper breed, but also to avoid “barn blindness.” Our sheep have garnered awards nationwide, both for ourselves and for those who have put their trust in Emsoff genetics. Believing strongly that the youth are the future of the Dorper breed, we have mentored youth in showing and breeding Dorpers of their own. Crystal served on the Western States Dorper Association board of directors for six years, playing a key role in getting a Dorper market lamb division added to the California State Fair in 2019, as well as adding a Junior Show to the Western Regional Dorper Show in 2022. She also has worked to organize and grow every year the Youth Show as the annual Western States Dorper Show & Sale. Finally, Justus’s long-time participation with his Dorpers at the Nevada Junior Livestock Show spurred the show to include a separate division for Dorpers and other non-traditional breeds for the first time in 2021. We are excited and proud to be playing a role in the growing visibility and popularity of the Dorper breed in the Western Region!

At Emsoff Livestock Company, we are passionate about Dorpers and strive to produce sheep that will perform in the show ring, in the pasture and on the rail. We invite you to visit us virtually via our website and Facebook page, and in person on our farm or beside the show ring! We love to talk sheep and always have sheep available to help the next aspiring breeder get started or the veteran breeder improve their own flock.

ZOONOTIC DISEASES

THE IMPORTANCE OF GLOVES DURING LAMBING SEASON &

Lambing season is well underway for most sheep producers and I am sure by now you have encountered your fair share of both triumphs and problems. Even if you haven’t started lambing yet then you know situations will arise that may seem out of your control due to previous experience. Lambing is always an exciting time on a sheep farm. You plan all through the summer about breeding decisions, new rams, AI sires, etc. and then you pray that those decisions will turn out in the form of live lambs at birth that grow well and stay healthy. If you are like me then sometimes you get so caught up in the day-to-day tasks of lambing that you forget some of the basic things everyone who works with animals should keep in mind. One such thing is the importance of wearing gloves when helping a ewe have her lambs. We’ve all been there right? The thought goes through our minds that the ewe won’t need a lot of help, and we don’t really have time to throw a glove on anyways. So we just go ahead and pull that lamb (or whatever species you might be working with) without gloves. It seems pretty harmless, but if this is a common practice then eventually you can run into zoonotic diseases (diseases that can affect animals as well as humans) that may not be evident until it is too late.

Dystocia (difficult birth) and abortions are going to happen at one time or another on your farm. If these things do not happen then that is great, but most producers will see these types of situations at some point while raising sheep. I speak in front of many producer groups here in Tennessee (both online and in-

person), and a lot of their questions come from dystocia scenarios and aborted fetuses/ stillborns. What should I have done in this case? How can I prevent this from happening in the future? Regardless of the question I always give the same advice to start with and that is to wear gloves while assisting a ewe that is giving birth and handling aborted fetuses and stillborns (I like to use a palpation sleeve with a latex or nitrile glove over top of it for extra grip). I get mixed feedback on this advice that ranges from head shakes to all kinds of comments. Most folks agree with me and say that yes they absolutely always wear gloves, but some will say that they don’t have time or they don’t keep gloves in the barn for such occasions. Whatever the case may be here are a few very good reasons why you should always wear gloves during these situations: brucellosis, chlamydiosis, leptospirosis, campylobacteriosis, listeriosis, Q-fever, and toxoplasmosis. Why are these diseases important? They are important because they are zoonotic and you can become infected by handling animals that have these diseases. Most producers are aware that soremouth and ringworm are easily transmitted to humans from sheep and goats, but not everyone is as aware of the above-mentioned diseases, which can cause much more severe symptoms than just a rash on your skin. They can also be transmitted by contaminated towels, equipment, placental tissues, and infected bedding as well. So be careful when handling these items. It is very important not to eat or drink in

JESSICA HARRIS SHANKS UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE EXTENSION SPECIALIST • SMALL RUMINANT & YOUTH PROGRAMS

these situations as some of these disease agents can become aerosolized and end up on that cookie or sandwich you just ate. Obviously that is not an ideal situation!

Below is a table detailing the diseases I mentioned above, how they are transmitted, and human symptoms of each one. It is important to note also that pregnant women should never assist with lambing, handle placental tissues, newborn lambs, aborted fetuses, contaminated towels etc. Many of these diseases can also cause abortions in humans so it is important to exercise caution just to be safe. This is not meant to be medical or veterinary advice, just some encouragement to use gloves while assisting ewes during lambing and when handling aborted fetuses and stillborns. Oftentimes when you realize you have been exposed to something it is too late to do anything about it.

Another good point is that you are also protecting the ewe by wearing gloves. All kinds of bacteria can be on our hands and arms and by wearing gloves we can maintain a cleaner environment and hopefully protect that ewe from things like metritis or uterine infection. Your veterinarian may prefer not to use gloves in some

cases because they can feel things better without the added bulk of a palpation sleeve. It is important to remember they are trained specifically for situations like this and will typically perform a very thorough scrub of their hands and arms as if they were going into surgery before and after assisting with a birth.

Don’t let this article scare you away from helping a ewe. This just helps you as a sheep producer to be well informed about these situations that you may come into contact with and to be well prepared with gloves in your lambing kit. I hope that you don’t have to use this knowledge but you are prepared if you have to!

IT SEEMS PRETTY HARMLESS, BUT IF THIS IS A COMMON PRACTICE THEN EVENTUALLY YOU CAN RUN INTO ZOONOTIC DISEASES THAT MAY NOT BE EVIDENT UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE.

JOURNAL

BREEDER

Spotlight

Rocking R Ruffin Ranch was established in 1882 in Brady, Texas, making the sheep ranch 140 years old. The ranch is currently managed by Taunya Ruffin, a sixth-generation shepherd with an Animal Science degree from Texas A&M. Keith Cornwall, Taunya’s husband, assists on the ranch by specializing in solving mechanical problems that are bound to arise in day-to-day operation. Sandra Davenport, Taunya’s mother, grew up on the ranch and still plays a vital role in the operation to this day.

Ruffin Ranch was purchased by Josef Jordan who was looking for premium land for a sheep ranch when he moved to Texas from Virginia in 1882. His son Henry began raising 1,000 Rambouillet ewes on the ranch. He had to work extra hard to succeed because he only had one leg. Much of his work was done in a mule or horse-drawn wagon. The work ethic he displayed has been passed down through generations. Work ethic wasn’t the only thing passed down through generations: love for the land and dedication to sheep were foundational for “Lt. Col.” L.V. Ruffin “Big Daddy”, as he was called. Those passions were passed down to Taunya in the form of lessons that still influence the ranch today. Ruffin Ranch takes great pride in the sacrifices made by the generations before us.

In 1998, on a dog judging trip in Australia, Taunya got the first introduction to the Dorper sheep. The fascination began. In 2002 and 2005- dog judging trips to different areas of South Africa allowed more investigation into this breed. She began to believe that this heavy meat breed with no need for shearing was the way of the future. Taunya lived in Eastern Europe and trained police dogs and only returned to the ranch during calving and lambing season. In 2010, on a trip back home, there was a flock of hair sheep on the ranch. The wool sheep had finally been replaced by Royal white hair sheep. In 2015, the first set of Australian embryos were born on Ruffin ranch. The first White Dorpers. Beauty and practicality are the main goals within the breeding program at Ruffin Ranch. Taunya spent 35 years showing dogs, so a flashier sheep is appealing but sticking to the South African standard is paramount. Learning from Tienes, Colene Grevelink, Ash Phillips, dorper courses, and so many other brilliant breeders and judges has helped form a flock of ewes that are competitive in the show ring and sound in the pasture. Rams are expected to be tough. Ram lambs are culled with a heavy hand and sent to market if any breed faults are displayed. Modern technology such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer are utilized to offer customers top- of-the-line genetics. Taunya takes time with each customer to evaluate their individual needs to offer the best ewes or rams to suit their operation.

The motto at Ruffin Ranch is “Quality evolves from precise selection” and Taunya is known to spend copious amounts of time analyzing each sheep, their parents, grandparents, and any previous mating before selecting a particular mating. She studies what details need improvement and considers the parents structure, as well as the individual animals crossing them with a match that is strong in the desired characteristic, and whose parents share that strength. Each ram is evaluated for each ewe on an individual basis. When looking at the Ruffin Ranch flock, uniformity is obvious and impressive. Another aspect that sets Ruffin Ranch apart is the forward-thinking animal husbandry and handling practices. Taunya has sought out animal handling techniques in other countries and implemented them in Texas. She and her mother traveled to Turkey to observe first-hand how 10 shepherds can herd 1,000 sheep collectively and individually by voice. That trip showcased sheep being handled without force or pressure, but instead, following like they were bred to do. Taunya then started implementing a more hands-on approach on the ranch. The sheep can now be loaded onto a trailer from the pasture quietly and calmly. The interest and influence for this handling technique originated from one of Taunya’s favorite bible verses.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27 Ruffin Ranch is a Johnes free flock

BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • ROCKING R RUFFIN RANCH

TRANSFORM A POOR PASTURE into a Good One

It’s not an unusual situation for people to suddenly find themselves as the not-so-proud owner or long-term renter of a previously abused or neglected pasture. In such situations, questions often arise as to what the best plan of action is to bring an abused pasture back to full productivity.

According to Chris Teutsch, a forage extension specialist at the University of Kentucky, there are a number of reasons why formerly good pastures can turn bad. These include too much or too little water; poor fertility or low soil pH; poor grazing or, in the case of a hayfield, mowing management; a poor choice of forage species; and an influx of weeds likely caused by one of the previously mentioned factors. Often, a poor pasture is the result of a combination of several negative stresses.

“Pasture renovation does not always mean having to reseed,” Teutsch said at last fall’s Kentucky Grazing School. “In fact, spraying out an old pasture and then reseeding should be considered a last-resort option. We can often renovate a pasture without reseeding it.”

FIX THE SOIL

The first step for improved pasture productivity is to look below ground level. Teutsch defined soil as a dynamic natural body composed of mineral and organic solids, gases, liquids, and living organisms, which can serve as a medium for plant growth.

“Below ground, in a healthy pasture, scientists have determined that we should have about a ton of bacteria, a ton of actinomycetes, 3 tons of fungi, and over 600 pounds of earthworms per acre,” Teutsch said. “When we manage the above ground with good grazing techniques, we are also enhancing the below ground ecosystem, and that’s really important to keep in mind.”

From a soil fertility standpoint, Teutsch reminded attendees of Liebigs Law of the Minimum,

MIKE RANKIN, HAY & FORAGE GROWER MANAGING EDITOR

“Pasture renovation does not always mean having to reseed,” TEUTSCH SAID

which states, “The level of plant production can be no greater than that allowed by the most limiting of essential plant growth factors.”

“It’s going to take a holistic approach to rejuvenate pastures,” Teutsch said. “Often, fixing only one limiting factor won’t be enough.”

A big advantage of well-managed pasture systems is that 80% – 90% of the nutrients applied through fertilizer, manure, legumes, and feed are cycled back to the pasture in dung and urine. “This is a big advantage compared to hay and other cropping systems,” Teutsch noted.

The forage specialist cautioned that it is up to the grazing manager to ensure that nutrients are evenly distributed across the pasture to keep fertility levels from rising excessively in some areas while declining in others. This is where rotational grazing systems with multiple sites for water and shade are important to keep animals from congregating in the same area.

Where hay is removed from fields or pastures, Teutsch noted that potassium levels can be drawn down quickly unless fertilizer is applied or the hay is fed back on the same field. Many common hay species remove nearly 60 pounds per ton of potassium as K2O. “This might be a positive situation in the case where hay is being purchased and brought on to the farm,” he said. “Every ton of hay is going to have about $78 worth of nutrients at today’s fertilizer prices, but it’s important to feed the hay where the nutrients are needed most.”

Soil testing is going to be critical for confirming what nutrients are needed or not needed. This is especially true when fertilizer prices are high, Teutsch asserted.

Aside from documenting fertility status, soil testing is important to assess soil pH. “Improper pH is a major limiting factor in forage production because it reduces nutrient availability and nitrogen fixation by legumes,” Teutsch said. “Liming pastures will both neutralize soil acidity and supply calcium and magnesium.”

The extension specialist recommends a minimum soil pH level of 5.8 – 6 for pure grass stands, 6 – 6.4 for grass-clover stands, and 6.5 – 6.8 for grass-alfalfa stands. “Right now, if you need lime, it may be your best buy because it will make existing soil nutrients more available to the plant without purchasing fertilizer,” Teutsch said.

THE POWER OF LEGUMES

“Nitrogen fixation is the second most important biological process on earth; it’s only behind photosynthesis,” Teutsch noted. “For this reason, legumes offer substantial benefits in grazing systems by providing nitrogen, which enhances grass yields, forage quality, summer growth, and animal performance. Legumes also help mitigate the effects of toxic tall fescue,” he added.

Most of the transfer of nitrogen between legume and grass occurs through the animal by the deposition of manure and urine. It can also occur when the legume plant tissues and roots die and decompose. A strong nitrogen cycle in a pasture takes several years to develop and maintain.

Teutsch suggested that legumes should make up 20% – 30% of the pasture sward. He said to add lime and fertilize according to the needs of the legumes, which can be overseeded in late winter. Frost seeding red clover and white clover generally results in the greatest success. For pastures lacking in fertility, Teutsch suggested using annual lespedeza, which is more forgiving of a low soil nutrient status.

“How a pasture is grazed can impact the botanical composition,” the forage specialist noted. “If you leave too much residual, it will tend to favor the grass. It’s also important to use rotational stocking, which makes it much easier to manage through a drought and maintain desirable forage species.”

Pasture renovation doesn’t have to involve a complete kill and reseeding. With corrections in soil fertility, the development of perpetual nutrient cycles, the establishment of legumes, and flexible, rotational grazing, poor pastures can be transformed into highly productive ones.

“Gunsmoke” Narrow Gate Farm 600

Grand Champion Dorper Ram

2021 North American International Livestock Exposition, 1st Spring Ram Lamb

“700” Narrow Gate Farm 700

Reserve Grand Champion Dorper Ram

2022 North American International Livestock Exposition, 1st Winter Ram Lamb

● Thank you to our buyers in 2021-22 at the ADSBS sales: National (Mid-America) Sale, Sunflower Classic, and Southern States Sale. Also thank you to our buyers from the farm as well as our inaugural online sale hosted by Dorper Nation.

● Be sure to look in our sale pens and online for lambs from the two stud rams above. Lambs are already selling from Gunsmoke and more on the way. Lambs are on the way from 700 with more breedings planned for the near future.

Dorper

Narrow Gate Farm 490

Grand Champion Dorper Ewe

2021 North American International Livestock Exposition, 1st Yearling Ewe

Market Leading Ear Tags

ON THE ROAD & In the Public Eye

JASON DUGGIN, BEEF EXTNESION SPECIALIST UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA DEPT.

OF ANIMAL & DAIRY SCIENCE

Once a load of lambs or ewes hits the roadways, our operations become very public. We are in the public eye. Although no one ever leaves the house expecting to be the focal point of first responders, it does happen more often than any of us would like to think. It may be an accident, truck fire, or maybe someone just left the gate open. This is also when the public will often see livestock up close for the first time. Public perception most certainly matters. It affects all our meat animal industries. This article will overview 4 main topics to consider for transporting sheep and other livestock. Then we will overview what to do in case the worst, unfortunately, does happen.

#1 Trailer Bodies and Flooring

During a discussion with a stockyard owner, I asked what they thought was the major issue they had to deal with every week. Without much hesitation their answer was trailers with bad flooring, slick flooring and homemade trailers held together by straps to name a few. It may be funny for a moment but not when we have livestock in a bad situation, and not to mention asking first responders to deal with these issues for which they are not often trained. Although it is not pleasant to discuss, livestock have arrived at markets and other destinations missing hooves or worse. This is something we must avoid as an industry. It starts on our own operations and when possible, when we can have a positive influence on others, encouraging them to make livestock trailers and transportation a bigger priority.

#2 Trucks

Overloading is a real issue that can cost a producer both time and money, but it’s much bigger than that. If a truck stalls on a significant grade or when seconds count, those make for some scary situations that can risk the lives of those in the trucks and others on the roadways, not to mention the sheep. Find those maximum load numbers for your truck and trailer and have them handy for reference.

#3 Tires and Components

Sometimes trucks have mechanical issues and at other times trailers do. Trailer issues dealing with flat tires and wheel bearings with a load of sheep can be stressful on the animals and the humans. Checking tire tread and making sure the tires are of good quality is a great start. Unfortunately, I’ve changed too many tires on the side of the interstate. Most of those instances where due to insufficient tires for the job (someone wanted the cheapest tires). Once we got heavier ply tires, my trips have been largely uneventful.

#4 Roadway Checklist

In addition to those things mentioned above, the following list is an abbreviated version of things to think about before hauling your sheep or any other livestock.

1. Making sure brakes and lights are in good working order is a no-brainer for many, but it’s always good to get those reminders.

2.Look for animal nest or fuel line leaks under the hood, particularly for those rarely driven pickups to prevent firs. This happens quite often.

6. Plan the trip: Check for potential traffic delays; Look at the weather forecast for potential storms, extreme heat or significant windchill.

9. Make sure the trailer doors and gates are shut and latched before driving. It does happen.

10. Load with as little stress and excitement as possible.

3. Shiney, new aluminum floors need bedding.

4.Have health papers from a veterinarian for interstate travel

5. Driver’s License and Insurance

7. Have a chain with a lock ready when stopping at public areas to deter anyone that might want to intentionally let your sheep out. It may not be ideal to always keep it on in case of an accident or fire.

8. Make sure the trailer is correctly hitched before loading. Always double check.

11.

Livestock cannot be hauled longer than 28 hours unless water and space to lay down is provided.

12.

Biosecurity: when hauling newly acquired sheep or lending trailers, wash trailers with soap. Use disinfectant.

Finally, let’s look at what needs to happen if the worst occurs. If a roadway emergency occurs with sheep, here are the things first responders will need to consider. These steps are for large You may be the key person to answer questions and give advice.

1. Containment-if a livestock trailer has wrecked or even rolled over, prepare an animal containment area before letting sheep or other animals out of the trailer.

Panels and barricades – Obviously, sheep panels that are flush to the ground are the best option. Containment for sheep can be quickly set up using portable panels. There are lots of options, but an inverted cattle panel and plenty of rope may be the easiest thing to source in an emergency (Figure 1). Dimensions are typically 10 to 12 foot in length by approximately 4 foot tall (excluding feet).

Figure 1: Inverted Cattle Panel for Temporary Containment

2. Livestock Handlers & Trailers for animal relocation-Contact people with livestock handling experience and cattle trailers that can relocate animals to a local sale barn or other facility with good containment, water and hay.

3. Scene Security-Traffic control in areas where there may be loose livestock.

4. Provide information for scene access -all responders. Livestock people bringing aid and trailers may need an escort to enter the scene.

5. Often, the state’s Department of Agriculture will need to be notified to observe biosecurity protocols are followed and expired animals are properly disposed.

6. Vet on site if possible - The attending veterinarian will need a proper method of euthanasia. A 22 magnum or larger is needed for most mature livestock to be humanly euthanized. Analgesics or sedatives such as xylazine may be needed. Drug delivery poles may be necessary for delivery, but both are often very hard to find. Firing weapons in trailers should be avoided.

7. Dead Animal Disposal/Roll-off Dumpsters - or other Animals found dead at the accident scene will need to be discreetly transported to a landfill.

8.Relocation of Animals - Stockyard or other location.

IN LARGE INCIDENTS, FIRST RESPONDERS IN CHARGE OF HANDLING THE SCENE WILL NEED TO ALSO DO THE FOLLOWING:

9. Get insurance information for carrier - contact early as possible; verify payment of resources used.

10. - Track resources that are used for scene

11. - Incident Debrief

Hauling is a necessary part of the sheep and livestock business. Whether we haul our own or hire it done, let’s make safety for the humans and the livestock the top priority.

Managing nutrition during breeding season is critical for improving lambing rates, but it can often be a challenge. When breeding for spring-born lambs, forages are declining in nutritional value while nutrient requirements for sheep are increasing. Fall lambing requires breeding when heat can challenge conception. Regardless of the time of year, it’s important to keep ewes and rams in mind before, during and after breeding season. Prior to and throughout breeding, many producers utilize flushing to increase ovulation rates. During the breeding season, rams are working hard to service ewes in heat while attempting to meet their own nutritional needs. Increasing the flock’s plane of nutrition continues to play an important role in ewes by reducing early embryonic death and helping rams recover after breeding.

EWE MANAGEMENT

Success of breeding is largely dependent on nutrition. Simple management techniques, such as flushing or managing ewe lambs that are still growing separately can boost breeding success. Simply put, flushing means increasing your flock’s plane of nutrition at least two to three weeks before and after breeding. Flushing helps to initiate estrus, improve ovulation and increase conception rates by promoting the ewe’s body to signal to the reproductive tract that she is ready to support herself plus a growing fetus or fetuses. Additionally, flushing improves embryonic attachment to the uterine wall, hence reducing the number of early embryonic deaths, which most commonly occur within the first 30 days of conception. Ensuring that ewes are bred within that first 21 days (the first heat cycle) can help shorten your lambing window. High-energy feeds, such as corn, are commonly used for flushing at approximately one pound per head daily. Moving ewes to a higher-quality pasture or cover crop can also elicit a similar response to flushing. Ovulation and weaning rates are positively influenced when ewes can consume greater amounts of quality forage.

Jaelyn Quintana, South Dakota

State University

Extension Sheep

Field Specialist

EWE MANAGEMENT CONT.

Maintaining an increased plane of nutrition is even more important for first-time mothers. In many cases, young ewes aren’t finished growing while also being asked to also carry offspring. However, it has been shown that young ewes that raise offspring their first year may have greater lambing performance as mature ewes. If infrastructure and feed resources allow, increasing supplementation to ewe lambs and having a separately managed breeding group specifically for ewe lambs will promote conception and maintained pregnancy.

RAM MANAGEMENT

Ram care is also important before, during and after breeding and should be monitored. The energy requirement of a ram increases by approximately 9% from maintenance to pre-breeding. This improves semen quality and allows for excess body stores during an energy-demanding breeding season. On average, a ram can lose up to 25% of his own body weight throughout a breeding season.

It’s generally recommended to utilize one ram per 30 ewes, but if breeding groups are placed in large pastures, or greater than one ram per 30 ewes, a ram’s requirement to travel farther or service more ewes will increase energy expenditures. Additionally, adverse weather conditions and low forage quality further challenge a ram’s energy demand. Extra supplementation may also be needed for ram lambs utilized during the breeding season. Improving the longevity of rams is a common concern on range operations, so take care of the rams that play a huge role in conception rates and, ultimately, your bottom dollar.

BODY CONDITION SCORE PRIOR TO BREEDING

Body condition also plays an integral role in improving conception. Body condition scores (BCS) should be assessed at least three weeks prior to breeding to make nutritional decisions, especially because increasing body condition takes longer than decreasing condition. While there may be incidences of sheep maintaining or improving body condition on low-quality pasture, this is extremely difficult when considering the nutritional demands of the breeding season. Both ewes and rams should be in a BCS 3 to 3.5 prior to breeding. Ewes in BCS 3 or slightly lower typically show an improved response to flushing effects. Rapid weight losses after joining ewes and rams should be avoided to achieve maximum conception and pregnancy rates. Therefore, flushing diets should be provided to ewes and rams for two to three weeks before and after breeding. For more information on BCS, check out the article, Managing Sheep Body Condition Score Throughout the Year.

Optimizing flock nutrition throughout the breeding season can help improve conception rates, lambing percentages and ram longevity. Utilizing high-energy feedstuffs, such as corn supplemented at about one pound per head daily, or the use of nutrient-dense pastures and cover crops make excellent options for both ewes and rams. For the best results, a flushing diet should be made available at least two to three weeks prior to breeding, throughout the season and two to three weeks after breeding. Proper nutritional management is one simple way to positively influence your lamb crop and, in turn, increase the profitability of your flock.

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