Sheep Industry News August 2024

Helle Rambouillet Leans on Decades of Information S heep Genetics USA recently visited the small town of Dillon, Mont., to talk with Rambouillet breeder John Helle about his flock and developing the Duckworth line of fine wool clothing.

SGUSA: John, many American sheep producers are aware of your name because of your involvement with industry groups but might not know the scope of your operation. Could you give us an overview of your ranch and the sheep enterprise. JOHN: Helle Rambouillet is a fourth-generation sheep ranch operating in Southwestern Montana. After immigrating from Eastern Europe, my grandfather on my mother’s side started a sheep ranch from sheep derived from the Williams and Pauly ranch out of Deer Lodge, Mont. The Rambouillet breed was a mainstay in the intermountain areas of the West because of its hardiness, good herding instinct, fine wool and lamb production. Currently, we run a 4,000-head commercial operation and 400 purebred ewes. The ranch produces feeder lambs, breeding ewes, yearlings, rams and wool. In addition to the sheep, we co-founded the value-added brand called Duckworth through which we market our wool. Through this brand we derive exceptional value from our fine wool genet ics. Using marketing channels on social media, we can tell the sto ry of sheep ranching while marketing Duckworth. We have also found that targeted grazing has been a valuable way to expand our operations throughout the valleys of Western Montana. After graduating from Montana State University with a degree in animal science and farm and ranch management, I returned to the family ranch. Throughout my high school years in FFA, my brother Tom and I started a purebred Rambouillet flock that helped pay for our college. This flock became the foundation of our purebred operation. In the mid-1980s, we started using com puterized production records to help us evaluate and advance the genetics in our flock. Upon returning to the ranch, we grew the stud flock by select ing ewes from the commercial herd. These ewes were well adapted to our area and had natural selection through range lambing. Us ing these select commercial ewes and the purebreds that we raised from our FFA project, we grew the flock to about 400 head. With the use of computerized records, we were able to determine which ewes excelled in the important traits for our operation. Operating in the mountains of southwestern Montana requires a unique operation style. We currently employ six shepherds to provide care for our sheep. Our sheep are constantly on the move, wintering in the valleys on residual crop stubble and supplemental hay, then in the spring and fall the sheep are running our private

lands in the foothills surrounding the mountains. Around the first of July, we take off to the summer range in the Gravelly Mountains about 75 miles away. The sheep are trailed through open range and mountain passes for about five days to arrive at their summer pasture. We then spend three months in the forest or until the snow drives us out, returning to our private land in the foothills off the mountains. This is where we wean and sort the sheep into winter bands and bring the lambs down closer to home in the Beaverhead Valley. To provide more wool for Duckworth, we keep all our lambs through the winter so they can all be shorn before they head to markets. The Helle Ranch has always been a family affair. Currently, four generations participate in various ranch projects. My mother, Agnes Helle, my brother, Tom and his wife Leah, my wife, Karen and I, along with two of our sons, Evan and Weston, operate the ranch. Evan handles Duckworth production and Weston is the sheep manager. I have two more children, Claire and Nathan, who work in off ranch jobs. Hopefully, our grandchildren will someday carry on the legacy.

SGUSA: You have added Australian genetics to your flock through the years. Can you talk about the breeds and why you

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