Upcoming events:

North American Hair Sheep Conference & Sale

The three day conference and sale that is to be held in San Angelo at the Spur Arena on October 6, 7, 8, 2005, is almost here!!  Have you made your reservations?  If not, you had better hurry!!  This is an event that you don’t want to miss.  Topics include history and potential, selection, health, nutrition, reproduction, economics & budgets, and meat & hides.  Booths will be available for $200, or you can be a monetary sponsor for $100.  For more info, please contact Dr. Frank Craddock at 325)653-4576, or go to our website.  Several hotels offering discounts are also listed.

TSGRA Annual Meeting

By Scott McGregor

I went to the Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers Assn. meeting in Kerrville to give a report from the Texas Hair Sheep Assn.  I initially had the idea that I would tell them about hair sheep and try to sell them on the possibility of looking at them as another enterprise in the ranching business.  I quickly figured out that they weren’t interested in the qualities of hair sheep, but only wanted a committee report pertaining to what the THSA had been doing.  This I did and it didn’t take long.  I must confess that I really wasn’t prepared for that type of report, so I told them what I knew about the hide studies, etc.  I also had to throw out how much we’ve grown in membership on a percentage basis.  Also after visiting with some of their membership, I got the impression that few, if any, of them were much interested in hair sheep.  Don’t worry, they will be in due course.  We at the THSA look forward to working with the TSGRA in the future.

This was the first meeting of the TSGRA that I have attended in about 20 years.  I was struck by their lack of enthusiasm and dynamic.  We folks in the hair sheep business seem to be more excited about our sheep than they are about theirs, and we need to work hard to keep that excitement lest we become like them.  Their membership numbers seem to have dropped significantly over the last few years and they are still discussing the same things that they were 20 years ago.  I don’t know where they are headed, but they need our association as much as we need theirs; unless they make some much needed changes in attitude and focus.  I honestly don’t understand why anyone would not be excited about the sheep business in general and hair sheep in particular at this point.  I know that hair sheep have certainly re-energized me.

I also have come to the conclusion that there are some mis-conceptions circulating around about hair sheep and we need to do a better job of educating folks about them.  Too many people think they are small, will not yield and grade, and that the hides are less then desirable.  We have studies to prove them wrong, but they don’t know about them.  We’re going to have to work hard to tell our story.  Let’s be open to ideas from all our members and let’s all work for the good of the hair sheep business.  We’ll all benefit in the long run.                                                                                                               

Update

The most recent USDA VAPGs have not yet been awarded.  As soon as we hear something, we will let you know.  Be sure to check our website for information.  www.hairsheep.org

Calendar

• October 4—Beginning of Ramandan:  Sheep for this market should no be older than a year.  Castrated or uncastrated males are acceptable, as are ewes.  The best weight for Ramadan sheep is around 60 lbs, but weaned lambs between 45-115 lbs are often used.

• Oct 4 to 12—Navadurgara: This is a Hindu feast that honors the goddess Durga.  Female animals are typically not used for this celebration.  The size of the lamb can vary widely, depending on the number of people served.  Slaughter usually takes place toward this end of the holiday period.  The number of Hindus in and around urban areas of the US is over 5 million.

• Nov 3—Id Al Fitr: The festival of the Breaking of the Ramadan Fast.  The same requirements as for the start of Ramadan.  In reviewing your culling program, older goats and sheep often command exceptionally high prices during this period, and it is certainly the time to clean out your older thinner animals.

• December 25—Christmas: Plan to market mild-fed lambs, even those under 20 lbs, for this winter feast day.

• Dec 25-Jan 1—Hanukkah: The Jewish market typically is best after religious holidays come to a close.  A rabbi determines the health of an animal before it is slaughtered.  Usually, only the front of the forequarter of the lamb is sold as Kosher.

Meet the Director

Philip Glass, Dorper Sheep Breeder

Water Valley, Texas

The Dorper breed was developed in South Africa out of necessity. This stands in great contrast to most other breeds of sheep currently being bred in the United States and around the world. The Dorper was bred in the 1930’s because European wool breeds could not survive in the harsh African conditions and native hair breeds could not produce an acceptable carcass. We have much the same scenario today when looking at sheep breeds. The Dorper has filled the gap between the larger wool breeds that lack hardiness and easy care traits we are all looking for and the hair breeds that have the hardiness but lack acceptable growth rates and size. Dorper sheep excel in mothering ability, hardiness, adaptability, pasture utilization, and meat qualities. They are nonselective grazers and readily eat grass, weeds, and browse. This breed is non-seasonal and ewes easily produce twin lambs any time of the year. Currently there are more Dorper sheep in the country of South Africa than the entire sheep population of the United States.

In 1997 while on an African safari I noticed many Dorper flocks doing quite well on pastures that looked to me to be poor at best. These sheep appeared to be in good condition and had many lambs. After this experience I began working with Dorper rams and bred them to a variety of wool and hair breeds. What I noticed over the years was that the weight gain, hardiness, and in most cases temperament became better with each subsequent cross. This made me realize that for me in my ranching situation the Dorper was superior to the other breeds I was crossing with. It was not just hybrid vigor that made the lambs better than their mothers. I later purchased fullblood Dorper ewes to add to my herd. This was difficult to do at the time because of the cost of Dorper ewes was quite high. Because of worldwide demand the price of Dorper sheep has been quite high. I continually field calls and make sales to many other countries that are getting started with Dorpers. Over the years I have selected for the traits that have made the Dorper attractive to breeders around the world. I plan to continue to select for weight gain, hardiness, and shedding ability in my Dorpers.

Dorper sheep have done quite well for me on my ranch in West Texas. I now have 550 ewes and plan to double my herd as quickly as I can. The economics of raising sheep have changed with the introduction of Dorpers. With this easy care breed one person can manage many more ewes than was previously possible. The Dorper breed with its great mothering ability, hardiness, adaptability, pasture utilization, and meat qualities has a major role to play in the coming years in the United States sheep industry.

Sharing Space in the Sheep Industry

By Cindy Thyfault

Background

Fine wool sheep are the mainstay of the Texas sheep industry.  The Agriculture Act of 1954 provided revenue for the wool incentive program, but in 1994, Congress passed legislation to phase-out this program.  Over a period of two years, the government reduced, then eliminated, the program.  This, along with a decline in the demand for wool and the introduction of synthetic fibers, has caused a loss of wool revenue for sheep producers.  Lambs that were once selected for their fleece characteristics are now being replaced by sheep that can yield lean, fast growing, muscular lambs. 

For producers to retain a competitive advantage in the sheep industry, they must find a way to reduce labor costs, while maintaining emphasis on improvement of product.  Wool sheep breeds are very labor intensive because they have to be shorn.  With the soaring cost and unavailability of labor to shear the sheep, some producers are turning to hair sheep breeds as an alternative.  It is now more important than ever to look toward alternative breeds that grow rapidly, produce excellent carcasses, and do not have to be shorn.  Some research suggests that they are resistant to parasites and are hardier than temperate wool breeds in harsh conditions. 

The Dorper, St. Croix, and Barbados breeds, crossed with wool breeds for composites, collectively known as “hair sheep”, are non-wool-bearing, muscular sheep with phenotypic characteristics that are ideally-suited for premium products and markets.   Wool breeds had to be used in a crossbred program initially to upgrade the number of hair sheep available for production that did not have to be sheared.

As hair sheep breeds have no fleece to shear, income generated from them is entirely from meat and hides.  For this reason, growth and feedlot performance is important to the economics of these breeds.  St. Croix and Barbado have smaller mature body size and growth rates when compared to U.S. wool breeds.  However, these characteristics can prove beneficial in a feedlot situation because the sheep have the ability to mature earlier.

Even though some of the hair sheep breeds finish at lighter weights, hair sheep lambs are leaner than wool bred lambs and deposit less fat externally.  Research has shown that hair sheep synthesize fat tissue in the internal compartments rather than subcutaneously as wool sheep do.  A propensity to deposit fat internally would allow carcasses of hair sheep to remain relatively lean.

Growth of the Association

Mission Statement

The Texas Hair Sheep Association is an organization made up of highly qualified individuals with lifetime experience, who are intent on the expansion of hair sheep herds by optimizing hair sheep business productivity.  The Association wishes to have an effective production system, which will allow hair sheep businesses to achieve maximum profitability through education, market studies, promotion, and the existing infrastructure.

Goals  

The goals of the association are to:                                 

 1.  Develop high-value, niche-markets for both the meat and hides from hair sheep.

2.  Build a strong and effective producer cooperative that will serve the unique needs of its members.

3.  Compile a sheep industry database and hair sheep literature collection for its members.

4.  Sponsor special events such as production sales and educational forums for the promotion of the hair sheep industry.

5.  Maintain highly profitable producers through expanding markets, national influence, and products that are healthy, viable, diverse, and profitable.

Vision

The Texas Hair Sheep Association recognizes these facts to be essential to the future growth and productivity of the hair sheep industry:

1.  In the sheep market, hair-bearing, meat-based animals offer superior business potential.

2.  Both the meat and leather products are premium-quality, ideally-suited for high-value markets.

3.  The absence of an effective production system prevents hair sheep businesses from achieving maximum profitability and returning wealth to agricultural businesses and the agricultural communities, and

4.  A true production system will evolve from the increasing success of product and market development.

Objectives

The Texas Hair Sheep Association wishes to:

1.  Define the genetic contributions to the key marketable phenotypic characteristics of the meat and hides of hair sheep.

2.  Establish appropriate animal husbandry and harvest guidelines that will ensure maximum value-added-return to producers.

3.  Determine supply chain details, market size and profitability for target meat and hide/leather markets, and

4.  Prepare the Association Board to be leaders and facilitators for their members and businesses as these new markets are realized.

The Association was organized September 2003, with 28 initial members.  The membership has grown to over 110 members representing over 70,000 head of hair sheep in Texas alone.  The membership is spread out over 39 counties in Texas and five states, including Oklahoma, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.

2003 Planning Grant Awarded

In 2003 the Texas Hair Sheep Association was awarded a USDA VAPG Planning Grant to conduct two meat, two hide and one leather study to evaluate the suitability of the meat and hides/leather for premium products and markets. 

The goal of the initial meat study was to assess taste and texture variation across the four breed types.  A second meat study was conducted to follow up with a comparison of consumer preference of premium hair sheep to premium cuts and preparations of lamb and goat. 

The first hide study was designed to assess the variation of traditional performance attributes across the four breed classes.  These attributes include hide substance, thickness and thickness uniformity, angle of weave and fiber orientation, hide size (area), defects (insects, scratches, scars, etc.), percent extractables and grade distribution.  The second hide study was a marketing study, aimed at determining if the Association can retain ownership of the hides and receive higher market values for them. 

The meat and leather studies were completed, and the findings were very positive and had very good results.  The research found specific, marketable attributes for both the meat and the hides, which substantiated the need and the marketing advantages to allow the Association to move to marketing the meat and hides, and realizing increased value-added profits from their efforts for their member-producers.

Currently the hair sheep marketed by producers is docked $3.00 per animal because of the less desirable hair sheep pelt.

Because these hides are being docked, the Texas Hair Sheep Association has become pro-active in developing value-added meat and hide markets for hair sheep.  The Texas Hair Sheep Association has organized a for-profit cooperative to pool resources and marketing efforts to increase profitability for hair sheep producers. 

The Texas Hair Sheep Association has also applied for a USDA Value Added Producer Grant for working capital to help fund the marketing efforts.  This grant and our resources that we have in place will allow the organization to process and market 5,000 hair sheep carcasses and 10,000 hair sheep hides, for annual sales of $1,325,250.

Through the efforts of the Texas Hair Sheep Association the hide value and the value to the producer can increase to realize a potential $11.50 profit per animal, rather than a $3.00 deduction, resulting in a $14.50 net gain per animal.

In addition, the meat value and the value to the producer can increase to realize a potential $21.50 profit per animal, increasing the profitability of the overall sale by 20%.

The added value will be paid to the producer-owners of the association through the allocation of profits after the meat and hides are sold, based on the number of carcasses and hides which were contributed.  The stockholders in the new cooperative will also be entitled to dividends from any profits realized by the cooperative.

The association will retain a 10% commission fee to assist in the payment of organization and marketing salary costs. 

The goals of this new business enterprise are:

1.  To establish and capitalize on the research that has been conducted, and to develop and manage the sale of hair sheep meat and leather into high-value niche markets.

2.  To build a strong and effective producer-owned marketing corporation that will return additional value-added profits and increase the profitability per animal for the producer-owners.

The strategies of this new business enterprise are:

1.  To develop a line of quality leather hides that can be marketed commercially to a wide range of niche markets and customers.

2.  To hire an experienced manager to oversee the development, production, and marketing of the meat and leather hides.

3.  That the meat and leather will be sold to compete at the highest level in the areas of quality, price, service and superior technical applications.

This year is a building year for the new cooperative, but we feel very confident that we can develop new markets and expand the profitability of owning and raising hair sheep. 

More information about the new program will be provided at the annual meeting October 6, 2005.  If you are interested in the new program and would like information, please contact Clinton Hodges or Angie Davidson.

Attention All Members:

The Board of Directors voted at a past meeting to make membership fees due during January of each year.  Therefore, membership fees for the 2005 year are now past due, even if you originally joined in the middle of the year.  Beginning January 2006, if your dues are not paid by February 1^st, your name will be removed from the membership list.

Classified Ads:

$25 Business card

$50 quarter page

$75 half page

$100 full page

Interested in becoming a member?

Just send the following information and your membership fee of $50 to P.O. Box 245, Sterling City, TX 76951.

Name:

Address:

Phone:

Email:

Breeds &

Numbers of sheep:

Texas Hair Sheep Assn

P.O. Box 245

Sterling City, TX 76951