ALB Appointments Announced
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week the appointment of four members to serve on the American Lamb Board. All four appointees will serve three-year terms beginning January 2025 and ending January 2028.
Newly appointed members are:
- Jimmy Parker, Vinemont, Ala. – Producer (101 to 500 head)
- David Fisher, Sonora, Texas – Producer (Greater than 500 head)
- Stephen J. Schreier, Tracy, Minn. – Feeder (5,000 head or more)
- Andrew Allman, Gill, Colo. – First Handler
The American Sheep Industry Association is a certified nominating organization for ALB and submitted a slate of candidates to USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service for consideration for the two producer positions and the feeder slot. All four members announced this week have previously served one term with ALB and were reappointed for a second term.
“We appreciate the fact that AMS has wrapped up these appointments prior to the ASI Annual Convention next month,” said ASI President Brad Boner of Wyoming. “ALB is one of several industry groups that will meet during the convention, and finalizing these appointments allows the board to be at full strength as it looks at important issues surrounding the marketing of American lamb.”
The 13-member American Lamb Board is composed of six producers, three feeders, three first handlers and one seedstock producer. Two producers appointed to the board must own 100 or less head of lambs annually; one producer must own 101 to 500 head of lambs annually; and three producers must own more than 500 head of lambs annually. At least one feeder must feed less than 5,000 head of lambs annually and at least one must feed more than 5,000 head of lambs annually.
More information about the board and a list of board members is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service American Lamb Board website.
Source: USDA/AMS
Minnesota Extension Plans Webinars
The University of Minnesota Extension has announced several upcoming sheep and goat webinars that producers might be interested in attending.
All of these webinars will be recorded and automatically sent out to all registrants. If you are interested in the webinar but unable to attend live, register anyway so that you will receive the recording. The webinars will also be posted to UMN Extension’s YouTube Channel once video editing is complete.
- 17, 7 p.m. central time – Producer Spotlight: Fiskness Family Farm. Jed Fiskness, will give an overview of his farm where they raise goats, poultry, beef and vegetables. They market their farm products at farmer’s markets and other venues. He will provide some farm history, lessons learned along the way, marketing strategies and future plans for the farm. Click Here to register.
- 27, 2025, 7 p.m. central time – Lambing and Kidding Kits. U of M Extension Educator Troy Salzer will go through all of the supplies you should have in your lambing and kidding kits as you prepare for the birthing season. He will discuss the why’s and how’s of each product. A handout will be emailed to registrants prior to the webinar to follow along and make notes as Troy explains the kit contents. Click Here to register.
- March 25, 2025, 7 p.m. central time – Pasture Forage Management. U of M Extension Educator Ryan Lerman will explain how to measure pastures and plants to figure out how much forage is out there for livestock to graze. He will discuss the importance of doing this on a regular basis throughout the grazing season and some additional pasture management strategies. Click Here to register.
Source: University of Minnesota Extension
California Sets Dates for Lambing School
Join University of California-Davis Sheep and Goat Extension Veterinarian Dr. Rosie Busch, University of California Cooperative Extension Livestock Advisor Dan Macon and University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center Shepherd Alison Smith for an in-depth look at barn and pasture lambing systems during an in-person lambing school on Jan. 24-26, 2025.
Over the course of three days, the school will provide real-time information about managing lambing systems, including lambing problems, lamb/ewe nutrition, record-keeping and lamb survival.
An optional $150 lambing starter kit can also be added to registration. The kit includes essential equipment and treatments for ewe care and lamb triage. Examples are Nutridrench, colostrum replacer, oral hydration powder, dextrose powder, tubers, blenders, lamb nipples and more. These kits will be given out on the first day of lambing school. Time will be spent in class reviewing their use, but it is not mandatory to purchase one. Lambing starter kits must be ordered by Dec. 27.
The school is limited to 15 participants.
Click Here to register.
Source: University of California Cooperative Extension
ARS Hiring Ag Science Research Technician
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service is looking to hire a supervisory agricultural science research technician at the Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research Unit in Dubois, Idaho.
As team leader, the person hired for this role will “organize workforce and resource actions to support a research mission of developing integrated methods to increase production efficiency of sheep and improve the sustainability of rangeland ecosystems.”
Click Here for the full job posting.
Source: USDA/ARS
MSU Hosts Annual Birth Management Program
The Michigan State University Small Ruminant Team will host its annual Birth Management for Sheep and Goats program in January. It will consist of four online sessions on Thursday or Wednesday evenings (Jan. 2, 8, 15 and 22, 2025) from 7-9 p.m. eastern time. Online sessions will be recorded, so registrants do not need to attend them live.
An additional in-person workshop will be held at the MSU Sheep Teaching and Research Center on Jan. 25, 2025, from noon to 4 p.m.
Schedule:
- Jan. 2: Webinar – Nutritional management to optimize birth outcomes in sheep and goats.
- Jan. 8: Webinar – Optimizing maternal and newborn health: parasite control, vaccination schedules, treating complications at birth, providing a healthy environment.
- Jan. 15: Webinar – The normal birth process, birth assistance and newborn care.
- Jan. 22: Webinar – Identifying challenges on your farm and creating an improvement plan addressing health management, nutrition and facility improvements.
- Jan. 25: Optional, hands-on experience at the MSU Sheep Teaching and Research Center, 3885 Hagadorn Rd., Okemos, MI 48864.
Webinar registration ends Dec. 29 and is $40 per farm or family. This includes a 90-plus page bound compendium/resource manual, a laminated newborn hypothermia/starvation treatment poster and access to all recorded sessions. The materials will be mailed after the first class and are supplementary – they are not necessary to have during the course. Additional members of the same farm/family may receive additional manuals and posters for $20 per set. Participants from outside the United States will need to pay extra postage. Late registration (after Dec. 29) is $60 per farm/family.
In-person workshop registration is open until Jan. 12, 2025, and is $10 per person. Email Mike Metzger at [email protected] with any questions.
Click Here for more information.
Source: Michigan State University
Familiar Pattern Develops in Australian Wool Market
The Australian wool market had an all too familiar series with minimal daily market fluctuations to finish with a small overall fall for the week. The national offering rose to 38,425 bales – 5,059 bales more than the previous week.
In the Merino fleece sector, price results were mixed across microns. The movements in the individual Merino Price Guides across the country ranged between plus 10 and minus 22 cents. The benchmark AWEX Eastern Market Indicator added 1 cent on the first day before dropping 3 cents on the second, for a 2-cent overall fall for the series and closed at 1,142 Australian cents.
The last 18 daily movements in the EMI have been less than 10 cents – 17 of which have been by 5 cents or less. The average daily movement of the EMI across these 18 selling days has been less than 3 cents, taking both negative and positive movements into account. Of the 18 daily market movements, 10 have been positive and of those increases, five have been by just 1 cent.
During the past 12 months, broader fleece types have performed better than their finer counterparts, so much so that some of the crossbred fleece MPGs are at higher points than a year ago. Comparisons are best made using the Southern MPGs. The 17-micron MPG is currently 1,693 cents compared to 1,855 cents at the corresponding sale of the previous season for a drop of 162 cents. The 18-micron MPG has fallen by 106 cents, the 19-micron MPG by 51 cents, the 20-micron MPG by 25 cents and the 21-micron MPG by just 14 cents.
With the crossbreds, the news is more positive despite the falls recorded in this series. The 26-micron MPG is 25 cents higher, the 28-micron MPG is 45 cents higher, the 30-micron MPG is 33 cents higher and the 32-micron MPG is 10 cents higher.
Next week there are expected to be 39,896 bales on offer nationally
Click Here for the ASI Conversion Chart – AWEX Prices to USD Per Pound.
Source: AWEX
Holiday Headquarters is Ultimate Hosting Hub
The American Lamb website continues to attract consumers with resources for learning about American lamb. The new Holiday Headquarters page has everything consumers need to host unforgettable gatherings that feature American lamb this holiday season.
“Utilizing the American Lamb website to educate consumers and deliver valuable resources continues to be a successful strategy for reaching thousands of consumers seeking information about American lamb,” says American Lamb Board Chair Jeff Ebert. “The Holiday Headquarters site is the newest section, providing timely content and resources for consumers this holiday season.”
The new site features:
Recipes for Every Occasion: from crowd-pleasing appetizers to show-stopping mains, the featured recipes are organized by cut, making it easy for consumers to find the perfect dish for their holiday feast.
Expert Cooking Guides: even novice home chefs will be able to master the art of cooking American lamb with comprehensive roasting and braising guides and detailed time and temperature charts.
Video Cooking Tutorials: step-by-step tutorials to help consumers prepare beautiful dishes for any holiday meal. The videos provide easy-to-follow instructions for preparing a rack of lamb, roasted leg, braised shoulder and lamb crostinis.
Amazing Recipes: new recipes from influencers will be featured throughout the month and will accompany the holiday dishes already featured on the site.
Live Cooking Class: adding to the many resources already on the site, consumers can sign up for a live cooking class on Dec. 10. The free class is hosted as part of the ALB partnership with Homemade, the world’s largest cooking school. In this class, consumers will learn to prepare a rack of lamb alongside a professional chef.
Be sure to send family, friends, and customers to the new Holiday Headquarters on the American Lamb website to access these fantastic resources and encourage more consumers to add American lamb to their holiday dining plans.
Source: ALB