National Livestock Producers Association

12/01/2023

The NLPA Sheep and Goat Fund is a revolving fund established within NLPA to assist the U.S. sheep and goat industries by strengthening and enhancing the production and marketing of sheep and goats and their products in the United States.

Click here to go to the NLPA Sheep & Goat Fund website:

11/29/2023

"After the surprising “Cattle on Feed” report last month, USDA’s November report was more friendly than expected. The report showed that cattle in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.9 million head on November 1, 2023, a 2% increase from year-ago levels and in line with the average pre-report trade estimate."

Numbers only slightly bearish in the latest report.

11/27/2023

"Farmers are opting to tap into their savings from recent prosperous years instead of taking out loans at the highest interest rates since 2007, according to surveys conducted by regional Federal Reserve banks. Reports indicate that the average operating loan issued in the past summer was almost 20% smaller than the previous year's average."

Farmers are opting to tap into their savings from recent prosperous years instead of taking out loans at the highest interest rates since 2007, according to surveys conducted by regional Federal Reserve banks.

11/25/2023

The Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program is sponsoring a shearing school, hosted by the Indiana Sheep Association on Feb. 24, 2024, at Purdue University’s Animal Science Research and Education Center sheep unit.

“There is a continuous need for new sheep shearers as the older generations retire,” said Gerald Kelly, manager of the Purdue sheep unit and shearing school co-organizer. “The Purdue folks are happy to help the industry just as we have for more than 150 years.”

Anyone is welcome to register – regardless of experience level – to learn the skills and methods required to successfully shear a sheep. This year, ISA will be offering an advanced class to run alongside the beginner class, for shearers who have completed previous instruction, can shear a sheep on their own and have the intent to shear professionally. All instructors will be experienced shearers, including organizer and master shearer Mat Kennedy, whose family members have been great instructors for shearing schools going back to Kennedy’s grandfather.

“With the addition of the advanced shearers class, we hope to assist promising shearers with fine-tuning techniques that will decrease stress on the shearer and increase the number of head they can do in a day,” Kelly said. “We also aim to give demonstrations and hands-on practice for setting up sharpening equipment and grinders and real experience sharpening combs and cutters.”

For beginners, a registration fee of $50 will cover the cost of the workshop, lunch and required shearing equipment. Participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment if they have it. The class will be capped at 20 beginners and five advanced participants. There is no fee for advanced participants.

Registration forms – found at http://indianasheep.com – must be mailed to ISA Executive Director Emma O’Brien at 6840 South 280 East, Lebanon, IN 46052. The completed registration form with the fee enclosed must be received by Feb. 1, 2024. As part of registration, attendees must sign a liability waiver.

Source: Purdue University

The Indiana Sheep Association proudly supports, promotes and provides educational resources for Indiana sheep consumers and industry and invite you to join their association.

11/21/2023

"Cattle prices have fallen in the last month but are still higher than in previous years. Meanwhile, the cost of production has continued to rise. If producers aren't in control of their costs, they could be below break-even levels.

Paul Beck, an Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle nutrition specialist, wrote in the Cow-Calf Corner e-newsletter recently that there are 10 activities that are important to him for managing a profitable cow-calf operation."

Cattle prices are still higher than in previous years, but the cost of production for cow-calf producers has also risen. Controlling these costs is important to remain above break-even levels. An Oklahoma State University Extension specialist has a list of 10 ways to improve cow herd profitability.

10/30/2023

"Ag economists’ view on the ag economy is starting to erode, but out of all the commodities, economists are most bullish on the cattle industry. That's as leading ag economists from both the public and private sectors expect cattle prices to climb even higher in 2024."

Ag economists’ view on the ag economy is starting to erode, but when asked to rank commodities, economists are the most bullish on beef. The September Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor also asked economists what could impact livestock prices over the next 6 months.

10/25/2023

The 2023 Cornell Sheep & Goat Symposium is scheduled for Oct 27-29 in Ithaca, N.Y. Goat and sheep raisers and industry stakeholders are welcome to register for the whole event or individual days.

Friday, Oct 27th is devoted to advance sign-up workshops on: learning to process sheep and goat for meat; learning to do a field necropsy; demos and hands-on practicals for new sheep and goat raisers; and an intro to artificial insemination.

Saturday is the primary day with multiple tracks available that morning, including: emerging health issues; laparoscopic artificial insemination and embryo transfer; mastitis, Johnes and other high-impact diseases; a panel on diversifying on-farm enterprises; a workshop on farm taxes; and updates on state and federal regulations affecting small ruminants. Additional tracks are available on a variety of topics in the afternoon.

Click Here for the program schedule: https://blogs.cornell.edu/newsheep/

Source: Cornell Sheep Program

C S P (Thanks to Natasha Pettifor for some of these photographs) Announcements Preliminary results on milking sheep in short and frequent lactations The agricultural, economic and environmental potential of co-locating utility scale solar with grazing sheep (An Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Futu...

10/19/2023

The American Sheep Industry Association's Annual Convention is happening January 10-13, 2024. Make sure to register today:

10/17/2023

"While most beef produced in the U.S. is consumed domestically, international markets are a significant piece of the U.S. beef system. The U.S. exported the equivalent of about 12.5% of its beef production during 2022, while importing roughly 12%. This was a fairly typical balance of trade, especially for a year with high beef production levels like last year.

However, as beef production is on track to see a significant drop in 2023, trade patterns are also being impacted."

As beef supplies get increasingly tighter over the next couple of years, we are likely to see an ever-greater divergence between imports and exports.

10/13/2023

The Sheep and Goat Innovation Fund is a revolving fund established within National Livestock Producers Association to assist the U.S. sheep and goat industries by strengthening and enhancing the production and marketing of sheep and goats and their products in the United States.

10/11/2023

"America’s beef producers are optimistic about the future, and the state of today’s beef industry is strong. Those are two highlights from Drovers State of the Industry producer survey conducted this spring and reported in detail in this special section."

America’s beef producers are optimistic about the future, and the state of today’s industry is strong. Those are two highlights from the 2023 Drovers State of the Industry survey and reported in this special section.

09/20/2023

The Sheep and Goat Innovation Fund is a revolving fund established within National Livestock Producers Association to assist the U.S. sheep and goat industries by strengthening and enhancing the production and marketing of sheep and goats and their products in the United States.

Learn more here: