Sheep Industry News June 2025

President’s Notes BEN LEHFELDT ASI PRESIDENT

Summer Ranch Decisions

Y our ASI Executive Board, officer team and staff are working hard for sheep producers to continue to keep lamb and wool in front of decision makers of all types. Thank you to all of you who have reached out with concerns and suggestions on our industry and the direction we should keep focused upon. This spring has been busy, and we expect to keep up the hard work through the summer. In addition to advocating for our industry, many of us are making important grazing decisions. Along those lines, remember to reinforce the added value of multi-species grazing – especially with sheep – to improve the value of many ranches. With anything new, there’s a learning curve. Ranching is no exception, especially when you’re talking about adding a new species. When you add sheep to a cattle operation, you’re no longer putting all your eggs in one basket. We’ve all heard “sheep are just looking for a place to die.” But I don’t believe that. In fact, I think I know where the saying comes from: they’re so tough, you might not notice they’re sick until it’s too late. They tend not to make a sound when they are in pain, whether it be docking or other dis tress. A cow is so large, she can afford to show a little bit of weakness. But a 140-pound ewe is on all the predators’ lists and doesn’t have that luxury. That’s another reason why guardian dogs are invaluable on a sheep operation. It is a constant process to try and make sure the right mix of dogs exist on your ranch, and sometimes that exact right mix is never achieved. The mix of old and young dogs is important, so you want to make sure you have time to get replacement dogs trained up. It is always a learning experience. You’ve got young pups learning from the older dogs. Both the older dogs and the sheep must bond with and accept the new dogs. All of this takes time. One way sheep are different than cattle is in their flight zone – the distance you must stay away from an animal for it to feel com fortable. Of course, once they get used to you, it’ll shrink a little. But sheep remain flightier than cattle and want to stick together more than cattle do, which means they’re actually easier to move than cattle. Additionally, if they escape, you only have to find one and you’ve found them all. Once you adjust to the differences between sheep and cattle, you will really like that they help utilize the resources that God gives us better than if we were only running cattle. Financially, it just makes sense. By diversifying, you can dramatically improve your bottom line. When you add sheep to a cattle operation, you’re no longer putting all your eggs in one basket. When cattle prices drop, you’ve got sheep to sell, too. And instead of having to spray weeds, sheep will use those weeds to make you money. It’s a win-win. Additionally, sheep are cheaper to get into. You can pay them off in a year or two. And once you’re set up, each step of the way is less intensive than and less expensive than cattle. You don’t have to precondition them. It’s cheap to supplement them during the winter, too. We’re talking a couple of pounds of alfalfa per day per head to get them through the worst part of winter. So, make sure we continue to sell the value of sheep to our community – and more importantly – to our ag community. The value of red meat is only going to increase, and American lamb should always have a place at the table.

4 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org