Sheep Industry News October 2024

old tractor to plow your field as you would today. You have a brand new tractor because it’s efficient and it does a good job. It’s the same with genetics. If you’re growing wool that is really coarse, there’s no (com mercial) market for it.” The variety of wool in the United States makes it difficult to create large, uniform lots to process, while consistency of the wool clip helps the industry in Australia. And as Kopren has learned, processing small lots of wool is significantly more expensive per pound. One of the biggest challenges in manufacturing wool products in America is the lack of wool processing facilities and skilled labor to run them. "In a lot of factories, there's a 70-year-old guy who knows everything about those machines and how to keep them running, but we're losing those guys," Helle said. "And the next generation isn't coming in to replace them," said Kopren, adding that skilled labor is hard to find in the manufacturing industry. There's definitely a market for wool products – from blankets and bedding to clothing – but that market has changed in some ways. "People aren't wearing old-fashioned knits or sport coats anymore," Helle said. "We've seen the industry move more into the sports and out doors world. We're catering to people who are health focused, especially the younger generations. They don't like the chemicals in synthetics."

While there are still some who are resistant to wool because they remember grandma's itchy wool sweaters, that's a hurdle that can be easily cleared. "People love wool now," Kopren said, recounting how he gave away his company's socks during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. "If you can get it on them, they'll love it. Wool is a premium fiber." Despite the challenges each member of the panel had faced, they all believed moving into the value-added market was the right choice. "It's like having kids," Hostetler said. "It's very rewarding, but it also costs a lot. There's lot of challenges and sleepless nights, but at the end of the day it's still worth it." Earlier that week at the Wyoming State Ram Sale, Dr. Whit Stewart presented a session entitled Effective Genetic Improvement: Assessing Current Levels, Setting Goals and Selecting for Success . The ram sale fol lowed the next day. Stewart urged producers to invest time, energy and money in record keeping that would allow them to make information-based decisions within their flocks. While there are a variety of metrics producers can use to judge the health and success of their flocks, they are all “tools that are reliant on good recordkeeping.” At the same time, he urged producers not to take on too much while trying to improve their flocks. "Prioritize two or three traits for improvement instead of five traits,"

Opposite Page: Tiffany Hageman shows off a Hageman Sisters Rambouillet ram during the Wyoming Ram Sale in September in Douglas, Wyo. This Page: A pair of Helle Rambouillet rams take their turn in the arena during the Montana Ram Sale in mid-September.

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