Sheep The North Dakota Industry Newsletter Publication No. 64 A joint publication brought to you by the North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers Association and the NDSU Extension Service NDLWPA President s Comments By Wyman Scheetz Greetings, fellow sheep producers, and happy New Year! I hope this finds you healthy and well. What a wonderful fall we have had, and I hope that everyone has finished all their fall projects. As we begin a new year, I would like to reflect on 2011. We never thought we would see the prices for lamb and wool as we did last year. It is a great time to be in the sheep business. I think most of us battled the winter and were glad to see it come to an end, followed by some of the best grazing conditions of recent years. Fall 2011 Issue NDLWPA Director s Comments...1 Editor s Comments...2 Wool Harvest Time...3 Assessing Lamb Mortality Patterns...3 Major Loss Categories During the First Week of Life...4 Late Gestation/Early Lactation Ewe Nutrition...4 Ram Tests at the NDSU Hettinger Research Extension Center...5 Starter Flock Profi le...6 Events...7 Membership Form...7 Lamb Cook-Off... insert NDLWPA Annual Meeting Minutes 2011... insert For those of us who put up our own hay, it was a challenge, also, all three cuttings, which is a once-in-a-lifetime deal for most of us. As the new year begins, many of us are thinking about the new lamb crop and getting those ewes sheared. We are very fortunate to have the number of shearers in our state, as there are areas of the country that do not have that situation. When I was at the ASI convention in January 2011, there were producers who were thinking of getting out of the sheep business as they could not get anyone to shear their sheep. Treat those shearers well! I would like to thank the board of directors and officers for all the help and support this past year. I feel we had a good year. I would like to welcome Josh Sanders from New Salem as a new director for the northwest district and Terry Mangnall from Oakes for the southeast district to our board. Josh replaces Matt Benz from Beulah, and Terry replaces Julie Mangnall from Oakes. Thanks, Matt and Julie, for your years of service on the board. Mark Sheppard, our treasurer and sales manager for the Jamestown and Hettinger ram sales, has decided to retire from that position. Mark and his wife, Wanda, have done a wonderful job in these positions for the past five years. Mark will be replaced by Julie Mangnall from Oakes. We welcome you, Julie, to your new position, and Mark has made it clear that he will help in the transition. Thanks, Mark and Wanda, for your years of service to the sheep industry of North Dakota. Good luck lambing, everyone! Left to right: Wyman Scheetz, Wanda Sheppard, Mark Sheppard. Publication #64 January 2012 1
Editor s Comments By Reid Redden, NDSU Sheep Specialist Based upon the calendar, winter finally has arrived. Eastern North Dakota has very little snow and the temperature reminds me more of winters in New Mexico than North Dakota; however, I am sure that won t last for long. Nonetheless, it is that time of year that most sheep producers need to start preparing for lambing season. Within this newsletter are educational articles that provide insight and recommendations to remind shepherds of normal management strategies that can improve the productivity of their flocks. I encourage you to read through these articles and feel free to contact me at reid.redden@ndsu.edu or (701) 231-5597 if you have questions or comments. The annual convention was held the first weekend in December and was very well attended. Wyman Scheetz and others did a great job putting a good program together. If it were not for faulty projectors, provided by NDSU Extension, the entire program would have been flawless. If you have a chance, thank Wyman for all the work he does for your organization. Many states do not have active associations. These associations function through the support and efforts of volunteers who take time out of their schedule for the good of the industry. It has been my pleasure to work with the entire NDLWPA board of directors. Thanks! Congratulations to Rick Schmidt for winning the Master Sheep Producer Award. I have had the opportunity to work with Rick on numerous projects, and he is definitely a great advocate for the industry. Rick provides leadership to the sheep industry in three different roles: shepherd, county Extension agent and NDLWPA board member. This award is primarily for his efforts as a shepherd. His sheep operation is very well-managed and incorporates many unique strategies to generate sustainable profits. His operation is definitely a model that others can use to make money in the sheep business. This award was well deserved! This winter, I am going to test the use of webinars to provide educational material and stimulate discussion within the industry. I tentatively have planned to host a webinar that discusses on-farm data collection and its role in commercial selection for superior genetics. I have developed some record collection systems, which are available at www. ag.ndsu.edu/ansc/ndsu-sheep-progam. This webinar will discuss how to use the data management program. The webinar will be held on Jan. 12, 2012, at 6 p.m. central time. You can participate in the webinar free of Wyman Scheetz and Rick Schmidt. charge, and it will be recorded so that you can access it anytime. All you need is a computer and high-speed Internet. If you do not have these capabilities, see your county Extension office. Suggestions for future educational topics are always appreciated. We also are hosting a winter sheep seminar at the Carrington Research Extension Center. The seminar will focus on business planning for sheep operations, varying from low-input range sheep to high-input accelerated lambing systems. Chris Schauer, Karl Hoppe and I will discuss different production systems and how to set realistic flock production goals, estimate flock input costs and project profitability of each business enterprise. Burdell Johnson will provide information on lamb insurance. Best of all, Paul Berg will be preparing another great lamb stew. To get more information, visit the NDSU Sheep Program website mentioned above or contact me directly. The early registration deadline is Jan. 2. I look forward to seeing you there. 2 North Dakota Sheep Industry Newsletter
Wool Harvest Time By Reid Redden, NDSU Sheep Specialist This also is that time of year to start planning to have your sheep shorn. I recommend that you schedule to have your sheep shorn 30 to 45 days before anticipated lambing for a number of reasons. First of all, shearing your sheep has been shown to increase lamb birth weight, which normally equates to healthier and more productive lambs. Researchers theorize that shearing increases blood flow to the unborn lamb. Most of the lamb s growth occurs during the last six weeks of gestation, so shearing two weeks prior to lambing (a common recommendation) only will improve those lambs that are born later in the lambing season. Secondly, shearing will stimulate ewes to seek shelter prior to lambing and reduce the chance of lambs being born outside, where they are more likely to become hypothermic. Shearing ewes prior to lambing will increase feed intake and increase calories consumed, which helps meet the energy and protein requirements during this phase of production. If winter lambing, shearing ewes will help keep the barn warmer and drier. Ewes in full fleece will stay outside longer and bring in more snow. Finally, shearing ewes prior to lambing creates a cleaner environment for the newborn lambs and helps the lambs find the teats. The quicker the lamb is up and nursing, the better the chance it will remain healthy and productive. Shearing before lambing time is also a good practice to improve the value of your wool clip. Normally, the stress of lambing causes a small break in the wool fiber. If this break is at the end of the fiber because the ewe was shorn close to lambing, then it doesn t reduce the value of the wool. However, if it was in the middle of the fiber from shearing midway through the lambing season, the fiber breaks in half and reduces its usefulness. As most of you are aware, the 2010 wool market was a good market. Similar to lamb prices, the market is driven by an increase in demand for wool products, a decrease in the supply of raw wool and a more competitive U.S. dollar vs. the Australian dollar. Forecasts for 2011 are calling for more of the same. Maintaining good management practices is important when we harvest our wool. Many times, this may not affect your wool check directly, but it affects U.S. wool price internationally. Have a discussion with your wool buyer about wool preparation. Here are some common tips to improve wool clip. Hold ewes off of feed and water for at least 12 hours prior to shearing. This reduces urine and fecal contamination that could occur in the shearing chute or on the shearing floor. Don t shear wet sheep! Don t bed the barn with fresh straw or wood chips the night before shearing. This will increase the amount of vegetable matter in wool. Reduce sheep contact with poly twine and poly tarps that eventually could be mixed in with wool. Sort off wool that is heavily contaminated with manure, blood or paint. Maintain a clean shearing floor. Sort fleeces into like wools. Main fleece, bellies, tags. Finewool breeders should ask their wool buyer about having their wool skirted and classed into different lines by grade. Shear sheep by wool class, keep wool separate, and clean the shearing floor between groups. Shear in the following order: white-face, crossbred, blackface and hair cross sheep. Assessing Lamb Mortality Patterns By Richard Ehrhardt, Small Ruminant Extension Specialist, Michigan State University A key part of reducing lamb mortality is to document loss patterns on an individual farm basis. These patterns may show some variation from year to year, but farm-specific patterns commonly emerge. Once these patterns are identified, a producer can work with specialists (health, management, nutrition) to develop a prevention plan targeted at those categories of loss that have the greatest potential for impact. With this overall goal in mind, let us examine lamb mortality according to both time and category. When Lambs Die and Typical Loss Rates The timing of lamb loss is remarkably consistent throughout the world, with the majority of loss occurring during the first week of life. Within the first week of life, loss is clearly the highest during the first 24 hours and declines steadily each day thereafter (figure 1, page 4). Loss in this discussion is defined as the number of lambs that die for any given reason divided by the total number of term lambs born either Publication #64 January 2012 3
Figure 1. Pattern of lamb loss during the first week of life (Rook et al. 1990). These data were obtained from a field study looking at lamb loss in large commercial sheep farms in Michigan. dead or alive. Loss estimates defined this way both worldwide and in the United States range from 5 to 25 percent. Overall loss is a very blunt measure; however, it needs to be considered within the context of lambing rate and production system. Therefore, benchmarks for success vary according to production level and management system, meaning that a loss rate of 15 percent for prolific sheep (greater than 200 percent lambing rate) born on pasture may be acceptable, whereas a 15 percent loss rate in ewes of modest productivity (140 percent lambing rate) born indoors would be high. Major Loss Categories During the First Week of Life Stillborn: Stillborn lambs are full-term lambs delivered dead. Stillborn lambs can be diagnosed by examining lung tissue and hooves. Stillborn lambs will have noncompliant lungs with the tissue hard to distinguish in color and consistency from liver. The soft, cartilaginous tissue that covers hooves at birth also will be intact. Major underlying causes of stillborn lambs are: 1) placental insufficiency and 2) dystocia. Placental insufficiency is hard to diagnose but common in prolific ewes during late pregnancy. It is defined as the inability of the placenta to support fetal life. Dystocia is the term for difficult birth and is common in large lambs born to young ewes or in high-order multiple births (greater than 2 lambs/ewe) as the odds of malpresentation in these litters is much higher than in single births. Other significant but typically lower incident causes of stillborn lambs include abortion diseases and mineral deficiencies (especially iodine and selenium). Starvation/Exposure: This term is used to describe lambs that succumb to the often combined effects of cold and lack of body fuel. Starvation/exposure mortalities will have inflated lungs and partially or fully depleted reserves of fat that surround the kidney (called brown fat). This large energy reserve (noted as tan tissue surrounding the kidney) will disappear, leaving behind dark red tissue as it is used up to provide heat. The extent of brown fat depletion will depend on climatic conditions as severe cold may kill lambs within eight hours before all the tissue is depleted. In milder conditions, reserves may take two days to be depleted. Lambs born small with low reserves and depressed suckling drive to mothers with limited colostrum production are the most at risk. Starvation exposure is estimated to account for 50 percent of loss that occurs during the first week of life. Respiratory disease: Lambs that die of respiratory disease are typically older than 3 days of age. These lambs typically have discolored lung tissue (dark reddish purple) in its front and lower regions. Predisposing conditions include low immune status from insufficient colostrum intake, high humidity, crowding, large manure pack and rapidly changing climatic conditions. Respiratory disease losses can be impacted by changes in facility design (improved ventilation) and management (lower animal density, improved maternal nutrition during late pregnancy). Late Gestation/Early Lactation Ewe Nutrition By Reid Redden, NDSU Extension Sheep Specialist Improper nutrition during the last month of gestation and early lactation can have devastating effects on lamb survival and productivity. Most of these problems occur when ewes are in a poor body condition score (BCS) entering the last trimester of pregnancy. Therefore, ewe-feeding strategies to maintain productivity and survival of lambs should be put into place well before this critical time period. Late-gestation Facts: Roughly 70 percent of fetal growth occurs in the last four weeks of gestation. Ewe energy and protein requirements increase by 50 to 75 percent from early gestation. Ewe intake is depressed due to limited space available for digestive content. Ewes can lose 0.5 to 1 BCS during this period, so a proper BCS prior to this period is critical. Under- and overweight ewes are at risk for low birth-weight lambs, dystocia, unthrifty lambs and pregnancy toxemia. continued after insert 4 North Dakota Sheep Industry Newsletter
Late Gestation/Early Lactation Ewe Nutrition continued from page 4 To prevent pregnancy toxemia, increase energy intake during late gestation. Ewes cannot effectively use fat reserves as an energy source prior to lambing but do so successfully after lambing. Benefits of supplemental protein, vitamins and minerals are most often seen when ewes are in poor condition, have been on low-quality hay for an extended period of time or graze forage in a mineral-deficient region. Shearing 30 to 60 days prior to lambing can stimulate ewes to eat more and alter blood flow to result in heavier/healthier lambs, not to mention the fact that ewes seek shelter prior to lambing in poor-weather conditions. Short-fleeced ewes also improve the environment for housed ewes. Supplementation of dietary vitamin E, selenium, zinc and bypass protein during late gestation and early lactation to ewes can improve ewe milk production and lamb productivity; however, results will be very dependent upon ewe breed, background and region of production. Early Lactation Facts: The first four to six weeks postlambing is the period of highest nutrient requirements. Ewe energy and protein requirements increase by another 75 to 150 percent from late gestation. Milk production is directly related to lamb birth weight; therefore, ewes giving birth to heavier lambs and multiple births will produce more milk. In high-lambing-rate flocks (greater than 150 percent), ewe diets containing higher levels of metabolizable energy and protein will result in higher milk production and faster growing lambs. Better nutrition is even more critical in super prolific flocks (greater than 225 percent). Ewes must enter lactation in good condition. Feeding highly productive ewes enough to provide all the additional energy and protein necessary for milk production at peak lactation is very difficult. Therefore, ewes must be in good condition to have adequate fat stores to supplement energy supplied by feed. Ewes in good condition fed diets moderately high in protein (14 to 16 percent vs. 10 to 12 percent) will produce 20 to 30 percent more milk. Lactation is the most important stage of production and is not the time to skimp on feed. Ram Tests at the NDSU Hettinger Research Extension Center By Christopher Schauer, PhD, Director and Animal Scientist, NDSU Hettinger Research Extension Center The NDSU Hettinger REC annually conducts ram tests, depending on the wishes of the North Dakota sheep industry. For the past 10 years, the center has hosted the Dakota Rambouillet Ram Test, one of three Rambouillet ram tests in the U.S. Producers from North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado historically consign approximately 50 Rambouillet ram lambs. The 140 day ram test is held from October to March and measures growth performance and wool quality. At the end of 140 days, these traits are combined into an index. The top 30 percent of the indexing rams are eligible for Certificate of Merit, depending on their fiber diameter, fiber variability, average daily gain, structural correctness and breed characteristics, as established by the American Rambouillet Association. Additional data collected includes ultrasound evaluation for rib-eye area. While this test is designed for the Rambouillet breed, all breeds are welcome to participate in the test, but they won t be compared to the Rambouillet rams through the index. More information on this ram test can be found at www.ag.ndsu.edu/hettingerrec, where there is also a listing of consignors and past performance data. Alternatively, the Hettinger REC and the Department of Animal Sciences Publication #64 January 2012 5
have also offered a performance ram test in the past. This test is designed to evaluate growth performance and carcass traits in a short, 70 to 84 day feeding trial. All breeds are welcome to this test, but it is designed for lambs born in January and February. The test begins in the spring and an ends in early August, so that rams can be entered in the state ram sales. Last year this test was not conducted, as there was not enough interest from the industry to warrant conducting one. Below is the index that was used in 2010 (developed by Dr. Buchanan in the Department of Animal Sciences): Index = 100 + 75 (ADG mean ADG) + 20 (REA mean REA) 95 (BF mean BF) If any producers and/or breed associations are interested in this test becoming a reality once again, now is the time to speak! Please contact Drs. Redden or Schauer if you are interested. We would encourage that if you are interested in participating to contact other ram producers within your breed because comparisons within breed are far more valuable than comparisons across breeds. If you have questions regarding on-farm data collection, on-farm ultrasound measurements for rib-eye area/depth, or estimated breeding value (EBV) derived by the National Sheep Improvement Program, please contact us as we are more than willing to work with individual producers on their individual needs. Have a great lambing season! Starter Flock Profile Caleb Cross, 2010 Starter Flock Recipient, Granville, N.D. What sparked your interest in this program? I live on a farm with an old barn that my grandfather once used, and wanted to get into livestock. I thought this program would be a good opportunity for me. I m glad I applied for the program because the flock has turned out good for me. What do you enjoy most about your flock? The thing I enjoy most about my flock is that every time I m getting ready to feed them, they all come up to the barn, knowing they re going to get fed. The whole flock has learned the routine. They know when it is time to eat. What is the most exciting event that has occurred with your flock? Lambing was the most exciting to me. It is fun to see the lambs grow and develop and how their mothers take such good care of them. You have to work hard to raise lambs, but in the end, it is definitely worth it. What would you tell a friend interested in the sheep business? I would tell a friend interested in the sheep business that right now it is a good time to be in it. Prices are high and sheep are enjoyable. They re fairly easy to handle. I would encourage somebody to get into the sheep industry by applying for the starter flock program. Contact information: Christopher Schauer christopher.schauer@ndsu.edu (701) 567-4323 Reid Redden reid.redden@ndsu.edu (701) 231-5597 Caleb Cross 6 North Dakota Sheep Industry Newsletter
Events Winter Sheep Seminar Carrington, N.D. Jan. 7, noon NDLWPA Board Meeting Mandan, N.D. Jan. 10, 11 a.m. NDSU Data Management Webinar Jan. 12, 6 p.m. ASI Annual Convention Scottsdale, Ariz. Jan. 25-28 NDLWPA Membership Form This form is a membership application for the North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers Association (NDLWPA) and American Sheep Industry (ASI) Association. Please print clearly Name Street address City State ZIP Phone ( ) Fax ( ) Email Number of sheep/goats Please check all that apply: Commercial Purebred Club lamb Dairy Lamb feeder Shearer Allied industry Business Please check membership type: NDLWPA annual membership $20 NDLWPA annual junior membership (under 18 years of age) $5 ASI annual membership $.04/head or $25 minimum (whichever is greater) Joint NDLWPA/ASI annual membership $40 Printed copy of the ASI Weekly Newsletter $10 Note: ASI annual membership will entitle you to an email copy of the ASI Weekly Newsletter. Total $ Please make checks payable to NDLWPA Send this application and your payment to: NDLWPA 9463 86th St. S.E. Fullerton, ND 58441 For more information, call (701) 375-6971 or visit www.ndlwpa.com. Thank you for taking an active interest in your industry! Publication #64 January 2012 7
North Dakota State University Agriculture Communication NDSU Dept. 7070 P.O. Box 6050 Fargo, ND 58108-6050 NDSU encourages you to use and share this content, but please do so under the conditions of our Creative Commons license. You may copy, distribute, transmit and adapt this work as long as you give full attribution, don t use the work for commercial purposes and share your resulting work similarly. For more information, visit www.ag.ndsu.edu/agcomm/creative-commons. North Dakota State University does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, public assistance status, sex, sexual orientation, status as a U.S. veteran, race or religion. Direct inquiries to the Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Global Outreach, 205 Old Main, (701) 231-7708. County Commissions, NDSU and U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating. This publication will be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities upon request, (701) 231-7881. 8 North Dakota Sheep Industry Newsletter
Lamb Cook-Off By Ann Osbourne The North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers held the fifth annual Lamb Cook-Off on Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, in conjunction with the annual convention and meeting. The People s Choice contest also was held on Friday evening, and convention participants got a chance to taste six different lamb entrees and vote for their favorite. Biriyani Kharouf, a Mediterranean dish, was the winning entry in the Lamb Cook-Off. Merita and Adnan Aldayel from New Rockford were the chefs who submitted the winning entry. Their recipe uses several different spices, all of which are readily available in grocery stores in North Dakota s larger towns. Cinnamon bark, whole cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom pods, garlic and onion are blended with rice and lamb meat to create a delicious dish that judges Pam Vukelic, Bismarck, and Dr. Greg Lardy, NDSU Animal Sciences Department, said they did not want to quit eating. Second place in the cook-off went to Reid Redden, Fargo, for his braised lamb shank stew. The first-place winners were given a free registration to the BBQ Boot Camp of their choice to be held in summer 2012 and a stainless steel colander. Redden won new automatic salt and pepper grinders. All contestants were given a Fans of Lamb apron donated by the American Sheep Industry Association and tongs. The People s Choice award was given to Jackie Buckley, Mandan, for her cranberry marinated rack of lamb. Buckley won stainless steel automatic salt and pepper grinders for her first-place finish. The purpose of the Lamb Cook-Off is to share recipes and ideas for cooking lamb, demonstrate how easy and versatile lamb can be and, ultimately, to result in people eating lamb more often. For more information on the Lamb Cook-Off, see our Facebook page. For more information on the North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers Association, contact Wyman Scheetz, association President. Biriyani Kharouf Merita and Adnan Aldayel. 5 pounds cubed lamb stew (1-inch cubes) Place meat cubes in a bowl with cold water with 2 tablespoons of salt. Stir the salt into the water and let set for at least one to two hours. Drain off water and rinse the meat. Place the meat in a large kettle and add room-temperature water at least 2 inches above meat. Bring meat to a boil and skim the froth from the water until the water is clear. Add the following ingredients to the boiling water with the meat: 1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon bark 1 heaping tablespoon whole cloves 1 heaping tablespoon whole black peppercorns 1 heaping tablespoon cardamom pods 9 cloves garlic 1 cup onion Salt to taste Cover the kettle and cook over medium heat for at least two hours. The meat broth should cook down until there is approximately 1 inch of the broth on the kettle bottom. Place 6 cups of long-grain rice in a large bowl and pour water to cover the rice at least 2 to 3 inches above it. Let it stand and absorb the water for at least an hour. Drain the rice and place in a kettle with room-temperature water at least 3 inches above the rice. Cover it. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook halfway. Drain excess water and pour the rice on top of the meat. Cover and let it simmer on very low heat for approximately 15 minutes. Garnish by adding 1 cup of drained raisins (softened by boiling water) and one 16-ounce can of drained garbanzo beans. Sauté 1 cup of blanched slivered almonds in butter and place on top of main dish. Two ways to serve main course: 1. Place a warm metal or ceramic round tray on the counter. Flip the meat and rice mixture on the tray. The rice will be on bottom and meat mixture on top. 2. Gently stir the rice and meat mixture in the kettle then serve on platter. Publication #64 #64 January January 2012 2012 insert 9
NDLWPA Annual Meeting Minutes 2011 The 2011 NDLWPA annual meeting was called to order by Chairman Wyman Scheetz at 1:45 p.m. December 3, 2011 at the Seven Seas in Mandan, ND. Rick Schmidt read the minutes from the 2010 annual meeting. Chris Schauer, Bob Hewson moved and second the motion to approve. M/C. Mark Sheppard presented the Treasurers Report. Checking balance of $1,351.88 and Saving balance of $28,424.02 were reported. Dean Swenson, Chris Schauer moved and second the acceptance of the report. M/C. The membership would like to thank the Kidder County Wool Pool for their donation of $766.18. Sales Report: Jamestown Sale 33 rams sold with a $471.97 average and 57 ewe lambs sold for an average of $378.07. The sale has a reported $1,819.53 profit. Hettinger Sale 83 rams sold with a $534.16 average and 109 ewes averaged $327.29. The sale reported a $2,947.79 net profit. Chris Schauer thanked the NDLWPA for the donations for the Shearing School and the Wool Classing School which was held at the Hettinger Research Center. Both were very well attended. Website: The website is still working out some timeliness issues, but is up and running. Brad Gilbertson reported on the Facebook. He encouraged all with accounts to utilize the technology. Burton Pfliger (ASI Secretary) updated the board on the Endangered Species Act and asked NDLWPA to support revisiting the intent of the proposal. Resolutions: Paula Swenson committee chair: Whereas, the American Sheep Industry (ASI) is actively pursuing to re-build the sheep industry through its Let s Grow Campaign Whereas, maintaining and strengthening critical infrastructure (harvest and market facilities) is of the utmost importance Whereas, increased volume is needed through existing infrastructure to make improvements and survive Whereas, extremely restrictive import regulations limits producers from utilizing their closest and most competitive markets Be it resolved the North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers requests the Board of Animal Health to allow on site veterinarians to issue health papers on sheep coming from states other than North Dakota for interstate shipment of feeder lambs going to feedlots, harvest ready lambs and cull, mature sheep destined for harvest. Motion by Burton Pfliger, second by Dean Swenson to accept the resolution. Dr. Beth Carlson (North Dakota Board of Animal Health) was available to comment on the resolution during discussion. Motion carried. Old Business: Chris Schauer mentioned that if there is interest in conducting a Spring Ram test, that they visit with him. He is willing to host one in 2012. Motion by Burton Pfliger, second by Paula Swenson to have the Chairperson draft a letter addressing the HR1633 Dust Regulation bill. The request is to have this bill moved from the control of EPA to the State of North Dakota. M/C. Julie Mangnall presented a Thank You to the NDLWPA for the donation to the ND Handspinners annual conference in Jamestown. Julie reported there were about 35 spinners and 30 from the general public that attended. Motion by Burton Pfliger, second by Paula Swenson to have the NDLWPA reconsider funding the Make it yourself with wool contest. If the board chooses to have it again, Burton has a name willing to chair the event. M/C. Ann Osborne updated the membership on the Lamb in the Classroom activities which occurred this past year. New Business: Committees for the ram sales were appointed: Hettinger Sale Brody Kronberg (Chair), Dave Pearson, and Nathan Robbins; Jamestown Sale Brent Kuss (Chair) Don Osborne, and Luke Lillehaugen. Nominations: Nominating committee presented the following list of candidates. (Motion to cast unanimous ballots) President Wyman Scheetz (Lyle Warner moved, second Chris Schauer) M/C Vice President Nathan Robbins (Chris Schauer moved, second Bob Hewson) M/C Secretary Rick Schmidt (Dave Pearson moved second Lyle Warner) M/C Treasurer Julie Mangnall (Dean Swenson moved, second Mark Sheppard) M/C American Sheep Industry Representative Dean Swenson (Lyle Warner moved, second Dave Pearson) M/C District Caucuses: Northwest District Josh Sanders and Brad Gilbertson Southwest District Misty Steeke and Bob Hewson Northeast District Paul Klose and Luke Lillehaugen Southeast District Todd Sears and Terry Mangnall Meeting was adjourned. Submitted by: Rick Schmidt NDLWPA Secretary 10 insert North North Dakota Dakota Sheep Sheep Industry Industry Newsletter