AnSci 429 Advanced Sheep Production Dr. Dan Morrical 337 Kildee 294-0847 [e-mail]

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AnSci 429Advanced Sheep ProductionDr. Dan
Morrical 337 Kildee294-0847morrical_at_iastate.edu
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Quiz1. A sick sheep is a dead sheep?2.
Sheep are dumb?3. Wool is worthless?4.
Sheep are a good mowing service?5. Sheep
stink?
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HistoricalSheep domestication 10,000
B.C.Uses - food, fiber, milk and skinsSmall
easy to handleSheep are man dependentFlocking
instinct
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Countries with large sheep numbersAustralia Fo
rmer Soviet Union China New Zealand
India Turkey Top 6 countries 2/3 of
world population.NZ 427 sheep per square
mile.
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U.S. Sheep Population GrowthFirst Sheep -
Jamestown, 16091810 7 million1840 19
million 60 Northeast1884 53
million westward movement Ohio US Sheep
Capital1908 48 million gt50 in Western
U.S. 1942 56 million (peak)Steady decline
since
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Reasons for decline Demand Predators Internal
Parasites Prestige and/or glamour Diseases Poor
production efficiency Technology
development Technology adoption Government
program
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Reasons for decline Skilled labor and high
labor Competition for land resources
Inefficient and costly transportation slaug
hter processing Wool income decreased
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Operations by size, 1999 Flock of
Size Producers
Sheep 1-99 91.2 27.9 100-499 7.2 22.0 50
0-4999 1.6 35.2 gt5000 .1 14.8
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Sheep - versatile and adaptableOperations vary
from Very extensive - 10,000 head range
bands Very intensive - 25 head acc. lambing
Range flock wool and lamb Income 2080Fa
rm flocks wool and lamb Income 595
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U. S. Sheep Industry, 2006
4.6 million ewes 1.15 lamb crop 60k operations ??
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U. S. Sheep Industry
Range Flock Flocks
Farm Flocks
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Sheep Numbers - Leading States 2005
5th 385K
3rd 450K
4th 390K
2nd 650K
1st 1090K
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Lamb Slaughter Facilities

Iowa Lamb
Wolverine



Chiappetti

Superior Monfort
Superior

Ranchers Lamb

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Iowas National rankings

• 9th ewe numbers
• 5th lambs on feed
• 2nd lamb crop (1.44)
• 2nd operations

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History

• Record numbers in 1945 at 56 million
• Wool incentive program
• 1955-1995
• paid subsidy for premium wool
• sent wrong message
• Lamb consumption
• US. has never been a large lamb consuming
  population

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Production constraints - Range

• Predators
• Environmental concerns
• Labor
• Grazing fees
• PP wool prices
• Tradition

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Production constraints - Farm

• Feed costs
• Labor intensive
• Facilities
• Resource competition
• examples
• meat goats
• contract swine finisher

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Iowa Operations

• Commercial
• Winter lambers
• Low input forage based
• Hand spinners
• Direct marketers
• Accelerated lambers
• Purebred/Frame/Show sheep
• Club lamb
• Lamb Feeders

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Infrastructure

• Limited lamb processors
• 7 harvest plants
• Wool processors
• 4 main companies
• Research and extension
• National organization
• check off

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Future of U. S. Sheep

• Loss of wool act adjustment
• Environmentally friendly production
• Forage based production systems
• 250-350 pounds weaned per acre
• High market prices with low supplies
• Genetics for 200 plus lamb crop
• Low cost production
• Direct marketing