Sheep Industry News April 2025

SheepIndustry Volume 29, Issue 4 April 2025

News

April 2025 Volume 29 , Issue 4

Contents

4

President’s Notes

6

Market Report

9

ASI Member Listing

28

Breeders’ Directory

30

Industry Calendar

ON THE COVER: Learning the Ropes Cheryl Dunlap Ohio

FOLLOW US

2 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

Lehfeldt Testifies at Senate Ag Hearing ASI President Ben Lehfeldt testified before the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on Feb. 26. The hearing included two panels, one of which focused on the livestock industry.

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14 Learning to Lamb... Without Lambs Things were quiet

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10 Conquering The Divide

Field Day Schools Producers on LGDs In the past eight years,

Hettinger Center Goes High-Tech As one of Rachel Gibbs’ initial responsibilities as the new livestock extension specialist at the NDSU Hettinger Research Extension Center, she began utilizing high-tech equipment that gives sheep breeders and producers new information to aid in genetic selection.

the Livestock Guardian Dog Field Day at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo, Texas, has become a valuable resource for livestock producers. Plus, there will be puppies!

– a little too quiet, in fact – as students arrived for the Wyoming Wool Growers Association Lambing School on Feb. 28 in Burns, Wyo. As it turns out, not a single lamb hit the ground during the six-hour school.

Long before she began to take an active role in the American wool industry, Mary Jeanne Packer came to understand the disconnect between the general public and farmers. But she’s bound and determined to tackle that as a member of the ASI Wool Council.

October 2024 • Sheep Industry News • 3 April 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 3

President’s Notes BEN LEHFELDT ASI PRESIDENT

Advocating for our Industry T he start of a new year is always exciting. No different this year. As another ASI Annual Convention concluded back in Janu ary, new opportunities were on the horizon. It seems like it has been non-stop for the past two months. A lot has to do with the ideas, changes, adjustments, re-adjustments and continued uncertainty coming out of Washington, D.C. It has been great taking calls from members to develop new initiatives that might help the sheep industry. There have been new ideas suggested, old programs asked to be resurrected, but overall, everyone I talk to just wants to continue in the industry that they love and try to be profitable. Along with the new ideas to help bring sheep back to the United States, there has been concern about our governmental partners throughout the country. Wildlife Services, Agricultural Research Service sites such as the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station and the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, the National Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency have come under scrutiny this past month. We continue to monitor these changes and consult with our agency partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find the best path for our industry. We look forward to the many opportunities that we have as an association to work together toward accomplishing our vision and mission. Leading that charge is our ASI Executive Board, which is made up of eight elected regional directors, four elected officers and a representative of the National Lamb Feeders Association. These volunteer sheep producers are ready and willing to serve as your link to ASI and our industry priorities. Joining me on the officer team are: Joe Pozzi, vice president, California; Tammy Fisher, secretary/treasurer, Texas; and Brad Boner, past president, Wyoming. The remainder of the Executive Board includes: Kevin Melvin, Region I, New Jersey; Patricia Sanville, Region II, Maryland; Larry Hopkins, Region III, Indiana; Lynn Fahrmeier, Region IV, Missouri; Rodney Kott, Region V, Texas; Julie Hansmire, Region VI, Colorado; John Noh, Region VII, Idaho; Ryan Indart, Region VIII, California; and Kate Harlan, NLFA, Wyo ming. The makeup of the ASI Executive Board continues to reflect the wide diversity that is our American sheep industry. Each regional director serves as the chair of an ASI council or committee and is updated regularly on the issues that affect our industry as a whole. Remember, these are the people that are the communication link between state membership and ASI. They can help bring your ques tions and concerns back to ASI for deliberation and action. Your ASI officer team continues to try to look for new ways to communicate our message to membership and have our “ears to the ground” to be responsive to our member’s concerns. But remember, it is important to utilize the conduit in place for communication from member to state organization to Executive Board member to ASI. The ASI Executive Board met at the end of March to discuss strategy, appoint council/committee members and also to dis seminate information about the sheep industry on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Thank you to all the individual members that attended the ASI Spring Trip. If you were unable to make the trip, please reach out to utilize the ASI white papers and advocate with your elected officials’ state offices or if you plan on visiting our nation’s capital in the months to come. The ASI Executive Board spent a lot of time leading up to the fly-in dissecting the ever-changing information and coordinating a message that is beneficial to the industry. We were excited to discuss the H-2A working group’s proposals, as well as up-to-date information on the impacts of the federal restructuring that relates to priority sheep activities. Thanks to the states for sending in your recommendations for council and committee appointments. We took a hard look at mak ing sure there is effective and equal representation on each and every council and committee. We also looked at opportunities to deal with our competitors to bring more value back to our American lamb and American wool products during the meeting. It is exciting to have an opportunity to make progress on bringing more producer dollars back to our American sheep industry.

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SheepIndustry NEWS April 2025: Volume 29, Issue 4

AMERICAN SHEEP INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION INC. 9785 Maroon Circle, Suite 360 Englewood, CO 80112-2692 Phone: 303-771-3500 • Fax: 303-771-8200 info@sheepusa.org • Sheepusa.org

MONTHLY LAMB POOLS Cass City, MI - first Wednesday of each month Frankfort, IN - second Wednesday of each month Harned, KY - fourth Wednesday of each month McBain, MI - second Tuesday of each month Ottawa, IL - third Wednesday of each month Raymond, IL - second & fourth Wednesday of each month St. Louis, MI - second Tuesday of each month

EDITOR/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Kyle Partain Graphic Designer: Parand Malekani

ASI Office Staff: Peter Orwick, Executive Director Rita Kourlis Samuelson, Deputy Director/Wool Marketing Larry Kincaid, Chief Financial Officer Zahrah Khan, Operations Manager Erica Sanko, Director of Analytics & Production Programs Christa Rochford, Wool Marketing Programs Manager Heather Pearce, Wool Production Programs Manager Chris Jones, Administrative Assistant The Sheep Industry News is published monthly as the official publication of the American Sheep Industry Association Inc. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Payment of member dues in an ASI affiliated state organization entitles a member to a subscription. For non-members, the subscription rate is $50 per year. ADVERTISING INFORMATION: Rates available at Sheepusa.org. Deadline is the fifth of the month preceding the cover date. All advertising is subject to publisher’s approval. Advertisers must assume all liability for their advertising content. Publisher maintains the right to cancel advertising for nonpayment or reader complaint about service or product. Publisher assumes no liability for products or services advertised in Sheep Industry News.

To view the complete UPI events calendar, visit uproducers.com/events-calendar

When your wool is ready to sell - We’re here to sell it. SALE DETAILS COMING SOON! Call us about selling your wool at our sales or by Private Treaty. It’s not just our motto, It’s our reputation. A Tradition of Integrity mwc1983@roswellwool.com www.roswellwool.com 1-800-624-WOOL Mike Corn, Manager

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April 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 5

Market Report

CHARLES MARTINEZ, PH.D. University of Tennessee

Surging Prices

W hen I last wrote this market update in January, market sig nals were sideways, there were some positives, and some negatives, depending upon who was buying and who was selling. Since then, there has been an administration change and tariff talks/discussions every week, but prices throughout the supply chain are surging. RETAIL In the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture retail report, the feature rate was around 10 percent. The feature rate is the amount of sampled stores advertising any reported item during the current week, expressed as a percentage of the total sample. Thus, approximately 10 percent of stores are featuring lamb products. The national activity rate in the first week of March was relatively unchanged compared to the year, at 2,753. The activity rate is a measure of the absolute frequency of feature activity equal to the total number of stores for each adver tised item (i.e. retailer with 200 outlets featuring three items has an activity index of 600). The Northeast region (Conn., Del., Mass., Md., Maine, N.H., N.J., N.Y., Penn., R.I. and Vt.) and the Southeast region (Ala., Fla., Ga., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tenn., Va. and W.V.) both have higher featuring rates of 18 percent and 22.6 percent, respectively. In the Northeast region, the highest valued products in early March were fresh Halal rib chops averaging $27.99 per pound. Whereas in the Southeast region, the highest valued products were fresh loin chops averaging $8.99 per

pound. Additionally, the Southeast region had the highest activity in dex of 1,485. With Easter coming, I would expect the feature rate and activity rate to start increasing. WHOLESALE In the first week of March, the lamb cutout ended at $459.91 per cwt., which is $11.14 per cwt. lower compared to a year ago. Com pared to the previous five-year average (2019 to 2023), prices in early March were $32.35 per cwt. higher. Through the first nine weeks of 2025, the cutout averaged $459.03 per cwt., which is $11.51 per cwt. lower than last year, and $28.30 per cwt. higher than the previous five year average. While the lamb cutout is lower than last year prices remain steady, which indicates steady demand from downstream participants. When looking at primal cut values, boxed lamb rack (8-rib light) prices have been surging. Last year, racks topped out at $1,159 per cwt. in September and November. Through the first nine weeks of 2025, prices trended upward from $1,118.21 per cwt. at the start of January, to $1,186.12 per cwt. in the first week of March. At $1,186.12 per cwt., rack prices are $54.12 per cwt. higher than last year and $73.69 per cwt. higher than the previous five-year average. SLAUGHTER When looking at supplies, weekly lamb and yearling slaughter has been averaging 32,540 head per week this year. That puts this year at

an average of 810 head per week higher than last year, and relatively the same as the previous five-year average (32,270 head per week). A key difference this year compared to last year is that the weekly slaugh ter volume was increasing at this time last year at approximately 34,000 head in anticipation of Easter (March 31, 2024). As mentioned in previous months, slaughter dressed weights last year (63.3 pounds) and this year (63.8 pounds) are lower compared to the previous five-year average (67.3 pounds). By taking 2025 weekly slaughter weights and average slaugh ter numbers, total lamb and yearling production is up approximately 3.2 percent through early March compared to last year. PRICES Feeder lamb prices in the three-market average

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(Colorado, South Dakota and Texas) have also been surging in 2025. At the start of 2025, prices were $255.92 per cwt. Since then, each week has brought increased prices with the first week of March ending at $345 per cwt. These prices are the highest since the first quarter of 2022. For 60- to 90-pound slaughter lambs, the three market prices have been steadily increasing since early February and are the highest of the year in the first week of March at $265.83 per cwt. These current prices are higher than the peak of last year – $263.96 per cwt. in April. Given the further downstream price movements, I would expect these prices to continue to increase. In heavier weights, the 100- to 150-pound slaughter lamb prices hit a floor of $147 per cwt. in February, and have increased up to $187.50 per

WOOL As I write this in the first week of March, the wool market has also had some upward movement in prices. To start March, the AWEX Eastern Market Indicator has trended up to 1,225 AU cents per kg – up from 1,172 AU cents per kg in March 2024 – and the highest since May 2023. When converted to U.S. dollars per pound, prices are at $3.47 per lb. clean basis. This is the highest per pound price since October 2024 ($3.48 per lb.). While American wool prices have been steady to lower depending on quality – when compared to last year – there were incremental increases in the last few weeks of February. In the fine wools (17 to 19 micron), prices remained relatively stable with 18 micron prices ($4.72 per lb.) being the highest since mid-October. In medium wools (19.5 to 24 micron), 20 micron ($4.35 per lb.), 22 micron ($4.21 per lb.) and 23 micron ($4.10 per lb.) wool prices have trended up on the year and gained more than 20 U.S. cents per pound since the first week of January. In coarser wools (25 to 32 micron), prices have remained steady for the last couple of months, with 25 micron starting March at $2.16 per lb. Recent reports on improved buyer demand is a factor behind the recent uptick in wool prices. OUTLOOK Throughout this year, prices across the supply chain have been surging, including wool prices. From a producer standpoint, this is a welcome site because of the past few years lacking consistent profit ability. From a lamb product standpoint, supplies continue to remain steady, but prices are increasing, which suggests strong demand from a consumer standpoint. With tariff talks turning on and off throughout this year, the lamb industry is probably most impacted at the farm level via input cost fluctuations, rather than meat trading impacts. I would expect prices to continue to increase unless there is a macro level impact from a policy standpoint moving forward. Thus, depending on which side of a deal one is on, the price increas es can be great or not so great.

cwt. in the first week of March. The prices for these heavyweights are $27.50 per cwt. higher than last year and $4.91 per cwt. lower than the previous five-year average. Given that these animals are above the average dressed weights and prices are increasing, these signals suggest strong demand for lamb products. Negotiated slaughter lamb prices are also increasing and were at $175.58 per cwt. in early March, which is the highest of the year. These prices are underwhelming when compared to last year – $191.24 per cwt. – but they are still higher than the previous five-year average – $164.20 per cwt. I expect these prices to continue to increase due to seasonality trends, but the question becomes how high, which I think is too early to call. Fundamentals suggest that they still have $20 to $25 per cwt. of vertical movement. TRADE One driver of demand has been the export market. In the latest trade data in January, the United States exported 60,213 metric tons of product (meat, wool and skins). That amount is 6,100 metric tons more than in January 2024. While the amount is more than a year ago, the value of the product in the meat products is up. In January, the value of exports was $1.457 million, which is the highest single month value since June 2022 ($1.54 million). In January, 27.3 million pounds (12,383 metric tons) of lamb product was imported, which is 4.1 million pounds more than Janu ary 2024. According to weekly imported lamb cut data reported by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, imports have oscillated around a 50 percent fresh and 50 percent frozen lamb product mix so far this year. The most imported product in the first week of March was fresh boneless Australian leg (14.7 percent of imported fresh volume). The highest valued lamb product in the first week of March was fresh Australian rack (cap off) at $1,370.20 per cwt. Higher domestic and imported prices reinforces current demand for this product.

April 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 7

ALB Offers Young Leaders, Market Report Updates A re you a passionate sheep producer eager to expand your horizons? The American Lamb Board and ASI’s Young & Emerging Entrepreneurs present an exciting industry. Here are some highlights from the 2024 report. The industry saw an increase in inventory for the first time since 2016. On Jan. 1, the sheep and lamb inventory totaled 5.05 million head, an increase of 20,000 head. Market lambs were up 9,000 head for a total of 1.288 million. The total breeding flock grew by 10,000 head to 3.68 million. While wholesale lamb prices remained stable due to favor

opportunity for you to participate in the Global Sheep Forum’s Young Leaders Program, which will take place during LambEx in Australia in August 2026. This unique program aims to connect young producers and leaders from around the globe, fostering the exchange of ideas and networking opportunities. Participants will also gain valu able insights into the latest innovations and technologies shap ing the sheep industry. As representatives of the United States, the selected candidates will showcase their leadership potential and contribute to global conversations about the future of the sheep industry. To be eligible to apply, producers should be an existing and active member of ASI and an ALB contributor; be between 25 and 40 years of age; and have the ability to travel and make presentations. As part of the program, selected participants will be asked to engage in several educational and leadership programs in the United States throughout 2025-2026, including: the Lamb Summit in July in Moscow, Idaho; the ASI Annual Convention in January 2026 in Reno, Nev.; and the National Lamb Feeders Association Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School in June 2026 in Sacramento, Calif. Applications are being accepted now through April 15. Ap plicant interviews will then take place through May 1, and the selected applicants will be announced on May 5. When applying, please ensure you respond thoroughly to all questions posed. Incomplete applications will not be considered. ALB and ASI encourage you to strengthen your application by including additional content, such as videos, photographs, articles, blogs or letters of recommendation that will help the review committee better understand your qualifi cations and passion for the industry. “The Global Sheep Forum Young Leaders Program presents a fantastic opportunity for young sheep producers to enhance their skills and learn from experienced leaders worldwide,” said ALB Chair Jeff Ebert. “If you meet the eligibility criteria, I strongly encourage you to apply and participate in this transfor mative experience.” For more information, or to request an application, email rae@americanlamb.com. INDUSTRY MARKET REPORT AVAILABLE ASI prepares an annual market report for the American Lamb Board summarizing key statistics and trends in the sheep

able cuts, feeder and slaughter lamb prices fluctuated, especially in the latter half of the year, due to larger supplies. Retail lamb prices remained high, reflecting steady consumer demand de spite inflationary pressures. Overall, lamb and mutton production increased 2.4 percent, driven by higher slaughter volumes. While lamb and yearling slaughter levels were 1 percent lower than the 2018-2022 aver age last year, federally Inspected lamb and yearling slaughter was up 3.8 percent at 1.79 million head in 2024. Per capita lamb consumption was 1.3 pounds in 2024, an increase attributed to a larger supply of lamb – American and imported. Based on lamb prices relative to supplies, consumer demand for lamb was stronger in 2024. The 2024 lamb crop experienced an increase, with a lambing percentage of 105.9 percent, the highest since 2020. An increase in breeding stock – along with the higher lambing percentage – led to growth in the market lamb crop, marking 2024 as the first year-over-year increase in two decades. Regions such as the Corn Belt, Midwest, Northeast and Southeast saw an uptick in sheep numbers, while the Mountain and Western regions encountered declines. The report highlights a modest increase in demand, espe cially from direct-to-consumer and ethnic markets, which contributes to a positive outlook for the sheep industry moving forward. Overall, the sheep industry continues to demonstrate signs of recovery with rising inventory, stable prices, decreas ing feed costs and growth in various market segments, despite ongoing inflation challenges. Download the full report with more information and insights at LambBoard.com.

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ASI Member Listing WWW.SHEEPUSA.ORG l INFO@SHEEPUSA.ORG

Alabama Meat Goat & Sheep Producers 205-315-6811 • cprevatt@alfafarmers.org ASI Women 509-760-9496 • lovetaboyce@gmail.com Arizona Wool Producers Association 520-560-4202 • caauza@peoplepc.com Arkansas State Sheep Council 870-853-7404 • wjcalloway@gmail.com California Wool Growers Association 916-444-8122 • susan@woolgrowers.org Colorado Wool Growers Association 303-638-0596 • cwgawool@aol.com Connecticut Sheep Breeders Association 860-933-0212 • gschultz@baypath.edu Meat Sheep Alliance of Florida 352-502-2564 • ruthtaber@embarqmail.com Georgia Sheep & Wool Growers Association 706-614-2417 • joannemaki22@gmail.com Hawaii Sheep and Goat Association 808-775-8075 • alohadjam@yahoo.com Idaho Wool Growers Association 208-344-2271 • director@idahowoolgrowers.org Illinois Lamb & Wool Producers Inc. 618-367-2364 • fulton9504@gmail.com Indiana Sheep Association 317-607-5664 • executive@indianasheep.com Iowa Sheep Industry Association 641-780-2795 • info@iowasheep.com Kansas Sheep Association 620-393-5204 • kssheep@ruraltel.net Kentucky Sheep & Wool Producers Association 502-682-7780 • kyates@kysheepandgoat.org Maine Sheep Breeders Association 240-357-1437 • donna.flint@maine.gov Maryland Sheep Breeders Association 240-357-1437 • patriciasanville@gmail.com Massachusetts Federation of Sheep Associations 508-829-4556 • brmacphee@aol.com Michigan Sheep Producers Association 616-610-5628 • elainem.bristol@gmail.com Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers Association 320-760-5727 • kinneylamb@gmail.com Missouri Sheep Producers Inc. 573-578-0497 • mosheepproducers@gmail.com

National Lamb Feeders Association 970-629-5067 • lambfeeders1@outlook.com Nebraska Sheep & Goat Producers Association 308-386-8378 • Ne.sheep.goat@gmail.com Nevada Wool Growers Association 775-744-4388 • pr_paris@yahoo.com New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Growers 603-502-0800 • rickatcoveland@aol.com Garden State Sheep Breeders Inc. (N.J.) 609-947-2260 • kmelvinnjsheep@gmail.com New Mexico Wool Growers Inc. 505-247-0584 • nmwgi@nmagriculture.org Empire Sheep Producers Cooperative (N.Y.) 585-367-2775 • sheepkath@aol.com North Carolina Sheep Producers Assoc. Inc. 919-808-5285 • bphillips@carolinasolar.services North Dakota Lamb & Wool Producers Assoc. Oregon Sheep Growers Association 503-364-5462 • info@sheeporegon.com Pennsylvania Sheep & Wool Growers Association 717-512-8127 • danlturner44@gmail.com South Carolina Sheep Industries Association 864-360-3222 • dairysheepdeb@gmail.com South Dakota Sheep Growers Association 406-581-7772 • lisa@sdsheepgrowers.org Tennessee Sheep Producers Association 931-698-8293 • twolters@bellsouth.net Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers’ Association 325-655-7388 • office@tsgra.com Utah Wool Growers Association 435-915-6116 • sierra@utahwoolgrowers.com Vermont Sheep & Goat Association 802-899-2104 • settlementfarm@comcast.net Virginia Sheep Producers Association 540-231-9159 • sgreiner@vt.edu Washington State Sheep Producers 360-999-8118 • washingtonsheep@gmail.com Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative 608-743-9080 • wisconsinsheepbreeders@gmail.com 701-207-0010 • rick.schmidt@ndsu.edu Ohio Sheep Improvement Association 614-499-2931 • rhigh@ofbf.org

Ben Lehfeldt Montana President

Joe Pozzi California Vice President

Tammy Fisher Texas

Secretary/ Treasurer

Peter Orwick Colorado Executive Director

Wyoming Wool Growers Association 307-265-5250 • alison@wyowool.com

Montana Wool Growers Association 406-581-8226 • stefanie@mtsheep.org

April 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 9

Conquering the Divide

L ong before she began to take an active role in the American wool industry, Mary Jeanne Packer came to understand the disconnect between the general public and farmers. As a small mill founder, she’s run into similar divides be tween sheep producers and the mills that process their wool. But she’s bound and determined to tackle that and other issues the industry faces as a member of the ASI Wool Council, which she was appointed to for the first time a year ago. Packer first saw that divide while working with the U.S. De partment of Agriculture for more than a dozen years, and even more so while running her own consulting firm that worked with natural resource groups representing Christmas tree and maple syrup producers, among others. She ran into it again after founding Battenkill Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill in Greenwich, N.Y. In Denver on business in March, Packer visited the ASI office to sit down with ASI Wool Marketing Director Rita Samuelson and Wool Production Program Manager Heather Pearce to discuss some of the issues facing American wool from a processor’s perspective. “I wish I could tell you we were ready to launch some giant initiative or dramatic new program,” Packer said. “But what we can do is work toward some small changes that might have a big impact. We want to improve the wool clip and look at ways to make the small- and medium-size mills in this country more efficient. We had a good brainstorming session about activities we can undertake as a council.” An ASI study concluded there are about 100 such mills in the United States, and they play an instrumental role in pro cessing wool for niche markets and growers who market their wool directly to consumers. “Consumers want local products,” Packer said. “I opened a yarn store in 2005 and went out to visit local sheep producers. Some of them had yarn I could sell, but there was no guarantee it was from their wool. They would send off their wool to be processed and get back yarn that may or may not have come from their wool. I saw a need for someone in the middle to bridge that gap between the producers and the consumers.” Engineering Her Way Packer was a knitter and sewer early on in life, but her par ents pushed her to enroll in the civil engineering program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she eventually earned a bachelor's degree. That background came in handy through the years as she maintained and repaired various ma

chines around her mill. Of course, she had help along the way. She credits the folks at Green Mountain Spinnery in Vermont with providing a lot of knowledge and inspiration as she started Battenkill in 2009 and then worked to keep it moving in the right direction in the years that followed. “There’s a deep learning curve that comes with starting a mill. And we want to try and return that favor when we can,” she said of providing insight to several new mills that have popped up in recent years. “It’s been a real joy to see other mills open and for us to be able to help them in the same way that Green Mountain did for us. I learned a lot of lessons in getting my mill going, so what I want us to look at is how can we build on that and share that information at ASI? “There’s definitely room for more mills in this country, or at the very least for the existing mills to increase their capacity. I’ve found it’s easier to add equipment at an existing mill than it is to start a new mill. But there are lots of ways that we could go to increase our processing capacity for American wool.” While Packer has never raised sheep, she’s always been an advocate and supporter of American wool, and she welcomes her opportunity to be involved with the Wool Council. “Mary Jeanne has a lot of energy and passion for our indus try,” said Samuelson. “We were fortunate to be able to spend an afternoon with her outside of the usual Wool Council meetings to better understand her background and her ideas for moving our industry forward.” For more on wool developments in New York State, see the October 2024 issue of the Sheep Industry News .

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I n the past eight years, the Livestock Guardian Dog Field Day at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo, Texas, has become a valuable resource for livestock producers. Whether you’re just getting started with livestock guardian dogs or need help taking your program to the next level, the May 2 event has something for everyone. Plus, there will be puppies! “We have some vendors at the field day, including breeders who will usually have guard dog puppies for sale,” said AgriLife LGD Program Specialist Bill Costanzo. “That’s always a high light.” The field day provides sheep and goat producers with an excellent opportunity to learn more about using guard dogs on their farms and ranches. The day will begin with several work shops, including: discussions on LGDs and predators by John Tomecek, Ph.D.; guard dog aggression by Wyoming producer Cat Urbigkit; and a presentation by canine behaviorist Walter Burghardt, Ph.D. “We usually have three to four workshops before lunch, and then maybe one afterward depending on the year,” Costanzo said. “Also after lunch, we have a producer panel with three to four producers who are using guard dogs on their operations. We try to have a variety of producers, including some who have only been using dogs for a few years and others who might have 30 years of experience with guard dogs. We always get a ton of questions during the panel. I think the producers who attend feel more comfortable asking questions of other producers.” While Costanzo was still finalizing the producer panel for this year’s field day, he confirmed three participants he expects to be

on hand to take questions from the audience. Chad Raines was a crop farmer who moved into sheep and is now a part of the solar grazing boom in the American sheep industry. Mario Aguirre is a goat breeder and a participant in Texas A&M AgriLife’s bonding project. He was suffering from extreme predation but the use of livestock guardian dogs virtually elimi nated the problem. And Robert Sovola handles dog management for two area ranches. The day usually ends with a ranch tour. The format has proven popular since the field day began in 2017. Attendance at that first field day was better than expected and led to more and more producers in the state and surrounding states turning to Texas A&M AgriLife with questions about livestock guardian dogs. “That interest is kind of how my position came about,” said Costanzo. “They talked with the Texas Sheep and Goat Preda tor Management Board and we ended up working with them to secure funding for the program.” The field day is now just one aspect of Texas A&M AgriLife’s Livestock Guardian Dog Program. Quarterly webinars address issues ranging from breed selection to nutrition and animal health. A producer panel much like the one planned for the field day will be conducted on May 15. Costanzo also hosts monthly question-and-answer sessions on Facebook to address questions that are regularly sent in by producers. Producers can keep up with all of the program’s hap penings at Facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog. To register for the LGD Field Day, visit AgriLife-Extension district7.my.canva.site/livestock-guardian-dog-field-day. Early registration – before April 25 – is $30 per person or $50 for a couple. After April 25, the cost goes up to $35 and $60.

Field Day Schools Producers on LGDs

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April 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 13

Learning to Lamb…Without Lambs T hings were quiet – a little too quiet, in fact – as students arrived for the Wyoming Wool Growers Association Lamb ing School on Feb. 28 in Burns, Wyo. As it turns out, not a to be more efficient and productive. We’re probably as prepared as we can be from just listening to people tell us about lambing. I don’t think we’ll be fully prepared until we actually do it ourselves. But we’ve asked a lot of questions to get ready.”

single lamb hit the ground during the six-hour school. Fortunately, WWGA Executive Director Alison Crane, Ph.D., has degrees in animal science, ruminant nutrition and reproductive physiology. The former extension specialist also oversees a fam ily sheep operation with her husband, Weston Borcher, in Powell, Wyo., and was able to educate and entertain a dozen or so students in a classroom setting that also included a barn tour. “Sometimes things don’t go the way you planned. We thought we were going to have a batch of ewes lambing so that we could do a very hands-on, intensive workshop kind of deal,” Crane said. “Didn’t happen. The sheep didn’t cooperate. So, we transitioned this into more information to do the best we could with videos and talking through different scenarios. It’s my comfort zone.” While most members of the Wyoming Wool Growers are veteran sheep producers that often have multiple generations of experience at their disposal, the association has seen an influx of young and/or new producers. “I think a lot of state associations are trying to build these begin ner producer programs because we’re seeing a lot of interest in the industry,” Crane said, acknowledging that programs like this one are more common in states that cater to small and farm flocks. “Wheth er it’s through the bred ewe sale or the ram sale, we have some in experienced producers that are really looking for some educational opportunities. We still have a very experienced membership base, but you also have them wanting to pass that knowledge along. In Wyoming, we have a lot of people moving in and we welcome them to join the sheep industry. We are seeing more inexperienced and new producers, especially on the hair sheep side of things. “I think lambing can be one of those really scary times that you’re very excited, but your first wreck can talk you out of the sheep industry. And it’s costly. Just being able to provide an opportunity that allows them to see how to avoid some of the easier wrecks – or at least fix them – is valuable.” Several of the students on hand drove up from Colorado, but Grady Folot and Josi Behrle are WWGA members who fall into the group of new producers in need of education. The young couple jumped in with both feet when they bought a flock of 165 head at a dispersal sale in Newell, S.D., last fall. They connected with Borcher Sheep Company when they needed rams to turn in with the flock, and now they are preparing for their very first lambing season. “We were looking to start something and cattle were a little out of our ballpark,” Behrle said. “Sheep seem to make money faster, and

As you’re reading this, lambing might very well have commenced on the couple’s place, and chances are they’re calling a handful of producers they’ve met for guidance. “Every sheep person we’ve met has been great,” said Behrle. “We can sit there and talk with them for hours about everything, and they’re just wonderful. Alison and her husband have been a great resource for us. They said if we needed anything to just give them a call. And we might…maybe a lot.” A hands-on experience certainly would have helped the first time producers, but they were thankful for the variety of informa tion provided during the school, which looked at different issues they might encounter during lambing, as well as disease and nutri tion issues that all producers should be aware of as they head into the lambing season. For instance, the three main causes of newborn lamb death are: starvation/hypothermia, pneumonia and difficult birth. The class also discussed procedures for tubing a newborn lamb, which might be necessary if the lamb is unable to nurse within the first few hours of life. It can also be necessary if the ewe isn’t producing enough milk. With the lamb’s head in a natural position, insert the tube in the side of the lamb’s mouth, following the roof of the mouth down into

14 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

the throat. Don’t force the tube down, allow the lamb to swallow as tube goes down the esophagus. Generally, the tube can be felt on the outside of the neck as it is inserted down into the stomach. Although it is difficult to get the tube down the trachea (windpipe), the tube can be checked to see if air is being expelled (listen or moisten end of tube to see if a bubble forms). As with pulling lambs and navigating difficult births, tubing a lamb can be scary at first. Once perfected, however, the procedure is fairly routine. GRACIOUS HOST Veteran hair sheep producer Justin McCoy hosted the lambing school at Crane’s request, and offered new producers a look at ways in which they can put existing facilities to use when getting started in the sheep industry. “We love the industry, and we love to host people. We don’t have the greatest facility for hosting, but we’re happy to do it,” McCoy said. “We just want to share what we’ve learned with the industry and help people get started with sheep. I think sheep have a lot of potential for profit and for young producers getting into livestock. So, we want to encourage people to get in and start raising sheep.” McCoy’s lambing barn included a liberal use of wooden pallets to create lambing jugs, showcasing how producers can use items they have in abundance to create sheep pens.

“This is kind of a classic small sheep place in that they’ve made the most of what they have,” Crane said. “You don’t have to have the fanciest equipment. You can start from literally an open cattle barn and make it work for your operation to make money and provide for your family.” McCoy also hoped to give students a more hands-on experience at the school, but was happy with the educational content offered in its place. “Alison’s extensive knowledge was worth the price of admission,” he said. “She’s certainly a specialist in the area of sheep production, but she also has that personal experience because her family has its own sheep operation. She’s a researcher, but she also understands that you have to be able to make this pay for itself in a real-world situation. She did a great job of bridging that gap between research er and producer.” Crane said she hopes to conduct more educational schools and workshops in the years to come, and anticipates they might move to different locations to accommodate the vast area of the state. Fortunately, students traveling to Burns for the lambing school had weather on their side. “Most of the time, February and March aren’t quite this nice in Wyoming,” Crane said. “Hopefully we could time it a little better next time to make sure we are actually lambing during the lambing school.”

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April 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 15

Lehfeldt Testifies at Senate Ag Hearing A SI President Ben Lehfeldt testified before the U.S. Sen ate’s Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on Feb. 26 as part of the Perspectives from the Field:

A large share of the Midwestern and Eastern wool clips did not receive a bid for purchase in 2024 and we are now in the shearing season for the 2025 clip. The trade war with China in 2018 blew up our single largest market for American wool. This loss was shortly followed by the pandemic that shuttered wool textile mills across the world and wiped-out demand for most wool garments. That demand has yet to return to full strength and buyers recog nize the years of production that have been stockpiled since 2020. We encourage this committee to support the increase ASI has requested in the wool marketing loan rate in the next Farm Bill. The current rates were set nearly 25 years ago, and I share for some producers, the loan is their only revenue for wool in today’s market. Further, please consider wool in any market facilitation payment due to trade battles, as this was not the case in 2018. We encourage support of the USDA/FAS programs as ASI is aggressively applying and implementing exploration of new mar kets and support of current exports to drive sales of American wool. To underscore the importance of securing markets, China has more wool textile processing equipment than the balance of the world combined. Lastly, we encourage the committee to support the Berry Amendment and our military procurement source only Ameri can wool in the future. The U.S. military is the single largest customer domestically of American wool and our producers are proud of clothing our American service men and women. Sup port for the wool growers and the wool processing textile chain in America is paramount to continue this effort. LABOR & REGULATIONS One-third of America’s sheep herd is under the watch of an H-2A sheepherder. Salary, program fees and the cost of food and housing – all paid for by the sheep rancher – have skyrocketed in the past eight years. Salary alone in California – the second largest sheep producing state – is nearly $58,000 annually. This, combined with food expenses for a sheepherder plus board, clothes and the application and visa fees, have driven costs to an untenable level and the state has lost nearly 15 percent of sheep production in two years as proof. Research by the Wyoming Wool Growers Association shows a similar result of H-2A salary and fee increases as not sustainable for sheep production in the third-largest sheep producing state. ASI has re-formed an industry H-2A working group with plans to present our industry’s recommended changes to regula tion and statute of the program during our spring fly-in the last week of March 2025. The 2024 decision of USDA to discontinue the use and sup-

Farmer and Rancher Views on the Agricultural Economy hear ing. The hearing included two panels, one of which focused on the livestock industry. Below is the written testimony that was submitted to the committee prior to the hearing. Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and mem bers of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. I am honored as the recently elected president of the American Sheep Industry Association to represent the na tional trade association for the United States sheep industry and country’s 100,000 lamb and wool producing farms and ranches. I compliment your timing of this hearing with the start of a new administration, the 119th Congress and the small break at the Lehfeldt sheep ranch in Lavina, Mont., between winter feeding and spring work of our livestock. We look at 2025 as a key point in the direction of our industry given all the federal impacts of regulations, taxes, federal pro gram resources and trade. LAMB & WOOL INDUSTRIES This month’s USDA inventory report revealed an increase in the nation’s sheep herd. This is a notable report as sheep produc ers are dealing with record high input prices and non-existent, depressed or flat markets for their sheep and wool. The lamb market at the wholesale level has been stagnant for the past year and any uptick is quickly dampened by the surge in imported lamb from Australia and New Zealand (portions of the trade have witnessed a one-third jump in volume of 2024 over 2023). Importers are taking full advantage of the U.S. currency exchange that favors imports, hurting our domestic prices and exports. ASI has engaged a legal firm specializing in international trade twice in four years and is discussing a third investigation with our board of directors this winter. We ask the committee’s support for our efforts with trade of ficials of the Trump Administration to gain a measure to counter act the surge in foreign meat. Secondly, we ask for support in the new Farm Bill for directions to USDA to produce a risk manage ment tool for sheep producers. The volatility of the markets and input costs are not met with any sheep-oriented risk management tool at USDA. We share the lamb insurance product ASI devel oped with USDA in 2007 did not survive company bankruptcies during the pandemic and the absence is sorely missed as demon strated by a 2024 USDA Risk Management report on the sheep industry.

16 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

ply of spring-loaded ejection devices (sled) for coyote control is another regulatory issue that we ask the committee to promptly support at USDA. Predator management expense and the lost value of sheep killed by predators represents the second-largest expense for many sheep farms and ranches in America. Removing any tool from our livestock protection options has major ramifications. The sled is critical to livestock protection in states including Tex as, North Dakota and West Virginia. As a fully approved device for rodenticide by the EPA, we support USDA promptly restoring the use and supply of this livestock protection tool. ASI and our state sheep producer affiliate organizations ap preciate the prompt reaction of the administration with great support from members of the U.S. Senate to bring USDA/APHIS/ Wildlife Services personnel back online this month. The sense of alarm in the ranching community to the loss of pilots, aerial sup port staff and livestock protection specialists cannot be under stated. Millions of head of livestock are protected via the indus try, state and federal cooperative agreements of Wildlife Services. ANIMAL HEALTH ASI appreciates the committee’s efforts to authorize and fund the foreign animal disease preparation of the 2018 Farm Bill and we fully support this in the next Farm Bill. ASI and partners continue to build out the plans for a disease event with support of the USDA personnel and funds on private and federal land live stock operations. We further appreciate the USDA/APHIS staff and expertise regarding the New World Screwworm and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and relay the federal officials are in regular contact with our association on these threats. To add to

the disease and animal health front, we are nearing the scrapie free designation that ASI and USDA jointly sought fully two decades ago with the launch of the Scrapie Eradication Program. While the disease and pest threats are heightened today, the Sen ate Agriculture Committee leadership has dramatically improved the livestock industry preparedness to address via tracking ani mal movement, research and vaccination. deliberations including Livestock Mandatory Price reporting, conservation, disaster/drought, crop insurance, disease and risk management and added urgency to several of those in today’s statement. A final request of the committee we share is funding of the orphan programs of the 2018 Farm Bill. We greatly appreciate the one-year extension in 2023 of these programs, two of which are very important to sheep producers and encourage your sup port of funding in 2025 via a continuing resolution if possible but certainly in the authorization of the next Farm Bill. These programs were excluded in the 2024 extension of the Farm Bill. SUMMARY The American Sheep Industry Association pledges our full support to secure these requests and believes 2025 is pivotal to thousands of operations being able to finance their business this year. A bright spot to share is the growth in the sheep inventory, which is widely thought to be the use of sheep for agrivolta ics, such as vegetation management of solar farms and wildfire prevention. FARM BILL We have shared our priorities for the past two years of

April 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 17