N`ewesletter N`ewesletter

Transcription

Table of Contents
N’ewesletter
Alberta Lamb Producers
1
Message From the Chair
Around the Zones
2
Zone 2 Director Needed!
4
4
ALP Photo Contest
Producer Resources
New Videos on SheepCentralAlberta
6
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Ultrasound Scanning 7
T. ovis9
Free Resources!
11
Research - Ergot Toxicity
12
Technology
Technology14
15
SheepBytes New Training Video
17
SheepBytes Ration Balancer
Industry Information
Body Condition Scoring Resource
19
Summer Synergy / 4-H Provincial Sheep Show 20
Grading and Classification Systems
20
New Provincial 4-H Sheep Project Specialist 20
New Barber Pole Worm Treatment
21
CSBA 34th Sheep Classic
21
Emergency Preparedness Week 22
Looking for April (or May, or June) Showers 23
24
Sheep Inventory Statistics Released
Global Sheep – The Short Story
25
Ag Minister, AgCoalition Agree to Work Together 2 7
Alberta Lamb - at a Store Near You
27
An Update About COOL
28
28
PRLA Conference
Classifieds30
31
Sheep Calendar
ALP Contacts 32
Body Condition Scoring laminated insert
Ultrasound cost-benefit analysis
New SheepBytes training video
April 2016
10th ANNUAL POUND MAKER RAM SALE
& Blaine Kellington Memorial Day
Thursday May 19, 2016
11:00 am @ Fort Macleod Auction
Offering 114 Yearling Rams
70 Suffolk * 9 Dorset * 4 Hampshire * 12 Rambouillet * 2 Charollais
8 Ile de France * 8 North Country Cheviot * 1 Coloured
Consignors:
Warren and Norine Moore
Andy and Frances Pittman
Bert and Andrelei Grisnich
Ty and Drew Mandel
The Legault Family
A 4x6 pen will be given to the high dollar volume buyer at
the sale courtesy of 2W Livestock Equipment www.2Wequipment.com
Trade Booths: CCWG, Alberta Lamb Producers, 2W Livestock Equipment,
3in1Feeders, Shearwell Canada, Rockin B Farm & Ranch Supply
Check out the sale website www.poundmakerrams.com or
contact Warren Moore at 403-625-6519
Look for the catalogue on the website after May 2nd
.
Phone: 403-948-8533
Email: [email protected]
Websites: www.ablamb.ca and
www.albertalamb.ca
Message From the Chair
Cover photo
Credits: Anna Cairns
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 officers.
When reprinting articles from
N'ewesletter, credit must
be given to the ALP and/or
the author, if applicable. No
changes may be made without ALP’s, or the author’s, written permission.
Alberta Lamb Producers does
not endorse or promote any of
the advertisements or advertisers in the N’ewesletter.
For full Advertising Terms and
Conditions see the Media Kit at
http://ablamb.ca/documents/MediaKit.pdf.
Erin Yaremko
Phone: 780-645-6550 E-mail: [email protected]
This has been a winter to remember. Who would have imagined temperatures of 10 above and
rain in February and brown hills and fields like fall time, followed by -34 the next day? There were
actually several days when rubber boots and splash pants were almost needed in the barnyard.
We have got some snow but not much and travelling through the province I see most of it is
brown, yet yards are still like skating rinks. We hope for big spring rains to help us recover from
the drought last year and to knock back those newly emerging grasshoppers. On the plus side,
the ewes are in great shape from the easy winter; I can’t believe it is that time already to start
changing the rations for the last 60 days of their gestation.
I am proud to say Robyn and Beth are doing a fabulous job in the office and we almost have a full
board again. We are still looking for a Zone 2 director though. If you are motivated and interested
in being part of the team helping move our industry forward, supporting producers, and guiding the direction of ALP, please contact our office or any of the directors. We need you! At our
January meeting our new Executive was elected. Bill Gibson is our Vice Chair; he has decades of
experience as a sheep producer and has been on the ALP board for many years. Cindy Armstrong
is our Finance Chair and is newer to the sheep industry, but has great desire to learn and has an
accounting and administrative background. We also elected members for our many ALP committees, as well as the delegates that will represent ALP on external organizations.
Over the past two years you have been enjoying our quarterly “Meet the Board” sessions and
guest speakers. Our funding for this event has come to a close and we went out with a bang
with a presentation on Animal Welfare from Dr. Ed Pajor, at the end of January in Lethbridge. You
can find a video of his presentation on our YouTube channel, SheepCentralAlberta, and watch
it at your convenience. We also did a webinar on “The Thin Ewe Syndrome: Tackling Production
Limiting Diseases” as a new way to reach out and get information to more producers. It looks as
if it was a great success. You can also find this presentation on the SheepCentralAlberta channel,
along with other great videos.
As part of the Alberta Lamb branding pilot project it was exciting to see Alberta Lamb with our
Alberta Lamb logo hit the shelves in the Calgary Co-Op in late January.
The Alberta Farm Animal Care Conference was March 22-23 in Olds where they featured sheep
with a body condition scoring session from our very own Alberta Lamb Producer Lorna Gibson
and sheep handling demonstration by Curt Pate. If you missed it, videos of this will also be posted
to SheepCentralAlberta.
Together with the help of Alberta Farm Animal Care we have now released the Humane Handling Guidelines and Emergency Response Guide resources as great decision making tools that can
be used by all producers, market facilities, and transporters. You can find these on our website
www.ablamb.ca or call and request a hard copy from the office.
We continue to support the Canadian Sheep Federation and initiatives around COOL. ALP has
again sent out another round of letters to the new MPs and MLAs after the government change
about the effects of COOL and significance of this on our industry. We have also recently had a
director attend a meeting on the Alberta Agriculture Farm and Ranch Safety Coalition formed by
April 2016 1
agriculture organizations that came together as a result of
the government passing Bill 6.
The board of ALP is all volunteer producers who face day
to day challenges the same as you and we do our best to
support and advance our industry in ways beneficial to
producers. But we aren’t mind readers. We need to hear
from you with constructive ideas on concerns you have
on how we can do more and better for you. If you don’t
“see” ALP doing something on a specific issue it doesn’t
mean we aren’t working on it, and maybe we aren’t, but
we don’t know what’s important to you unless you tell
us. Remember ALP is funded primarily by checkoff dollars and every time a producer checkoff is claimed back
it limits our funding and we can do less for everyone. As
always, please call your zone director or our office with
questions, comments, or for more information. We value
hearing from you.
Best of luck with upcoming lambing; hopefully we see lots
of green grass soon!
Erin Yaremko
Zone 1
Around the Zones
Hello fellow producers,
It was great to see everyone at the meeting in Lethbridge and I hope you all enjoyed the presentation. It was
great to chat and listen to you about your operations. I
can tell we have a lot of proud Alberta lamb producers.
I hope everyone has lots of bouncy lambs on the
ground. This weather has been nice on them although
it’s leaving everything a little dry across the prairies to
date, which leaves us as producers a few concerns when
it comes to this year’s grazing plan. Culling hard with your
production records will help you make better decisions
and only pasture ewes that work for you.
As your zone director I always look forward to hearing
from you and if I can be of any assistance please feel free
to reach out to me.
As I write this, St. Patrick’s day just around the corner
and everyone working hard in your barns lambing. Here
is my favourite recipe for Irish stew to keep the energy
levels up. Using Alberta lamb of course! We Alberta lamb
producers put a great end product out every year so let’s
enjoy it.
2 April 2016
Ingredients for Irish stew
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
2 medium-sized onions, chopped
Oil, for frying
1 ounce butter
1 sprig thyme
2 1/2 pounds best end of lamb shoulder, cut into large
pieces
7 carrots, chopped lengthways into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons pearl barley
5 cups chicken stock, recipe follows
Salt (recommended: Fleur du Sel)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, and bay leaf)
12 medium potatoes
1 bunch parsley, leaves finely chopped
1 bunch chives
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook the onions in
oil and butter, on medium-high heat, until they are translucent. Add the thyme and stir. Add the lamb and brown on a
high heat to seal in juices. Add carrots and pearl barley. Pour
in the chicken stock so that it almost covers the meat and
vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, and add Bouquet
garnish. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours, being careful not to boil. Place potatoes on top of the stew, cover and
cook for 30 minutes until the meat is flaking beautifully and
the potatoes are fork tender.
Serve the stew in large flat soup bowls, and drizzle herb
butter over the potatoes or garnish with parsley and chives.
Herb butter
•
•
•
•
1 stick butter
1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 small bunch chives, finely chopped
1 sprig thyme
Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add parsley, chives and
thyme.
I hope you try it and enjoy. Do not serve with green
beer!
Ray Nolan
Zone 2
Zone 2 is currently vacant. We invite all Zone 2 producers interested in joining the board to contact the
Alberta Lamb Producers office at [email protected]. See
page 4 for more details about becoming a director.
Zone 3
Recently, after our January Board Meeting, we had the
pleasure of meeting producers at the Meet the Board in
Lethbridge. As a newer producer I believe it is a wonderful opportunity to share, to learn and to meet new
friends and I am grateful to all who gave of their time to
attend our meeting. As a new Director it was a pleasure
to meet you!
Over the past couple of months I have also had the
opportunity to meet very new and newer producers. No
matter the amount of time we have spent as producers,
we have the chance to learn from each other. When we
share tips, cautions, and hints for success with new producers, it simply makes our industry better and stronger.
And we also have the window of opportunity to influence the next generation by supporting our 4H Sheep
groups.
I am on the lookout for anyone who is willing to judge
4H lambs. Our next generation needs your support. Contact me, your local zone director or our office.
While we may compete for customers and for the
best price, we are stronger as a group – just ask the Beef
people!
Cindy Armstrong
Zone 4
As spring approaches and lambing progresses, both
my wife Lorna and I wish all the shepherds out there
good luck.
The climatologists seem to agree that this spring will
be warmer than other years but also dryer. If they are
correct, then it may be another challenging year securing
feed supplies. Hopefully there will be adequate amounts
of moisture.
The time and money constraints that our small staff
and volunteer board are under mean that our efforts
have to be carefully targeted in order to be effective.
We have joined with the other member groups in the
Alberta Agriculture Farm and Ranch Safety Coalition in
order to have our voice heard at the negotiating table.
The board continues to be represented at the national
level through CSF, and Erin carries on the work at AFAC.
As always we are interested in hearing from producers
whenever they have concerns.
Cheers,
Bill Gibson
.
Zone 5
See the Message From the Chair, page 1.
Erin Yaremko
Zone 6
Greetings from zone 6. The fall started off promisingly
with high lamb prices which sounds fantastic on the
surface. However, when you consider the fact that most
producers were feeding significantly earlier than normal
due to the drought, and the cost of feed in general was
up and forage in particular was two to three times higher
in many areas, a different picture is presented. Many
producers were unable to find that positive margin we
all need to survive even with high prices. It’s really not
about price at all; it’s all about the margins.
Then came the backlog, hundreds of fat lambs on the
market and no home for them at anything more than fire
sale prices. Unfortunately, this led to some producers and
feedlots shipping western lambs east to clean out the
excess glut and alleviate the ever mounting feed costs
associated with feeding lambs ready for slaughter. This
did not make our fellow eastern producers happy as they
watched their market for fat lambs plummet downward
$0.30 in one week. Larger groups of fat lambs are finally
starting to move again, although I would expect still at
a loss for many producers, given that feed costs haven’t
changed. The one ray of sunshine in this situation has
been the wonderful warm weather that has helped lower
feed requirements. Hopefully producers will see some
improvement in margins as the last of the 2015 fat lambs
head to slaughter for the year.
On a more positive note I am happy to share that I have
had the opportunity to attend my first ALP meeting as
your zone 6 rep. The days were filled with learning and
decision making. I was elected as the CSF representative
for our province and I encourage anyone who has concerns about federal issues to contact me. I’m depending
not only on producers but also on industry partners like
veterinarians and nutritionists etc. to share with me their
concerns and ideas for building a better future at both
the provincial and national level. I can only be your voice
if you share your ideas.
According to Chairman of the Canadian Sheep Federation Phil Kolodychuk, reporting on a recent discussion
between the CSF Executive Director and Minister
MacAulay, “the minister committed his office to working
more closely with smaller industry groups specifically
including the CSF in a shift to greater industry-wide
collaboration.” It’s great news for our industry that our
Federal Minister of Agriculture has opened his door to us.
April 2016 3
Now we just need to make sure that he hears producer
driven concerns in a clear concise manner. We are counting on you the producer to bring forward not only your
concerns but also your ideas for a better stronger sheep
industry.
Darlene Stein
Zone 7
Hi, everyone
Well spring is just around the corner and it seems like
we have hardly had winter. It would not hurt my feelings
at all if all winters were like this year then lambing would
not be a problem. We are just about done with lambs
but when you have 70 ewes, 150 nanny goats, and 60
cows all having babies at the same time it is tiring. But
when you go out and see the babies and they come to
greet you it makes it all worthwhile as they have so much
personality and steal your heart.
The sleepless nights do not seem so bad and if the
prices stay up we will all be really happy. At our meeting
in Lethbridge I discovered that in all the Annual meetings in Alberta there were about 93 people showed up
and of that 35 were in zone 7, so I would like to thank
you all for your support. My motto is you have to give
people a reason to come to these meetings. Zone 7 is
in my opinion the most active in this province with our
meeting turnouts and our Sheep Conference. See PRLA
conference information on page 28. In closing just remember that we have been looking after and caring for
our animals without everyone telling us how to it. We are
not stupid people and should not be treated as such. We
may not have a degree but we are proud of what we do.
All the best in your lambing, seeding, and haying. Have
a safe and productive summer. Remember safety first,
have fun, and enjoy life to its fullest. Till next time, take
care. Feel free to call me as I love talking to you all.
Virginia Glover
ALP
Photo
Contest
4 April 2016
Zone 2 Director Needed!
Alberta Lamb Producers is the voice of producers in
discussions with industry stakeholders and government. ALP needs a strong Board of Directors to ensure
the interests of producers are represented and to see
that check-off dollars are spent wisely.
ALP zone 2 does not have a Director on the Board.
Producers in this zone are not being represented.
What do you need to serve on the ALP Board?
• No previous board experience is required.
• Must be a sheep producer residing in Zone 2
(Brooks, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Manyberries, Milk
River).
• Enthusiasm, ideas and a vision for building a strong
lamb industry.
• A commitment to collaboration and the ability to
work with other board members for the benefit of
the industry.
• Ability to make the minimum commitment of three
to four in-person board meetings, up to six conference calls per year, and time to prepare for these
meetings. In addition you will organize (with help)
and conduct your annual fall zone meeting. Per
Diems and expenses are provided.
In addition to your contribution to the growth of
the industry, by serving on the Board you have the
opportunity to gain personal benefits and skills, such
as important industry contacts, experience in board
governance, leadership and project management.
If you are interested in making a difference to your
industry, please contact the ALP office today!
Over the past few months, we’ve enjoyed receiving many beautiful pictures of farms and
flocks from across the province. There still lots of time to send in your favourites. Submit your
photos to ALP for your chance to WIN PRIZES and the chance to 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 [email protected] with the photographer’s name and
the location where it was taken. The photo needs to be high resolution (2 MB or over). All entries become the 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.
April 2016 5
New Videos on SheepCentralAlberta
Visit our YouTube Channel to view two new recordings!
We have been busy at ALP trying to use technology to
reach more producers in new ways. All you need is the
internet. Many public libraries can give access to computers with internet if your home does not have it. Watch
the presentations anytime by going to www.youtube.
com/user/SheepCentralAlberta. And when you are there,
click “subscribe” to receive a notice when we upload
more videos. We will be adding at least three more videos to the channel before the next N’ewesletter.
Animal welfare: the new social ethic
In January, Dr. Ed Pajor spoke at the ALP`s 'Meet the
Board' in Lethbridge about the importance of animal
welfare for maintaining consumer confidence. Since we
did not want to exclude producers who could not get to
Lethbridge from the chance of seeing this great presentation, we filmed it. It is available on our YouTube channel.
The thin ewe syndrome: tackling production
limiting diseases
On February 8, ALP was very pleased to host our second webinar. In the webinar, Dr. Lynn Tait gave an overview of the production limiting diseases Maedi-Visna,
Johnes, Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL) and parasites, and
their impact on flock economics and animal welfare.
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 information out to as many producers as want to participate. ALP
will still hold face-to-face meetings, but the flexibility of
webinars means we are able to bring you more resources
at little added cost. Results of a participant survey from
the last two webinars were overwhelmingly positive and
unanimous in asking for more webinars in the future.
We’ve already planned another one!
Save the Date - April 18!
Listen to Dr. Lynn Tait
discuss neonatal management.
Most lamb losses occur during or shortly after lambing. Knowing how to keep lambs alive and give them
the best start possible, is the focus of this webinar. Dr.
Tait will discuss the prevention of lambing problems
and how to deal with common threats to lamb survival.
What is a webinar? Webinars are just like attending a workshop or conference, but from the comfort of your own home or office.
We bring the presentation right to you. They’re easy to
join and participate in. A high-speed internet connection is required. All you need to do is register beforehand,
and about 5-10 minutes before the webinar is scheduled
to begin, click the link you were provided when you registered. Turn up the sound on your computer speakers
or call the phone number that will be provided, then sit
back and enjoy. As a participant, you have the opportunity to anonymously ask questions.
OLDS AUCTION MART LTD.
4613 – 54th Street, Olds, AB. T4H 1E9
Ph: 1-877-556-3655 or 403-556-3655
SELLING ALL CLASSES OF SHEEP & GOATS EVERY
TUESDAY AT 12:00 PM (NOON)
AT OLDS AUCTION MART.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO CONSIGN LIVESTOCK
CONTACT: JOEL WADDELL - 403-512-6151
OR
JIM CRAWFORD – 403-556-4457
6 April 2016
Producer Resources
.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Ultrasound
Scanning and Precision Feeding
Finally, there will be an increase in labour costs due to
the increased time spent feeding different diets to different pens of sheep. This area of added costs will have the
Justin Rosadiuk
greatest amount of variability, depending on how you
value your time. For this calculation, added labour will
Previously written articles in this series have focussed
amount to a value of $1200 in the first year and $1000
on the dietary requirements of ewes in late gestation
in
the following years. While labour costs may increase
and early lactation, ultrasound scanning to determine
from feeding time, a decrease in
fetal number, and the practice of
time spent lambing should also be
precision feeding. Since the benefits
expected as incidence of feeding
in animal health have already been
Is purchasing an
related dystocia and weak lambs
demonstrated, this entry focuses on
ultrasound machine a
declines.
quantifying them to show if purworthwhile investment?
chasing an ultrasound machine is a
worthwhile investment.
Assumptions
Calculations in this study will be based on a flock of
100 pregnant 80kg ewes, just as they were in in previous
articles. The producer is assumed to maintain 100 ewes
yearly, retaining lambs to replace culls when necessary.
Previously calculated saved feed costs listed in Table 1
will also be a part of the analysis.
Late Gestation
Precision Feeding $761.04
One Size Fits All
$840.00
Expected Savings $78.96
Early Lactation
$840.00
$1,092.00
$252.00
Table 1: Total expected savings on feed from implementing differential feeding are expected to be $330.00
Added costs
The biggest purchase necessary in order to implement
ultrasound scanning will be the ultrasound machine. As
an example, the ReproScan S100 is a mid-level machine
that is precise enough to determine fetal number and
is available for $3857.00, making it a good choice for
producers getting started with ultrasound. An allowance
of $50.00 in maintenance costs each year will also be
budgeted, which should be sufficient if the machine is
well taken care of. An unknown variable in this scenario
is your time investment in training and education to
become accurate in pregnancy diagnosis.
Improvements to your animal handling system will also
need to be made, as scanning is easier on the operator’s
body and the ewe’s stress level when the animal is on a
platform three feet off the ground. An initial investment
of $500 for lumber and hardware has been budgeted for
handling system changes, with $50 in maintenance costs
available every year following.
Added benefits
Performing ultrasound on the flock yourself eliminates
the need to pay a veterinarian to do it, and thus savings
on pregnancy testing costs can be had. The average cost
of simple “bred” or “open” scanning in a flock is $2.00/
ewe with added costs for travel, so savings of $250 have
been budgeted.
The amount of marketable lambs in your flock should
increase based on lower rates of dystocia and lambs
being born with more vigour in the first year. In subsequent years, the flock lambing percentage is expected
to increase as ewes kept in proper condition rebreed
with higher rates of success and produce more milk. The
added benefits should range between two and 10 additional lambs produced each year. Each lamb is factored
in at a sale weight of 80 lb. and $2/lb. for $160 (week of
November 19, 2015).
Reduced feed costs have already been mentioned, and
total $330.00 in savings each year.
Lastly, veterinary bills should also decline, as ewes and
lambs will both be in better condition and less susceptible to sickness. So, $400 in vet bill savings has been
added per year.
Results
A cost benefit analysis reveals the justification of an
investment when the sum of the benefits outweighs the
sum of the costs. The time frame for this case study was
set at eight years, which was based on the minimum
expected operational life of the ultrasound machine.
Table 2 shows that the expected added revenues for ultrasound purchase outweigh the expected added costs.
Additional years of use with the machine only increase
the feasibility of the investment.
April 2016 7
Producer Resources
Ultrasound Machine
Handling System
Ultrasound Maintenance
Labour
Saved Preg Testing Fees
Decreased Vet Bills
Increase in Lambs
Reduced Feed Costs
Sum
Benefit: Cost Ratio
Added
Costs
$3,857.00
$900.00
$400.00
$9,200.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$14,357.00
1.07
Added
Revenues
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$2,000.00
$3,200.00
$7,600.00
$2,560
$15,360.00
Table 2: Cost benefit analysis
The payoff period for the ultrasound machine will be five
years and three months, at which point the initial investment is exceeded by the money generated from using
the ultrasound.
Conclusions
In this situation, the use of ultrasound technology for
fetal scanning and precision feeding based on different nutrient requirements shows itself to be a worth-
while investment. Different producers are subject to
different costs of production and are encouraged to
evaluate their individual operations. The implementation of ultrasound scanning has been very successful
in major sheep producing countries and therefore
could be profitable in Canada. To enter your own costs
into the same simple cost benefit analysis used in
these calculations, please visit, https://docs.google.com/
spreadsheets/d/17I9K0d0PWzEl27-vRZF6LcKCZN2CDGfoY_
Lq5QpQdHs/edit?usp=sharing
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 CapStone 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 Hosford, Sheep
Industry Business Development of Alberta Agriculture and
Forestry and Miles Kliner at SunGold Specialty Meats. This
group was mentored by Dr. Divakar Ambrose and Dr. Susan
Markus of the Livestock Research Branch of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry as part of an integrative problem solving
project in animal science that aims to prepare graduates for
animal related careers.
SHEEP LAKE SUFFOLKS
CLYDE, ALBERTA
H: 780-348-5790
MIKE’S CELL: 780-307-3385
E-MAIL: [email protected]
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK @
SHEEP LAKE SUFFOLKS
RAM LAMBS & EWE LAMBS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN JUNE
CALL EARLY TO RESERVE YOUR SLS GENETICS
8 April 2016
T. ovis
SheepSmart
ALBERTA
RESOURCES FOR PRODUCERS
Photo: THagedorn, AARD
Can you risk losing income from your lambs?
T. ovis costs everyone: lamb producers, lamb feeders, lamb
buyers, processors, and consumers. The whole industry loses!
• T aenia ovis*isadogtapewormthatcaninfect
sheepduringpartofitslifecycle.Itcanbe
controlledindogsbutnotinsheep.
• HumanscannotbecomeinfectedbyT. ovis.
However,theparasitecausescyststoforminthe
muscletissueofsheepandlambs,resultingin
carcassesthatarenotfitforhumanconsumption.
Carcasseswithevidenceofcystsarecondemned.
• SomeAlbertaprocessorsreportthatupto80%of
sheepandlambcarcasscondemnationsaredue
toT. ovis.
Prevention is key to control
Onceasheeporlambisinfectedthereis
notreatmentanddewormingwon’thelp.
Remember
1. Don’tfeedrawsheepmeattoyourdogsorallow
dogstoscavengecarcasses.Farmsthatallow
scavengingarefourtimesmorelikelytohave
T. oviscondemnations.
2. Disposeofdeadstockproperlytoprevent
scavengingbydogsandwildanimals.
3. Dewormalldogsregularly.T. oviseggscan
surviveonpasture,infeed,orinwaterforupto
ayear.
4. Dewormdogswiththerightoralmedications
prescribedbyyourveterinarian.Topical
dewormersarenoteffective.
Adult tapeworm
in your dog
Your dog eats raw
meat (carcasses) and
ingests the cysts
Parasite eggs in dog
feces
Break that cycle!
Eggs hatch and
develop on the
pasture grasses
Eggs hatch and
develop in the muscles
of your sheep
Sheep ingest eggs
while grazing
*Thisparasitehastwonames:thecysticstageinsheep
iscalledCysticercus ovis(C. ovis)andtheadulttapeworm
stageindogsiscalledTaenia ovis(T. ovis).Forsimplicity,
www.ablamb.ca
thisfactsheetusesonlyT. ovis.
403.948.8533
www.ablamb.ca
April 2016 9
T. ovis is a cost to the whole industry
T. ovis is a cost to producers. Flockprofitability
dependsonmarketinglambsfromeveryewe.Ewe
costs,feed,andlabourareinvestedineverylamb.
Condemnationsbringinnoincometocoveryourflock
costs.
T. ovis is a cost to lamb buyers and lamb feeders.
Buyersandfeederspayforlambs,truckthem,feed
andcareforthem.Condemnationsbringnoincometo
covertheirbusinesscosts.
T. ovis is a cost to processors. Processorsbuy
andprocesslambstofillordersforwholesaleand
retaillambconsumers.Condemnationsarecostly:
productionlinesareshutdown,carcassesmust
betracked,keptseparateanddisposedof,and
inspectionsareincreased.Condemnationsbringno
incometocoverthosecosts.
For the industry as a whole, every carcass that is condemned
means fewer lambs to fill consumer orders!
What products should I use to worm my dogs and how much will it cost?
PRODUCT NAME
ACTIVE INGREDIENT
PRODUCT FORM
DOSAGE (for a
100 pound dog)
COST (7 is the most
costly, 1 the least
costly/treatment/dog)
DrontalPlus
praziquantalpyrantal
pamoatefebantal
68mgtablet
3.5tabletsallatonce
6
Droncit
praziquantal
50mgtablet
3tabletsallatonce
4
Panacur
fenbenazole
222mgpergramof
powder
3x4.5grampackages
eachdayfor3daysin
arow.
7
Panacurgranules
22.2%
fenbendazole
222mgpergramof
powder
10gramseachdayfor
3daysinarow
3
Lopatol
nitroscanate
500mgtablet
4.5tabletsallatonce
5
Biltricide
praziquantal
600mgtablet
0.25ofatabletonce
1*
Cestex
epsiprantel
25mgtablet
4.5tabletsallatonce
2
*Leastexpensivebyalargemargin
Regular treatments for your dogs are as low as $8 a dose.
Can you risk losing income from your lambs?
Thanks for technical information review by Susan Hosford, AF
Photo credits: THagedorn
www.ablamb.ca
10 April 2016
Producer Resources
We Want to Get These FREE Resources
into Your Hands!
ALP Emergency Preparedness Guide
Contact the ALP office to order your free, postage-paid
copies of these important documents.
The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling
of Sheep
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 requirements and science-based, industryaccepted standards. Every one
handling sheep should have access
to a copy of the Code.
.
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 responsibility of ensuring emergency
planning includes their animals.
Given the size and special requirements of livestock, having resources
on-hand and a plan in place is vital
in minimizing the impact of emergency situations on human health,
livestock welfare, and economic
losses. The new ALP Emergency
Preparedness Guide provides producers with information to help them
prepare for emergency and disaster
situations.
See page 22 for more information.
Humane Handling Guidelines for Sheep:
Standards for the Care of Compromised and
Unfit Animals
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 personnel and
processors) with the information
needed to make humane handling
decisions involving the care and
transport of compromised or unfit
animals. The Guideline has recently
been revised in accordance with
new regulations and the 2013 Code
of Practice for the Care and Handling
of Sheep.
ALP Website Reno
We’ve updated the ‘Resources’ section of
the ALP website! To better serve you, the information is now posted by management topic, making
it quicker and easier to find what you need. All the
original ALP materials are still available, as well as new
links to videos and resources. To have a look, go to
www.ablamb.ca and click on ‘Resources’ at the top of
the home page. Adding information is an on-going
process, so check back often to see what’s new. Please
let us know if you have suggestions for changes or additional information you’d like to see posted.
No access to the internet but looking for resources?
Let us know and we can help provide you with the
information you need (Alberta Lamb Producers: 403948-8533 or 403-948-1522). (Images.clipartpanda.com)
Sign up for N’ewesline now! Subscribers receive free sheep industry news as soon as it happens. Make sure
N’ewesline has your current e-mail address. No junk, jokes or spam, only timely news and information that could benefit your operation. E-mail [email protected] and request to be added. We rarely send attachments, logos or pictures
so it is quick and easy for you to view. If still current, the information will be repeated in the next N’ewesletter.
April 2016 11
Producer Resources
Research - Ergot Toxicity
Susan Hosford, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
These sheep are checking out forage growth, maybe.
The photo comes from New Zealand’s Lincoln University
website www.lincoln.ac.nz/dryland.
The site has excellent information on dryland pasture
research. Alberta encompasses dryland areas. Drought is
a relatively regular occurrence on the Western Canadian
prairies. Having plans in place to deal with dry conditions
and droughts is part of risk management for Alberta
lamb production.
Ergot
Is it in the barley you’re feeding your sheep?
What’s ergot you ask? If you Google “ergot” you will
find photos like the two here. It’s a disease of grasses and
cereal crops mainly growing on rye, wheat, barley and
triticale. The fungus has been linked to human poisoning
since the Middle Ages.
Historically ergot hasn’t been a problem for Alberta
flock owners. It was more commonly seen in climates
with moist, cool and cloudy growing seasons. The last
few years created the right conditions with dry conditions, hail and erratic rainfall.
Grain growers know ergot affects the quality and yield
of their grain crops. It’s a growing problem for livestock
producers. Ergot produces alkaloids (organic compounds
containing nitrogen). When enough ergot is consumed,
alkaloids cause ergot poisoning in mammals, including
humans, cattle, swine and sheep. Ergot toxicity restricts
blood flow. That can lead to gangrene– lameness, followed by lost ears, tails, and hooves–the more familiar
symptoms of ergot poisoning in cattle.
Dr. Kim Stanford, Lethbridge Research Centre, with
funding from ALMA, has undertaken a research project
looking into ergot and its impact on sheep and lambs.
This year the research showed even a small amount of er12 April 2016
got can cause major health issues with sheep. Important
early findings show:
• One ergot body may be totally safe, another quite
deadly. Different ergot bodies have dramatically different levels of alkaloids. You simply can’t tell how toxic
the ergot will be by looking at a grain sample or by
counting the number of ergot bodies.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency Standards for
feed, and previous assumptions that sheep and cattle
have similar tolerances to ergot, may be incorrect.
• There is no margin of safety for breeding stock – ewes
or rams. Restricting blood flow to reproductive organs
increases abortions, low birth weights, and poordoing lambs. Restricting the hormone prolactin may
completely eliminate milk production contributing to
poor lamb viability and growth. Milk production does
not recover over the lactation, no matter what is fed.
• Standard feed testing for nutrients does not determine ergot toxicity. Specialized toxicological testing
is required. Currently only Prairie Diagnostic Services,
Saskatoon, is able to do accurate testing for ergot
toxicity.
• Avoiding any use of ergot-contaminated grain is the
best prevention.
Sources:
Dr. Kim Stanford, Agriculture and Forestry, Lethbridge Research Centre
Dr. Barry Blakley, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of
Saskatoon
Technology
Technology
Susan Hosford, Sheep Industry Specialist
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
Computers as tutors
Living in rural Alberta can make it challenging to get
to training sessions and further education. Access to the
internet also can be a bit of a challenge in some areas.
The internet does provide some incredible information as
proven time and again by home renovators, beginning
knitters, and car owners. If you like watching and learning
from videos,www.youtube.com provides limitless opportunities. Be sure to check out SheepCentralAlberta on
YouTube.
A survey of SheepBytes subscribers said they needed
more help to use the program than provided by the
demo, QuickStart and Technical guides. Some lamb
producers with limited computer skills had trouble getting started and struggled to use basic features of the
software. More advanced users find the program easy to
learn but wanted to use the program and all its features
more effectively. Using Growing Forward 2 funding, the
SheepBytes team decided to develop a step-by-step
training video. The video is a chapter by chapter on-line
education resource. Producers can sign on for free, work
at it anytime their schedules allow and go back to any
chapter as many times as needed. And there are no tests!
Let us know if it makes working with SheepBytes easier.
More information is featured in this N’ewesletter centre
section www.sheepbytes.ca.
Milk machines – a lambing barn decision-maker
.
That contributes to a higher cull rate for mastitis, which is
already an issue with highly productive ewes.
One of the most striking comments for me was when
one producer said they no longer leave lambs on ewes
too long because they can’t face another orphan, or
cleaning bottles and buckets. And of course after all the
work and cost what’s left is a pen of poor-doing lambs
with a less than ideal survival rate.
Producers who use milk machines have developed
standard procedures. That has removed those early
morning,or late night, debates on whether or not to
remove a lamb or leave it on the ewe. Lambs go straight
to the orphan pen if the ewe has udder damage or is too
thin, or too young, or obviously can’t rear more than two.
Any lamb that’s not doing well, for whatever reason, goes
into the orphan pen before it goes downhill, learns to
steal, or contributes to udder damage.
With any technology there are challenges and there’s a
learning curve. However, there are enough producers in
Alberta who use the milk machines that you can contact
them for tips. Talk to distributors and milk replacer suppliers. The product websites also offer information along
with some of the lessons learned by producers who use
the machines.
There are likely others, but these are the two milk machines producers here are using most commonly:
»» For more information on Grober or the Automatic
Lamb Feeder call 1-800-265-7863 Extension 210.
www.grobernutrition.com.
»» For information on Lac-Tek milk machines and a
listing of Canadian distributors www.biotic.com. In
Alberta call KaiserAg 1-780-352-8091 / 1-780-3615994.
UK technology helps manage ewe flocks
Talking to a number of producers has brought home to
me just how many are now using lamb milk machines to
rear orphan lambs.
When selection for productive ewes begins to pay off,
one of the challenges is how to manage the extra lambs.
Leaving more than two lambs on a ewe can be done.
Some of those ewes do a good job. Often they rear lambs
that survive but don’t really thrive. More seriously, multiple nursing lambs can stress and damage the ewe’s udder.
This month I was talking to a friend in the UK. She
watched a contractor who had been hired to do pregnancy scanning on a local flock. For an Albertan who
once had sheep the process was impressive!
The contractor is experienced as only contractors can
be where there are millions of ewes. He charged about
30 to 40 pence ($.60 to $.80 CDN) for the 1800 ewes. It
took roughly five seconds to determine if the ewe was
pregnant or open. The contractor then gave a lamb
count of one,two,three, or maybe four lambs. The ewes
were sorted according to litter size so that late pregnancy
nutrition and groups could be fine-tuned. Open ewes
were shipped off to market. No more open ewes standing at the feed bunk getting fat!
April 2016 13
Technology
and, of course, having a good handling system. It would
be nice if human pregnancy detection kits worked for
sheep—they don’t, save your money. A research project
has been proposed,and if funded it will look at whether
or not reliable pregnancy detection might be possible by
testing different body fluids. It’s in the future for now but
a tool that identifies open ewes, that reduces over-feeding or under-feeding pregnant ewes could significantly
impact flock profitability.
Contractor prices vary depending on the size of the
flock and on how easy it is to move and handle the flock.
Like shearing charges – the better the handling system
the more willing the contractor is to come and do the job.
Some contractors will take their own handling system
where existing facilities are poor. A good contractor can
scan an average of 200 ewes per hour. With a good contractor the challenge for farm staff is to just keep enough
ewes flowing to and from the scanner.
In Alberta pregnancy scanning is done by veterinarians or producers who own their own equipment. The
challenges for producers are in doing enough ewes to
develop expertise, having good scanning equipment
Buying and selling all classes of sheep and goats • Live weight pricing • Licensed, bonded, and insured • Same-day payment
www.livestock.ab.ca
14 April 2016
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
NEW!
Training Video!
Sheep operations are changing
to meet the challenges of today’s
agri-business environment. New
electronic tools like SheepBytes
Ration Balancer help improve
sheep enterprise performance
through increased flock
productivity, reduced feed waste,
and increased financial returns.
Learn to use
SheepBytes
Improve your skills
in using basic and
advanced features
Fit lesson modules
into your schedule
Always available at
no cost - anywhere,
anytime
For flock managers and nutritional consultants to benefit from this valuable tool, however,
they need the skills to use it effectively.
Feedback from SheepBytes users indicated more training was needed to improve skills
using basic to advanced program features.
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. 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.
Sheepbytes factsheet 2016.indd 1
April
2/11/20162016
10:27:22 15
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e easy
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Training Video Chapters include:
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Introduction to SheepBytes
What is Ration Balancing?
Considering SheepBytes?
After the Purchase
Balancing Your First Ration
Selecting Animal Requirements
Managing the Feed Table
Formulating More Complex Rations
Creating Feed Mixes
Using the Water Analysis Option
Feeder Lamb Ration
Managing the Feeding Program –
Feeding Information
SheepBytes Reports – Rations
Batch Mix Report
Ration Summary Report
Creating the Specs for a Custom
Commercial Feed
Sending SB Reports
Special Features for Commercial
Version Users
The
16Sheepbytes
Aprilfactsheet
2016
2016.indd
2
2/11/2016 10:27:23 AM
You need them to be healthy, productive and profitable.
THagedorn
Effective nutritional management boosts production and
saves you money every time you feed.
SheepBytes ration balancer is web-based software designed for effectively managing nutrition for all
types of sheep. Breeding flock owners, feedlot managers and nutritional consultants, across Canada, and
internationally, are using SheepBytes to take the guesswork out of balancing cost-effective rations.
What are SheepBytes users saying?

I love the fact that the program is web-based. I can access it on my ipad,
phone or laptop.
By using SheepBytes, saved $12-18 per finished lamb without sacrificing
performance.
Since using SheepBytes, we’ve noticed an improvement in the overall health
of our flock, with fewer disease outbreaks and deaths from unknown causes.
Easy to Use — Cost Effective
Developed and Used by Ruminant Nutritionists
Try the free demo, view the training video and learn more about
what SheepBytes can do by visiting
NEW!
Training Video!
Learn to use
SheepBytes
Improve your skills
in using basic and
advanced features
Fit lesson modules
into your schedule
Always available at
no cost - anywhere,
anytime
April 2016 17
Use SheepBytes to balance rations—anywhere, anytime
Today’s technology:
Access rations on any internet receiving device
Web-based software means you always have the most current version
Secure, reliable data back-up

Customized to you:
Individual producer and commercial consultant versions available
Balance rations for a variety of production groups and ages
Adjust for environmental conditions, body score, rate of gain and breed type
Use nutrient levels of your own feeds or from the feed library
Printable reports to manage feeding:
Batch mixes for grains, supplements or total mixed rations
Feed waste and ration cost calculations
Feed inventories for select production groups
Feed-related costs for: any pen or feeding period, per pound gain and rate of
gain, adjustments to marketing decisions or rations
Easy to use:
Colour coding alerts you when individual nutrient levels are too low or too high
Technical guides and consultation available
Tried, tested and always improving:
Developed and used by ruminant nutritionists
Available since 2012 with subscriptions growing annually
User feedback is valued and used for ongoing improvements
18 April 2016
Learn more and
try the free demo by
visiting
www.sheepbytes.ca.
Body Condition Scoring Resource
Enclosed with this issue of N’ewesletter is a laminated
copy of an Alberta Agriculture and Forestry guide to
body condition scoring (BCS). Body condition scoring is
an effective and inexpensive management tool for optimizing ewe reproductive performance, feeding management, and finishing of lambs. Regularly condition scoring
will help maintain the health, welfare and productivity of
your flock.
.
scores greater than 2.5 at the beginning of lactation in
order to meet the ewes’ potential milk production.
Getting started
Although condition scoring is a relatively simple procedure, it is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced to
ensure consistency. If you are new to condition scoring,
use the enclosed guide to learn the basics. Check the
Alberta Lamb Producers website (www.ablamb.ca) for resources, including videos and information regarding BSC
for breeding flocks and lambs. Contact the ALP office if
you do not have access to the internet and are interested
in these resources.
Suiter, J., “Body condition scoring of sheep and goats,”Farmnote 69/1994[Reviewed 2006]
DAFWA, South Perth, WA
1
CCWG LIVESTOCK
SUPPLIES LTD.
Lethbridge Branch
For all your livestock supplies…
Image 1: Body condition scoring
1
The five-point scoring system was introduced in the
1960s, and is now widely accepted as the standard method for assessing the fat and muscle reserves of sheep.
Condition is assessed by palpating the loin area at the
beginning of the short ribs, just behind the last long rib
(Image 1). Scores, ranging from 1 (emaciated) to 5 (obese),
are assigned based on the level of soft tissue around the
end of the first short rib and the backbone, as well as the
roundness of the loin muscle (see the laminated guide
for details). Half points are used to describe animals that
fall between two full condition scores.
The more often you condition score, the better idea
you’ll have of how close your sheep are to an ideal BCS.
Check for condition whenever sheep are handled. For
breeding flocks,at minimum, follow the recommendations in the ALP’s Shepherding 101 module:
To feed your flock to optimal efficiency, body condition
score your flock at least three times a year and adjust
their feed intake accordingly. Ewes should be condition
scored in the fall prior to flushing, providing enough
time to adjust a thin ewes’ diet to enable her to increase
her body condition score up to 2.5 for breeding. Condition
score again at mid-gestation and just before lambing
so diets can be adjusted and the ewes can achieve body
Let us know how we can help.
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LIVESTOCK TAGS – Z-Tags – Allflex - Shearwell
WATERERS – Miraco (Mira-fount – Lil’Spring)
SHEARING EQUIPMENT – Lister, Heiniger, Oster
SHEEP EQUIPMENT – MarWeld & Premier
Clipper Blade Sharpening &Equipment Repairs
Visit our website:www.wool.ca
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Toll Free: 1-800-567-3693
[email protected]
Animal health products available,
$’s cannot be advertised in AB or on our E-Commerce site
Call us for more details and to order
April 2016 19
Carcass classification
Primary purpose: To establish carcasses evaluation systems based on given carcass quality criteria
Source: Candido Pomar, CMC Annual Meeting
Summer Synergy
and
the 4-H Provincial Sheep Show
July 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)
Difference Between Grading
and Classification Systems
AAFC/Animal Industry Division/Red Meat Section
Carcass grading
Primary purpose: To establish a payment system
based on carcass quality
(Source: Candido Pomar, CMC Annual Meeting)
A grading system groups carcasses in order of excellence in accordance with the needs of the market and the
population requirements. Grading schemes put different
values on carcasses placed in uniform classes.
Grading involves value judgements, the concept of
“better” and “worse,” and the use of price differentials between grades for carcasses according to the buyers and
the customers’ requirements. A grading system is based
on a series of pass/fail tests, i.e. to get the top grade you
have to pass all the tests, and if you fail at any steps, the
carcass is downgraded. Therefore, it is important that
procedures used to estimate quality on carcasses are
precise and repeatable.
Definition:
i. “Grading system places carcasses with similar characteristics into commercial groups (RATING).”
Source: Óscar López-Campos, CMC Annual Meeting
ii. “The placing of different values (e.g., indexes) on carcasses for pricing purposes, depending on the market
and requirements of traders.”
20 April 2016
In a classification system, the number or the letter
obtained in the sorting process does not necessarily
mean “better” or “worse” quality. Classification system is
more “objective,” whereas most of cattle and sheep grading systems are “subjective.” As a representative example, pork is classified using optical or reflectance-based
recording probes for measuring fat and muscle thickness,
and sophisticated probes and yield control procedures.
Definition:
iii. “Classification system is the sorting of carcasses
according to given parameters describing all commercially important traits of the carcass. (SORTING in
multiple categories for different end uses).”
Source: Óscar López-Campos, CMC Annual Meeting
iv. “The ranking of carcasses according to given parameters describing attributes (e.g., lean yield) of the
carcass that are useful to those involved in their utilization (i.e., selection, trade, etc.).”
New Provincial 4-H
Sheep Project Specialist
ALP is happy to welcome Shelly Ann Dodgson
to the position of Provincial 4-H Sheep Project
Specialist. Shelly Ann takes over from Andrea Hanson. A
sincere ‘thank you’ goes out to Andrea for her hard work
with the sheep clubs in the past, and we wish her all the
best in her new position as Beef Extension Specialist.
Shelly Ann is the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
Regional 4-H Specialist for the Northeastern region of
the province. As Sheep Project Specialist, Shelly Ann will
help coordinate the Provincial Sheep Show at this year’s
Summer Synergy, and will be the ‘go-to’ source for information for the province’s sheep clubs. ALP will work with
Shelly Ann to help ensure our management resources are
shared with 4-H members. Shelly Ann is excited about
the rise in the number of sheep clubs across the province
in recent years, and is looking forward to seeing that
trend continue.
Shelly Ann works out of the Vermilion Alberta Agriculture office and can be contacted at (780) 853-8115 (office),
(780) 851-5038 (cell/text), or [email protected].
New Barber Pole Worm Treatment
Available in Spring 2016
Canadian Sheep Breeders
Association
Barber Pole worm infection is a significant health
issue in many Alberta flocks. The parasite can cause
heavy mortality and production losses, due to anemia
in infected sheep. As with many other internal parasites,
the Barber Pole worm is showing increased resistance
to existing de-worming medications, making it difficult
to control. Alberta Lamb Producers (ALP) is very pleased
that the new Elanco medication ‘Flukiver’ will soon be
available to producers. The Canadian Sheep Federation
(CSF) has pushed for the development and approval of
this product. Through check-off support of ALP, Alberta
producers have contributed to the work CSF has done for
this advancement. Read the Elanco Canada press release
about this product:
34th Canadian Sheep Classic
Elanco Canada introduces Flukiver™
(closantel sodium) oral suspension for the treatment of
Haemonchuscontortus (Barber Pole worm) infection in
sheep and lambs
Guelph Ontario: (February 1, 2016) - Elanco Canada, introduces FLUKIVER, an oral suspension for the treatment
of Haemonchuscontortus (Barber Pole worm) infection in
sheep and lambs. This is a prescription product available
only through veterinarians. Canadian labelled product is
anticipated to arrive late spring of 2016 and at that time
veterinarians will be notified of its availability.
At this time a small stock of Flukiver continues to be
available through the Emergency Drug Release (EDR)
approval program managed by the Veterinary Drugs
Directorate – Health Canada.
For technical Information regarding Flukiver please
contact Nancy Perlich at [email protected] or
directly by phone at +1 403-360-2658. For assistance
with the EDR process please contact Nicole Pinto at
[email protected] or directly by phone at +1 519341-7002.
About Elanco
Elanco provides comprehensive products and knowledge services to improve animal health and food animal
production in more than 70 countries around the world.
We value innovation, both in scientific research and daily
operations, and strive to cultivate a collaborative work
environment for nearly 7,000 employees worldwide. Together with our customers, we are committed to raising
awareness about global food security, and celebrating
and supporting the human-animal bond. Founded in
1954, Elanco is a division of Eli Lilly and Company. Our
worldwide headquarters and research facilities are located in Greenfield, Indiana. Visit us at www.Elanco.com.
.
Deadline for advertising in the 2016 sales catalogue
is May 13, 2016.
On July 7, 8 and 9, 2016, CSBA will host the 34th Canadian Sheep Classic, in cooperation with the Societe des
eleveurs de moutons de race pure du Quebec (SEMRPQ),
at the Richmond fairgrounds in Richmond, Quebec.
This major event, which gathers all members of the
Canadian sheep industry, is held in a different province
each year. The last Quebec edition of this national sheep
classic was also held in Richmond, in 2010. Participants
from all across Canada were present for this successful
three-day event, where everyone could attend judging
and demonstrations, and tour the many kiosques on the
fairgrounds. Furthermore, a purebred sheep auction of
top genetic quality completed the event. The Canadian
Sheep Classic’s main objectives are to share and communicate the knowledge and expertise of Canadian sheep
genetics between breeders of all provinces.
In order to have many Canadian sheep breeders and
others members of sheep industry participate, more
than 3000 sale catalogues will be printed and shipped at
the national and provincial level. Copies of this catalogue
will also be accessible through several sheep industry
websites.
Please also note that the event will be advertised in
Ovin Quebec, a magazine of Quebec’s sheep industry delivered to all sheep farmers in the province (2000 copies).
These sale catalogues contain very useful information
such as names, addresses, e-mail addresses and phone
numbers of all participants, and also include information related to sales and equipment suppliers. These
catalogues are often used as reference books by many
producers who want to keep in touch with these companies and breeders.
Your support in this national event would be greatly
appreciated in order to ensure its full success. For more
information about the Classic, go to www.cansheep.ca or
call 1-866-956-1116.
For any questions regarding advertising, please feel
free to contact Johanne Cameron by email (jojcameron@
hotmail.com).
Many thanks for your support!
Johanne Cameron, Member of the Canadian Sheep
Classic committee 2016 – Advertising
David Mastine, President, Canadian Sheep Classic 2016
April 2016 21
Emergency Preparedness Week
May 1st to May 7th
72 hours... Are You Prepared?
Disasters and emergencies can strike anytime, anywhere. If one happened today, what would you do and
who would you depend on for the next 72 hours to stay
safe?
Emergency Preparedness Week is a national event
coordinated in the first week of May every year by Public
Safety Canada in partnership with provincial and territorial governments and other partners. During Emergency
Preparedness Week the Alberta Emergency Management
Agency (AEMA), in collaboration with municipalities
across the province, encourages Albertans to be prepared to respond to the many different types of emergencies that can affect their lives. In 2015, communities
across Alberta held events encouraging individuals to
take steps to be prepared. Check with your local municipal office or the AEMA website (www.aema.alberta.ca) for
events this year.
Experience has shown that individual preparedness
goes a long way to helping people cope better - both
during and after an emergency or disaster.
Visit www.GetPrepared.ca or www.aema.alberta.ca for
more information.
New ALP Emergency Preparedness Guide
All individuals are responsible for making preparations
to keep their families and property safe during an emergency. Sheep producers have the added responsibility
of ensuring emergency planning includes their animals.
Given the size and special requirements of livestock,
having resources on-hand and a plan in place are vital
in minimizing the impact of emergency situations on
livestock welfare and economic viability.
There is no doubt that preparing for emergencies is
important. However, taking action to develop a plan and
knowing where to start can be overwhelming. A new
resource from ALP can help you develop an effective
emergency management plan for your farm. The new
Emergency Preparedness Guide was developed by Alberta
Lamb Producers, with funding from Growing Froward 2,
to provide a ‘go-to’ document of emergency planning
22 April 2016
resources that are specifically relevant for Alberta sheep
producers.
Taking time to create an emergency management plan
will help you:
• Make changes on your farm that can prevent problems from occurring.
• Respond quickly during emergency situations to
minimize the impact on your farm and flock. Having a
documented plan will also help ensure everyone else
(i.e. family members, staff, neighbours) knows what to
do.
• Show due diligence. By having an emergency plan
adapted specifically for your farm, you demonstrate
your commitment to managing risks and reducing
losses. This can help make your farm a better risk to
insure and help control the cost of your insurance
premiums.
• Recover from an emergency. Planning ahead increases
your ability to anticipate and prepare for circumstances that could interrupt farm operations. This can help
you get business back to normal more quickly after an
event.
The ALP Emergency Preparedness Guide is available
free-of-charge to sheep producers. Download the Guide
from the ‘Resources’ area of the ALP website, www.ablamb.ca, or contact the ALP office for your free hard copy.
Custom Built
Sheep& Goat
Equipment
Richard Zubot
Box 822, Humboldt S K
S0K 2A0
Ph: (306) 682-3252
Cell:(306) 231-7928
e-mail crzubot@hotmail .com
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
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
Other sizes of single and double sided feeders are available.
Call for details and pricing.
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
Looking for April (or May, or June)
Showers
This winter’s usually warm temperatures and low
precipitation in much of the province have raised
concerns that we are heading into another year of
summer drought conditions.
Ralph Wright (Manager of Agro-meteorological Applications and Modelling Section for Alberta Agriculture
and Forestry), states in the February ‘Moisture Situation
Update ’that although the situation is atypical it could be
corrected by good spring rains. The report states:
February was unusually warm across most of the province with many areas estimated to experience a February
this warm on average only once in 25 to 50 years. Warm
weather is partly to blame for snow packs that are well
below normal for this time of year, with areas east of Red
Deer and Edmonton seeing snow packs like this on average less than once in 50 years.
In addition to warm weather, below normal snow packs
on the ground today are also a direct result of a late
start to winter, with snows generally arriving three weeks
late and below normal precipitation over the past few
months. However, this fall, most areas did receive at least
near normal to above normal rainfall. As a result, the
total moisture received over the past 180 days is generally
at least near normal for most of the province south of
Edmonton. In contrast over this same period, the Peace
Region received below normal moisture, with the some
areas of the north-central Peace Region estimated to be
at one in 25 to 50 year lows.
While winter snow packs are unusually low for this time
of year, the total snow water deficits across the driest areas typically range between 50 to 60 mm. This is
equivalent to a good soaking spring rain and can easily
be made up with above average spring rains, and/or a
few late winter snow storms.
The report goes on to say that based on historical data
the winter months are typically dry, with the timing of
spring precipitation varying across the province.
Generally for southern Alberta, March tends to mark the
end of the dry season while those areas north of Calgary
and east of Highway #2 remain relatively dry until April.
[A]s the wet season unfolds, more significant moisture
begins to fall across southern Alberta by the beginning of
May, and this trend moves northward, bringing substantial moisture to central and northern Alberta by the
end of May and finally (much later) to the Peace Region,
during the first half of June. [Historical data]should serve
to remind us that there is still ample time to receive ad-
.
equate moisture ahead of this year’s growing season and,
for most of Alberta, March and April are historically still
relatively dry months.
To view the entire report, including provincial maps
showing recent and historical precipitation and temperature data, go to the Agricultural Moisture Situation
Updates page of the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
website (http://www1.agriculture.alberta.ca/$department/
deptdocs.nsf/all/ppe9917). This page includes past updates and the March report will likely be posted in early
April.
To access additional maps and to view other information provided by the Agro Climatic Information Services,
go to http://www.agriculture.alberta.ca/acis/about.jsp.
Options for dry conditions
The amount of precipitation that will fall this spring is
out of our control; however, there are steps producers
can take to minimize the effects if this turns out to be a
dry summer. Developing contingency plans and implementing management strategies for water resources,
cropland and pastures early in the season can help offset the impact of a drought on your farm. Even if there
is adequate moisture for this growing season, we know
Alberta is prone to dry spells and that next year might
be dry. Taking care of your resources in good years helps
ensure resiliency for the future.
The Alberta Agriculture and Forestry website—
Ropin’ the Web—has a wealth of information regarding
both long range and short term planning for dry conditions. The hub for this information is Options for Alberta
Producers During Dry Conditions http://www1.agric.gov.
ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/dis12713.
For those without Internet access, or if you have questions about this information, please contact Alberta
Agriculture at 310-FARM (3276).
Photo credit: Susan Schoenian
April 2016 23
Sheep Inventory Statistics
Released
Statistics Canada released the January
sheep inventory estimates. The estimates
show a decrease in the Canadian flock of
1.9% between January 2015 and January
2016. Eastern Canada showed a marginal
decline, while the Western flock fell by
3.6%. The bulk of this change occurred in
Alberta, potentially due to heavy culling
in response to last year’s drought. The
June N’ewesletter will include a more detailed analysis of the inventory and what
it may mean for the Alberta industry.
Marketline
Sign up for free weekly email
listing market prices in Alberta
and Ontario.
Go to www.ablamb.ca to sign
up or email [email protected].
Canada
East
Atlantic region
Quebec
Ontario
West
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Alberta
British Columbia
January 1,
2015r
January 1,
2016
thousands of
head
844.3
501.3
37.2
213
251.1
343
59
99
145
40
thousands of
head
828.6
498.1
37
213
248.1
330.5
58
98
135
39.5
January 1,
2015 to
January 1,
2016
% change
-1.9
-0.6
-0.5
0
-1.2
-3.6
-1.7
-1
-6.9
-1.3
revised
Source(s):CANSIM table 003-0031. www.statcan.gc.ca
r
Superior ovine genetics for the profit oriented lamb producer.
Highest Health Status Available • Performance Based Selection
Medicine Ridge
Ovine
www.MedicineRidgeOvine.com
24 April 2016
Photo: Johane Janelle
Ile De France • Charollais • Canadian Arcott • Rideau Arcott
New Norway, Alberta
Gerrit & Ute Brinkmann
Ph: 780-855-2477
[email protected]
Global Sheep
– The Short Story
Susan Hosford, Agriculture and Forestry
Performance of sheep farms globally
• The percentage of weaned lambs per ewe ranges between 60% on the smallest African farms with very low
predation to 160% on UK farms averaging 450 ewes
on mixed, lowland operations with high percentage
prolific (Lleyn) ewes.
• Numbers of lambs weaned are the decisive basis for
economic performance of all farms. Numbers not
surprisingly are greatly influenced by genetics, natural
conditions, available feed and production orientation
of the farm.
• There was no clear relationship between the production system and the number of lambs weaned.
Source: 2015 Beef and Sheep Report – Understanding Agriculture
Worldwide, AgriBenchmark
New Zealand
Current predictions seem to indicate NZ
lamb prices are heading downwards once
the Easter export shipments are finished.
$80 for an 18 kg prime lamb will force
many sheep farmers to look at options
that may help restore some profitability.
There are opportunities for the livestock sector to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Research has clearly identified that fast‐growing animals have better feed conversion ratios and produce
lower GHG emissions per unit of product. Therefore
systems that improve growth rates will reduce emissions.
• Methane production per unit of output varies between animals. Some produce less than others for the
same LWG. This trait is heritable and apparently has no
negative correlations to production.
• It is possible to modify the microbial population in the
rumen using inhibitors and vaccines. Swiss research
has reduced methane emissions by up to 30% using
inhibitors through daily intake of the inhibitor in a
feedlot situation.
• NZ research is four to five years away from providing
GHG‐reducing solutions for pasture‐based livestock
systems.
Source: Agricultural Green House Gas Research (GHG) Centre, AgLetter
.
The skill sets of NZ’s future farmers will determine
whether or not a farm business is sustainable. As producers in Canada know, there is an increasingly complex
set of skills needed by farm managers. According to management consultants who work with producers in NZ,
the new skills are needed. Of note is a focus on business
skills; production management comes after.
• Human resources – managing more staff, getting the
best work from them and retaining them requires
strong people skills, good contracting, coaching and
organizing.
• Compliance – farmers need to know what the growing
number of regulations are and how best to manage
the time that takes.
• Cash flow management – when prices are good it’s
a good time to figure out how you will manage cash
flow. It’s too late when prices drop.
• Debt management – high debt loads require farmers
to have strong skills and maturity to be able to look at
options, get advice, and deal with pressure.
• Production management – animal nutrition, feeding
systems, genetics and reproduction, pasture management, IT and technology skills. Facts are useless
without the ability to analyze and interpret them.
Lambing barn sheet information is useless if it doesn’t
link to live lambs marketed, flock health, culling and
selection.
• Risk management – planning and back up planning
for the unexpected (climate, markets, and economics)
need to be on-going. “Top farmers know when to get
aggressive and when to pull in their heads.”
• Strong networks in a culture of business – leading
farmers build and create a strong network of support
for their businesses. Top teams often reach overseas to
link to research, financial, market and technical specialists as well as other top producers.
Skills alone are not enough. Skills need to be linked to
a strong business culture. Standing still in agriculture is
not sustainable. A successful culture ensures top producers keep moving ahead and helps them stay ‘above the
average’.
Source: Country-Wide Jan 2016
Australia
Australia is reported to be the
leader in the global trade of sheep/
lamb skins with wool. In 2014 Australia
exported nearly 200,000 tonnes of skins
worth nearly $345 million in US dollars.
A marketing report said that 90% of Australian sheep
April 2016 25
skins account in value for 64% of China’s total imports.
With 59% of the world’s trade in sheep skins, China is the
global leader and a key market.
Source: Country-Wide January 2016
Wool prices in Australia’s Wool Exchange closed out
2015 at the highest levels since 1979. Over the past
twelve months the returns showed a 19% increase, the
largest yearly increase since 2007. Prices did finish the
year lower than the June peak. Currency exchange fluctuations proved challenging for Australian wool traders.
Source: www.sheepcentral.com
Heavier lambs give late-2015 boost to Australian
production. Average lamb carcass weight jumped
three percent in November 2015, contributing to a four
percent increase in monthly production, compared to
the previous year. Average carcass weights have been
getting heavier over the past 15 years due to better ewe
management, genetic advances, a move towards meatproducing breeds and focus on end-users, consumers.
The number of lambs to be processed in Australia in
2016 is expected to be a little lower than in 2015 or a bit
below 22 million head. Currently in the first months of
2016 there has been an increase in slaughter numbers
partially due to dry conditions. Major processors anticipating a tighter supply have been offering contracts to
August.
Source: www.sheepcentral.com
United Kingdom
RFID technology can be a useful
tool for increasing the profitability
and performance of sheep businesses.
Dr Nakielny, who farms 800 ewes in
Wales, is a technical sheep specialist
with knowledge of a variety of sheep
production issues. Dr Nakielny believes “The farming
sector can often benefit from looking at other industries
for ideas on how to improve profitability. Measuring dayto-day performance is a common theme in successful
enterprises and farming is not any different. Widespread
use of barcode and radio frequency identification technology enables shops and factories to record stock and
inventory. Sheep producers also have access to the same
type of technology. With RFID tags large numbers of livestock can be recorded quickly and efficiently. This offers
a huge amount of information for business decisions.”
“Rather than just using RFID tags to satisfy legislative
requirements, sheep farmers have a fantastic opportunity to make use of the technology in their businesses in
a number of different ways,” says Douglas Bell, Head of
Industry Development.
26 April 2016
Technological progress is the key to productivity
and sustainability in agriculture, says a new report to
the European Parliament. “Farmers today are finding it
increasingly challenging to produce food in a sustainable
way.” A recent report warns that smaller farms are missing out on these benefits because of cost and difficulties in adapting new technologies. Technologies being
developed need to be applicable to all farming types,
whether conventional or organic, livestock or cropping,
small or large-scale. Agri-tech can enable the British farming industry to reduce our trade deficits, reduce waste,
move us closer to production potential, provide tools to
manage volatility and a fair, transparent and functioning
supply chain. Collectively this will give farmers the confidence to invest. A reliable agri-tech sector is extremely
important in the face of potential political and economic
changes which could severely impact the farming industry in the next few years
Source: Farming UK – January 2016
Resistance to deworming drenches continues to
build. Of farms in a survey in Wales, 43% showed resistance to the three main classes of older anthelmintics.
Research is showing how critically important it is to know
which dewormers work on their individual farms. Research underway in Alberta will help answer some of the
questions producers have about what to deworm with,
how to reduce resistance issues and what kind of management changes will be needed.
The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS)
group was formed to develop sustainable strategies for
parasite control in sheep. Included is information on
gastrointestinal parasites as well as on external parasites.
Sheep lice can also pose problems for Alberta producers.
Source information and videos on parasites, resistance: www.scops.
org.uk
United States
“Best Practices to Increase Your Lamb Crop”
A best practice is simply a technique or method that,
through experience and research, has proven it will reliably lead to a desired result. A commitment to using best practices means
being willing to use all the knowledge
at your disposal to ensure success.
Best practices can help sheep producers grow, improve profitability and reach industry-wide
goals.
The American Lamb Resource Center has an extensive
resource database with information on productivity, genetics and best practices.
Source: www.lambresourcecenter.com
Agriculture Minister, AgCoalition Agree to
Work Together on Safety
Alberta Lamb Producers attended the March 2nd meeting
and is proud to join the 29 other provincial groups in the
AgCoalition.
(Calgary, Alberta), February 25, 2016 - The newly-established
Alberta Agricultural Farm and Ranch Safety Coalition and
the Government of Alberta would like to take this opportunity to provide the following update:
Following a meeting yesterday, Agriculture Minister
Oneil Carlier and the Alberta Agriculture Farm and Ranch
Safety Coalition (the AgCoalition), reached a go-forward
agreement on how to work together to improve safety
on farms and ranches.
“No one cares more about farm and ranch safety than
farmers and ranchers. I am pleased they have come
together to work with us to ensure the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act serves their needs
and the needs of their waged employees.” – Oneil Carlier,
minister of agriculture and forestry.
“We are pleased that the AgCoalition is recognized as a
positive means to move forward on upcoming consultation processes,” said AgCoalition co-chair Page Stuart.
Co-chair Kent Erickson added that “the AgCoalition has
developed internal governance structures to ensure
broad-based participation in the consultation process,
and looks forward to working with the government in
considering processes to staff the consultation working
groups.”
Representatives from across the AgCoalition will be
meeting in central Alberta next week to review the recommended path forward for consultation.
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and the AgCoalition,
continue to seek nominations for working group members to participate in the next phase of consultations on
the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act.
The working group will be established to develop recommendations on how occupational health and safety
practices, employment standards, and labour relations
requirements can be effectively applied given the unique
needs of employers and employees in the agriculture
sector.
The AgCoalition was established on January 22nd, 2016
with a mandate to unify the farm and ranch community
in effort to foster a culture of farm safety in Alberta.
Media Contact: Victoria Russell Communications Specialist
[email protected], 403-219-7906.
.
Alberta Lamb - at a Store Near You
Through the collaboration of
the Alberta Lamb Producers (ALP),
SunGold Specialty Meats, and the
Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), Calgary Co-op is replacing its imported lamb
with Alberta Lamb under the new “Perfect Lamb” private
label program. Building on the success of Calgary Coop’s “Co-op Perfect Meats” marketing efforts http://www.
calgarycoop.com/food/meat/, Perfect Lamb puts a reputable locally-produced lamb product on retail shelves. So
far, eight cuts have been identified for the Perfect Lamb
brand, with the potential to expand into value-added
products. SunGold has developed project specific packaging featuring the Alberta Lamb logo, making it easy for
consumers to recognize at the stores. ALP developed and
supplied the Alberta Lamb logo and definition of Alberta
Lamb:“Any lamb under 12 months of age that has been
raised and processed in Alberta by an Alberta producer
in accordance with Alberta lamb policies, applicable legislation and industry best practices and that is traceable
from birth to point of sale.”In the coming months, ALP
will launch a new Alberta Lamb website and has other
exciting activities related to this project and the marketing of Alberta lamb.
R. R. 1
Carstairs, Alberta
T0M 0N0
Phone/Fax (403) 337-2221
• Comforters
• Mattress Pads
• Sleeping Bags
• Batts
• Roping 4-Str.
• Yarns
• Work Socks
• Custom Services Washing
Dying
Carding
Spinning
Sewing
Knitting
April 2016 27
An Update About COOL
Since being enacted in 2008, the contentious legislation
called Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) has been actively contested by Canada and Mexico. The World Trade
Organization (WTO) rejected the U.S.’s appeal in May
2015, stating for the fourth and final time that the legislation is discriminatory to Mexico and Canada and that it
violates both the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
and the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement. After
that decision, Canada announced that it would pursue
retaliatory action for beef and pork,but did not ask for a
full repeal of country of origin labelling for all Canadian
livestock. As a result, in December 2015 the U.S. repealed
the legislation for beef and pork. Lamb is still subjected
to the labelling requirements.
As a member of the Canadian Sheep Federation (CSF),
ALP has supported the CSF’s efforts over the last year as
they have advocated for the sheep industry to be included in the repeal of COOL. In June 2015, the CSF drafted
a letter for producers to send to their MPs and sent it to
the provincial member organizations, including ALP. ALP
sent this letter out to producers through N’ewesline, the
email service, so they could send personal letters to their
MP. In addition, ALP sent letters to all MPs in Alberta, the
Provincial Agriculture Minister, Oneil Carlier, and the
Federal Agriculture Minister, then Gerry Ritz, to express
our disappointment and concern that Canada would not
be advocating for a full repeal and that it was isolating
the sheep industry as still being subjected to labelling
requirements.
The CSF has stated that as a result of COOL,the Canadian sheep industry has lost between $223 million and
$305 million in sheep and lamb exports.
The CSF has also stated that they have requested
meetings with the current Federal Minister of Agriculture
Lawrence MacAulay to pursue the issue. ALP supports
the national sheep organization’s efforts in combatting this national issue. In addition, ALP has sent letters
to MLAs, MPs in Alberta, and the Provincial Agriculture
Minister Oneil Carlier as we continue to advocate for
Alberta’s sheep industry. ALP also encourages producers
to contact their MPs and MLAs.
PRLA Conference – June 11th, 2016
The Peace River Lamb Association will be holding its
4th annual Sheep Conference on June 11th this year in
Rycroft, Alberta.
The theme we have this year is "Health of the Shepherd,
his Family,and his Flock." Dr. Sam Houston will be speaking on zoonotic diseases. He would like to do a study of
Q-fever and the producer in northern Alberta and B.C.
More speakers will be announced at a later date as
commitments are firmed up.
Peace River Lamb Association will hold a general meeting at this time.
Please plan to attend this Health information workshop. For more information, contact:
Sherry Mortland, President PRLA
(780) 864-3057, [email protected]
Beaver Hill
Auction Services Ltd.
"The Market dedicated to the sheep and goat industry."
PO Box 957, Tofield AB T0B 4J0
Phone: 780-662-9384 Fax: 780-662-3615
Western Canada’s Largest Regular Sheep and Goat Sale
Regular Sales at (11:00 a.m.)
• The best buyer support from across Canada.
2nd and 4th Monday every month from January to July
Weekly Monday Sales from August to December (except holidays)
Sunday receiving hours - 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Order buyers representing local meat packers
as well as meat packers on the West Coast,
Ontario and Quebec.
Pre-book your animals with Doug at 780-777-4540.
Market reports available at www.beaverhillauctions.com
28 April 2016
SUNGOLD WANTS YOUR LAMBS
• Rail price, plus PREMIUMS
based on carcass quality
• Grain Finished Lambs
• Live Pricing for Feeder Lambs,
CCull Ewes and Goats
Call Us Now to Discuss Your Lamb Marketing Options:
Contracts, Cash, Feeders and Culls
Please Contact:
Kurt Paskal: 403-505-1165 Producer Relations
Cathy Krohn: 403-227-7866 Plant Lamb Coordinator
Dwayne Beaton: 403-894-4388 CEO
Spring/Summer Contracts Now Being Offered! Contact us to discuss
For more information visit our website:
www.sungoldmeats.com
»»»»»»»»»»»»»
CANADA GOLD LAMB LOT
MORE MARKETING OPTIONS!
Access SunGold Grading on Your Feeders by:
1.
2.
Sale of your feeders to Canada Gold, using
Forward Contracts or Cash (market) based purchase options for Pricing
Through This Marketing Option for Your Feeders We Offer:
1.
2.
Carcass grading results from SunGold
Option to Sell Cull Ewes to SunGold at a preferential price
Please contact:
Rick Paskal
Kurt Paskal
Dwayne Beaton
403-894-9449
403-505-1165
403-894-4388
April 2016 29
Classifieds
Classified ads are available free to Alberta producers. In addition to being published in the newsletter,
they are available on-line under News and Advertising at http://ablamb.ca/news/advertising/index.html.
This online list is updated at the beginning of each
month. Email [email protected] or fax 403-912-1455
or call 403-948-1522 to place, amend or delete your
classified ad. Alberta Lamb Producers does not endorse or promote any of the advertisements or advertisers in the N’ewesletter.
4-H LAMBS
Contact your zone director if you have lambs
suitable for 4-H project lambs or are looking for lambs
for your club.
SHEEP & LAMBS: For Sale
Clun Forest rams. Selected from easy lambers and
good mothers. Glynn Brooks, Lethbridge
(403) 327-2242. [email protected].
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.
3/4 Ile de France, 1/4 Rideau Arcott ewe lambs for
sale born in March 2015. Approx. 120-130lb. (in Oct).
None of these lambs have had grain (pasture only).
Weaned in July. Asking $350 as bred ewe lambs
(breeding in Oct. to a purebred Ile de France). Also 2
purebred Rideau Arcott ewe lambs for sale.
[email protected], (780) 568-4136.
13, 2-yr old ewes for sale. Sheared, had 8-way, dewormed and hoof trim in the Spring. Due to lamb in
March/April. Commercial stock from (over the years)
Suffolk, Dorset, Texel, and Jacob rams. Very good maternal genetics. Some black, excellent wool. Forced to
sell due to unexpected health problems.
Call (403) 932-2386 or email [email protected].
Ram for sale. 3 yr. old, Dorset/Jacob cross. From
good maternal stock. Call (403) 932-2386 or email
[email protected].
Flock dispersal. 200 purebred Rambouillet ewes.
Contact Jack Braat 403-327-9757.
Isle Of Skye pedigree North Country Cheviot breeding stock. *New bloodlines* Select number of top
quality ram lambs available. www.isleofskyecheviots.ca
Susan Neal (403) 588-3808.
30 April 2016
Peace Country, AB, Purebred, well-bred & well-muscled, yearling Suffolk & Dorset rams. Still some available. These kinds of genetics have won awards for
champion & supreme champion & also highest selling
ram at the Classic numerous times!
Call or text (780) 864-8924.
Alberta Sheep Breeders’ Association (ASBA) members 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, [email protected],
(403) 443-7220.
Need More Lambs? Romanov & Charollais Rams,
Ewes & Crossbreds. Performance based selection
[email protected] or (403) 224-2463.
Yearling Suffolk & Rambouillet rams. Top quality
rams selected for growth & wool. Jack Braat
(403) 327-9757.
Registered Suffolk rams & ram lambs. Purebred Suffolk 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
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. Farm raised and learning about baby
lambs right now. Price $250. Phone (403) 526-9177
or (403) 502-9470. Please leave a message - we work
nights.
Great Pyrenees puppies, born Nov. 23. Ready to go
anytime after Jan. 18. Taking orders now, 2 males & 3
females left. Please call or text (780) 864-8924. $400
firm. SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY PLEASE.
.
Sheep Calendar
What
Where
When
Shearing School
Lethbridge
April 8-9. 403-317-0330, [email protected]
ALP Webinar:
Neonatal Management
with Dr. Lynn Tait
Your home
April 18, (7 to 8 p.m.)
See page 4 for details or contact ALP.
Deadline for June N’ewesletter
Send submissions to the
ALP office
May 16.
Peace River Lamb Association
Conference and AGM
Rycroft
June 11. See page 28 for details.
Fibre Week
Olds College, Olds
June 17-23. http://oldscollege.ca/continuingeducation/fibre/fibre-week/index
CSBA All Canada Sheep Classic
Richmond, QC
July 7-9. www.sheepbreeders.ca
Summer Synergy
Provincial Sheep Show
Olds
July 11-15. Deadline for entries June 01.
www.4h.ab.ca, www.summersynergy.ca
Calgary Stampede
Calgary
July 8–17. www.calgarystampede.com
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
contact your director for details.
Please e-mail [email protected] or call 403-948-1522 to provide details of your event for the N’ewesletter and website sheep calendar
Well-bred Border Collie puppies for sale. From working parents, sire is imported from Scotland. Black and
white, tri-color and brown. Born October 28, 2015. Contact: [email protected] or (780) 855-2477.
Maremma/Ambasch puppies for sale. Male and female puppies available, parents can be viewed. Great
companions and guard dogs - hate coyotes! $200.
Contact (306) 843-2898 or [email protected].
8 Maremma puppies in Olds AB. Born mid-March and
ready to go. 5 male and 3 female. Proven working parents. Born and raised in pen with lambing ewes. $350.
Great pups from great parents. Call (403) 556-7952 or
(403) 586-5638.
Equipment & Miscellaneous
Shearwell sorting gate/scale. Like new, only used a
few times. Bought new for $18,000 selling for $10,000.
Call Bert Peters (403) 793-0465.
For Sale Lister Flexible Shaft Inner Core (new) with
two Lister Boyonet Joints. $125.00. Glynn Brooks
Lethbridge (403) 327-2242, [email protected].
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 [email protected]. For more shortline equipment see www.huberequipment.com.
Blue Rock Animal Nutrition. Manufacturers of custom sheep, beef and goat mineral premixes. Nutrition
consultation, feed testing and SWEET PRO protein tub
distributors. Kristen Ritson-Bennett (403) 358-1674,
Small Ruminant Nutrition Consulting,
[email protected].
Save the Date - April 18!
Listen to Dr. Lynn Tait
discuss neonatal management.
See page 6 for details.
April 2016 31
Alberta Lamb Producers 2015/2016
Zone #1 – Ray Nolan (Nanton, Pincher Creek, Cardston, Fort Macleod, Vulcan)
Phone: 403-681-0276
E-mail: [email protected]
Zone #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
Zone #4 – Bill Gibson Vice-Chair (Wetaskiwin, Lacombe, Coronation, Rocky Mountain House)
Phone: 403-788-2883
Zone #5 – Erin Yaremko, Chair (Athabasca, Wainwright, Vegreville, St. Paul, Lloydminster, Thorhild)
Phone: 780-645-6550
E-mail: [email protected] Cell: 780-210-0480
Zone #6 – Darlene Stein (Barrhead, Edmonton, Drayton Valley, Whitecourt)
Phone: 780-674-3732
Zone #7 – Virginia Glover (High Level, Grande Prairie, Valleyview, High Prairie)
Phone: 780-356-2800
ALP Office
Robyn Moore Executive Director Beth Kyle, Project Administrator
403-948-8533 [email protected]
403-948-1522 [email protected]
Address: Agriculture Centre, 97 East Lake Ramp NE, Airdrie, AB T4A 0C3
Fax: 403-912-1455
www.ablamb.ca for producer information, www.albertalamb.ca for consumer information
Ram Lambs &
Yearlings
Available Now
Masterfeeds
is having a sheep feed sale for the
upcoming lambing season!
Sheep tubs and blocks:
Rite-Lix 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)
TM
www.fairsunfarm.ca
+1 (780) 682 3844
[email protected]
Call us for all your Sheep feeding needs:
Milk replacer, GoalMaker starter, grower-finisher,
ewe,supplements, top-dress, loose minerals and
pelleted minerals.
Winfield, Alberta
Call Ian (403-350-0268) or Doug (403-396-9081)
for special sales pricing.
Performance-based Selection
Scrapie Certified
High Health Standards
32 April 2016
Canadian Arcott
Rideau Arcott
Ile De France
Charollais
F1 Females
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 & sales
780-674-9564
www.eronafarms.ca [email protected]
THE FINAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE
www.parkerstockfarm.com
2016 PRODUCTION
SALE
June 9, 2016
Olds Cow Palace, Olds, Alberta
Lunch at 11:30; Sale starts at 1:00
• Rams sell with a satisfactory
breeding soundness evaluation
• All rams and ewes will sell with
GenOvis performance information
and scrapie genotyping
Check the website for
updates and see how
Parker Genetics have
exceeded GenOvis
Suffolk Breed Averages
since 2006.
Page 34
[email protected]
Parker
Genetics
Glen & Kathy Parker
Box 338, Three Hills, Alberta T0M 2A0
SHEEP CANADA
403-443-7220