Annual Sheep Convention/Lamb Cooperative Meeting Set for October 29-30, 1999 at Seven Seas Motel in Mandan

Convention Welcome!
I would like to invite all sheep producers to attend the annual convention of the North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers Association on October 29 and 30 at the Seven Seas Motel in Mandan. We welcome the Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative (DLGC) as a partner in this convention. An informative program is planned for the convention. The Friday activities include the ewe sale at Bismarck State College followed by the social at the Seven Seas with free lamb provided by the DLGC. The Friday evening will feature a presentation by Dr. Marty Marchello, Meat Scientist at NDSU, on his trips to New Zealand and the lamb meat research work he was involved with. Topics on Saturday include an informational meeting on the Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative, an update on the 201 trade action by Frank Moore from ASI, updates from the Wildlife Service and state scrapie program, plus reports on research from NDSU (both Fargo and Hettinger). Highlighting Saturday will be the noon luncheon and the state "Make It Yourself With Wool Contest". All policy decision for the association are set at the convention, so if you have concerns this is the place to come and air them. I encourage you all to attend. Hope to see you there!
Jim Marshall, Jr., President of NDLWPA, Oriska

Convention Agenda (All Times are CST)
Friday, October 29
~ 8:00 pm Social and Snacks, immediately following the ewe sale. Lamb furnished by the Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative and snacks furnished by Hettinger Ram Sale.
~ 8:30 pm New Zealand, the North Dakota of the South Pacific, Dr. Marty Marchello, NDSU
~ 10:00 pm Association fund raiser auction of donated items

Saturday, October 30
8:00 am Registration - NDLWPA and DLGC
8:30 am Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative Informational Meeting
              - Opening Remarks by the President
              - History of DLGC
              - How coops work
              - Lamb numbers and distribution
              - Dakota Country Meats part in the coop
              - A producer perspective on the coop
              - Question and answer period
11:00 am or immediately following the DLGC meeting
              Annual Mtg of NDLWPA
12:00 noon -Luncheon, Awards, MIYWW Style Show
1:00 pm - ASI Report by Frank Moore, Wyoming, Vice President of ASI
                - Continuation of Annual Mtg of NDLWPA
2:00 pm - Wildlife Service Update, Phil Mastrangelo, New Director
             - State Scrapie Program, Dr. Larry Schuler, North Dakota State Veterinarian
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm - NDSU Sheep Research Reports:
               Hair Sheep Project, Roger Haugen, NDSU
               Hettinger Research, Tim Faller, HREC
4:00 pm - Closing Remarks, President Jim Marshall, JR.

Convention Registration
Registration fees will be collected at the door : Adults - $15 with the Saturday luncheon; $10 without. Kids - $10 with the Saturday luncheon, free without . Registration fees includes Friday night activities and food plus breaks on Saturday. Room reservations should be made directly to the Seven Seas Motel, phone 1-800-597-7327 or 701/663-7401. Indicate you are attending the Sheep Convention for a special rate of $48 a room.
Attention NDLWPA members! Items are needed for the fund raising auction on Friday night of the convention. All donated items will be auction off with proceeds going to association. Thanks in advance.

ND Bred Ewe/Ewe Lamb Sale - October 29
* Purebred Ewes: Bred yearlings and exposed or open ewe lambs ALL BREEDS!
* Commercial Ewes: 4-year olds and younger - bred, exposed or open.
Friday, October 29, 1999, 6:00 p.m. (CST)
Bismarck State College, Vo-Tech Center, Bismarck
Held in conjunction with the North Dakota Sheep Convention; sponsored and managed by the NDLWPA

Entry deadline is October 9 for purebreds and the week of the sale for commercials. For more information, entry blanks or catalog contact: Roger Haugen, Hultz Hall, NDSU, Fargo, ND 58105 (701) 231-7645; Fax: 231-7590 ; Email: rohaugen@ndsuext.nodak.edu or Dave Pearson, Hettinger, ND (701) 567-4488.

Make It Yourself With Wool Corner by Mary Scheetz, Coordinator
The Make It Yourself With Wool Contest (MIYWW) will be held in conjunction with ND Sheep Convention on October 29-30 in Mandan at the Seven Seas Motel. The deadline for entering the contest is October 1, 1999. The contest will be held on Saturday, October 30. The tentative schedule for Saturday is:

  7:30 am Continental Breakfast
  8:00 am Garment Judging by Judges
  8:00 am Contestants practicing for Style Show
10:00 am Style garment in front of judges
12:00 noon Style Show at Luncheon
  2:00 pm A tentative Style Show at location to be determined.

For information, contact Mary C. Sheetz, 2546 16th St SW, Center, ND 58530; phone 701-794-8743.

Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative - Update from President Jim Ostlie
The Board of Directors of the Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative (DLGC) went to Bismarck on August 2, along with Kay Eagleson, Roger Hickle, and Dave Merwin to present our proposal before the Agricultural Products Utilization Commission (APUC) . The directors of APUC rated our project #2 out of 15 applicants and granted us the full amount we requested, $58,500. We were very pleased with APUC's decision.

On September 16,17, and 18, Dave Merwin of Hettinger and myself traveled to Milwaukee, WI to attend the Arabian Festival. At this event, restaurant owners have their Arabic Cuisine on display and for sale. The restaurant owner we are working with had a booth where he served North Dakota lamb to some of the 15,000 people who attended this event. Brent Stroh of Tappen supplied the lambs for Fred Eagleson to have butchered at Dakota Country Meats in Jamestown. They were then shipped to Milwaukee for the Arabian Festival. On September 18, CNN TV showed our restaurant owner doing a cooking demonstration with ND lamb. With the help of a food broker and restaurant owner, we are hopeful of getting started in the lamb marketing business in the Milwaukee - Chicago area.

Our coop is now 85 members strong and still growing. Sheep producers have until October 30 to get their $100 seed money sent in. For producers who sent in their $100 earlier, the DLGC thanks you. This early participation and show of strength helped us to get full funding from APUC on August 2. If you haven't contributed and would like to, it's not too late. Send contributions ($100) to Jim Ostlie, President, Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative, Route 2, Box 120, Northwood, N.D. 58267; or to Fred Eagleson, Treasurer, Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative, 2562 85 R. Ave. S.E., Buchanan, N.D. 58420.

Hettinger Ram Sale Results
The Hettinger Ram Sale was held on September 15, 1999 in Hettinger, North Dakota. 162 rams sold for an average of $231. A breakdown by breeds is as follows:
4 Targhees averaged $306; 23 Rambouillets averaged $263; 59 Suffolk averaged $202; 43 Columbias averaged $251; 19 Hampshire averaged $228; 1 Montadale sold for $175; 4 Polypays averaged $258; 2 Dorsets averaged $240; 2 Corriedales averaged $225; and 5 Crossbreds averaged $196.

News from the National Scene
New Sheep Industry Checkoff Effort Moving Forward
A draft lamb-only checkoff proposal was circulating throughout the U.S. sheep industry by the end of the September. That was the message of an industry-wide meeting in Denver on Sept. 8 to hear the recommendations of the Sheep Industry Checkoff Exploration Team. The USDA formed the 15-member team, which represented the entire sheep industry, last May.

"I'd like to thank the team. I drafted them into this process and they did a great job and accomplished their goals," said Barry Carpenter, USDA's Deputy Administrator of Livestock and Seed Program, after disbanding the team. The draft checkoff "order," or proposal, will be circulated in advance of a "request for orders" which the USDA plans to issue around the first of October, Carpenter told the group of producers that attended the meeting. "I'd like the industry to get together and send one order forward, but the draft order will allow various groups an opportunity to 'tweak' the draft to address issues they feel are important," Carpenter said.

Options for consideration in the draft order include:
* Using the standing USDA legislation designed for all commodity groups as the blueprint for a lamb checkoff;
* Creating a 12-member board with 6 producers, 3 feeders and 2 packers to oversee the funds;
* Administrative costs not to exceed 10 percent of the annual assessments;
* Use of funds based on broad board authority that would include information, promotion, marketing and incentive programs for lamb;

Options will also be available in the draft order for:
* An assessment of 25 cents per head each time a sheep (or lamb) is sold and a packer assessment of 25 cents on each animal slaughtered that would raise an estimated $3.3 million. Producers who retain ownership of an animal until slaughter would be assessed 50 cents per head OR
* A penny-per-pound assessment system.
* A delayed referendum, about 12 months after assessments begin, that would allow a board to be seated and a budget developed to give producers more information about what they are voting on. Refunds would be available prior to the referendum OR
* An up-front referendum.
* Passage based on a simple majority of producers and/or 60 percent of production.

After the draft order is circulated to the industry, the USDA will issue a formal request for orders. That request is expected around the first of October. Once all proposals are reviewed, a proposed order is issued for comment.

Movement on the proposed checkoff is particularly important in light of President Clinton's recent decision to curb the devastating surge of lamb imports from Australia and New Zealand that led to the collapse of the American lamb market. In July, the president ordered tariffs be imposed on lamb meat imports from those countries for three years while the industry regains its competitive footing. The industry will undergo a review 18 months following the president's decision to determine how much progress has been made toward improving competitiveness.

Wool a Natural Cure for Sick Building Syndrome
Eye, nose and throat irritation. Headaches. Difficulty concentrating. All are symptoms of people who really are allergic to work -- or more accurately, to the buildings in which they work. It even has a name -- Sick Building Syndrome, a diagnosis that describes the energy-efficient, poorly ventilated, and formaldehyde-laden buildings responsible for causing office-related health maladies. But relief for millions of SBS -afflicted office workers could come in the form of wool-lined boards, reports the Boston-based Wool Market Review.

In Germany, where an estimated 10 percent of all homes suffer from poor air quality, a study conducted by the German Wool Research Institute proved that wool is outstandingly efficient at absorbing formaldehyde, the most oft-cited chemical in causing SBS. In fact, tests show that in buildings with large quantities of pressboard, a source of formaldehyde, wool-lined gypsum boards reduced contamination by as much as 99.8 percent in just 24 hours. The commercial use of wool for curing SBS also would benefit the wool industry by providing an outlet for mid-range micron and inferior wools currently of little commercial interest to the increasingly finer- and lighter-oriented apparel industry.

Educational Information
by Roger G. Haugen, NDSU Extension Sheep Specialist
Hair Sheep
All sheep are not white, wooly fleeced animals. Some have hair coats similar to cattle. In fact, it has been estimated that there are over 100 million domesticated hair sheep in the world. The majority of them are located in Africa, some in Brazil, a few in the Caribbean area; with the rest scattered in Mexico, Columbia, Venezuela, India, Southeast Asia and the United States.

The five major species of wild sheep (which are also hair sheep), include the Asian Mouflon, European Mouflon, Argali, Urial and North American Bighorn. It is generally recognized that all wooled and haired domestic sheep descended from some of the first named wild sheep but none from the Bighorn. All true sheep, both wild and domestic, are interfertile. Goats are a different genus, with a substantially different set of chromosomes, and with tails which point up, instead of down.

What do hair sheep have to offer? Studies in California and Mississippi indicate that hair sheep produce lean meat with no muttony taste. Hair sheep have multiple births, early puberty, and in some breeds, out of season lambing. They require no tail docking, tagging, shearing, crutching and there are no fly strike problems. They do require some over-head cover to provide protection from rain, snow and sun.

With hair sheep there is much less heat stress, and more resistance to internal parasites; but worming is still necessary. Skins from hair sheep have a higher value than hides from wool sheep.

Hair sheep were introduced to the Americans from West Africa. It is believed that they were carried on slave ships as a source of protein during the trip. Color variations are similar on both sides of the Atlantic but horns are more common on the African side. Polled animals may have been selected because of space limitations on the slave ships.

There are over 100 hair sheep breeds in the world. Seven of the major breeds include: the Barbados Blackbelly (found in West Africa, Barbados Island, Mexico, United States); Texas Barbado (found in largest numbers in Texas, but scattered throughout the United States); St Croix (found in West Africa, Virgin Islands, and United States); Katahdin (found in United States); Wiltshire Horn (found in England, some crossbreds in United States); Santa Ines (found in Brazil); Pelibuey (found in Mexico, Cuba and Latin America). There is some overlapping with respect to where these breeds can be found or variations as to what name is given to the breed after it is found. These breeds or variations of them may be colored solid tan, brown, red, black or white, or have a contrasting under color, or may be roan, or have stripes or spots.

The new hair sheep research project that began this fall at the NDSU Sheep Unit in Fargo will look at the feasibility of two hair breeds under North Dakota conditions. Those two breeds are the Wiltshire Horn and the Katahdin.

Nutritional Considerations for the Ewe Flock in the Fall/Winter
Observation is the key to keeping a healthy productive ewe flock. Check ewes for body condition. If breeding in October and November, use body condition to determine feeding prior to breeding. If breeding season is completed, adjust ewe feeding program for only slight weight or condition gain following the removal of the rams. Ewes should not be subjected to stress in the 15 to 40 day period after breeding. The fertilized egg is implanted during this time and any stress could result in loss of fertilized eggs. Handling of the ewes should be avoided if possible during this period.

Fall grazing should begin in areas that are the most remote and areas that are likely to drift in heavy in the winter. Leave the open dry areas and the pastures near the farmstead till last. During winter grazing, if the sheep appear full then they are usually considered well fed. Sheep are efficient sorters of feed and will not fill up on low quality roughage. If they are gaunt, then they are either not getting enough feed or what is there is poor quality. Care should be taken if ewe lambs are being grazed because their lamb teeth may loosen during the winter and restrict their grazing ability.

Residues of harvested row crops offer considerable low-cost feed if they can be used in a timely and appropriate manner. Timing of use becomes critical in our area since there is frequently little time from completion of harvest until snow flies. The most economical means of utilizing residues is grazing or gleaning. If ewes are going to be utilizing row crop residues, be sure and provide supplemental minerals and if ewes are also being bred while on crop residues, provide supplemental energy.

CAUTIONS: Many of North Dakota's well-known forages contain potential poisons that normally don't harm livestock. However, under certain conditions these poisons are released in the plant and can cause poisoning if consumed in large enough amounts. Prussic acid is probably the most common.

With frost, one should use caution when either grazing or feeding sudangrass, forage sorghum, sorghum sudangrass crosses, Johnson grass or flax. The poisoning potential is greatest when grazing forage sorghum and lower with sudangrass and sudangrass hybrids. Beware of grazing flax strips.

Two hard freezes will eliminate most Prussic acid from forage. However, the toxicity potential is very high for the first day or two after freezing, so wait three to five days after a killing frost before allowing livestock to graze. Freezing triggers Prussic acid release, so the forage is very dangerous immediately after a freeze.

Remember these points:
- Mature plants contain less Prussic acid than younger plants.
- There is less acid present in cured hay than in fresh cut hay.
- Wilted forage is especially dangerous.
- New growth following a frost is particularly dangerous.
- Frosted plants that are well dried are safer than freshly frosted material.
- Amount of Prussic acid usually decreases as the plant height increases.

Visual symptoms of Prussic acid poisoning are rapid breathing, foaming at the mouth, staggering, and severe convulsions. If a large enough quantity is consumed, death can occur within a few minutes. Normally, signs of poisoning will occur 15 to 20 minutes after the forage has been eaten. If an outbreak occurs, contact your local veterinarian.

Health Aspects of Purchased Feeder Lambs
Feeder lambs are often stressed after riding many miles from their point of origin till they reach a feedlot. Often they have moved through sales barns where they have come in contact with a variety of bacterial and virus infectious agents. The management and nutrition program of the first few days following arrival is important to recover from the stresses of shipping and handling. They need fresh water, rest, and an energy-protein restoring diet, in that order, to avoid serious health problems.

Respiratory infection resulting in high fever and little or no feed intake may surface within the first days. If left untreated, it may linger on for two weeks or until death. Bacteria such as Pasturella haemolytica and Pasturella multocida as well as viruses such as parainfluenza are usually responsible. They overwhelm the lamb's natural defenses which has been lowered by shipping stresses. Oxytetracycline at 5 mg/lb body weight for 5-6 days or medicating the water with sulfa products are the usual treatments.

Acidosis, a condition in which the rumen pH drops from a range of 7.2 to 8.0 to a range of 5.5 to 6.5 due to high grain intakes is a common problem that can cause death. It often precedes enterotoxemia, which is the major killer of feedlot lambs that have not been vaccinated against Clostridium perfringens, type D. Two subcutaneous type D injections about 10-14 days apart are necessary for protection. Death loss among unvaccinated lambs can easily exceed 5%.

Polio encephalomalacia affects some feedlot lambs fed high grain diets. It is a non-infectious disease caused by a digestive upset which impairs thiamine (Vit B1) production, hampers absorption of thiamine, and results in the destruction of thiamine. In short, the thiamine produced in the rumen becomes unavailable to the lamb. Thiamine is indispensable for the vital functioning of the brain. Signs of polio are incoordination, depression, prostration, no rumen movement, and blindness. Fever is usually absent. The symptoms are very similar to those of enterotoxemia, except the lambs may live one to three days before dying. Treatment involves the administering of thiamine (Vitamin B1). Thiamine may be provided alone or in a B-complex preparation. Affected lambs should receive (preferably intravenously) 1.5 gm to 2 gm of thiamine, depending on size of the lamb and the severity of the condition. Treatment should be repeated every 6 hours for at least 24 hours. Recovery is not always complete. Lambs severely affected for more than 24 hours cannot be expected to respond adequately to treatment. However, if thiamine is administered soon after the onset of the disorder, it may produce dramatic recovery. Prevention involves slowly increasing the dietary concentrate intake of lambs going on full feed.

Urinary calculi, which blocks urine excretion among male lambs, is usually caused by excessive intakes of phosphorus in relation to calcium. The addition of 1% calcium to the grain diet plus 0.5% ammonium chloride aids greatly in preventing this problem.

Rectal prolapse may occur in either males or females of any breed that are eating high levels of grain, are fat, are coughing, or have an inherited predisposition to prolapse.

Coccidiosis is a contagious parasitic disease caused by an overwhelming infection of coccidia protozoa. Coccidia are ingested by the lambs, usually in water or feed contaminated with infected feces, and colonize in the intestinal lining. Coccidia are well-adapted to reproduce and grow within the intestines. Mild coccidial infections are characterized by decreased appetite, lethargy and slight scours. These symptoms progress to profuse diarrhea, intestinal hemorrhage (bloody scours) and ultimately death in severe cases. Fecal exams provide easy, inexpensive and accurate diagnosis of coccidial infestations. The most serious outbreaks are seen in stressed lambs, like lambs recently placed in feedlots (first 2 to 4 weeks). Abrupt changes in diet and therefore changes in the intestinal contents provide an ideal environment for coccidial growth. Treatment involves the utilization of sulfonamide or amprolium medications. Prevention includes a clean environment and the use of additives like monensin, lasalocid, or decoquinate at recommended rates.

Articles for the December Newsletter
The next newsletter will be published the end of November for December 1 delivery. I invite anyone to submit articles to be included. I will need them by the middle of November. Thank you! Roger Haugen, Extension Sheep Specialist, Hultz Hall, NDSU, Fargo, ND 58105. Phone: 231-7645; Fax: 231-7590; Email: rohaugen@ndsuext.nodak.edu

Officers and Directors of NDLWPA
Pres: Jim Marshall, Jr., Oriska 845-2744
V.Pres: Dave Pearson, Hettinger 567-4488
Sec: Scott Bredahl, Berthold 453-3698
Treas: Theo Johnson, Tuttle 867-2875
SE Dir: Brent Stroh, Tappen 327-4526
SE Dir: Harvey Dawson, Brampton 724-3405
SW Dir: Don Lawson, Flasher 597-3133
SW Dir: David Merwin, Hettinger 567-2723
NE Dir: Dennis Kubischta, Hope 945-2623
NE Dir: Jim Ostlie, Northwood 587-5778
NW Dir: Don Maston, Watford City 842-3150
NW Dir: Lyle Warner, Baldwin 255-1183
ASI Dir: Burdell Johnson, Tuttle 867-2875
MIYWW: Mary Scheetz, Center 794-8743
Past Pres: Darold Benz, Beulah 873-5124

NDSU Research, Extension and Teaching
Hettinger: Tim Faller 567-4324
Fargo: Roger Haugen 231-7645
Wes Limesand 231-7782
Bert Moore 231-7651