Selecting the Optimal Sheep for Solar Grazing

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While this article focuses on solar grazing, the principles discussed are relevant to all low-input, grass-based production systems. This article was originally published in the August 2025 issue of the Sheep Industry News and is reposted with permission. The rise of agrivoltaics—where solar energy production coexists with agricultural practices—has created new opportunities for sheep producers across the United States. As solar developers seek sustainable vegetation management solutions, sheep have emerged as an ideal partner, offering cost-effective and environmentally favorable grazing services. However, success in this dual-purpose system depends on more than just turning sheep loose under panels.A balanced approach to…

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Producer Profile: Daniel Ulry, Ulry Farms, OH

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Growing up in 4H, Daniel Ulry is a shepherd who has dabbled in many areas of the sheep industry. His experience spans three decades and many different management styles, as well as breeds of sheep. In the club lamb business, his family takes pride in a large meaty carcass with an eye appealing look for the show ring. Currently Dan has modified that traditional approach pairing it with data and EBVs to raise production oriented, easy keeping Katahdin sheep. He also runs a small herd of beef cattle that they graze with the sheep. Dan runs Ulry Farms in Eastern…

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Why you should NOT use lye as a dewormer

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There’s been some talk lately on social media about using lye to deworm livestock and you may be wondering if it works. As with so many things in life, if something sounds too easy or too good to be true, it is probably not a good idea. What is lye? Lye is a strong alkali (can be either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide), having a high pH, that is highly corrosive. That means it can burn the skin or eyes upon contact. It is often used to make soap from oils or fats (such as goats milk). Protective gloves, safety…

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The potential of genomic selection for improving ewe longevity

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Sheep GEMS News Brief 16 – July 2025 In a previous article, we highlighted the need for genetically improving the length of ewe productive life in U.S. sheep based on our studies in Katahdin sheep. Ewe longevity is an example of a trait that will benefit from genomic selection because it is sex limited (only females have records) and measured late in the life of the animals. Therefore, the Sheep GEMS team has conducted genomic studies to support the implementation of genomic selection to improve ewe longevity in U.S. sheep. Using records collected in the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP),…

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Is the length of productive life a concern in the U.S. Katahdin ewes?

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Sheep GEMS News Brief 15 – June 2025 Ewe productive longevity, which is the number of days between a ewe’s first and last lambing, positively impacts flock profitability in at least three ways. It reduces annual ewe replacement costs. It increases ewe output by increasing the proportion of mature ewes in the flock. And lastly, ewes that live longer usually have fewer reproductive and health issues, which are major reasons for early culling. As part of Sheep GEMS, we are investigating ewe longevity using information on ewes in flocks enrolled in the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP). Our aim is…

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Understanding How the Heat Beats Your Sheep

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Have you felt pretty beat up by the heat when you work outside for long hours in the summertime? Well, let me tell you that the summer heat does not only affect us, but also our flock. Imagine that you are training for a marathon at 100 degrees Fahrenheit with a quilted puffer jacket on. That is exactly how our animals feel when experiencing heat stress conditions. Heat stress is defined as when the ambient temperature and relative humidity increase to a point where it affects the animal’s capacity to dissipate their internal heat to the exterior, causing an increase…

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What’s Next for Eco-Management Clusters?

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Sheep GEMS News Brief 14 – May 2025 Previously, we introduced the concept of eco-management cluster—groups of flocks that share similar climate and management practices. These clusters are the foundation of our approach in Sheep GEMS for building genetic evaluations that more closely consider production environments. We are still exploring the makeup of eco-management clusters, as they undoubtedly differ among breeds. However, one of their important uses is in our study of genotype-by-environment interactions (G×E). G×E occur when the ranking of animals based on their genetic potential changes depending on the production environment in which they are managed. As an…

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Understanding Eco-Management Clusters

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Sheep GEMS News Brief 13 – April 2025 Sheep producers across the U.S. operate in a wide range of environments—from humid grasslands to dry, high-elevation rangelands. These environmental differences, along with varied management practices, mean that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to genetic selection often falls short. In other words, the animals that perform best across all environments may not be the same, which could have implications when selecting breeding animals. To help address this challenge, our team in the Sheep GEMS project has developed a tool — coined eco-management clusters —designed to help producers select animals that are best suited to…

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Evaluating Breeding Animals

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Unfortunately, defects show up in some of our animals and even though those animals might be exceptional in other areas, for the betterment of the breed we should not propagate these defects. Always check your animals before keeping them as replacements or selling them as breeding stock. Bite In lambs the bottom teeth should “bite” into the dental pad. They should not extend in front of it (monkey mouth, undershot), nor be too far backwards (parrot mouth, overshot). If a bite is VERY off you can easily see that the bottom jaw is markedly longer or shorter than normal at…

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When lack of pasture parasites challenges your EBV’s, try an artificial infection

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An inherent problem with FEC EBV is having a sufficient population of pasture parasites to generate a FEC in your flock. The timing of lambing, climate and production scheme can affect the presence of infective worm larvae. These complications limit our ability to identify parasite resistant lambs using FEC, particularly at weaning. Weaning or post-weaning FEC EBV are based on samples collected from animals that have had an opportunity to be exposed to strongylid parasites (e.g.: Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus and Telodorsagia). Each of these parasites have their own ideal climatic conditions, but generally they desire warm and humid environments. Often these…

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