Sheep Industry News April 2025

Hettinger Center Goes High-Tech

SUE ROESLER The Prairie Star A s one of Rachel Gibbs’, Ph.D., initial responsibilities as the new livestock extension specialist at the North Dakota State University Hettinger Research Extension Center, she began utilizing high-tech equipment that gives sheep breeders and producers new information to aid in genetic selection. “Our annual Dakota Ram Test – with 75 rams this year – is just wrapping up in the Smart Feedlot facility utilizing the new Smart System for the first time,” Gibbs said. “The test has always been popular with sheep breeders, and while we are still working through some of the data and getting that information to those producers, I think it was a really positive experience utilizing the new system.” The test results will be publicly available on the NDSU HREC website. The Smart Feedlot is a 5,600-square-foot research feedlot funded by the state of North Dakota through legislative appropriations. It was completed during the summer of 2024, and has a 200-head ca pacity that features six large pens equipped with C-Lock SmartFeed Pro feeders capable of measuring individual animal intake in a pen fed environment, allowing for the estimation of feed efficiency. The feedlot also has the C-Lock GreenFeed Larger Animal feeder that can measure gas emissions of the same animals, further evaluat ing feed efficiency through the estimation of methane, oxygen and sulfur gas exhalation. The Dakota Ram Test is one of two ram tests in the nation that

evaluates primarily Rambouillet and Columbia rams for genetic selection by producers using their respective indexing and certifica tion programs. Recently, it has also been a venue for producers and scientists at HREC and the University of Idaho to test for genetic markers for important traits in the sheep industry, such as struc tural correctness and wool growth and quality. “Our goal is to provide stakeholders with what they need. With that in mind, these additions to the Dakota Ram Test will give sheep producers new opportunities to strengthen their genetic selection capabilities,” Gibbs said. “The opportunities are really endless from a research standpoint, which in turn will provide stakeholders with valuable information to improve production efficiency.” In addition to the feedlot, other renovations to HREC’s livestock facilities include the renovation of the Dairy Barn, the original barn erected in 1909 when HREC was established. The Dairy Barn has stood as a landmark on Highway 12 on the western edge of Het tinger for 116 years, and was renovated structurally and cosmeti cally including new lights, power and wifi capabilities. “These renovations give HREC scientists the ability to use mod ern technology for the Ram Test and new research and extension programs in precision agriculture,” said HREC Director Christo pher Schauer, Ph.D. He also indicated that a new private communication tower was erected through a partnership with NDSU and Dakota Carrier Network, giving all of their scientists a dedicated communication tower capable of LoRaWAN and cellular communications, provid ing the opportunity to conduct new and novel research and exten sion for the sheep industry. Simultaneously to the Smart Feedlot and Dairy Barn construc tion, HREC erected a new Livestock Lab. This facility is utilized for extension programs, such as the NDSU Shearing and Wool Class ing Schools and NDSU HREC Sheep and Goat Artificial Insemina tion Day. It also contains a laboratory to aid in research projects, and is utilized for management of HREC’s research cow herd and flock. As part of the construction projects, HREC was able to purchase a TePari pneumatic sheep handing and sorting system for use in research and extension programming while aiding Shepherd Dave Pearson in the daily sheep operations. “Combined, the nearly $4 million in livestock facility construc tion and renovation represents the biggest investment in HREC since its inception in 1909,” said Schauer. “The HREC has been using RFID tags and Shearwell tech nologies for close to 20 years, aiding in the transition to utilizing TePari,” indicated Gibbs. “We definitely stay busy here. We like the

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