The Let’s Grow initiative focused on increasing flock productivity and efficiency to ensure the sustainability of the U.S. sheep industry.
Below are articles, factsheets, presentations, reports, videos, and webinars funded through the Let’s Grow grant program (2015 – 2018).
For additional information consult the Sheep Care Guide (pdf) and the Sheep Production Handbook.
Click here to access all the Educational Webinars
Click on the factsheet to download (pdf)
- Lamb Crop Fact Sheets: Complete Set
- Accelerated Lambing
- Breeding Ewe Lambs
- Cull Underperformers
- Disease Prevention
- Optimal Nutrition
- Pregnancy Testing
- Prolific Genetics
- Reduce Loss
- Reproduction Management
- Seasonal Changes
- Testing Rams
- Using Crossbreeding
Webinar: Best Practices to Increase Your Lamb Flock
Date: August 30, 2016
Presenter: Reid Redden, PhD, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Factsheet: Increasing Lamb Output via Crossbreeding
Author: Dan Morrical, PhD, Iowa State University
Click here to download the factsheet (pdf)
Factsheet: Use Genetics to Increase Lambing Percentage
Authors: Susan Schoenian, University of Maryland Extension and Scott Greiner, PhD, Virginia Tech University
Click here to download the factsheet (pdf)
Webinar: How can NSIP add $$$ to my Suffolk flock?
Date: March 2018
Webinar Host: United Suffolk Sheep Association
Click here to view the webinar
Article: Sheep Industry comes together in Utah
Date: November 2017
Project: Utah Leading Edge Group
Click here for the Sheep Industry News article
Article: NSIP Breeds Find Common Goals
Date: November 2017
Click here for the Sheep Industry News Article
Article: NSIP adds searchable database query
Date: September 2017
Click here to access the NSIP database
Click here for the Sheep Industry News Article
Webinar: Selection for Parasite Resistance
Date: August 22, 2017
Presenter: Joan Burke, PhD, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Presentation: Texas Sheep and Goat Expo
Date: 2017
Presenter: Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Presentation: Leading Edge Sheep Producers
Date: January 2017
Presenter: Utah Leading Edge Group
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Report: Increasing annual lamb productivity through the identification of genes and diagnostic markers for selection of out of season breeding
Date: 2017
Cornell University
Click here to download the report (pdf)
Video: Pedigree Master Tutorial — Export Data to Excel
Date: October 2016
National Sheep Improvement Program
Click here to view the video
Video: Pedigree Master Spreadsheet Upload
Date: September 2016
National Sheep Improvement Program
Click here to view the video
Video: How to enter and submit data by Chris Schauer Part V
Date: May 2016
National Sheep Improvement Program
Click here to view the video
Video: Challenges of moving to a performance-based flock by Bill Shultz Part IV
Date: May 2016
National Sheep Improvement Program
Click here to view the video
Video: How, when, and what data to collect for NSIP by Cody Hiemke Part III
Date: May 2016
National Sheep Improvement Program
Click here to view the video
Video: How the sheep industry can benefit from NSIP by Dr. Robert Banks Part I
Date: May 2016
National Sheep Improvement Program
Click here to view the video
Video: Pedigree Master Tutorials
Date: May 2016
National Sheep Improvement Program
Click here to view the video
Report: Improving Sheep Carcass Quality through the Development of a Range Ram Index Utilizing Ultrasound Genetic Measures
Date: 2016
California Wool Growers Association
Click here to download the report (pdf)
Article: Better Genetics Equals More Profit
Date: November 2016
Click here for the Sheep Industry News article
Video: Katahdins at the Bonus Angus Farm
Date: May 2016
National Sheep Improvement Program
Click here to view the video
Webinar: Using EBVs to Achieve Your Breeding Goals
Date: August 25, 2015
Presenter: Dave Notter, PhD, Virginia Tech University
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Presentation: Bill Shultz – NSIP Ram Producer Big, Fat and Beautiful
Date: 2015
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Presentation: The Power of NSIP to Increase Your Profits
Date: 2015
Presenter: Rusty Burgett, National Sheep Improvement Program
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Webinar: Profitable Genetic Selection: How the National Sheep Improvement Program Can Help the U.S. Sheep & Goat Industry
Date: December 17, 2013
Presenter: Reid Redden, PhD, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Webinar: Is Sheep Milk Production in your future?
Date: March 14, 2017
Presenter: David L. Thomas, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Webinar: Managing Your Pastures Better: Management Intensive Grazing 101
Date: April 22, 2014
Presenter: Dr. Woody Lane, Livestock Nutritionist & Forage Specialist, Lane Livestock Services
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Date: April 22, 2014
Presenter: Dr. Woody Lane, Livestock Nutritionist & Forage Specialist, Lane Livestock Services
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Video: Animal Welfare with Dr. Temple Grandin
Date: January 2017
American Sheep Industry Association
Click here to view the video
Video Series: How To Handle Sheep with Dr. Temple Grandin
American Sheep Industry Association
Introduction
Part 1 – General Principles for Handling Sheep
Part 2 – Handling Sheep in Market Facilities
Part 3 – Handling Sheep In Processing Facilities
Click here for the video series in Spanish
Factsheet: Biosecurity
Author: William Shulaw, DVM, Ohio State University
Click here to download the factsheet (pdf)
Factsheet: Making Vaccine Choices
Author: William Shulaw, DVM, Ohio State University
Click here to download the factsheet (pdf)
Factsheet: Steps to Effective and Sustainable Internal Parasite Management
Authors: Will R. Getz, PhD, Valley State University and Susan Schoenian, University of Maryland Extension
Click here to download the factsheet (pdf)
Video: Veterinary Feed Directive and Small Ruminants
Date: 2017
American Sheep Industry Association
Click here to view the video
Video: Sheep Industry Compliance to the Veterinary Feed Directive
Date: 2017
American Sheep Industry Association
Click here to view the video
Report: Determining anthelmintic resistance on sheep farms in the southeastern U.S.
Date: 2017
Western Maryland Commercial Sheep Producer Group via University of Maryland (Extension)
Click here to download the report (pdf)
Presentation: Utilizing Your Veterinarian and Developing Quality Health Programs
Date: 2015
Presenter: Sam Nielsen, DVM, Bear River Veterinary Clinic, Evanston, WY.
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Webinar: A New Approach to Parasite Management in Sheep
Date: August 27, 2013
Presenters: Will Getz, PhD and Thomas H. Terrill, PhD, Fort Valley State University
Click here to view the webinar
Webinar: Looking Towards the Future of Parasite Management Through “Host – Colored” Glasses
Date: December 11, 2012
Presenter: Scott Bowdridge, PhD, West Virginia University
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
The Lamb Resource Center is an information hub for America’s Lamb Industry.
The Leading Edge study assessed the value of using performance-tested blackface (Suffolk) rams in a Western range flock. Rams selected based on their genetic merit for growth sired crossbred lambs that weighed, on average, 3 pounds more at weaning than typical range rams.
Click here for The Mickel Project – A Leading Edge Study
Factsheet: Benchmarks for Success
Author: Rob Rutherford, Cal Poly State University
Click here to download the factsheet (pdf)
Presentation: 150% Lamb Crop Challenge
Date: January 2018
Presenter: Reid Redden, PhD, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Presentation: Grass Based Pipestone in the Southeast
Date: January 2017
Presenter: Montgomery Sheep Farm
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Presentation: Vertically Integrated Sheep Production
Date: June 2016
Presenter: Alan Culham, Let’s Grow Specialist
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Webinar: Best Practices to Increase Your Lambcrop
Date: August 30, 2016
Presenter: Reid Redden, PhD, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Webinar: Producer Groups: What Are These About, How Do They Work, And Why Can They Be So Successful
Date: March 29, 2016
Presenters: Dr. Woody Lane, Livestock Nutritionist & Forage Specialist, Lane Livestock Services and Dave Ollila, South Dakota State University
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Presentation: Leading Edge Sheep Production
Date: 2015
Presenter: Tom Boyer
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Presentation: American Lamb Board Update for the Leading Edge Sheep Production Workshop
Date: 2016
Presenter: West Patton
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Presentation: The American Lamb Industry Roadmap Project Update for the Leading Edge Sheep Production Workshop
Date: 2016
Presenter: West Patton
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Presentation: Maximizing Pounds of Lamb per Ewe
Date: 2016
Presenter: Alan Culham, Let’s Grow Specialist
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Presentation: Increasing Lamb Production Efficiency with Accelerated Production
Date: 2015
Presenter: Richard Ehrhardt, PhD, Michigan State University
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Presentation: Is it Worth it to Shed Lamb?
Date: 2015
Presenter: Kim Chapman, Utah State University
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Webinar: Farm Security and Crisis Management: Do’s and Don’ts in Hiring
Date: April 13, 2015
Presenter: Kay Johnson Smith, Animal Agriculture Alliance
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Webinar: Reducing Labor at Lambing
Date: October 8, 2013
Presenters: Philip Berg and Mike Caskey, Pipestone Lamb and Wool Program, Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Webinar: Capitalizing on the Mutual Benefits of a Mentoring Relationship
Date: November 13, 2012
Presenters: Jay Parsons, PhD, Colorado State University & Optimal Ag Consulting with Special Guests: Skye Krebs (Oregon), Eric Harlow (Oregon), Jennifer Tucker (Colorado), and Cody Halligan (Nebraska)
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Mentoring is an invaluable way to transfer knowledge from the established to the new in any industry.
The American Sheep Industry Association has established a mentor/intern network on a state-by-state basis across the nation in an effort to attract and support new producers.
These mentoring guidelines are designed to provide a resource for new and experienced producers alike, guiding them in their relationship and highlighting the impact that strong mentoring relationships can have on successful personal and professional development.
Click here to download the Mentoring Guidelines (pdf)
Webinar: Lamb Meat Quality
Date: April 25, 2017
Presenter: Travis Hoffman, PhD, North Dakota State University/University of Minnesota
Click here to view the webinar
Presentation: South Dakota Post Weaning Lamb Performance Program – Phase 1
Date: January 2017
Presenters: Dave Ollila and Jeff Held, PhD, South Dakota State University
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Click here to download the project report (pdf)
Presentation: Use of Electronic ID to Enhance Lamb Productivity & Value-Based Marketing
Date: January 2017
Presenters: Reid Redden, PhD, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and Brad Anderson, Mountain States Rosen Mountain States Lamb Cooperative
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Factsheet: Late Gestation/Early Lactation Ewe Nutrition
Author: Reid Redden, PhD, North Dakota State University
Click here to download the factsheet (pdf)
Webinar: Refining Our Nutrition Program to Meet the Mineral and Vitamin Needs of Our Sheep Flocks
Date: July 19, 2016
Presenter: Dan Morrical, PhD, Iowa State University
Click here to view the webinar
Webinar: Dietary Supplements: A Necessity or Folly?
Date: September 22, 2015
Presenter: Robert Van Saun, DVM, Penn State University
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Webinar: Optimizing Reproductive Efficiency in Sheep Production with Strategic Nutritional Management
Date: June 23, 2015
Presenter: Richard Ehrhardt, PhD, Michigan State University
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Webinar: Understanding Sheep Nutrition
Date: August 26, 2014
Presenter: Dan Morrical, PhD, Iowa State University
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Webinar: Proper Feeding of Ewes During Breeding and Pregnancy
Date: August 28, 2012
Presenters: Rodney Kott, PhD and Lisa Surber, PhD, Montana State University
Click here to view the webinar
Video: Understanding the need for Guard Dogs
American Sheep Industry Association
Click here to view the video
American Sheep Industry Association
Click here to view the video
Factsheet: Assessing Lamb Mortality Patterns is the First Step to Reducing Loss
Author: Richard Ehrhardt, PhD, Michigan State University
Click here to download the factsheet (pdf)
Video: Improving the adoption of accelerated lambing in the United States
Date: 2017
Click here to view the video
Webinar: Improving Reproductive Performance of Ewe Lambs Bred at Eight Months of Age
Date: October 11, 2016
Presenter: Dr. Paul Kenyon, Massey University in New Zealand
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Presentation: Increasing Lamb Production Efficiency with Accelerated Production
Date: 2015
Presenter: Richard Ehrhardt, PhD, Michigan State University
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Webinar: Optimizing Reproductive Efficiency in Sheep Production with Strategic Nutritional Management
Date: June 23, 2015
Presenter: Richard Ehrhardt, PhD, Michigan State University
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
Webinar: Accelerated Lambing: An Opportunity to Build Markets and Increase Production Efficiency
Date: September 23, 2014
Presenter: Richard Ehrhardt, PhD, Michigan State University
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides (pdf)
The Resource Manual (pdf) developed in 2012, includes sections for Online/Distance Learning, Onsite Learning Courses and Other Educational Materials.
The Sheep Production Handbook covers the basics of sheep production, for the beginner and experienced sheep producer alike. Topics include sheep breeding, forages, handling, health, management, marketing, nutrition, predator control, quality assurance, reproduction, sheep care, and wool. To order click here.
Report: U.S. Baseline Lamb Cost of Production Analysis
Date: Updated 2018
Author: Livestock Marketing Information Center
Click here to download the analysis (pdf)
Click here to download the interactive spreadsheet (xls)
Video: Wool 101
Date: February 2018
American Wool Council Presentation
Click here to view the video
Presentation: Fine Wool Consortium
Date: January 2017
Click here to download the presentation slides (pdf)
Video: National Sheep Improvement Program – Helle Rambouillet Ranch
Date: 2016
Click here to view the video
Webinar: Feeding and Producing Sheep for Maximum Fiber Production: Is it Realistic?
Date: September 10, 2013
Presenter: Nancy A Irlbeck, PhD, Colorado State University
Click here to view the webinar