?

University Research & Extension Programs

Collectively sheep are an important livestock enterprise in the

intermountain and south west.

Most universities in the west have

substantially reduced or eliminated their

sheep program

Many of the Universities in the west

are doing research with sheep but is

that research focused on issues

relevant to the industry

Although the relative importance

of the sheep industry within many

states have warranted reductions

in University support, regionally

sheep is a more substantial

industry than research and

extension efforts suggest

Impact of University and ARS

Research and Education on

the Sheep Industry

?

University Research & Extension Programs

Collectively sheep are an important livestock enterprise in the

intermountain and south west.

Most universities in the west have

substantially reduced or eliminated their

sheep program

Many of the Universities in the west

are doing research with sheep but is

that research focused on issues

relevant to the industry

Although the relative importance

of the sheep industry within many

states have warranted reductions

in University support, regionally

sheep is a more substantial

industry than research and

extension efforts suggest

Producers are actively engaged from the

beginning.

There is a significant extension

component

Part of a sheep program not just a project

Bob Burns

Alex Johnson

(UW)

McFadden (NM)

Swanson (CO)

Drummond (MT)

Coleman (MT)

Bassett (TX)

Keese (TX)

Barker (WY)

Powers (SC)

Craddock (TX)

Kott (MT)

Stobart (WY)Pohle; USDA (CO)

McColl (CO)

Campbell (TX)

Corn (NM)

Neale (NM)

Core Testing

In the late 1930’s and 1940’s

USDA, in cooperation with State

Colleges, began a multi-year

project to develop a method to

estimate clean content in greasy

wool.

USDA, IDUT

MT

USDA, CO

NM

1 % Difference = 1 to 5 cents greasy

Up until the 1940’s the standard

figure used for most intermountain

wools was 65% shrinkage.

Shrinkage / Yield

Super Wash

In 1939, wool from MSU and

20 additional Montana clips

was sent to a scouring plant

and individually scoured.

Core

Testing

Only one clip

had a shrinkage

of over 65% .

Range in Yield:

33% to 52%

Montana Wool Laboratory

established in 1945

In one year, this lab core tested 1.4

million pounds of Montana Wool

Clips below line have average yields of

>50%(0 clips of 45)

Clips below line have average yields of

>50%(6 clips of 45)

Core Testing1939-1952

Core Testing

Today most greasy wool

produced in the world is

tested using this basic

technology.

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UT

TX

OR

NM

NV

MT

ID

CO

CA

AZ

WY

WA

US Sheep

Experiment

Station

Dubois ID

Columbia Breed

Established in 1941

W. A. Denecke, MT

Deschamps Livestock, MT

Thomas Watson, MT

Rambouillet Sheep Company, MT

R.B. “Ted” Marquiss, WY

(Little Buffalo Ranch)

D.N. Hitch, MT

WM. R. Wright, WY

Montana State College, MT

Ernest White, MT

Howard Lord, MT

Glen Daley, MT

A. Deschamps, MT

Targhee Breed

Established in 1951

MSU began its Targhee breeding

program in 1942 under the direction

of R. T. Clark, J. L. Van Horn and J.

Drummond.

34 Targhees from Montana State

University became the first

registered Targhees on February

21,1952.

Montana State University

received membership number T-1.

Polypay

Breed

1. Based on

visual

appraisal

2. Measure

important

traits

1955

2005

But that’s just cows

History of Performance Testing (US)

Began in 1948 at the Texas A & M Sonora

Substation

1950 U of Wisconsin—production recording for on-

farm-selection

1965—Ohio Sheep Production Testing Plan was the

first completely computerized record keeping program

for sheep

By 1980 there were 23 on-farm-testing-programs and

14 Central Ram Tests

http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/wyoming.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/wyoming.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/southdakota.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/southdakota.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/northdakota.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/northdakota.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/montana.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/montana.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/texas.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/texas.html

1948 F 100 was

developed the same

year Ram

Performance Testing

began

Is there a

better way

Genetic

Testing

TARGETED GRAZING?

Bridge from research

to application

Where are we

getting our

information

INTERNET

Mis-

information

highway

Many states in the intermountain

west and southwest US have

reduced or eliminated their

university sheep “programs”.

Much of the university related

sheep research is beneficial but

often not directed at areas that

relate to the industries most

important needs.

Although in many western states

the sheep industry may be of minor

importance, collectively it warrants

an significant research and

extension effort.

?

Long-term or established

partnerships between

University / ARS and

Sheep Industry is a

critical part of the

support infrastructure of

the sheep industry