N’ewesletter

June 2016

Lameness in Sheep

Seasonality of Lamb Markets

Early Weaning Strategies

Table of ContentsALP Message From the Chair 1Around the Zones 2ALP Strategic Planning for 2016-2019 3What’s New on SheepCentralAlberta? 4ALP Photo Contest 4

Producer ResourcesUltrasonography to Improve Lamb Production 6Still Limping 8Dealing With Another Dry Year 10Let’s Make A Deal 11Weaning Lambs Early 12Is Bigger for You? 14Alberta Lamb Price and Slaughter Seasonality 16FREE Resources! 17

TechnologySheep Profits 18

Industry Information2016 Livestock Care Conference 20AgCoalition Update 21Summer Synergy / 4-H Provincial Sheep Show 21Global Sheep – The Short Story 22Price Decrease for Shearwell CSIP ASET Tags 25Metacam 25CCWG - New Western Facility Coming Soon 26Looking for More Volunteer Flocks in Alberta 27NEW - Traceability Connects Tool 27Shearing School 28Volunteer Opportunities for CS Showcase 29Aussie Trip 31ALP Fall Round Up Meeting Schedule 3210th Annual Pound Maker Ram Sale 32

Classifieds 30Sheep Calendar 31ALP Contacts 32

June 2016 1

Alberta Lamb Producers .

Message From the ChairErin Yaremko

Phone: 780-645-6550 E-mail: zone5@ablamb.ca

Welcome to all our new producers, and to all you veteran sheep producers, hello again. As you are well aware, May is one of the busiest months of the year for many of our producers. Days get longer which means we tend to work longer. Lambs are either being born or being weaned and marketed, fences checked, fields worked, gardens put in, 4-H projects nearing achievement days or just getting started with projects for others, day to day chores, kids activities, and remember-ing all the stuff that never got finished or fixed in the fall or winter that you need to do now! To add to the day to day stress, there were unfortunately no April showers to bring May’s flowers for almost all of the province. A warm dry winter has turned into a hot dry spring with high winds province-wide drying things out more. Wish we didn’t have to think about this again but it’s never bad to have a drought plan and a cut off date. If we don’t have xx amount of rain by xxx this is what we are going to do … It is easier to be proactive and make better, more sound and thought out business decisions than to be reactive and make emotional and impulsive decisions. Please be mindful that with the stress of spring we need to take care of ourselves and one another. The welfare of our people and our animals is so important and often we get too caught up in busy-ness to take of ourselves; we are not invincible.

On an up note, this spring’s weather made for a great lambing season and they are actually calling for rain in the next week! And on another up note, we have been able to bring some of the great workshop footage from the Alberta Farm Animal Care conference, which featured a sheep han-dling demonstration and ewe body condition scoring presentation,into your homes through our You Tube channel SheepCentralAlberta. Along with this, the recent webinars have been a great success and can now be viewed there too, at your convenience, over and over and over again.

Just a reminder—to help us stay in touch please make sure that admin@ablamb.ca and info@ab-lamb.ca are added in your contact list as we switch N’ewesline delivery services. We don’t want to lose you along the way and end up in your “junk” folders. Email is the fastest way we can provide you with important updates and timely information. If you do not receive our messages, please contact the office and be sure to get signed up. Hard to believe and think as far away as Oct/Nov but time flies when you are having fun and our Annual Zone Meetings will be here before we know it. See page 32 to find out when the meeting in your zone will be held. On a side note, our thoughts go out to those families in the Fort McMurray area who have been affected by the fires. I know our community has received and welcomed many evacuees in; it is great to see how much can be accomplished by working together unselfishly for the goal of a common good!

N'ewesletter is published by the Alberta Lamb Producers. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Alberta Lamb Producers, the Board of Directors or its offic-ers.

When reprinting articles from N'ewesletter, credit must be given to the ALP and/or the author, if applicable. No changes may be made with-out ALP’s, or the author’s, writ-ten permission.

Alberta Lamb Producers does not endorse or promote any of the advertisements or adver-tisers in the N’ewesletter.

For full Advertising Terms and Conditions see the Media Kit http://www.ablamb.ca/index.php/news-advertising/advertising

Phone: 403-948-8533 Email: info@ablamb.ca Websites: www.ablamb.ca and

www.albertalamb.ca

Cover photo Sheep Shearing School Reinhard Valentino Photography

See page 28.

Erin Yaremko

2 June 2016

Alberta Lamb Producers

Zone 1 Hello everyone,I hope your summer is going well.As the hot weather begins some of us think about

shearing if it’s not already done. It’s beneficial to plan ahead and have your shearer booked in advance. It’s helpful to clean your wool as much as possible before bagging it, keeping it more profitable for you. You can get more information on preparing wool on C.C.W.G.'s website www.wool.ca, or of course you can always call the friendly folks at C.C.W.G. who can give you some pointers. At the same time, it gives you a chance to inspect your livestock for bugs/ticks that can hinder the performance of your flock.

With summer there are always events going on around the country. Be sure to get out and support your local 4-H club, a great cause that always needs to be support-ed. If you can handle the crowds there are some great events happening at the Calgary Stampede. The world stock dog trials are on in the Agrium building, and it’s always a great one to watch: July 9th and 10th.

The North American sheep shearing competition draws competitors from all around the world. Our own Shaun Fajnor will be competing. Be sure to go give him your support.

This is also a time of the year where we think about marketing our lambs; with dry conditions it might be earlier in the year when you have to make that decision. Your grass/feed availability and rain fall in the area will be factors in making that decision. Always talk to your buyer and build on that relationship so you’re aware of current market prices and trends.

If there is anything I can help with, please feel to reach out.

Ray Nolan Phone: 403-681-0276 E-mail: zone1@ablamb.ca

Zone 2Zone 2 is currently vacant. We invite all Zone 2 pro-

ducers interested in joining the board to contact the Alberta Lamb Producers office at info@ablamb.ca.

Zone 3Keeping abreast of health issues is something we pro-

ducers need to be mindful of.Having medications available to assist producers to

care for flocks is vital for the success of our industry. Hav-ing “sheep trained” veterinary support available is also on a lamb producer’s wish list.

I met recently with my go-to vet who has been a won-derful resource for managing our flock health. She and her colleagues will admit to learning on the fly by asking lots of questions, and getting the answers from various sources across our country, to support producers in our area.

One thing she pointed out to me is the lack of care taken when selling and purchasing culls. While the definition of cull varies from farm to ranch, the practice of knowingly selling sick animals is not going away. In the process we are spreading disease – unknowingly or otherwise. And while we support and encourage new producers to come on board, we also urge you to do your homework. Alberta Lamb Producers offers online education and Zone meetings as learning opportunities to help manage your flock health, and as opportunities for you to build your network of resources. Please take advantage!

Cindy Armstrong Phone: 403-773-2407 E-mail: zone3@ablamb.ca

Zone 4Greetings:Well the lambing season has passed for most shep-

herds and hopefully it was successful.As I write this, the major concern we are facing is the

dry conditions and the threat of fire that goes along with it.

The Alberta Government and the people affected by these fires need all the support we can give them. It would be a good time to think about an emergency plan for the people and livestock on your operation. ALP has a new management module called The Emergency Prepar-edness Guide that you can request for free from our office. If the dry conditions persist it is also going to be neces-sary to make some hard decisions about next winter’s feed supplies.

Rain dances are welcome right now of course and our concerns may change overnight with a good period of wet weather.

As always if you have any questions or comments about anything sheep related contact me or Robyn and Beth at the office. If we don’t have the answers we will

Around the Zones

June 2016 3

Alberta Lamb Producers .

do our best to find the answer for you. Unfortunately we can’t do much to make everyone rich and famous just yet but we are working on it!

Bill GibsonPhone: 403-788-2883 E-mail: zone4@ablamb.ca

Zone 5See Message From the Chair, page 1.

Erin Yaremko Phone: 780-645-6550 E-mail: zone5@ablamb.ca

Zone 6Greetings again from Zone 6. Spring is traditionally

lambing time, so most of us are either in the thick of things or have recently finished. I hope things are going or have gone well for my fellow shepherds.

It doesn’t seem to matter how beautiful the winter is; it is always a relief when spring welcomes us. I hope that everyone across the province will get at least some of the rain that we have been fortunate enough to have come our way.

ALP has hosted some wonderful webinars this year and I can’t encourage producers enough to participate. It’s a wonderful way to gain knowledge and connect with oth-ers in the industry without having to leave the comfort of your own home.

In my last letter I mentioned a glut of lambs and sof-tening prices making it a difficult year for many produc-ers. Thankfully for those of you who have lambs to sell now, the prices have rebounded and buyers are actively looking for lamb again!

I hope everyone has a solid backup plan for how they are going to deal with things if the desired rain does not appear in your area. I have a hunch producers will be culling harder this year after lambing. I think we are already seeing this, as the price for cull ewes is almost half of what it was earlier in the year. Maybe if we get rain we will see fewer ewes hit the market and cull prices will hold. It’s always good to remember that if the amount going through the local auction markets is small the prices may appear strong, but often if a larger producer brings in bigger numbers the prices fall. Remember to call around and get a feel for the market before moving bigger groups or you may be disappointed.

As always I welcome all feedback and will do my best to bring forward your industry concerns.

Darlene Stein Phone: 780-674-3732 E-mail: zone6@ablamb.ca

Zone 7Kirk Cowell has been appointed by the ALP Board

pending Marketing Council approval.Kirk with his wife and children run a cow/calf and

sheep operation west of Spirit River. They started in 2000 with 20 sheep. Today they run 300+ head of commercial ewes with expectations of reaching 500 next year.

ALP Strategic Planning Session: Planning for 2016-2019

On March 15-16, 2016 in Cochrane, the ALP Board of Directors came together for a strategic planning ses-sion facilitated by Alisdair Smith of Vancouver. A stra-tegic plan is a document used to identify goals as well as the actions and resources needed to achieve those goals. During these sessions, Directors are encouraged to brainstorm and use big-picture thinking to visualize how our organization can best promote future industry growth. With limited resources and manpower, how-ever, the directors also need to prioritize activities to make sure we maximize our impact. Your directors are producers too, and they share the same challenges and opportunities as other producers. This guides their opinions on the best use for ALP’s resources.

The plan is a living document that ALP follows and reviews at every board meeting. It also provides guide-lines and timelines to office staff to ensure staff stays on task and is accountable. Having a strategic plan is vital to ALP; it shows government, funders and our pro-ducers that ALP has goals and a plan to achieve them.

Working from the previous strategic plan done in 2014, directors identified Education, Proactive Advoca-cy, Alberta Lamb Promotion, and Sustainability of ALP as key directives. For each of these directives, producer engagement is a key focus and a deliverable. Our plans are also based on the interest shown by producers in our current activities. A workplan from the ideas gener-ated in the March planning session has been created. It’s anticipated this plan will run to early 2019. We’re all excited to get started on the various activities that were identified in this plan!

4 June 2016

Alberta Lamb Producers

Over the past few months, we’ve en-joyed receiving many beautiful pictures of farms and flocks from across the province. There is still lots of time to send in your favourites. Submit your photos to ALP for your chance to WIN PRIZES and have your photos included in future N’ewesletters, calendars, or other ALP publications. Our judges will select one winner per zone and a second winner will be selected by the crowd at the annual fall round up. Photos should be submitted electronically to admin@ablamb.ca with the photogra-pher’s name and location where it was taken. The photo needs to be high resolu-tion (2 MB or over). All entries become property of ALP, to be used or reproduced at the discretion of ALP (credit will be given to the photographer). Deadline to submit is September 1, 2016.photo credit: Ian Clark

ALP Photo Contest

What’s New on SheepCentralAlberta?Over the past few months we’ve posted a number of

new videos to ALP’s YouTube channel, Sheep Central Alberta, including: • The Alberta Farm Animal Care Conference Workshop

was held at Olds College on March 22. The workshopincluded a sheep handling demonstration by interna-tionally recognized stockmanship instructor Curt Pateand a presentation on the importance of body condi-tion scoring ewes by experienced sheep producerLorna Gibson. To make these informative sessionsavailable to everyone, four videos from the workshophave been posted.

• Recordings of ALP’s two latest webinars with Dr. LynnTait (Thin Ewe Syndrome: Tackling Production LimitingDiseases and Neonatal Management) have been posted,joining last fall’s recording of the webinar Feeding YourFlock When Hay is Limited with nutritionist Dale Eng-strom.

• As part of ALP’s series based on the Code of Practicefor the Care and Handling of Sheep, the video FlockHealth Management gives an overview of practiceslisted in the Health Management section of the Codeas needed for optimal flock health and welfare.

Go to https://www.youtube.com/user/SheepCentralAl-berta to view these videos, and others focusing on topics relevant to Alberta producers such as grazing, business management, farm tours and more. If you do not have the internet at home, many public libraries provide free access.

If you’d like to be notified as soon as a new video is posted, be sure to click the ‘Subscribe’ button located on the upper right-hand side of the Sheep Central Alberta home page.

ALP webinar series: neonatal managementOn April 18th,ALP was very pleased to host the webinar,

Neonatal Management with Dr. Lynn Tait.Dr. Tait gave an overview of neonatal management,

emphasizing the need to do post mortems to determine the cause of neonatal death. Once producers know the cause of death, they can implement management changes to prevent future deaths. Dr. Tait took produc-ers through an easy to follow flow chart that can help to identify the cause of neonatal deaths.

If you missed the live webinar, it is also posted on our YouTube channel Sheep Central Alberta.

Webinars are a cost-effective way of getting informa-tion out to as many producers as want to participate. ALP will still hold face-to-face meetings, but the flex-ibility of webinars means we are able to bring you more resources at little added cost. Results of a participant survey from previous webinars were overwhelmingly positive and unanimous in asking for more webinars in the future.

Stay tuned for more webinars! As with all webinars, no special equipment is needed

to join—just your computer and internet connection.

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June 2016 5

6 June 2016

Producer Resources

Using Ultrasonography to Improve Lamb Production

Jamie Vandelannoite

Why should we use ultrasound technologies?On the farm, ultrasound technologies can be used to

determine information about each ewe’s litter well be-fore parturition. They can be used as tools to detect both open ewes, as well as differentiate between different litter sizes such as singles, twins, and triplets with near to 100% accuracy with an experienced operator. With this information the producer can then develop rations to feed each group of ewes according to their actual requirements.

Types of pregnancy diagnosisBy using ultrasound scanning producers can effective-

ly determine how many lambs each ewe is carrying, or if she is not pregnant. Ultrasonography within the sheep industry is usually performed trans-abdominally(the abdomen/belly of the sheep). The primary location of scanning is in front of the udder, on the bald patch of skin. A technician must apply an ultrasound gel and then hold the probe in the correct area, while slowly moving the machine, to diagnose the pregnancy. Trans-abdominal ultrasound scanning is often performed at 45 to 60 days of gestation, while trans-rectal scanning can be performed as early as day 20. However, due to ewes being sensitive to stress in the first 30 days of pregnancy, sheep are often not exposed to rectal scanning or any type of processing before day 30 of gestation to avoid embryo losses. Therefore, trans-abdominal scanning is the preferred method.

Improving managementBy retrieving information about the ewe’s litter size

during gestation, producers can better manage each ewe’s nutritional demands. By doing this the producer can then prevent problems associated with both small and large litter sizes.

Comparatively, if producers do not know how many lambs each ewe is carrying, they will be forced to feed every ewe the same ration. For single bearing ewes this may mean ewes will be overfed, potentially leading to difficulties during lambing. Ewes carrying multiple lambs will face inadequate nutrition, resulting in weak lambs with low birth weights.

Costs of using ultrasound technologyThere are two main methods that producers can use to

obtain ultrasound technology for their flock:• Hire a veterinarian willing to ultrasound their sheep.• Buy an ultrasound machine and perform the pregnan-

cy diagnosis themselves.

Below is an example of the costs associated with preg-nancy diagnosis using ultrasound. This price list has been supplied by Dr. Rajdeep Samra of Lakeland Animal Care Group located in Lac La Biche, Alberta:

First Sheep Subsequent Sheep

Travel <30km

Travel >30km

$30 $7 $85 $2.75/km one way

However, finding a veterinarian willing to count fe-tuses in sheep may prove to be quite difficult, so many producers may be forced to invest in a machine them-selves plus the required training. One consideration to note, however, is that the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA) states that under the veterinary act pregnancy diagnoses must not be practiced as a service generating revenues by anyone but a certified veterinar-ian. This means that although a producer can obtain an ultrasound machine and receive training, they cannot sell their services to other producers.

Where to buy your own ultrasound machine in Alberta

Major equipment purchases and investments into ul-trasound training require you to do your own research to find the most suitable option. Should a producer, or their veterinarian, wish to purchase an ultrasound machine in Alberta, one option is the BoviScan S60 made by ReproS-can in Lethbridge, Alberta. As an example, 2016 pricing for the BoviScan S60 will cost producers around $5900 USD coming complete with hands-free viewing goggles, or for around $4400 USD it can be sold without the view-ing goggles and adapted to a monitor of the producer’s choice, usually ranging from $250 to $1295 USD.

Another less expensive and less durable option that ex-ists is called ReproScan S100, costing $2900 USD,making it much more feasible for some producers. Its probe is of a lower quality, more likely needing repairs or replacement parts far sooner than the BoviScan S60.

Whatever the unit that a producer decides to purchase, training/advice is often provided from ReproScan, where-by their veterinarians often travel to a producer’s farm

June 2016 7

Producer Resources .

helping them set up and diagnose their livestock. Expe-rience and practice, however, will be invaluable when diagnosing litter size. Alternatively, producers can search for basic or advanced online training.

RecommendationsFinally, there are some important management recom-

mendations to utilize when adopting ultrasound preg-nancy detection and litter counting.

These recommendations include:1. A narrow handling system to restrain the sheep, with

an opening for technician access at the level of thesheep’s back, and elevate the ewes 2.5-3 feet abovethe ground to make scanning the ewes much easierrather than bending over to scan.

2. A method of estrous cycle synchronization to create atight breeding group; this will allow consistent fetusesat the timing of scanning.

In conclusion, ultrasound technologies along with estrous cycle synchronization scan be worthwhile invest-ments to help manage ewe gestation and indicate vary-ing nutritional requirements of individual ewes.

The four part series of student written articles appearing in the January, April, and September 2016 issues are courtesy of University of Alberta 4th year Cap Stone project students who have an interest in the sheep industry. These students were fortunate to network with many Alberta industry experts including Dr. Lynn Tait, and Dr. Ileana Wenger of OC Flock, Ian Clark of Medicine Ridge Agriculture, Susan Hos-ford, Sheep Industry Business Development of Alberta Agri-culture and Forestry and Miles Kliner at SunGold Specialty

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8 June 2016

Producer Resources

Still LimpingSusan Hosford, Agriculture and Forestry

Despite years of effort, time and money invested we still have limping sheep. Losses in the United Kingdom from foot rot alone cost about £10 per ewe per year. With 15 million ewes that’s roughly $280 million CDN lost to one of the causes of lameness.

Lameness in livestock is a growing animal welfare concern. Today we know more about animal well-being. Producers know from caring for their sheep that sore feet hurt and seriously impact animal productivity. Limping sheep take a toll on the people who care for them. It’s disheartening when nothing seems to improve the situa-tion. Old control methods haven’t worked despite consci-entious efforts by producers and their veterinarians.

The lambs in the photos were part of an Alberta flock. There was a loss in ewe productivity due to ill health, lameness, pain, and poor body condition. There were significant setbacks and losses in market lamb growth. There were costs associated with diagnosis (it was hoof rot) and treatment (handling, inspection, sampling, labo-ratory diagnosis, treatments, separate penning, record keeping, etc.). After two seasons of following treatment protocols (now out-dated) there was no real progress. The difficult decision was made to send the flock to slaughter.

Global research shows a number of different reasons for lameness. In the UK, 45% of the lame sheep have been diagnosed with ‘scald’, 20% with foot rot, 17% with contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD), and a further 18% of assorted conditions (toe granuloma, abscesses, ‘shelly’ hoof).

We really don’t have a clear understanding of all the root causes of lameness but we now know that all limp-ing sheep don’t necessarily have ‘foot rot’. In the past year samples were taken from lame animals in a couple of Alberta flocks and feed yards. The usual foot rot bacte-

ria were there, but not always, and there were unexpect-ed ones. There were lame lambs with deformed hooves where ‘laminitis or founder’ was identified. Research in dairy cattle shows that high energy, high protein diets can contribute to laminitis resulting in deformed, long, or overgrown hooves. There were lame sheep and lambs as a result of navel or joint ill and arthritis. What we learned was that research on lameness in Alberta and Canada is needed. Industry collaboration is needed to develop more effective ways of dealing with lameness. The com-bination of research, better data and stakeholder involve-ment will help build the knowledge needed to tackle this old problem.

Tips on dealing with lame sheep: • First – know what you have. Diagnosis is critical. Not all

lame sheep have foot rot.• Identify, know how to score* (see AU Footrot Scoring

Guide). Previous treatment and dry conditions makesdetecting infected sheep more difficult. Mark andseparate lame sheep.

• Work with your veterinarian: to correctly get samplesfrom lame sheep, to test and identify the cause, and todevelop a plan that works for you.

• Quarantine and treat every limping sheep for at leastfour weeks. Effective vaccines are generally not avail-able here.

• Work in other countries is showing that foot rot iseradicated by culling, not curing, infected sheep.

• Consider culling all lame sheep. Cull sheep as soon asthey go lame and cull ones that go lame more thanonce in a season. Cull all sheep with misshapen feet –rams as well as ewes. Be sure to identify the animals as‘culls’. Sharing, in this case, isn’t a good thing.

• “Clean” ground means no sheep have walked on it forat least two weeks. A footbath is less than useful if the sheep step back onto contaminated soil. Consider gravelled areas or concrete pads in heavy traffic areas

June 2016 9

Producer Resources .

near waterers, around footbaths and along fenceline feeders.

• Emphasis and effort should be on the ‘clean’ sheep inthe flock.

• Prevent infection and re-infection. When purchasingsheep, visit the source flock; look at all the ewes, ramsand lambs. Talk with the seller about their flock healthmanagement plan. Have the animals walk slowly andwatch for ‘bobbing’ heads. Catch ‘limpers’ and checkfeet carefully. Get veterinary advice if you’re unsure.

• Don’t buy problems. If you are buying from a sale withmany source flocks – the risk is higher. Have a quaran-tine plan that includes foot bathing every new sheep.

• Farm biosecurity plans need to include an arrival areafor new sheep or lambs and a farm quarantine penaway from where the flock is housed.

There’ve been some tough lessons learned about the impact of lame sheep on business margins. Flocks have been dispersed, good ewes sent to slaughter. Lamb feeders who closely calculate feed inputs and lamb gains know well the cost of an outbreak of lameness in a feeder pen. Lamb buyers watch for limping lambs. They may buy them but at a lower price. They may reject lame lambs. When lame sheep from many flocks mix, it becomes a management, business and animal welfare nightmare.

For more information:• “Producer Modules: Health, Nutrition, Code of Practice”.

Alberta Lamb Producers www.ablamb.ca (A wide vari-ety of resources for all industry stakeholders.)

• “Good news about the treatment of footrot”, Winter2013. www.sheepcanada.com (List of web links toresearch.)

• EBLEX “Better Returns Program – Reducing Lameness”www.beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk (Plans for controllinglameness.)

• PrimeFact 265 “Footrot in Sheep and Goats” www.dpi.nsw.gov.au (Footrot Scoring Guide* to help identifythe degree of infection.)

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10 June 2016

Producer Resources

Dealing With Another Dry YearSusan Hosford, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

This year is another challenging one. Nothing new to farmers but they do make the right management deci-sions very important. This article combines management experience learned from dealing with dry conditions. Across the world there is a key lesson. Having a plan, with a back-up plan, helps when weather, or markets, or life, isn’t cooperating.

Keep it simple Put some numbers on paper. You know how many

sheep you have, what stage of production they’re in, what kind of body condition they carry, and roughly how much feed or pasture they need. You know roughly how much feed you have available

Pick some dates on the calendar. Choose dates based on various things: for example, if grass growth in the first/early pasture isn’t a certain height or leaf development stage by a specific date, or when you estimate there will be enough hay for two weeks.

Decide what you need to do by each date on the calendar. Actions might include early weaning, sell-ing lambs as feeders instead of finishing them,selling a group of ewes, moving ewes to a pasture that can be sacrificed,renting some adjacent grazing,or buying more hay or greenfeed. Which are right for you?

Know your costs and possible costs of proposed ac-tions. Managing cash flow is critical as are decisions on additional operating costs. Compare average seasonal lamb market prices and what it costs you to produce a market lamb. Market price is beyond your control; deci-sions on managing costs are yours.

Reduce stress• Make decisions and set dates to implement deci-

sions early. Successful operations have the ability tomake timely decisions based on a plan. Plans need tobe flexible, including specific actions, target dates andpriorities. Be ready to adapt as resources and circum-stances change.

• Animal welfare first - feed your flock as well aspossible. A flock of thin ewes has little to no profitpotential. The best ewes, well-fed, will produce betterlambs. There is no money in poor, under-finished, un-derweight lambs. Wean lambs early before they startto lose weight. Decide if you have enough good feedto finish them to market; if not sell them to someonewho does.

• Save your pastures. Overgrazing plants stressed bydry conditions is a sure-fire way to do serious damageto perennial pastures. Reduce animal stocking ratesearly. Cross fence pastures to maximize use of forages,reduce trampling and re-grazing. Maintain plant litteror residue so plants have the ability to regrow whenit rains. Have a ‘sacrifice pasture’ where the sheepstay and get supplemental feed. Monitor older andyounger ewes and lambs for parasites. Clip hay andpasture plants so they will re-grow when it rains. Wellmanaged pastures are also better able to resist grass-hopper damage and to recover from drought.

• Plan to have annual pasture mixes (oats, triticale,peas, pasture rape, etc.). Annuals need less moisturethan perennial pasture plants. If you have the abilityto seed or access annual crops, use them and allowperennial pastures time to rest and recover.

• Balance all feed resources (pasture, stored har-vested feeds) with flock feed requirements andcash flow. Feeding livestock until the feed, pasture,or money runs out, or until market prices drop, andthen selling is a waste of resources. It’s also incrediblystressful. Know exactly how much pasture and feedyou need to get through the coming year.

• Make decisions early. Keep in touch with your mar-kets. Market all culls as early as possible. Use flock re-cords to identify a group, or groups, of sheep you cansell when a trigger point is reached. If rain doesn’t fallby a specific date, ‘pull the plug’ and sell fast. Maintainthe best of the best in your flock. Know which are yourprime ewes that are in their prime productive years.Having to ‘gate run’ your flock to save feed is rollingdice.

• Match feed requirements to animal requirements.Sample all harvested feeds, particularly forages, andhave them tested. Build rations specifically for thetype of animal (ewes, feeder lambs) and for the pro-duction stage (maintenance, lactation, growing, etc.).Avoid wasting feed.

• Focus on maximizing income rather than reducingcosts. Many farm costs are fixed, so reducing coststends to impact production returns. You can’t just stopbuying mineral mixes because they are expensive. Youmay have a productive ewe flock but don’t feed out orfinish lambs profitably. Consider selling weaned lambsor custom finish them in a good feeder operation.

• Have a water management plan. Know all your waterresources, both quantity and quality. What water doyou have and what will you need? Have a back-upplan. Be ready to move quickly if water supplies dete-riorate or decline in quality. Algae growth in dugoutscan be deadly. Test water if in doubt.

June 2016 11

Producer Resources .

Let’s Make A DealRichard (Rick) Dehod, Agriculture and Forestry

Agriculture in Alberta is capital intensive business, even at the smallest scale. Farm Business Managers are contin-ually planning to and purchasing assets to enhance the performance and profitability of their businesses.

While trying to use their own cash, they often enter into financial agreements with a creditor to access the balance of the funds required to purchase those assets. To support those financial agreements, security is often granted by the farm business manager to the lenders,on those assets. Farm Business Managers become familiar with the process and comfortable with their lenders. It becomes easy for farm business managers, when the business is running smoothly, to fall into a pattern of simply signing documents, and not reviewing all the conditions thoroughly. Unfortunately, agriculture is a risk business, and sometimes things don’t go as planned and security does get called on.

The topic of security and the laws affecting debtors and creditors is complex. Alberta Agriculture and For-estry has two guides to that provide a general overview of security and security agreements:• A Guide to Agricultural Security Agreements in Alberta• Alberta Personal Property Security Act: What it Means to

Farmers

These documents will give farm business managers a better understanding of what they are signing. The Terms “debtor” and “borrower” are used interchangeably, as are “creditor” and “lender.”

As a debtor, farm business managers must be aware of what responsibilities they have, and the recourse the lender may have on default or demand. If the debtor has signed the security agreement, then the debtor has agreed to the terms and conditions of the security agreement entered into. These are always set out in the Security Agreement, so it is imperative that the security agreements are read and understood prior to being signed. The Federal and Provincial governments have set out laws with regulations that govern debtors and credi-tors rights and the priorities of competing security claims.

These have been put in place to protect the debtor and the creditor’s interest. Not understanding your responsi-bilities as a debtor is not a defence. Take the time to read and understand all financial agreements and security agreements prior to signing them.

If you as a farm business manager have issues, con-cerns or questions about a particular situation in relation to matters involving the rights and obligations them-selves, or that of the creditor, those issues, concerns and questions should be addressed prior to signing the docu-ment. If the farm business manager is not sure then seek advice from your lawyer or accountant with experience in such matters.

Farm Manager home page agriculture.alberta.ca/farm-manager under the Business Structure and Taxation bul-let provides the following information:

A Guide to Agricultural Security Agreements in Alberta, http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/bus15940

Alberta Personal Property Security Act: What it Means to Farmers, http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/dept-docs.nsf/all/agdex4398

For More information contact: Rick Dehod, Agriculture and Forestry, 780-427-4466.

The stress of rushed, last minute, crisis decisions is hard on you, your business, your flock, or the people around you. Take some time to plan ahead.

For more information, contact:Ag-Info Centre – 310-FARM; Feed and Water Testing

Laboratories: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca; Ration balanc-ing for sheep: www.sheepbytes.ca

12 June 2016

Producer Resources

Weaning Lambs EarlySusan Hosford, Barry Yaremcio, Agriculture and Forestry

There are advantages to weaning lambs early in years where pasture is in short supply. When pasture forage is limited, milk production is reduced and lamb growth rate slows. Ewes scrounging for grass will mobilize stored fat to minimize their own body weight loss. Severe losses in ewe weight or body condition can result in ewes that take longer to start cycling, in reduced conception rates and in a reduction in the number of lambs born the fol-lowing year.

Total forage needed by the flock is reduced when the lambs are taken off ewes on pasture and put into a drylot pen, or when supplemental feed is provided for lambs in a creep feeder, or when lambs have access to a separate pasture. Weaned ewes consumes 30% less feed, and require 35% less protein and roughly 50% less energy on a daily basis compared to a lactating ewe. They can also maintain their body condition on a lower quality feed (e.g. lower percentage of alfalfa in hays, or poorer quality grass pastures). That in turn can help reduce the cost of feeding the ewes.

Early weaning in winter lambing flocks or with orphan lambs is common. It can be done as early as 20 days of age though more commonly it’s when lambs are 30 to 45 days of age. Young animals are very efficient in growing bone and muscle. As they get older, and closer to their breeds’ mature size, they start to deposit fat as well. Fat is a very energy dense tissue. This deposition of fat tends to reduce average daily gain and feed efficiency in older lamb.

In many spring lambing operations, lambs are normally weaned as summer pastures begin to decline. To main-tain good lamb growth as they move from just ‘mom’s milk’ to forage requires excellent pasture management. All too often Alberta growing conditions don’t cooper-ate with producers who need to maintain high quality pasture for lactating ewes and growing lambs.

The pictures in this article were taken on one operation of 240,000 hectares. The hilly land carries 50,000 ewes and their lambs. Flatter land is seeded for lamb finishing with mixes like the plantain and clover shown here.

The younger the lambs are weaned the more chal-lenges there are in keeping them healthy and growing at acceptable rates. For early weaning to be successful the lambs must be accustomed to and readily eating the type of feed they will be raised after weaning. The feeds can be grains, pellets, hays, or silage, or a new pasture. Lambs mimic their mothers and try out whatever feeds the ewes are eating. It’s easier to get lambs onto new

feed when they are in corrals and have access to a creep. If lambs have never seen a creep and are moved from pasture to dry lot they need to know that the new ration is edible and tasty.“Lead feed” the lamb ration to the ewes and the lambs before the ewes are removed. Ewes don’t willingly share tasty feed so feeding a bit of the ra-tion while everyone is on pasture can be simpler.

Move the ewes and lambs into the corral or pen at least three to five days prior to weaning. The ewes teach their lambs where the water, feed bunks or feeders are in the pen. They also show them the resting or loaf-ing areas. Those quieter resting areas where ewes con-gregate are good places to put creep gates and separate feeders for smaller lambs. Keeping hungry ewes out of a lamb creep depends on solid construction and careful monitoring.

Move the ewes, not the lambs, out of the corral or weaning pen or pasture. Leaving the lambs in the area they have become accustomed to reduces stress. Anything and everything that reduces the stress on the

June 2016 13

Producer Resources .

lambs will minimize illness and loss of weight after wean-ing. Plan to do lamb health treatments (vaccinations) and any handling before weaning or after the weaned lambs have settled for a week or so.

Lamb rations must meet the nutritional require-ments of growing lambs. Feeding any feed with fewer nutrients than growing lambs require is costly by way of less efficient growth and poor animal health. The protein content in the entire ration should be a minimum of 15% and have a TDN content of roughly 68%. The grain, or concentrate, component in this mixture will be roughly 30 to 50% of the ration on a dry matter basis. Without adequate amounts of protein and energy in the ration, the lambs simply will not thrive and poor health can be a problem. Be sure lambs also have access to clean water. Hand watering and hot days often mean empty water troughs. Thirsty lambs eat less feed and grow more slowly.

Pay attention to the weaned lambs. Monitor how much they are eating. Make sure there is enough feeder space for small lambs to get a chance at fresh feed. Free choice rations in self feeders should never run out of feed. Rations fed along fenceline feeders should be cleaned up. Feeding at least twice a day keeps feed fresh and provides another opportunity to monitor lambs. At any sign of illness (e.g. scours, bloat, difficulty breathing, off feed, lameness) or lethargic lambs off by themselves: catch, diagnose, mark and treat as quickly as possible. Having a veterinarian on your business team is good business! If possible have a sick pen close by to separate sick animals for extra feed and attention and to make it easier to do follow-up treatments. The immunity level of young lambs is not fully developed; adding in the stress of poor nutrition or weaning can result in outbreaks of disease. Infectious diseases like pneumonia, foot scald or foot rot can spread rapidly and result in having many ani-mals in need of treatment. Prevention is always cheaper than treatment.

Weaning lambs early can be used to conserve pasture when late springs, dry conditions,or over-grazing lim-its forage growth. In addition to being able to provide lambs with better quality and quantity of feed, there are fewer problems with parasites and predators. With good weaning management the ewes, pastures and lambs can thrive.

Masterfeeds is having a sheep feed sale for the

upcoming lambing season!

Sheep tubs and blocks: Rite-LixTM Multi-Blok for sheep (56.7 kg tub)

Sweetlix (15.12 kg) blocks. Creep feed:

GoalMaker lamb milk minipellets for new born lambs (20 kg bag)

Call us for all your Sheep feeding needs: Milk replacer, GoalMaker starter, grower-finisher, ewe, supplements, top-dress, loose minerals and

pelleted minerals.

Call Ian (403-350-0268) or Doug (403-396-9081) for special sales pricing.

Other sizes of single and double sided feeders are available. Call for details and pricing.

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We manufacture a complete line of sheep and goat equipment, such as:

- Tipping Tables - Handling Systems - Scales - Loading Chutes - Bale Feeders - Shearing Chutes - Sorters - Lambing Panels - Head Gates - Gates - Creep Panels - Fenceline Feeders - Trimming Stands - Grain Self Feeders

For ordering info please call Richard @ 306-682-3252. Our products are also available through Peavey Mart and

Sask Sheep Dev. Board Check out our website www.ZubotWelding.ca

New for 2016 – 60 Bushel Feeder - 8’ Double sided feeder on skids - Weathertight lid - Adjust feed flow without

wrenches - Creep panels can be attached - 14ga material fully welded

ALP has switched to the service provider MailChimp for N’ewesline service. With this change, messages may be filtered into your Spam or Junk mailboxes. To avoid missing N’ewesline, please be sure to add admin@ablamb.ca and info@ablamb.ca to your contacts list.

14 June 2016

Producer Resources

Is Bigger for You?With two consumers for every lamb it seems pretty

near everyone has heard about the opportunities in lamb production in Canada.

Lamb producers who’ve been in the industry for any length of time know that the opportunity isn’t easy to grab onto, let alone build on. Many flock managers do ponder on whether or not to expand their operation. Expansion could be finding a new market, increasing the number of ewes, building a bigger barn or adding more corrals, bringing in the next generation, or looking at buying more land.

Buying land is big decision. Farm production rarely cov-ers investment in land. Flock owners considering expand-ing have serious questions to ask themselves. Are the current business, flock size and productivity contributing to a positive cash flow? If not – what needs to change before expansion will work? Is there enough business margin, equity, or off-farm resources to support investing in land?

Rick Dehod, Agriculture and Forestry’s farm financial specialist, advises about buying farmland. “With interest rates low and many Alberta farms with strong balance sheets, the demand for farmland in Alberta has been

Superior ovine genetics for the profit oriented lamb producer.Highest Health Status Available • Performance Based Selection

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robust. Having well-researched financial and ownership plans helps make solid investments.”Agriculture and Forestry’s web page has information to help out with decision-making:• 16 Questions to Consider Before Buying Farm Land,

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/faq14515

• A Legal Guide to Plan Farm Land Ownership andSale in Alberta, http://www1.agriculture.alberta.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/bus15941 (NEW)

• A Guide to Agricultural Security Agreements in Alberta,http://www1.agriculture.alberta.ca/$department/dept-docs.nsf/all/bus15940 (NEW)

“Buying land is an important investment decision,” says Dehod. “Use every resource available to do your owner-ship, financial and cash flow planning. Talk with your banker, your accountant or farm advisor, as well as your lawyer about all the issues that could affect land owner-ship. Solid land purchase plans help make buying land a good investment.”

For more information, visit the Farm Manager Home-page: www.agriculture.alberta.ca/farm-manager.

Richard (Rick) Dehod P.Ag. Farm Financial Specialist, 780-427-4466

June 2016 15

For more information visit our website:www.sungoldmeats.com

SUNGOLD WANTS YOUR LAMBS• Rail price, plus PREMIUMS based on carcass quality• Grain Finished Lambs• Live Pricing for Feeder Lambs, CCull Ewes and Goats

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Please Contact: Kurt Paskal: 403-505-1165 Producer RelationsCathy Krohn: 403-227-7866 Plant Lamb CoordinatorDwayne Beaton: 403-894-4388 CEO

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Please contact: Rick Paskal 403-894-9449Kurt Paskal 403-505-1165Dwayne Beaton 403-894-4388

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Spring/Summer Contracts Now Being Offered! Contact us to discuss

16 June 2016

Producer Resources

Alberta Lamb Price and Slaughter Seasonality

Jason Wood

Seasonality generally affects all agricultural commod-ity markets and refers to the typical pattern that price or quantity follows during the year. While price and quan-tity fluctuate throughout the year they typically track the seasonal pattern, but deviations do occur. Understanding the factors at play in seasonal trends is an important part of a marketing plan, allowing you take advantage of vari-ous opportunities when marketing your lambs.

Price seasonalityOn a seasonal index graph the average price is repre-

sented at 100% and the month to month price difference is the variation from the average price. For example, the Alberta 10-year average seasonal lamb price for January is about 2% lower, compared to the May lamb price that is 2.5% higher than the annual average.

The graph below includes both the 5-year and 10-year average seasonal price index for Alberta lamb. Includ-ing both makes it easier to see how year to year price volatility can affect the seasonal price index. Lamb prices tend to decrease after June, reaching their lowest level in August (up to 5% lower than the annual average) before starting to increase in the fall. Since price is influenced by supply, the lower summer prices typically coincide with the increased supply of lambs. Using a year round production system, breeds of sheep more adapted to reproduce out of season, larger flocks lambing over more of the year, and lamb feeding facilities are options that can be used to reduce the impact of price seasonality.

Slaughter seasonality The following chart shows the 5-year and 10-year

average slaughter seasonality for Western Canada sheep and lamb. Slaughter seasonality is typically the result of

demand. Consumer demand for lamb is influenced not only by cultural traditions, but also barbeque season. The long term trend of increased slaughter during March, June, September, and December coincides with Easter, barbeque season, and Christmas celebrations, for exam-ple.

Seasonal price and slaughter indices are useful infor-mation pieces and are a key part of developing a suc-cessful marketing strategy. Knowing when prices will likely be highest for live lamb, along with peak slaughter periods,can be beneficial in the decision making process to obtain the best price for your lambs.

Alberta lamb price and slaughter update – spring 2016

The chart below is an update on the Alberta lamb price. Lamb prices, like most commodity markets, have seen more volatility over the last 12 to 18 months. While cur-rent Alberta lamb prices have softened about 25% from the high in June 2015, the 2016 year-to-date lamb price remains over 10% higher than the 5-year average.

June 2016 17

Producer Resources .

Western Canadian sheep and lamb slaughter has been increasing over the last couple of years. Total slaughter in 2015 was 12.5% higher than in 2014 and 14.3% higher than the 5-year average. Year-to-date in 2016, Western Canada slaughter is up 28.6% over 2015 and 32.5% higher than the 5-year average. Higher slaughter numbers are a response to the increased demand for Canadian lamb.

We Want to Get These FREE Resources into Your Hands!

Contact the ALP office (admin@ablamb.ca, 403-948-1522) to order your free, postage-paid copies.

The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Sheep

The National Farm Animal Care Council Code of Practice serves as our national understanding of responsible animal care on sheep farms in Canada. The Code was developed by a committee of producers, veterinarians, industry specialists and animal welfare advocates. The document incorporates on-farm considerations with legal require-ments and science-based, industry-accepted standards. Every one handling sheep should have access to a copy of the Code.

Humane Handling Guidelines for Sheep: Standards for the Care of Compromised and Unfit Animals

Produced by Alberta Farm Animal Care, this handbook provides those directly involved in the handling of sheep (farm staff, producers, handlers, auction market person-nel and processors) with the information needed to make humane handling decisions involving the care and transport of compromised or unfit animals. The Guide-line has recently been revised in accordance with new regulations and the 2013 Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Sheep.

ALP Emergency Preparedness Guide

All individuals are responsible for making preparations to keep their families and property safe during an emergency or disaster. Livestock producers have the added respon-sibility of ensuring emergency planning includes their animals. Given the size and special require-ments of livestock, having resources on-hand and a plan in place are vital in minimizing the impact of an emer-gency situation. The new ALP Emergency Preparedness Guide provides producers with information to help them prepare for emergency situations.

Standards for the Care of Compromised and Unfit Animals

Humane Handling Guidelines forSHEEP

EmergencyPreparedness

Guide

FOR THE CARE AND HANDLING OF

SHEEP

CODE OF PRACTICE

The new SheepBytes training video helps both beginners and experts learn to use SheepBytes more effectively to manage flock nutrition.

The free, on-line, training video is easily accessed anytime, anywhere, from any computer, by going to www.sheepbytes.ca. It can be completed in one session or broken down into convenient modules to fit training into your schedule. Modules can be reviewed as often as needed.

–Helping you get flock nutrition right.

Marketline Sign up for free weekly email listing market prices

in Alberta and Ontario. Go to www.ablamb.ca to sign up or email admin@ablamb.ca.

18 June 2016

Technology

Sheep Profits ‐ Managing what you can Measure Dr. Susan Markus, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

Meaningful management decisions are made on the components of a business that we can measure. Tracking feed inventories and feed cost is very important. Feed is expensive. It represents between 40% and 60% of the costs of production to produce market lambs. SheepBytes ration balancer software was developed to assist lamb producers manage flock nutrition and feed costs.

Research, on‐going review and user feedback help ensure accuracy

Recent Alberta research compared the actual dry matter intake of individual feeder ram lambs to the predicted dry matter intake from the SheepBytes computer ration balancing program. The findings show that SheepBytes over‐predicts the feed intake of feeder lambs by about 10-25%. In addition, the heat stress default in the program is set at 25 C but the data indicates these lambs were likely experiencing heat stress at temperatures over 23C which reduced their intakes.

The research used intact feeder ram lambs. The lambs were Rideau cross and Suffolk, Dorset and Canadian Arcott cross. The lambs were fed barley‐based finishing rations over the summers of 2014 and 2015. The lambs entered the feedlots at an average of 20 kg body weight and were sent for slaughter when they reached an average live weight of 52 kg. Daily feed intake and average daily gain were monitored on every lamb. The mean ADG of the lambs over the two summers was 0.42 kg/hd/d.

Over an average 8 week period on feed and based on live weights, lamb type and weather conditions, SheepBytes predicted these lambs would consume 2.52 kg dry matter (DM) per head per day or approximately 2.8 kg As Fed per head per day. The GrowSafe computerized feed intake bunk management system was used to measure individual lamb’s daily feed consumption. It was found that the lambs actually consumed an average of 1.87 kg DM/head/day or 2.1. kg As Fed/head/day. However, some lambs ate 40% less than expected while others ate 44% more than expected for their size and performance.

Economic impact

The ration estimated using SheepBytes cost $0.73 / head / day. Based on the lambs’ actual dry matter intake the ration should have cost $0.54 / head / day. In this situation there was a potential for saving $10.64 / lamb over the feeding period just by fine‐tuning dry matter intake. Over‐estimating feed intake can be costly.

An additional cost that impacts many lamb feeding operations is waste. While not part of this research, monitoring and working to reduce feed waste is critical for profitability.

June 2016 19

Technology .

Summary

This is only one research project using intact feeder ram lambs from 2 flocks over a summer period on high grain rations, meaning changes to the SheepBytes program may not reflect how your flock, or other flocks, perform. However, if SheepBytes users suspect feeder animal intakes are on the high side you can make your own changes. SheepBytes has a feature that enables users to modify feed components. If, based on your own feeds and flock, you are concerned about the estimates of intake you can reduce the predicted intake generated on the output screen by 10%. Use SheepBytes ration balancing program as a guideline for managing flock nutrition. Be sure to get professional advice if you have questions on flock nutrition or on rations.

How to modify your outputs

When building rations for feeder lambs under the Animal menu tab,

select the animal modifications Change both the Max and Pred DMI(%) boxes (first ones on the top left) from 100 to 90. This change will reduce the maximum and predicted dry matter intake (DMI) by 10%. That will take into account the over-estimated level of dry matter (DM) suspected with feeder lambs being fed high concentrate grain based rations.

SheepBytes is a tool for today’s lamb producers to more precisely manage flock nutrition and feed costs.

20 June 2016

Industry Information

ics in Poultry Welfare,” covering feather pecking, housing systems, and bone strength/health.

Dr. Jennifer Walker from Dean Foods spoke on “Animal Welfare and the Interconnection Between Politics, Policy, Profit and People.” Jennifer noted that “animal welfare is foundational to sustainability. It’s the core of everything we do in the livestock industry.”

The goal of our afternoon panel was to stimulate con-versation and really get those tough questions out to the major livestock welfare groups. On the panel sat repre-sentatives from Alberta Farm Animal Care, BCSPCA, Al-berta Agriculture and Forestry, NFACC and World Animal Protection. Although we had some technical difficulties with this presentation, we are hopeful that the audience was still able to find it beneficial.

To finish off the day, Leona Dargis touched on her experiences with “Animal Welfare Around the World” and told her story, which we all know is extremely important.

All in all, the day was a blast. We have finally made it through all of the conference feedback forms, and are excited to start planning for the 2017 Livestock Care Con-ference. Can’t wait to see you there!

Alberta Lamb Producers is a proud member of Alberta Farm Animal Care. We sponsor several post-secondary students every year. The students have interactive sessions with industry experts to learn more about career opportuni-ties in agriculture. Two sheep producers interacted with the students this year at the AFAC conference and both found the experience very rewarding as they saw the next genera-tion’s level of engagement and excitement about agriculture. The AFAC conference also held a sheep handling demon-stration with Curt Pate and a sheep body condition scoring session with Lorna Gibson. Thanks to AFAC for allowing ALP to film both sessions. We have posted them on our YouTube channel SheepCentralAlberta so you can watch them from the comfort of your home!

2016 Livestock Care ConferenceBy Alberta Farm Animal Care

Thanks to all who attended the 2016 Livestock Care Confer-ence! In the office we always joke that our annual conference

feels very similar to a family reunion. It is a place where all of the people that we work with throughout the year come together to network and share ideas on the topic of livestock welfare.

Minister Oneil Carlier opened up the event with some kind words about Alberta Farm Animal Care and the importance of livestock welfare within Alberta. To quote him: “There are a number of reasons to support animal care. Top of the list is that it’s the right thing to do.”

The theme of the conference was “Going Global,” which we felt would be valuable for us in Alberta, to see where we fit in contrast with other provinces and coun-tries around the world when it comes to animal welfare standards and animal care. Our agenda was full of engag-ing speakers who shared their stories and told of adven-tures that they had in different parts of the world. Two of our speakers were previous Nuffield Scholars—Brenda Schoepp and Leona Dargis. With that experience, it is easy to imagine that they were able to keep the crowd engaged.

Brenda Schoepp spoke on “The Interconnection Be-tween Human and Animal Welfare.” She focused on the importance of valuing your staff and making sure they know how big of a responsibility it is to care for animals.

Following that, we had two industry-related speak-ers. Marion Popkin gave a very passionate, informative presentation on the meat rabbit industry in Alberta. She spoke of the accomplishments, growth and the chal-lenges that come with being a meat rabbit producer. Dr. Alexandra Harlander from the University of Guelph delivered an entertaining presentation on the “Hot Top-

ALP sponsored several post-secondary students: left to right Erin Yaremko, ALP zone 5 director and Chair, and students Tessa Weaver, Olds College; Ryden Scott, Olds College; Mirjam Gues-gen, University of Alberta

June 2016 21

Industry Information .

AgCoalition UpdateThe AgCoalition has launched a new website at

www.agcoalition.ca. The website acts as an online forum for all public information related to the AgCoalition. It features an information board to be used for quick updates, align-ing with the goals for open, and transparent information sharing in a timely manner. AgCoalition.ca also has an events page that will be used to communicate and invite participants to events.

On April 18, the AgCoalition met with the Minister of Labour, Lori Gray, taking another important step forward in continuing to develop a productive working relation-ship with the Government of Alberta. They are also having regular meetings and communications with the Agriculture Ministry.

Alberta Lamb Producers joined the Alberta Agriculture Farm and Ranch Safety Coalition (AgCoalition) along with the following groups:

Alberta Barley Commission, Alberta Hatching Egg Produc-ers, Hutterite Standing Committee, Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Milk, Landscape Alberta, Alberta Beekeepers Com-mission, Alberta Pork, Potato Growers of Alberta, Alberta Canola Producers Commission, Alberta Pulse Growers Commission, Western Barley Growers Association, Alberta Cattle Feeders Association, Alberta Seed Growers Associa-tion, Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, Alberta Chicken Producers, Alberta Turkey Producers, Western Stock Growers’ Association, Bison Producers of Alberta, Alberta Vegetable Growers (Processing), Alberta Lamb Producers, Alberta Elk Commission, Alberta Wheat Commission, Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association, Alfalfa Seed Commission (Alberta), Alberta Grazing Leaseholders Association, Egg

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Farmers of Alberta, Alberta Greenhouse Growers Associa-tion, Forage Network

The groups came together as a result of the Govern-ment of Alberta passing Bill 6. This coalition is unprec-edented in Alberta history, bringing together cropping and livestock producers who share a common cause. The purpose of the AgCoalition is to provide an effective mechanism for primary producer organizations to work together and provide a unified voice in the ongoing de-velopment of a culture that supports a safe and healthy environment on both farms and ranches in Alberta.

Summer Synergy and

the 4-H Provincial Sheep ShowJuly 11 – 15, 2016

at the Olds Regional Exhibition, Olds AB

Entry deadline is June 1, 2016.

For details visit www.summersynergy.ca or

contact Shelly Ann Dodgson at 780-853-8115 (office)

or 780-581-5038 (cell/text)

22 June 2016

Industry Information

Global Sheep – The Short StorySusan Hosford, A and F

Sheep meat is one of the world’s four major meat categories, along with beef, pork and poultry meat. Global production in 2014 was 8.7 mil-lion tonnes and the value of trade was in excess of $6.7 billion USD.Source: World Sheep Meat Market to 2025, AHDB Beef and Lamb, UK, 2016

New ZealandAs dry conditions impact pastures and

winter feed it’s even more critical that every ewe pays her own way by producing top quality lambs to be marketed.

Precision flock management is a “per animal” approach to managing a flock that optimizes the contribution of each animal in the flock. It’s a term familiar to some Alberta producers who focus on ewe productivity as a key to business profitability.

“With scanning percentages of 180% we couldn’t get the lamb survival rate up over 120%. For years we as-sumed it was weather, pasture conditions, health man-agement or bad luck that was holding us back. With no records, we really didn’t have a clue,” says Hamish Reid.

“We identified our pure genetics as holding us back. We made a quantum shift to move to cross-breeding. We now have 170% survival rate.” The operation now body condition scores 2,500 ewes five to six times a year and weighs 6,500 lambs regularly until they go to market. It takes time and has definitely been an adjustment. Con-stant monitoring and measure is now standard practice.Source: Premium Ewe Performance, agrihq.co.nz

New Zealand producers, consultants and educators have worked together to look for what makes top per-formers stand apart. The concept of the ‘magic 100 days’ coincides with lambing-to-weaning. It’s one of the key points where top producers start to pull away from the average and set themselves up to capture opportunities. • Priority on setting up to maximize performance in key

periods• Timely decision-making• Early awareness of opportunities• Good strategies and operational actions• Production system matches resources• Investment in and ability to capture performance from

good sheep

While most producers think they get this right, top performers plan to get it right.Source: ‘Capturing Latent Potential’, Country-Wide, March 2016

AustraliaA critical factor for Australian produc-

tion is the impact of changing climate and the severity of droughts which have become a regular occurrence. Australian producers continue to shift from wool

breeds to meat breeds, focusing on improved genetics and productivity.

The 2016 Sheep Industry Projections state there is a larger sheep flock and a 750,000 head increase in the number of lambs expected to be processed in 2016 (to 22 million head). This number is still down 3% from the 2015 record. Lamb production is forecast to decline 3% year-on-year in 2016, to 488,400 tonnes cwt.

Despite anticipated tighter sheep and lamb availability prices may be tested by the strengthening AU$ and any prolonged hot and dry conditions.

Australian lamb exports in 2016 are forecast to be fairly steady with the past two years, at 235,000 tonnes, before gradually growing with production to 280,000 tonnes by 2020.

United Kingdom“Although the law of supply and de-

mand pretty much governs the value of everything we buy and sell, it is an over-simplification to suggest more lambs equal lower prices, or vice-versa.”

“There are examples of positive mar-gins for most types of sheep systems. The key driver of profitability continues to be the level of fixed costs em-ployed. Too many producers still judge their success or failure on maximizing price per head of lambs marketed with little thought to the costs of production they incur.”Source: H. Walsh, Sheep Farmer, Spring 2016

The United Kingdom is the third largest global exporter and importer of lamb and sheepmeat. Exports go mainly to the EU; France in particular accounts for 50% of trade. Imports come mainly from New Zealand. Lamb and sheepmeat declined to 6% of total meat consumption.

United StatesSheep and Lamb Outlook – USDA,Spring, 2016

The U.S. sheep and lamb inventory increased for the second year in 2016. The January 1, 2016 inventory of sheep and lambs was 5.32 million head,

June 2016 23

Industry Information .

up fractionally from 2015. The breeding flock likewise increased less than one percent and the number of re-placement lambs was over two percent higher. Producers may be expanding in those parts of the country where forage conditions have improved. The 2015 lamb crop was unchanged from 2014, likely containing production as producers held animals for replacement. In 2015 com-mercial lamb and mutton production was four percent lower than 2014. Production in 2016 is forecast at 152 million pounds, up about one percent as market lambs on January 1 were up almost one percent.

Lamb and mutton imports for 2016 are forecast at 195 million pounds, nine percent lower than 2015. U.S. production is forecast higher, and tighter lamb supplies are expected in Australia and New Zealand. Both those countries are expected to build flocks during 2016.

San Angelo Choice slaughter lamb price is forecast to average $140 to $149 per cwt for 2016, about the same as 2015’s $144. Despite higher expected U.S. production, lower imports will likely result in tighter supplies and support prices. Source: www.usda.gov/oce/forum

CanadaWhat makes lamb market price tickAAFC Red Meat Section

Sheep/lamb trade data is limited. Data collection and analysis is costly and not available for small industries. As a result there are data gaps that make industry and business planning more difficult.

Live animal trade The data for live animals imported from the US com-

bines purebred/feeder/finished lamb numbers and is broken down into East and West regions. • East 2015 = 57 hd./2014 = 765 hd.• West 2015 = 6,497 hd./2014 = 9,566 hd.• In 2015 there were also 5,509 live animals exported to

the US; in 2014,4,054 hd.

Meat importsWhen you are thinking about what impacts lamb

markets/prices you need to take into consideration meat imports: • 2015: 11,332 tonnes of mutton/lamb imported to

Canada from NZ; 7,515 tonnes from AU• 2014: 10,116 tonnes of mutton/lamb imported to

Canada from NZ; 7,553 tonnes from AU

The trade in live animals is very small compared to lamb meat imports. A growing percentage of lamb meat imports is very competitive fresh products at very ap-pealing pricing. Domestic lamb competes with imported lamb for markets, for retail shelf/freezer space, in food service and for consumer dollars.

The global lamb trade sector is interesting. It plays a big role in what producers here get paid for their lambs. NZ and AU are extraordinary lamb producers, processors, and marketers. That being said, NZ producers I talked to in Feb were not happy with their 2015 market price average of about $87/lamb. Both NZ and AU have seen the loss of the Chinese market have huge implications in sales of secondary cuts, by-products (hides, casings) and offal. Lamb shoulders from AU and NZ have been coming to CDN markets at very competitive prices. If you have sales for 100 racks but can only sell 50 shoulders, you only buy 50 live lambs. If for some reason you buy another 50 it might not be (probably won’t be) at the same price as the first 50 you needed. As soon lamb goes into a freezer not only do costs go up, there is a limit as to who will buy it, and it sells for less than fresh in our markets.

Canadian sheep inventories slipThe sheep breeding herd decreased as the number of

ewes declined 1.5% and that of replacement lambs fell 0.6%. The number of market lambs decreased 3.2% from January 1, 2015.Source: StatsCan 03/03/2016 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidi-en/160303/t003b-eng.htm

24 June 2016

Industry Information

Canadian farmland values still risingA new report says the average price of farmland across

Canada increased 10.1% last year as low interest rates and strong crop income helped maintain demand. The report by Farm Credit Canada says last year’s gains are part of a continuous upward trend that started in 1993. The gains, however, are lower than in recent years, with the average price increasing 14.3% in 2014 and 22.1% in 2013.

The chief agricultural economist at Farm Credit Canada says farmers have to prepare for a potential softening of the market as lower crop prices have already increased volatility. J. P. Gervais says farmers didn’t feel the full effects of lower commodity prices last year because of the significant drop in the Canadian dollar. But looking ahead, Gervais says 2016 could see more modest farm-land value gains of two to four per cent as farmer income, known as crop receipts, start to be affected.

Full report: https://www.fcc-fac.ca/fcc/about-fcc/cor-porate-profile/reports/farmland-values/farmland-values-report-2015.pdf

This study looked into the motivations and challenges of farm buyers, sellers, families, friends, neighbours and strangers. The study involved 2,200 panelists and had a 41% response rate.

The study was carried out by FCC Vision. Farm Credit Corporation’s Vision is Canada’s largest agriculture research panel. Over 5,000 Vision members share their ideas and opinions about Canadian agriculture and how FCC can serve this exciting, growing industry. Members

come from all areas of agriculture and panelists are from all levels of production, agribusiness and agri-food.

For more information read the whole article here. https://www.fccvision.ca/en/articles/Majority-of-farms-are-sold-to-family-friends-and-neighbours.html

AlbertaWeather—the topic of 2016The rains will certainly help newly seeded

and emerging cereal and oilseed crops. Rains and cool weather may help reduce earlier predictions for grasshopper levels.

Moisture was desperately needed by hay crops and pastures. Rains will green up pastures that haven’t been severely over-grazed. Surface water supplies and soil moisture levels in many areas are still poor. Livestock and pasture will continue to need close monitoring. For more information the AgroClimatic Information Service website has excellent graphs, maps and related weather information: http://agriculture.alberta.ca/acis/.

Dry conditions have a far-reaching impact on livestock businesses, impacting soil, pasture plants, water supplies and, of course, winter feed costs. Maximize pastures by: • minimizing overgrazing that weakens plants reducing

their ability to recover when it does rain;• using sacrifice pastures where supplemental hay or

grain can be fed;• monitoring weather and climate sites like AgroClimatic

for forecasts and planning;• having fertilizer ready for pastures when it starts to

rain;• planting annual forages to extend the grazing season.

Farm Direct Markets—Off-farm lamb salesProducers marketing lambs off-farm may be asked to

sell live lambs. It is important to understand the regula-tions concerning the sale and slaughter of these lambs. The regulation states:

‘A lamb may be slaughtered on a farm only if it is going to be eaten by the farm family. A live lamb can be sold to a buyer who makes his/her own arrangements for off-site slaughter and cutting. If the meat is to be sold, the lamb must be taken to a licensed, provincially or feder-ally inspected abattoir for slaughtering and processing. Only inspected meat can be sold.’

For more information: Direct Marketing Freezer Lambs, www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/

$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex10316Marketing Your Lambs, www.ablamb.caCall the Alberta Agriculture Ag Info line 310-FARM

(3276).

June 2016 25

Industry Information .

MetacamBoehringerIngelheim (Canada) Ltd. receives approval for Metacam®20* for the alleviation of pain and inflammation in sheep

BoehringerIngelheim’s Metacam® 20 has obtained approval in Canada for use in the alleviation of pain and inflammation in sheep. This is the first approval for Meta-cam® 20 in sheep worldwide.

The marketing authorization was granted based on Colditz et al.,“Efficacy of Meloxicam in Sheep: Determin-ing the effective dose of meloxicam in a sterile model of inflammation in sheep,” (2011, unpublished).

In sheep, Metacam® 20 (meloxicam) is given as a single subcutaneous injection of 1.0 mL/20 kg bodyweight.

The approval comes following a joint submission from BoehringerIngelheim in Canada, Australia and New Zealand that saw regulatory agencies from each country participate in a collaborative review process. The regula-tory agencies for each country maintained the right to

CCWG Announces Price Decrease for Shearwell CSIP ASET Tags

Canadian Co-operative Wool Growers Limited (CCWG) has announced that effective immediately, the price of Shearwell CSIP ASET tags will decrease to $1.95, subject to CSIP fees and tag levies where applicable. CCWG cites a slight increase in the Canadian dollar against the British pound, and financial support from the UK tag manufac-turer, Shearwell Data Limited, as the contributing factors for the price cut. CCWG has worked extensively with manufacturers to manage tag costs to producers.

The Canadian Sheep Federation is committed to ensur-ing the Canadian Sheep Identification Program (CSIP) evolves with the changing needs of producers, the in-dustry and global market demands with a focus on being

“affordable, flexible and effective.” In keeping with this purpose, the Canadian Sheep Federation will continue to explore opportunities for minimizing CSIP costs to pro-ducers while continuing to ensure an effective national traceability program.

For more information about purchasing sheep tags in Canada, contact the Canadian Co-operative Wool Grow-ers Limited by calling 1-800-488-2714 for eastern Canada or 1-800-567-3693 for western Canada or visit their website at www.wool.ca. For more information about the Canadian Sheep Identification Program visit www.cansheep.ca or contact the Canadian Sheep Federation at 1-888-684-7739 or by emailing info@cansheep.ca.

determine whether a product was approved for its own market. The joint submission and simultaneous review mark an important achievement in international regula-tory cooperation.

Metacam® is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the oxicam class. Following the joint submission and re-view process, it is now licensed for use in sheep in three countries.

Metacam® 20 for use in sheep is a new indication for BoehringerIngelheim’s cattle product and demonstrates the company’s commitment to animal welfare across a range of species.Communications, Media and Public RelationsMerry Garbutt, Corporate CommunicationsBoehringerIngelhein (Canada) Ltd.Email: merry.garbutt@boehringer-ingelhein.comPhone: (905) 631-4531

R. R. 1 Carstairs, Alberta

T0M 0N0Phone/Fax (403) 337-2221

• Comforters• Mattress Pads• Sleeping Bags• Batts• Roping 4-Str.• Yarns• Work Socks

• Custom Services -WashingDyingCardingSpinningSewingKnitting

26 June 2016

Industry Information

Head Office Carleton Place, Ontario

CANADIAN CO-OPERATIVE WOOL GROWERS ~ LIMITED ~

BRANCHES AND ASSOCIATIONS ACROSS CANADA

Box 130 CARLETON PLACE, ONTARIO

K7C 3P3

TEL: 613-257-2714 FAX: 613-257-8896

E-MAIL: ccwghq@wool.ca WEB: www.wool.ca

www.premier-choix.ca www.realwoolshop.ca

Coming Soon - Fall 2016 Plans are now underway for CCWG to build a new and efficient facility in Western Canada at Broxburn Business Park, conveniently located approximately 3 kilometers from the city of Lethbridge, Alberta and in close proximity to both major livestock auctions. The Broxburn Business Park has been developed with a major focus on attracting a wide range of agribusiness. We look forward to the opportunity of relocating and growing our business in this exciting new environment. CCWG plans include a 14,000 square foot structure to be built on a 1.3 acre site comprising warehouse, retail and office space. The company owned property since 1950 at 918 1st Ave South in Lethbridge has been sold and the proceeds of the sale will be applied to the new project. Estimated completion date by Southwest Design and Construction Ltd from Lethbridge is November 2016.

June 2016 27

Industry Information .

Looking for More Volunteer Flocks in Alberta

The University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medi-cine (UCVM),sheep parasite and anthelmintic resist-ance survey

In the summers of 2014 and 2015, Drs. Michel Levy and John Gilleard from the University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine, have undertaken surveys of sheep farms in Alberta to assess the level of parasites present. They also conducted more detailed investigation of anthelmintic resistance on a number of farms in Alberta by undertak-ing on-farm visits to perform fecal egg count reduction tests. The results of this work suggest that many Alberta sheep flocks have high parasite burdens and that iver-mectin and fenbendazole/albendazole resistant parasites may be more common in the province than previously thought.

The Alberta Meat and Livestock Agency (ALMA) has approved funding for a more comprehensive research project to run over three years from 2015 and the plan is to continue and survey sheep flocks for parasites. In the upcoming summer of 2016, the researchers are look-ing to continue and survey more flocks in Alberta. The project will look at parasite burden and at the efficacy of treatment at the flock level. Molecular techniques for identification of parasites will be developed. Detection of parasite resistance to dewormers and its evolution will be monitored over several years.

If you have more than 60 ewes and would like to take part in this research project this year, please contact Dr. Michel Levy or Dr. John Gilleard at the University of Calgary – right now! Thank you for your help and inter-est in this project.

mlevy@ucalgary.cajsgillea@ucalgary.ca

‘Participating in the program has given us the opportunity to monitor the long term effectiveness of our parasite control program (using data), and helped us continuously improve it based on that data. As producers, it has been a good opportunity to for us to par-ticipate and we plan on doing so in the future.’

Doug NoyesZone 3, producer

Use caution opening emails from ALP AdminEmails have been circulating that appear to be from

the sender “ALP Admin”. Unfortunately, our account was spoofed — these messages are not from ALP. If you receive an email that appears to be from ALP Admin, check that the email address is ‘admin@ablamb.ca’. If the email has been sent from a different address, do not click any links that appear in the message and delete the email. We apologize for any inconvenience and have taken steps to prevent this from happening.

NEW - Traceability Connects ToolTraceability in Alberta relies on three fundamental

pillars of premises identification, animal identification and animal movement. Traceability Connects is a map-based directory of traceability services for producers and industry. At the click of a mouse, connect to the traceabil-ity services you need, for any species, at a location close to you. Give it a try at http://www.agriculture.alberta.ca/traceabilityconnects.

For more information on Traceability in Alberta, please visit www.agriculture.alberta.ca/traceability. If you have any questions about this tool or about traceability, please call 310-FARM (3276) or email duke@gov.ab.ca.

28 June 2016

Industry Information

Shearing SchoolJim and Margaret Oosterhof

On May 8th and 9th we hosted a Sheep Shearing School for the first time. We would like to thank Jacquie Turuk for the help she gave us, so we would know what to do to start the set up and enrolment and what to pos-sibly expect in this endeavour.

We had a nice group of students from all over the prov-ince, as well as from our neighbouring province of BC.

The first day started with our instructor, Shaun Fajnor, teaching the students about the equipment they would be using. Eventually they began,first shearing the bellies and learning how to manoeuvre the sheep to best apply the techniques they were learning.

Snacks and lunches provided a welcome break as the students chatted up a storm and began to get a sense of how difficult shearing can be,and how holding the sheep in certain positions eases the whole procedure.

The second day of continued learning enabled the students to graduate to shearing the entire sheep.

This turned out to be a pleasant experience;the stu-dents left with a sense of how to practice and were encouraged to continue shearing sheep.

Thank you as well to Shaun for working together with us to provide this event.Photo credit: Reinhard Valentino Photography

June 2016 29

Industry Information .

Volunteer Opportunities for the Calgary Stampede Sheep Showcase

It’s hard to believe, but the 2016 Calgary Stampede will soon be upon us. The Calgary Stampede Sheep Committee has been working tirelessly on the planning for this year’s events. This year’s theme is “The history of Sheep Ranching in Alberta.” The core of our program includes the world renowned Stock Dog and Sheep Shearing competitions, as well as the ever popular Sheep Showcase. We also have some exciting changes. Sheep Showcase will now run the full 10 days of the Stampede and will include a Producer’s Corner. As well, we will be moving the Kitchen Theatre and Kid’s Area to the Pavil-ion.

You are probably reading this and wondering how you can be a part of this. Well, you are in luck! We have a request for additional volunteers to work full or half day shifts with the Stock Dog competition, Shearing Demos, and in the Sheep Showcase. Benefits to volunteers includes: free admission to CS Park, parking, lunch, and an exciting opportunity to network with fellow produc-ers as well as a unique opportunity to interact with the fantastic CS visitors. You will find this experience very rewarding.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Doug Noyes at rustyironacres@gmail.com.

YAHOO!

Buying and selling all classes of sheep and goats • Live weight pricing • Licensed, bonded, and insured • Same-day payment

Fort Macleod Auction PO Box 1330 Fort Macleod, AB T0L 0Z0 • 1-888-553-7715

Darren Shaw: 403-601-5165 • High River Location: 403-652-3343

www.livestock.ab.ca

ALP is a proud sponsor of the Calgary Stampede Sheep Program, which builds awareness about Alberta lamb recipes and cook-ing tips offered during the Kitchen Theatre.

Stampede runs July 8-17. • Sneak-a-peek is July 7• The 2016 Sheep Showcase will be open Friday, July 8

to Sunday, July 17 from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily excepton the three “special days” July 10 and 13 when it willopen at 9 a.m. It is located in the Agrium WesternEvents Centre.

• North American Sheep Shearing Competition: July8-9, 2016

• World Stock Dog Championship: July 9-10, 2016

For the complete events schedule, visithttp://ag.calgarystampede.com/events.

30 June 2016

Industry Information

CLASSIFIEDSClassified ads are available free to Alberta produc-ers. In addition to being published in the newsletter, they are available on-line at http://www.ablamb.ca/index.php/news-advertising/advertising.

This online list is updated at the beginning of each month. Email admin@ablamb.ca, fax 403-912-1455 or call 403-948-1522 to place, amend or delete your classified ad. Alberta Lamb Producers does not endorse or pro-mote any of the advertisements or advertisers in the N’ewesletter.

SHEEP & LAMBS: FOR SALE

Sheep Lake Suffolks. Registered Suffolk ram lambs & ewe lambs for sale. Contact Mike at 780-307-3385.

4 yearling Suffolk rams. Purebred with Woolfitt and Sheep Lake breeding. Call Susan Clark. 403-641-2216.

Moonshine Dorsets. Registered and purebred tradi-tional Dorset ram lambs for sale from November 2015 and January 2016 lambing. All twins, traditional confir-mation. Call Raelyn at 403-746-2140.

Clun Forest Rams. Selected from easy lambers and good mothers. Glynn Brooks, Lethbridge 403-327-2242. ceeder1@telus.net.

1 Registered Katahdin ram, 1 unregistered Katahdin ram, 4 years old, both non-aggressive, healthy and up to date on vaccines and feet trim, easy to handle. $250 each, call 780-848-2267 or 587-596-1556.

Flock dispersal of 200 purebred Rambouillet ewes. Excellent younger flock with Shearwell records. May consider smaller groups. Contact Jack Braat 403-327-9757. braatsheep@yahoo.com.

Yearling Suffolk & Rambouillet rams. Top quality rams selected for growth & wool. Jack Braat 403-327-9757. braatsheep@yahoo.com.

Isle Of Skye Pedigree North Country Cheviot breed-ing stock. *New bloodlines.* Select number of top quality ram lambs available. www.isleofskyecheviots.ca, Susan Neal 403-588-3808.

Peace Country, Ab. Purebred, well-bred, well-mus-cled, yearling Suffolk & Dorset rams. Still some avail-able. These kinds of genetics have won awards for champion, supreme champion & highest selling ram at the Classic numerous times! Call or txt 780-864-8924.

Alberta Sheep Breeders’ Association (ASBA) mem-bers are your source for registered breeding stock in Alberta. Join today! 1-866-967-4337, www.albertasheepbreeders.ca.

Parker Stock Farm 2015. Glen and Kathy Parker. GenOvis performance tested breeding stock. www. parkerstockfarm.com, parkerstockfarm@xplornet.com, 403-443-7220.

Need More Lambs? Romanov & Charollais rams, ewes & crossbreds. Performance based selection OPP-Neg hdf@ocflock.com or 403-224-2463.

Registered Suffolk rams & ram lambs. Purebred Suf-folk ewe lambs Contact Ted or Linda Buelow 403-788-2411.

American Blackbelly Sheep for sale. All purebred and registered. Check out our website www.rustyironacres.com to see what’s available and for pricing. Doug and Tina Noyes 403-396-4705.

SHEEP & LAMBS: WANTED

Wanted: Feeder lambs and culls in High Prairie area. All sizes and types. Animals weighed, no shrink. Clients emailed price/lb weekly and can decide if they want to deliver. Hauling possible. No commission fees. Call Eric Verstappen 780-536-6740, pref. 8-9 p.m.

DOGS

7 Kuvasz/Pyranees puppies, males and females, born October 2015. They are farm raised and learning about baby lambs right now. Price $250. Phone 403-526-9177 or 403-502-9470 and please leave a message—we work nights.

EqUIPMENT & MISCELLANEOUS

Sheep Trimming-tipping chute from Mar-Weld. Only used for two seasons (about 300 sheep), barely used. Asking $1100. Call Raelyn to get pictures 403-746-2140.

For Sale: Lister Flexible Shaft Inner Core (new) with two Lister Boyonet Joints. $125. Glynn Brooks Leth-bridge, 403-327-2242, ceeder1@telus.net.

Are you looking for a better way to feed grain to your sheep? 3in1 Feeders are now available in Canada. Check out these controlled self-feeders on our new Canadian website at www.3in1feeders.com. To get in on the current shipment of feeders or for further information contact Myrna at Huber Ag Equipment Ltd 403-575-1977 or huberagequip@gmail.com. For more shortline equipment see www.huberequipment.com.

Blue Rock Animal Nutrition. Manufacturers of cus-tom sheep, beef and goat mineral premixes. Nutrition consultation, feed testing and SWEET PRO protein tub distributers. Kristen Ritson-Bennett 403-358 1674 - Small Ruminant Nutrition Consulting, bluerockmineral@xplornet.com.

June 2016 31

Industry Information .

Sheep Calendar What Where When

Fibre Week Olds College, Olds June 17-23. http://oldscollege.ca/continuing-education/fibre/fibre-week/index

‘Soil Health: The Bottom Lines’ with Nicole Masters

Carstairs Community Hall, Carstairs

June 24. Foothills Forage & Grazing Associa-tion, http://www.foothillsforage.com

CSBA All Canada Sheep Classic Richmond, QC July 7-9. www.sheepbreeders.ca

Summer Synergy Provincial Sheep Show

Olds July 11-15. See page 21 for details.www.4h.ab.ca, www.summersynergy.ca

Calgary Stampede Sheep Showcase

Agrium Western Event Centre, Stampede Grounds, Calgary

July 8–17. See page 29 for details.

North American Sheep Shearing Challenge

Ag Building/Pavilion, Stam-pede Grounds, Calgary

July 8-9, Entry closing date: June 27.http://ag.calgarystampede.com/events

World Stock Dog Championship Agrium Western Event Centre, Stampede Grounds, Calgary

July 9-10. http://ag.calgarystampede.com/events

Colonial Days Lloydminster Exhibition

Lloydminster July 13-16.http://lloydexh.com/colonial-days/

2016 Grasslands Sheep Exhibition Humbolt, SK July 22-24. www.sksheep.com, 306-933-5200For details see page 28.

Deadline for October N’ewesletter Send submissions to the ALP office

August 26.

ALP Fall round-up Meetings Various October–November. Check www.ablamb.ca or see page 32 for details.

Please e-mail admin@ablamb.ca or call 403-948-1522 to provide details of your event for the N’ewesletter and website sheep calendar

Aussie TripTracy Niggli from Milk River, Alberta, went to Australia

for an agricultural exchange through International Rural Exchange Canada from September 2015 to March 2016. The farm she grew up on only has crops, so it was a bit of a shock for her when she found herself on an Austral-ian farm that had 3000 Merino and 150 crossbred sheep. Although she missed lambing by about a month, she took part in vaccinating, ear tagging, crutching, shearing, and drenching on top of the daily chores such as feeding. She also got the opportunity to attend a sale. She states,

“Because of sheep, I’ve had more manure under my nails, bruises on my legs, and sweat and tears on my face than I’ve ever had in my life, but I also gained so much knowl-edge, lessons, and experience.”

32 June 2016

Industry Information

Alberta Lamb Producers 2015/2016Zone #1 – Ray Nolan (Nanton, Pincher Creek, Cardston, Fort Macleod, Vulcan)

Phone: 403-681-0276 E-mail: zone1@ablamb.caZone #2 – Vacant. Please contact the ALP office with your concerns.Zone #3 – Cindy Armstrong, Finance Chair (Olds, Calgary, Red Deer, Drumheller)

Phone: 403-773-2407 E-mail: zone3@ablamb.caZone #4 – Bill Gibson Vice-Chair (Wetaskiwin, Lacombe, Coronation, Rocky Mountain House)

Phone: 403-788-2883 E-mail: zone4@ablamb.caZone #5 – Erin Yaremko, Chair (Athabasca, Wainwright, Vegreville, St. Paul, Lloydminster, Thorhild)

Phone: 780-645-6550 E-mail: zone5@ablamb.ca Cell: 780-210-0480Zone #6 – Darlene Stein (Barrhead, Edmonton, Drayton Valley, Whitecourt)

Phone: 780-674-3732 E-mail: zone6@ablamb.caZone #7 – Kirk Cowell (High Level, Grande Prairie, Valleyview, High Prairie)

Pending Marketing Council approval

ALP OfficeRobyn Moore Executive Director 403-948-8533 info@ablamb.caBeth Kyle, Project Administrator 403-948-1522 admin@ablamb.caAddress: Agriculture Centre, 97 East Lake Ramp NE, Airdrie, AB T4A 0C3Fax: 403-912-1455 www.ablamb.ca for producer information, www.albertalamb.ca for consumer information

10th Annual Pound Maker Ram SaleThe Pound Maker Ram Sale took place on May 19 at

Fort McLeod Auction. Sale Averages: Ile de France $1,633 Suffolk $923 Dorset $1,200 Hampshire $850 Charollais $900 North Country Cheviot $733 Rambouillet $815 Coloured $750Overall average of all breeds: $993

High selling ram: Suffolk for $3,400 to Jordan Live-stock of Rimbey, AB

High Dollar Volume Buyer (winner of 2W maternity pen): Cayley Colony, Cayley, AB

Approximately 175 people were on hand for lunch.Please contact the ALP office if you would like to submit

sale results for publication.

ALP Fall Round Up Meeting Schedule Announced!

Alberta Lamb Producers is your organization – fund-ed and governed by sheep and lamb producers.

We need you to continue building a sustainable, thriving industry!

The Fall Zone Meetings are your chance to learn more about ALP activities and to have a say in the direction of your organization and industry.

Meeting Dates:Zone 5: October 27, Vermillion (Director election) Zone 6: October 29, Barrhead Zones 3 and 4: October 29, Location TBAZones 1 and 2: November 12, Lethbridge (Director elections) Zone 7: November 19, Grande Prairie (Director election) Full details of the meetings will be available in the

October N’ewesletter. Meeting information, such as guest speakers, will be made available on ALP’s website, www.ablamb.ca and through N’ewesline, as available.

It’s time to make RFID work for you! Read electronic tags with a Shearwell RFID stick reader or handheld stock recorder.

Download later into FarmWorks software on your computer, or link to our phone app to record on the go.

FarmWorks software Psion stock recorder RFID stick readers Weighing and drafting systems

RFID compatible, complete management systems for sheep and cattle.

For more information please contact:

Erona Farms Ltd. / Shearwell Canada support & sales780-674-9564

www.eronafarms.ca sales@eronafarms.ca

Friday, September 9, 2016 at 1:00 P.M. Beaverlodge at Willowview Auctions

Auctioneer – Ged Willis

On offer: approximately 30 yearling rams.

Vet evaluated and semen tested.

Suffolk, Dorset and possibly a few other breeds.

Also on offer will be some select Suffolk and Dorset ewe lambs.

Consignors: Birch Hills Colony

Perry & Corinne Spitzer

Ed & Renate & Leona Green

Lorea Tomsin – Olde Country

Please check willowauctions@xplornet.com for the catalogue after the first week in August.

For more information, contact Tom Walters at (780) 864-8924

Peace Country Sheep Producers take advantage of

the only sheep sale in the Peace Country!