Sheep Industry News November 2021

but couldn't pass up the chance to take part in the educational tour. "I probably learned a little more about their operations this time around," Farris said. The first time I visited some of these opera tions, we learned more about estimated breeding values, so this was a little different focus. I definitely got something out of every stop on the tour – even the ones I'd been to before." While there's an abundance of land in Texas, Farris said he'd be interested in future tours that might provide insight into operations that aren't pasture-based. "I don't have an abundance of land to work with," said the hair sheep producer. "I understand there's a place for range sheep, but there are also some benefits to confinement situations." Eliminating parasites and predation rank high on the list of benefits for Farris, who lives within three to four hours of most the stops on the tour. "It was a great three days," he said. "I'm glad I took the time to be there. We were bombarded with a lot of good information, and I just tried to learn as much as I could. You never know when you might pick up that one little thing that will really make a difference in your own operation." Hair sheep day on the Trailblazers Tour continued that Monday with stops at the Hamilton Sale Commission, Stegemoller Ranch and Capra Foods. "I love cattle, but sheep are what's paying the bills these days," Derek Poe told the tour before participants enjoyed lunch at his sale barn restaurant. "Every year we say, 'This is the best year yet,' and it just keeps getting better." Cody Stegemoller took over the family's cattle operation and soon made the switch to running Dorper sheep. "If I'm going to work hard, I'd like to make some money," he told the group of his decision. "We're all sheep now, no cattle." Stegemoller raises his own replacements and his goal is to raise lambs that can "get to 100 pounds efficiently." In reality, however, he sells most lambs between 75 and 85 pounds. The final tour stop of the day was Capra Foods, which processes Dorper lambs at its facility in Goldthwaite, Texas. Day two offered participants a look at the role the show sheep industry plays in Texas – a state that has half a dozen major shows each year in addition to smaller shows at the county level. The Jennings family's Cornerstone Flock is known for producing show quality Southdowns. "We have 40 to 50 ewes who only leave the barn two weeks a year," said Aaron Jennings who returned to the family ranch in recent years to work with his dad, Gary. "That's not great livestock management, but that's what it takes sometimes to win in the show pen. Our sheep have to be able to survive our conditions and win in the show ring at the same time." While many think of Southdowns as cute, farm-flock style sheep, Gary Jennings said when they are turned out he'll often find the Southdowns in some of the ranch's most remote, rugged country. "They are very adaptable sheep," he said.

Stops at Jacoby's Feed & Restaurant in Melvin, Texas (try the chocolate chip cookies if you ever get there) and the Powell Ranch in Fort McKavett, Texas, followed. The Powell family has raised Rambouillet sheep since the early 1900s and bloodlines on the ranch today still trace back to that original flock. The ranch runs cattle in addition to 2,500 ewes and would be open to expanding the flock if the opportunity arises, said James Uhl, who works for his grandfather, Jimmy Powell, on the ranch. "A lot of our neighbors have gotten out of ranching, so we seem to have more predators now," he said. When talk turns to predators in Texas, wild hogs come up more often than the traditional coyotes that get mentioned first in so many parts of the country. "I came home with a new appreciation for coyotes after hear ing all of the stories about wild hogs," said Oregon producer Mary Smallman, who manages the Oregon State University Sheep Research Center. "I wish all of the Texas producers the best, because they have it pretty hard with their climate and predators." While many in the state have switched to Dorpers, Uhl said the ranch is committed to fine wool sheep. "That's not to say we'll never get into Dorpers, but we believe the wool will always be in demand," he said. "That gives us another product to sell. A lot of people are attracted to the Dorpers because they require less labor, but we have the people to make it work with wool sheep." David and Stacy Fisher at the HF4 Ranch in Sonora, Texas, still believe in wool sheep, as well. They've put considerable time and research into improving their flock in recent years. The couple has developed direct marketing for lamb and is looking to create a value-added product on the wool side, as well. They run cattle and goats, but "fine wool sheep are really the main part of our business. "I like the business and a I want to stay in the business," he told tour participants. "I can still make money on wool sheep." Fisher has added new genetics to the flock, brought in a new shearing crew and moved into fall lambing as he looks to push the operation into the future. The second day wrapped with a visit to the Buchholz Ranch, run by former ASI Executive Board member Bob Buchholz and his family. Running sheep and goats on a number of far-flung proper ties wouldn't be possible for the family without guard dogs. "Predators were running a lot of people out of business in some of these areas," he said. "But I can operate a lot of country with guard dogs. We made it work and guard dogs did it for us." The final day of the tour was spent in San Angelo, where partici pants got a look at the abandoned lamb plant reopened by Double J Lamb in 2020, the scouring line and wool warehouse at Bollman Industries, Producers Livestock Auction, Dr. Tim Turner's South western Livestock Mineral facility and the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station. The station is home to the soon to be up and run ning commercial testing lab for American wool.

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