Sheep Industry News August 2023

and research. Most recently, we started a collaborative feeding trial using fodder to finish lambs. But as interesting as research is, the focal point in the Utah State sheep program is to involve students in the industry through hands-on opportunities. Approximately 100 to 150 students yearly have the opportunity to visit a large range operation and help conduct breeding soundness exams, help serve at the National Ram Sale in Utah, or participate in a number of other programs including the USU shearing school or soon to be lambing school. We hope to help produce stu dents who are excited and ready to join our industry.

South Dakota and nationwide, we have seen an influx of new producers. While this is encouraging for the growth of the industry, encouragement and support is needed. Therefore, with colleague and industry support, we have designed the program to encourage and support new producers wanting to develop or improve a full or part-time sheep operation. SGUSA: Focusing on sheep genetics, what are the challenges that you see our industry facing in the next 10 years? Froehlich: Adaptation and application of genetic technol ogy to improve production efficiencies. Rising input costs and societal pressure to be climate-friendly will require the American sheep industry to be proactive and not keep doing the same things repeatedly. Historically, the American sheep industry has been slow to adapt and use genetic resources and technologies. This is a challenge for everyone involved. We need educators to improve access and sharing of infor mation, producers willing to adapt and implement, research ers and industry to continue to improve and streamline the ability to collect, share and analyze data. While U.S. sheep numbers have continued to decline, consumption of lamb and use of wool has increased. We need the industry to grow with those demands. Although production efficiency will and should look dif ferent for every producer, the use of genetic technology can help. Whether this is increasing the number of lambs born (prolificacy), survival to weaning or improving resiliency to parasites, improving animal efficiency and therefore welfare should be something we all can agree on. Page: I think it’s important to focus on genetic selection, whether it’s done by your own selection criteria, or using tools such as the National Sheep Improvement Program that can help with traits difficult to quantify. Sheep producers across the United States have to deal with a multitude of factors out of their control, such as drought, cost of feed, weather, preda tion, loss of infrastructure or even legislation. One thing that we can control is genetic selection and we should use all the tools available. While some producers can tap into niche markets with wool or other products, current market prices reward pro lific sheep with good growth characteristics. I also think that using cross breeding with complimentary breeds and buying animals that can survive in your environment is crucial, since the cost of replacement animals can be high. Future emphasis on genetic values of prolificacy, growth and longevity will be important for many commercial sheep operations, especially in the Intermountain West.

Froehlich: My responsibilities are split between teaching, research and extension. I teach sheep and wool production every fall and my current research is mainly focused on lamb wellbeing and productivity. Specifically, some of my upcom ing projects are looking at the impacts of quality colostrum on a lamb’s microbiome and health. I have a majority extension appointment and help pro vide a variety of educational programs across the state for various sheep events and organize events such as the South Dakota Sheep Shearing School. In addition, I have joined with regional colleagues to provide support of the UI-USU-SDSU monthly Sheep and Goat webinar that is open to anybody interested in learning more. One of my primary signature extension programs is spear heading the SDSU Emerging Sheep Producer Program. In

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