Sheep Industry News March 2022

Panelists Offer Insight On Innovating Operations

KYLE PARTAIN Sheep Industry News Editor P anel discussions provided some of the most interesting moments of the 2022 ASI Annual Convention, and the Production, Education and Research Council was no different. Three producers from across the United States were invited to discuss the topic of adopting innovative practices to im prove efficiency in their operations. Panelists included: Ryan Mahoney, a large commercial producer from California; Kalen Poe, whose family produces show sheep in Indiana; and Bill Sparrow, a small-scale hair sheep producer from North Caro lina. While the three shared almost nothing in common in the day-to-day running of their operations, they do bring a shared mindset of being open to new ideas. The key, however, is to balance tradition and technology in a way that makes the best of both. "Tradition has immense value," said Mahoney, who took over Emigh Livestock from his grandfather. "There's so much that my grandpa's generation taught me about running a ranch. But then I went to Australia and saw how efficient and profitable their operations were. From electronic ID to han dling systems, they were using all of the tools. We were doing some of that with the cattle, but not with the sheep. So, we dove in and started trying things to make our labor more ef ficient." Innovation in that area was as simple as hiring people with better skillsets to as costly as purchasing new handling equip ment, but it paid off in the form of a significant decrease in injuries and in worker's comp insurance for the ranch. As a purebred breeder for the show ring, Poe Hampshires incorporated technology in the form of artificial insemination. "The changes in reproduction technology introduced in the 1990s were definitely the biggest pendulum swing for us," Poe said. "Dr. Tad Thompson (who was first exposed to AI during that time) is a family friend and we had a large flock that he was able to practice on. Reproductive technology has gotten so much better in the last 20 years. But it's still a constant struggle to stay ahead of it all. It's high risk that offers high reward, so we swing for the fences." The family liked the way the technology worked in their op eration so much, that they figured out how to do it themselves. Poe's older brother, Stan Poe II, handles the AI duties these

days, for both the family operation and for other producers, as well. For Sparrow, innovation first took the form of an adequate barn for sheep. So many producers have dealt with a similar problem in purchasing properties that are setup for cattle or other livestock and don't work well or efficiently when working sheep. These days, Sparrow puts significant value on purchas ing rams from the Virginia Tech Ram Test, because he knows the Katahdin rams he finds there will stand up well to para sites, which are a chief concern in his state's humid climate. So, innovation can come in many forms depending on the size, scope, location and other factors your operation might be facing. But the key to putting innovation in any form to use is to evaluate the outcome and decide if such innovation is generating a desired results. "You have to track these things," Mahoney said. "We have simple books, but we make it complicated by tracking things. You need to find three to four ways to look your numbers and see if they all say the same things. In other presentations to the council, Colorado State University's Lauren Newman provided insight to an ongoing update of ASI's Sheep Safety and Quality Assurance Program, which will be renamed the Sheep Quality Assurance Program as part of the updating process. Much like the American Wool Assurance Program is doing on the wool side, the updated SQA Program will provide consumers with confidence that animal welfare standards are being followed in the production of lamb. An updated SQA manual will provide a platform for sheep producers of all experience levels to utilize. A first draft of the updated manual has already been produced, and CSU staff and students are working toward a final draft. The council also received an update on the Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan developed to combat an animal disease out break in the United States. For more on the plan, see the story on SSWS Plan training that took place during the convention on page 19. Julie Finzel of the University of California Extension dis cussed a study of the use of electronic identification by five sheep ranchers in the state, a majority of which would qualify as large producers. It probably comes as no surprise that there were definite benefits to offset the time and cost of implenting electronic identification.

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