Newsletter of the American Romney Breeders Association

Transcription

1 SPRING 2014 Romney Ramblings Newsletter of the American Romney Breeders Association Inside this Issue: Working Romney Marketplace website 2 Morris Culver Scholarship 3 Ag Fair donation 3 ARBA board meeting summary 4 Director s reports 5 Calendar of events 6 Multiple trait tracking 7 Futurity event 10 Wool uniforms 12 Sheep trimming video 12 Washington County Fiber Tour 14 American Romney Breeders Association website: romney.org/ President s Message Finally, the winter of 2014 is over. I hope all of you are watching those fantastic Romney lambs grow. What a wonderful breed lambs that are strong, vigorous and just loving life. Now, let s increase the value of those lambs. Remember to register your lambs with ARBA in a timely manner. As proud Romney breeders, let s honor our hard work and register our lambs. The ARBA board elections are just around the corner. Please consider Ethan Plank by ARBA President Ron Andress volunteering to run for the ARBA Board of Directors. Contact myself, or secretary JoAnn Mast, if you are interested in running for the board. Please also take the time to vote when your ballot arrives. I hope to see many of you at our numerous planned ARBA events in Watch the website and future Ramblings for details on three Regional Shows and the many sales where Romneys will be well represented. Ron

2 PAGE 2 By Margaret Howard Paid advertisement A new website has been launched by a group of Romney farms. The Working Romney Marketplace is a site designed to provide a connection between buyers and sellers of Romney stock. The electronic platform enables a visitor to find Romney farms that vary in flock size, breeding emphasis and in business model. If you have ever tried to purchase replacement adults or a beginner s young flock, you re aware of past and present limitations: transport costs associated with distance; farm choices limited to who you know or to show winning houses featured in various publications; a lack of knowledge about a house s feed ration, breeding protocols and management practices. These limitations may or may not function well for you if you desire a working flock. The Working Romney Marketplace site can serve to reduce these limitations by showing a number of member farms. You can see a farm s profile and goals, management practices and busi- ROMNEY RAMBLINGS Working Romney Marketplace website launched ness model. Using a tab that allows side- by-side comparisons, you can view two farms in terms of basic protocol and become an empowered and knowledgeable buyer and view up-to-date contact information for each farm. Additionally, WRM can be seen to contribute to the general wellbeing of both the Romney breed and breeder community: 1) Business models based on the use of the Romney s dual products of meat and fleece have not been the recipients of the traditional rewards for success. And discussions about successful business models are usually absent from conversations about Romney success. However, breeders who well utilize the meat markets can be seen to stabilize the conformational breed traits of breadth, depth and muscling. In the same manner, breeders who well use the most lucrative of the fleece markets serve to maintain the breed legacy in average fiber diameter and in fleece character. Thus, monetary success within these two markets should be celebrated. 2) As entering shepherds become SMILING SHEEP FARM ROMNEYS THAT MAKE YOU SMILE aware of Romney farms generating positive cash flow, they will desire to emulate these models. In this way, Working Romney Marketplace can serve to enlarge the membership base. 3) The site can make us more familiar with one another. After reading a farm s self-defined goals, their feeding and breeding practices, the markets they utilize and succeed in, the reader will become very familiar with the farm. Thus, a phone call to the farm will not seem like a cold call because the caller will already have valuable information on the farm and its stock. So informed, it will be as if the caller is placing a friend-tofriend call and will be prepared to ask perceptive questions. This is a very good thing and allows both parties to concentrate solely upon the important topic of the sheep. 4) The site will provide opportunity for full usage and geographic movement of worthy rams. A good ram may have to be moved from a small/medium sized farm after two or three years of employment. He has given progeny and great prog- Continued on page 14 SEE YOU AT MARYLAND AND WOOSTER, OH SALES! CHAPIN ROMNEYS IN MILTON, NH HILARY, WES, COOPER AND ELLORA CHAPIN OR

3 SPRING 2014 PAGE 3 Morris Culver Scholarship applications due soon ARBA is proud and pleased to announce the 6 th annual Morris Culver Scholarship Award. Past winners of the Morris Culver Scholarship read like a who s who of ARBA youth from across the country. All eligible ARBA youth are encouraged to apply for this award. Interested applicants should check the ARBA website for updated information and the scholarship application. ARBA President Ron Andress offered his thanks to all members who have donated to the scholarship fund in the past. But donations have been slow to none lately, Andress said recently. If our membership does not support this fund, we will have no choice but to suspend the award going forward. We cannot seek outside funding if our membership does not support the scholarship. Please send all donations, large or small, to the ARBA Secretary. It s up to all of us to keep this scholarship going, Andress added. Stars and Stripes Ag Fair receives $2500 donation By Charlene Carlisle The grassroots, nonprofit Monsanto America s Farmers Grow Communities program recently presented a $2,500 donation to the Stars and Stripes Ag Fair. This event has provided the youth of New Jersey, and surrounding states, with the opportunity to exhibit their livestock for the past 12 years. By ex- hibiting, the youth are given feedback by judges on improving their stock through the practice of better health care and nutrition. Educational exhibits and literature are provided to both the exhibitors and the public, free of charge. Free admission and parking enable all to enjoy this old country fair. It brings the public up close to the farming community and showcases the youth who will be producing the food for their tables and the fiber for their households in the future. This entire donation will be used to fund educational activities for the youth such as pasture management, disease prevention, balancing rations, wool and egg grad- Continued on page 8 Contact Information For American Romney Breeders Association Ron Andress, President 538 Geigel Hill Road Ottsville, PA Charlene Carlisle, Vice 510 Centerton Road Moorestown, NJ vp@americanromney.org Anne McIntyre-Lahner Director At Large 2577 Boston Post Road Guilford, CT olympiafarm@att.net Margaret Van Camp Director At Large 4190 W. Cook Road Swartz Creek, MI mavaca@usol.com Tracy Haslem Director At Large N.E. 57th Ave. Battleground, WA nvfilly@aol.com JoAnn Mast, Secretary secretary@ americanromney.org Lee Valley Road Coquille, OR Christiane Payton, Treasurer N.W. Oak Ridge Rd. Yamhill, OR christiane@ northvalleyfarm.com Find us on Facebook at Romney-Breeders-Association/ Associated Sheep Registries Julie Warren, Registrar 222 Main St., PO Box 51 Milo, Iowa

4 PAGE 4 Romney Ramblings The Romney Ramblings is the newsletter of the American Romney Breeders Association. The purpose of the Ramblings is to provide sheep industry news, highlight the efforts of ARBA, announce events and activities, provide an outlet for promotion of your sheep and wool products and recognize the accomplishments of the membership. Advertising in the Ramblings Prices: color - black & white Full Page $150 $75 1/2 Page $90 $45 1/3 Page $70 $35 1/4 Page $50 $25 Card Ad $25 $12 Classified Ads 45 cents per word. Above rates are based on camera ready copy, sized to fit the space purchased for the ad. Ads prepared by the editor will be charged at $15 per hour, with a minimum fee of $15. From the Secretary s Desk ROMNEY RAMBLINGS by JoAnn Mast Welcome back from the lambing barn to many of you, and welcome to spring lambing for others. As you are watching your lambs grow and develop into replacement ewes, locker lambs or a possible ram to continue your breeding program, keep records organized and available for future use. Why should you do that? It may become the only reference point for that buyer who picks out a ewe lamb or two and assures you they do not need to be registered. Several, or many years later, they may contact the ARBA secretary wanting to know the process for registering their flock of purebred Romneys. I have recently had two such contacts. One with sheep owned seven or eight years, and one with sheep purchased in In both cases, I could only provide the process that currently exists to register animals. It requires a registration number for the dam and sire, and the birth dates for each animal they plan to register. Working back 35 years is possible, if the barn notes, notebooks, copies of registration applications and certificates can be located. As breeders, we can assist in the process and return animals to the registry that are currently not available to bring diversity to our gene pool. If you are contacted, and can provide information, it is of benefit to many Romney breeders, not just the person wanting to have a pedigree for the animals they have been breeding. Send all advertising information and news to: Cindy Peterson Brady Road Myrtle Point, OR (541) romneyeditor@gmail.com Deadlines for Article Submissions & Advertising Romney Ramblings is published in the spring, summer and fall. Deadlines for submissions of articles and advertising is the 15th of the month of publication March 15, July 15 and November 15 (subject to change). Articles may be ed or mailed to the editor contact information above. Photo submissions of Romney events, awards and sales are encouraged; publication is subject to available space and quality of image. Report from April ARBA board mtg WELCOME MEMBERS Membership renewals have been coming in through ASR, and to the ARBA secretary and treasurer. The membership directory is included in this edition of the Ramblings, and reflects those memberships that are listed as active. Paid members from 2013 and through March 1 of 2014 should be listed. Please check the directory for your listing. If edits are needed, please send the information to me, secretary@americanromney.org or Jo- Ann Mast Lee Valley Rd. Coquille, OR Those members who joined or renewed by April 1, 2014, will be included in the election process for ARBA board members. The election is coming soon, so watch for information about the candidates, and remember to take time to vote when your ballot arrives NATIONAL ROMNEY SHOW Save the date, and start preparing to head west, for the 2015 National Romney Show. The board has welcomed the offer to return to the Clark County Washington Fair the first full weekend in August, The national show and annual ARBA meeting will be held in conjunction with the Clark County Fair. Located just north of Vancouver, WA, this site allows for easy freeway access for stock trailers, and flights to Portland, OR. JUNIOR MEMBERS OFFERED FUTURITY OPTION Would you like to see your efforts highlighted in the show ring, and not be the one doing the halter training, fitting and showing? The Romney Futurity may be the program that helps you promote your years of breeding sheep and not having the time to properly exhibit them. The program is based on a joint effort to promote Romney sheep, Romney breeders and ARBA junior members. The basics include: Continued on page 9

5 SPRING 2014 PAGE 5 Rambling Roads Notes from District Directors District 1 Hello from New England! The calendar says spring, but we have over a foot of snow still to melt here in New Hampshire. We had a good old-fashioned New England winter the kind of cold winter that makes even heated water buckets freeze. I hope you and all your cute Romney lambs have made it successfully through and are ready for a great year! We have many exciting events happening this year in the Northeast. I hope you all are able to get out here this spring to enjoy all the wonderful festivals New England has to offer. This summer District 1 will have a regional show at the Big E on September 21 st at 2 p.m. Hopefully many of you will attend and/or send a fleece for the fiber nook. You can go to the Big E website for more information on entering your sheep or fleece. Visit the site at: In the fall ARBA will have an annual banquet and meeting in Rhinebeck, NY. A block of rooms has been booked at the Quality Inn & Suites in Kingston, NY under ARBA. If you plan to attend, please call immediately to reserve your room. This is a very busy weekend for Rhinebeck and rooms sell out quickly. Banquet information will be available on our website soon, and in the summer issue of The Ramblings. ARBA has a new Romney fitting video available to you. The link can be accessed by going to AR- BA s website or Facebook page. A BIG thank you to my husband, Wes, for his help in producing this video. My goal is that ARBA will produce more educational videos for the membership. I would love to hear from you about what topics you would like to see in our next production. Hilary Chapin District 1 Director hwchapin@hotmail.com District 2 I can t be the only one who is excited for spring to finally start acting like spring after the winter we ve had in District 2 this year. Personally, I can t wait for the grass to turn green again so the ewes and lambs can go back out on pasture. On April 22, at 7 p.m., ASI is holding a webinar titled Managing Your Pastures Better: Management Intensive Grazing 101. If you re interested, I can forward you the link to register. Here are a few events coming up in the next few months in District 2: April is the Washington County Fiber Tour in NY. It will feature several farms that raise Romneys, and they will be showing how to evaluate a Romney fleece and prepare it for show. May 3-4 will be the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. Like always, it s one of the most attended fiber festivals in the country. New this year will be a Ewe and Ewe Lamb sale on Friday, May 2, at 7 p.m. Any purchased animals may be shown by the buyer in the classes on Saturday and Sunday. The Central NY Fiber Festival will be held in Bouckville, NY, on June Also, now that it s warming up again, it s a great time to sell this year s fleeces. There are plenty of opportunities through fiber festivals throughout the year, but for those of you who aren t sure where to start, try contacting your local spinning guild to see if anyone may be interested in raw Romney fleece. For a list of local guilds across the country visit: spin/resources/spinning_guilds/ You can contact and try and sell Continued on page 13 NAILE Left to right: Caitlin Plank, Alexandra Rogers, Cameron Snyder, Ethan Kennedy, Phoebe Ally, Ethan Plank, Willis Plank and front row (in vest) Charlene Carlisle.

6 PAGE 6 APRIL : California Woolgrowers Association 2012 Ram Sale, Tulare, CA. ramsale.html 10-13: Shepherd s Extravaganza. Washington State Fairgrounds, Puyallup, WA Sheep exhibit included. 26: Connecticut Sheep, Wool & Fiber Festival. Vernon/Rockville, CT. 26: Vermont Sheep Shearing School, Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT. Calendar of Events MAY : Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, West Friend ship, MD : New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Festival, Deer field, NH : Shepherd s Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival, Washington County Fairgrounds. Lake Elmo, MN 16-18: North East Livestock Expo, Windsor, Maine. 17: Spring Fiber Day, Mt. Bruce Station, Romeo, Mich : Kentucky Sheep & Fiber Festival. Masterson Station Park, Lexington, KY. 18: Rhode Island Sheep & Fiber Festival. Bristol, RI. MAY 2014, continued ROMNEY RAMBLINGS Great Lakes Fiber Show, Wooster, OH : Massachusetts Sheep & Woolcraft Fair. Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington, MA : Nugget All-American Show & Sale, Sparks, NV JUNE : University of Kentucky Eweprofit School I. Versailles, KY : Maine Fiber Frolic. Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, Maine : Black Sheep Gathering, Lane, County Fairgrounds, Eugene, OR JULY : All American Junior Show, Hutchinson, Kansas : Northeast Youth Show & Sale, West Spring field, MA. Submit events for publication in the Ramblings to: Romney editor, Brady Rd., Myrtle Point, OR 97458, or romneyeditor@gmail.com

7 SPRING 2014 PAGE 7 Multiple Trait Tracking Our Romney possess great genetic depth. Due to this depth and, as a group, they respond with ease to selection pressure. As producers, many of us tend to apply selection pressure upon a single trait (size or rate of growth is but one example). In our emphasis upon one trait, we can easily find ourselves losing other traits of very positive value. OK but how can a producer actually accomplish multi-trait tracking? I believe there are a series of sequenced steps we can follow that makes multi-trait tracking possible and productive. STEP 1: look at our dual purpose breed s products and realize that a Romney should produce both an excellent meat and a good fleece product. Additionally, our breed standard suggests the efficacy of efficient pigment production and a gentle temperament. Thus, by definition, I should be tracking a minimum of four traits: average daily gain, average fiber diameter and fleece uniformity, full black points (a reflection of pigment production) and, lastly, ease of handling. STEP 2: I hold ground and improve in these basic traits IF I realize I must retain/hold for sale that group of lambs that occupy a sweet space where all traits are in the top one third of the year s lamb crop. A visual might be of aid here: The darkened area is the sweet spot. It is representative of those few lambs possessing a superiority in traits of basic concern. These are the lambs I should recognize and either retain or sell as breeding stock. STEP 3: Realize that, as these lambs are used in our breeding programs, the sweet spot of overlap will enlarge. We will be obtaining an ever greater number of these lambs and all trait areas partake of the selection. As this method is first employed, some heartache is inevitable. All of us are painfully aware that some of the best fleece can be found on our dinky lambs and that some of our growthiest lambs sport a Brillo Pad wool and/ or questionable points. Because of these things and because the removal of our own emotions from the process is important, objective measurement and numerical evaluation serve best. Allow me to give examples as employed on my farm. I begin with a single trait; on my farm this is average daily gain. A lamb s weight is recorded at birth and every 30 days thereafter. 1) Until weaning, the slope of this ADG is credited to the dam s mothering; post weaning, the ADG becomes definitive of the lamb. 2) Evaluation of ADG across the entire lamb crop requires that I am working with an even playing field. Therefore, rams are measured against other rams; ewes measured only against other ewes (ram lambs, in general, outpace female growth by pounds per day). Additionally, both sexes are further divided by birth status: singles, twins, trips. If too few trips are in that year s crop, they are added to the twin list. By Margaret Howard Now, in general, a single will far exceed a twin in ADG. I do not want to have an entire flock of singling ewes. Nor do I wish to reject a very worthy single based solely on birth status. What to do? 1) I total the ADGs of the singles and divide that figure by the total number of the singles. This gives me an average ADG for my single lambs. 2) I total the ADGs of the twins and divide that figure by the number of twins in the tally. At this point, then, I have an average growth rate for my singles and for my twins. 3) I then divide the single average by the twin average. For example, if my single ewes are averaging 0.75#/day and my twins are averaging 0.55#/day, I divide 0.75 by 0.55 and obtain an adjustment factor of This 1.36 becomes a constant used to multiply each twin s ADG value. The singles each remain at their measured value. I can then merge my lists and evaluate my entire ewe lamb crop on an even playing field. Many surprises accompany this exercise every year! This ADG work easily divides a lamb flock into three major groups: ~ 30% superior in growth; ~ 50% clustered around the Mean; ~ 20% inferior to the group as a whole. My second trait evaluation mark will be to pull my top 30-50% and further reduce that number by eliminating any that do not show full black points ( black not Continued on page 8

8 PAGE 8 MULTIPLE TRAIT TRACKING Continued from page 7 mottled, not gray, not rust). A lamb will have either a +0.5 (black points) or a (less than black). The third trait evaluation is done only with those animals that have passed the ADG and black points exercise. This third trait evaluation is a quantifiable fleece evaluation and is repeated several times from day 90 forward: ) uniformity front to back. If the fleece is not consistent, there is no point of looking further. 2) If consistent, I use the first joint of my index finger as an inch and literally count the crimp per inch. As an animal matures, there is a tendency for the crimp to relax. Therefore, I Caitlin Plank like to see 5-8 crimp per inch in the lamb. (This number is a personal preference call.) 3) If this mark is also passed, I note whether the fleece is open or dense. 4) Face cover is looked at in this exercise, also. There are two acceptable categories open faced (+1) and minimal cover (+0.5); one unacceptable category full face cover (-1). At each step, the over-lap of the trait circles is becoming smaller and superior animals are making themselves very apparent. I am also relieved of subjective culling calls since every one of these traits has received a measured, numerical value. One additional note needs to be made: a producer may add any refinement or additional trait they wish to use that matches their breeding goals or market objectives. For example, I desire that any retained lamb possesses a fleece AFD that is well within the Romney standard range of 29-37u. It is my personal preference that my retained breeders are in the lower half of the Romney range. Since I have AFD test results for all of my adult breeders, I can apply a projected micron value to my lambs who have reached the sweet spot. By retention based upon a convergence of multiple traits, three conclusions can be made: 1) no dramatic or radical improvement will be seen in any one trait. Trait improvement will be a steady, convergent improvement of the flock and is measureable. 2) As flock improvement continues, the Mean value in any one trait area will be seen to increase and what was superior one year will be an average in another, later year. ROMNEY RAMBLINGS 3) By raising the bar in multiple trait arenas across the flock, there will be few, if any, of the individual oners or terminals that are created through the pursuit of a single trait. Please keep in mind that the more traits one tracks and selects for, the slower the progress will be for any one of the chosen traits. The selection of traits that are tracked and used for identification of future breeders is a critical decision for any flock. Each of us needs to carefully consider which few traits are the most critical for our own programs. Then, choose those traits to track and develop. I am in hopes that this article is helpful and thought provoking especially to our entering shepherds. Margaret Howard is a co-owner of Tawanda Farms which is located in the high, dry desert of far northern California. One hundred breeding Romneys maintain themselves on this 120 acre, small farm. AG FAIR DONATION Continued from page 3 ing and methods of increasing production. Small animal cages will be purchased for the fair, which will be available for emergency housing during disasters such as Superstorm Sandy, which recently affected our area. Our sincere thanks go out to Monsanto for sponsoring the America s Farmers Grow Communities awards program, and to Justin Carlisle for selecting the Stars and Stripes Ag Fair as the Burlington County, New Jersey recipient.

9 SPRING 2014 PAGE 9 ARBA board meeting Continued from page 4 Breeders enter ewe lambs and yearling ewes in selected purebred sales, and offer a $20 entry into the Futurity Program for each animal identified as a Futurity candidate. The entry fee is used to provide added premiums for those junior members who exhibit their Futurity animals. A point system has been created to determine final payments. The $20 is nonrefundable if the animal is purchased by someone not meeting the criteria of an actively enrolled junior member of ARBA. Junior members who purchase a Futurity animal may submit show results from each show in which they exhibit the animal. Members may purchase and show up to two white ewe lambs, two white yearling ewes, two natural colored ewe lambs and two natural colored yearling ewes. A flock of eight ewes, purchased from a purebred sale and exhibited several times throughout the show season, and rewarded with an added premium at the end of the show season. That may be the extreme end of the program, but if a junior member purchases and exhibits two animals and your farm name follows those animals through the season, your $20 contribution to the program is of benefit. If those animals place well and the exhibitor adds $100 in Futurity points by attending the shows they normally do, that may well help the purchase of a nominated Futurity ewe a good decision. The 2014 sales with the option to enter and/or purchase Futurity females include the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival Sale, Romney Specialty Sale in Wooster, Ohio and All American All Breed Sale in Reno, Nevada and All Breeds Classic Sale in Reno, Nevada. These sales are held in May Check the ARBA website and/or contact Charlene Carlisle for more details and rules. Ramblings Advertising If your advertising budget is around $100 per year for any one publication, consider the Ramblings as a good investment. Your 1/3 page, black and white ad will appear in three printed and posted issues for a cost of $105. Think about highlighting your flock, your sales, your successes and your plans for the future in breeding Romney sheep. The full listing of advertising rates appear in each edition of the newsletter and questions can be directed to Cindy Peterson, editor. She can be reached at or romneyeditor@gmail.com. ARBA Supported Romney Sales Two purebred sales will include strong entry numbers in the Romney division. The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival is including a sale managed by Banner Sales, and has 50 animals entered to sell. Nine Romneys are included, with five white and four natural colored animals offered. The date of the festival sale is May 2 and will include ewe lambs and yearling ewes. The Great Lakes All-Breeds Sheep Show and Sale will be held May in Wooster, Ohio and will include the 2014 Romney Specialty Sale. Yearling ewes and ram and ewe and ram lambs will be offered for sale. The sale has 350 animals entered, which includes 33 Romneys of which 21 are white and 12 natural colored. Both of these sales may offer Futurity sponsored animals. ARBA Annual Banquet & Meeting Save another date October is the time to gather with Romney breeders from around the country and share your stories from the year will find the annual meeting set Friday night during the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York. Watch for registration information in this edition, and in future messages from committee chair, Hilary Chapin. RAMBLINGS DELIVERY In an effort to allow your association to better manage funds, the Romney Ramblings will be sent via to those breeders with an address provided on their membership form. If you prefer to receive a printed copy, delivered to your mailbox, please indicate that below. If you have not provided an , but would like to receive the newsletter in that format, also complete and return this inquiry. If the website posting meets your needs, indicate that as well and submit this form. I have an unlisted , but would like to receive the newsletter on-line. I have no and would like to receive the Ramblings in the mail. I have no desire to receive the newsletter, but will use the ARBA website for Ramblings reading. Name Sr Jr address Return this form to: JoAnn Mast, ARBA Secretary Lee Valley Rd. Coquille, OR 97423

10 PAGE 10 By Charlene Carlisle Several Romney members have expressed an interest in a Futurity ewe lamb/yearling program. The rules have been outlined (see sidebar) and will be in place for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival s Ewe Sale. This sale is new to the Festival lineup and will be held on Friday evening, May 2, Sale classes will be offered for yearling ewes, fall ewe lambs and spring ewe lambs. I expect this sale will be warmly received. The best outcome, however, is for sellers to nominate their ewe lamb consignment and then have it purchased by a junior member. That junior member can then show and compete for points throughout the show season. These juniors must provide proper documentation from each show that they participate in, and send that information to the ARBA secretary in a timely manner. This early sale will offer older ewe lambs, earlier in the season, giving plenty of time to schedule a few shows. Any show is acceptable, whether it is a little county show, regional show or National show. But the documentation must be sent in no one will call to remind you to send in your points. At the end of the show season, in November, the top Romney junior will be the designated winner. The Futurity premiums will be paid using a percentage of the total money collected from the nominations. The important thing to remember is that the program needs nominations to be successful, good sound breeding stock, a commitment by the youth to get their point cards in after each show, and a solid support system to get the juniors to the shows. I challenge our Romney breeders to support and promote our breed by investing in our youth. I challenge all consignors to nominate their public sale ewe lambs and get involved with our youth. It is a win-win situation for all involved promote good stock, sell good stock, and our Romney juniors will give us a return on this investment. Any questions or concerns regarding the Futurity can be directed to Charlene Carlisle via at c.carlisle@littlehoovesr omneys.com Don t forget to mark your calendar for the upcoming Maryland Sheep ROMNEY RAMBLINGS American Romney Breeder Association s Junior Futurity event & Wool Festival to be held May 2-4, 2014, at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, MD. It is the kickoff for our show season and always one of my favorites. The folks who run the show are very accommodating, the facilities are super and I get to see all of my friends that I haven t seen in the past 6 months. As always, my coffee pot will be on, so stop by and visit. Futurity rules outlined American Romney Breeders Association s Junior Futurity 2014 The American Romney Breeders Association will sponsor a Romney ewe lamb and yearling ewe futurity for 2014 on a trial basis. Continuation for future years will be determined after evaluation of this year s level of participation. The development of this Futurity is an effort to get junior members more interested and involved, as well as, having the consignors take an active interest in Romney promotion through our youth. The Futurity will make it beneficial for breeders to consign their very best animals to sales and motivate junior members to purchase high quality breeding stock. The rules of the Futurity are as follows.: Junior members purchase a ewe lamb or yearling ewe at one of the designated sales, exhibit the lamb/ yearling at the shows you normally attend and then submit your results on the point record form. In addition to adding a top quality female to his or her flock, junior members are eligible to win a sizable premium. Designated sales for 2014 are The Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival Sale in West Friendship, MD; The Romney Specialty Sale (Great Lakes Sale) at Wooster, Ohio; The Nugget and The Reno Classic All Breeds Sheep Show & Sale in Reno, NV; The New England Sheep Private Treaty Sale (held in conjunc- Continued on page 11

11 SPRING 2014 PAGE 11 Futurity rules outlined age of 21 years at NAILE in November hibitors and breeders will appear Additional recognition for the ex- Continued from page Ewe lambs/yearlings and associated Futurity points may not be Website. in the Romney Ramblings and tion with the NEYSS), Springfield, Massachusetts; ARBA s National transferred to another person. Point Scoring Sale or any other public sale Likewise, Futurity points may not 1. A point card must be filled out where Romneys can be sold at be transferred from one ewe to for each show and submitted to auction and Futurity fee collected. another. JoAnn Mast, Lee Valley Rd, Ewe lambs/yearlings purchased 6. Futurity entrants are limited to Coquille, OR Cards must privately or via online sales are two ewe lambs/yearlings of each be post marked within 14 days of not eligible for the futurity. color. Total points earned by two the show to count. The card must Consignor Rules ewes may not be combined into be signed by the superintendent 1. The Futurity is open to all ewe one ewe s total. of the appropriate show. Point lambs born between September 7. Junior members must exhibit cards can also be scanned and e- 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014 and their own ewe within a class. If mailed to jmast1952@gmail.com yearling ewes born after September 1, class, another junior member may they have two ewes in the same 2. At each individual show, the ewe lamb/yearling may earn Futurity points from the open divi- 2. The nominated ewe lamb/ exhibit the second ewe. yearling ewe must be properly 8. If the owner of a Futurity nominated ewe is not present at a resion, the junior division, or from identified, according to its registration certificate. The scrapie tag spective show, Futurity points are both (when a different judge or day is involved). number will be recorded and the not eligible and may not be submitted. ewe paint branded or identified 3. One point is awarded for showing the ewe lamb/yearling and with an F before entering the sale 9. The natural color and white ring. Romneys (with exception of one point for everyone you beat, 3. A nomination fee of $20 will be NAILE s Jr Romney Show) will show up to 10 points per class. Ten collected by sale management separate for futurity points and points is the highest number of from the consignor and remitted will be paid separately. points that can be awarded per to The American Romney Breeders Association. using a percentage of the total 4. In the case of a tie, the total 10. Futurity premiums will be paid class. 4. Each ewe must conform to and money collected for Futurity entries. break the tie. higher placing lambs/yearlings will abide by the rules and regulations of the individual sale to which it is Payout Percentages 5. Ewe lambs can compete at an consigned. All entry and commission fees will apply. 18% Fourth 15% Fifth 10% the exhibitor may submit as many First 25% Second 22% Third unlimited number of shows and 5. ARBA is not responsible for and Sixth 5% Seventh 3% Eighth cards for each lamb/yearling as shall be held harmless for any disputes and/or disagreements be- Premiums and awards will be pre- lamb/yearling will be accumulated 2% they choose. Points for each ewe tween buyers and sellers. sented after NAILE to assure that separately. In the end, however, Exhibitor Rules are points are received and calculated correctly. used to determine cash awards. the five highest point cards will be 1. Membership in the American Romney Breeders Association with dues paid up to date. Point Scale 2. Futurity ewe lambs/yearlings are to be registered in the member s name; no family, farm, partnership, or joint registrations will be accepted. 3. Juniors must be able to hold the head of the sheep (no minimum age set) with a maximum

12 PAGE 12 Though the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics have come and gone, the impact to the U.S. wool industry may very well linger on. Thompson Romneys Randy & Elaine Thompson th St. Ct. E., Tacoma, WA / Randy@bpfarms.com ARBA Registered White & Natural Colored Romneys Classic Romney Lines & Looks Fleece, Carded Wool & Yarn Breeding Stock Good Temperament 2014 Lambs are Ready! We have lambs entered in the Romney Specialty Sale in Wooster, Ohio. Stop by and see what we have to offer. Check our sale entries on our website. JoAnn Mast & Kathleen Zappelli Lee Valley Road, Coquille, OR (home) (cell) soromney@wildblue.net OR southernoregonromneysonline.com ROMNEY RAMBLINGS Wool for U.S. Olympic team uniforms sourced in Oregon If you watched any of the Olympic feature stories, you may have seen one of the many video clips which told the story of the Ore- gon sheep ranch that was contacted, unexpectedly, by design firm Ralph Lauren to be their wool source for the U.S. team s Olympic uniforms. That call, to the Imperial Stock Ranch in the high desert of central Oregon, took place in July of Oregon wool was a wise choice for the winter Olympic uniforms, especially in light of the flack the company had taken for outsourcing the 2012 summer Olympic uniforms to companies outside the U.S. This time around, every article of clothing worn by the athletes was made by U.S. craftsmen and manufacturers from across the nation. Imperial Stock Ranch raises Columbia sheep, an American breed developed commercially in the late 1800s by crossing Rambouillet and Lincoln breeds. You can learn more about their story by visiting Imperial s website at Or watch the video of their story at watch?v=z7bddj_nbeq Sheep trimming video now available online If you re looking for tips and tricks on how to trim your Romney for the show ring, you need look no further than the ARBA website. There you ll find a link to the video created by Wes and Hilary Chapin that details the process. The 59-minute video gives verbal step-by-step instructions while the video demonstrates the process. Look for the video at Or view the video on YouTube at v=32t8xtpvtfi&feature=youtu.be

13 SPRING 2014 PAGE 13 Rambling Roads, continued Continued from page 5 every last pound of your fleeces. As always, if anyone has questions, comments, concerns, or would just like to talk sheep, feel free to contact me. Chris Posbergh District 2 Regional Director cposbergh@gmail.com District 3 Hello from the state of Illinois. Wow what a long winter! This has been the longest winter that I can remember. It is also the longest lambing season that I have ever had. I had a few ewes lamb in late January and early February, and then evidently the rams must have went sterile for about 60 days because I still have several ewes to lamb to date. Well, enough about my problems. I hope the rest of the people in region 3 have some nice lambs to consign to the Romney Specialty Sale in Wooster, OH. If you haven't been to the Great Lakes Fiber Show and the Great Lakes Sheep Show and Sale that takes place the weekend of May 24th and 25th, it would be a great experience to see everything that the Romney breed has to offer. In the next few months people will be attending many wool and fiber shows throughout region 3, as well as sheep shows. This year we will have our regional show held in conjunction with the state fair in Michigan. Once again it will be in Novi, MI. We will have both a white and natural color division, as well as both an open and junior show division. It will be held on Labor Day weekend, so start making plans now to attend. Let me know if I can help you in any way, or if you want me to promote an event in your area. May God bless you all. John Shelton District 6 Regional Director romneysheep@frontiernet.net District 4 As I near the end of my term, I want to take this opportunity to express my thanks to all of the Romney breeders in Region 4 who have worked with me on the many projects that we have tackled during my terms. I ve enjoyed meeting and working with all of you, whether in the show ring or on various sheep committees. I feel the Pacific Northwest produces some of the finest Romneys across the country. We all work hard to keep our breed viable in the market, as well as true to the standards that were set by our Board of Directors and voted on by all of us. I know that we are all looking forward to working with our new regional director and continuing to promote our breed. I would like to encourage people to run for my position from Oregon. It has been a wonderful privilege. I ll be seeing you soon in the show ring and sales barns. I hope that your lamb crop is healthy and gaining weight and that prices hold well. Scott Culver District 4 Regional Director scott.culver@oregonstate.edu District 5 By now most all of us are either finished with lambing or close to it. We now have time to make plans for participation in sheep and wool events and marketing our products. At this writing, I have received information from Washington producers about events that will be held later this spring and summer. The Shepherds Extravaganza will be held April at the Washington State Fairgrounds where Romney s and their fleeces will be shown and sold. On April 26, the Kelsey Creek Sheep Day will be held in Bellevue featuring Romney shearing and fleece skirting demonstrations, as well as spinning and knitting. May 2-4 will be the 2014 Spring Youth Fair at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in Chehalis. There are breed classes for Romneys, as well as showmanship. It is a junior show (4-H or FFA membership not required) with classes for grade 2 and under through seniors in high school. On May 31 the Puget Sound Purebred Sheep Producers will hold a shearing workshop and hold classes on sheep health and hoof care. Plans for our district show have started. The show will be held on August 30 during the open class sheep show at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA. Stay tuned for more details. Contact me to share things that are going on in your area, such as information, activities, and events that can be shared with other AR- BA members. Al Schwider District 5 Regional Director al@thepinesfarm.com District 6 South Mid-States Even though it is now April, I hesitate to mention the word spring for fear that yet another winter weather front will blow in on us. Ordinary seasonal activities, such as shearing before lambing, were hard to schedule this year with both the shearer and the sheep complaining. Fortunately, Continued on page 14

14 PAGE 14 New web site Continued from page 2 eny for them and is through on that farm. However, this ram has three to five additional productive years in him, and he has proven get on the ground. His strengths and weaknesses are proven facts and can be easily seen and discussed. His genes will be new genes at a new farm, and his purchase price will/ should reflect his owner s desire to obtain a good, breeding situation for this honored and proven boy. As we become better friends to each other through knowledge and White & Natural Colored Romneys Spinning Fleeces trust of each other s goals and practices, talk of the availability of such rams can become commonplace and the conversations very facile. The Working Romney Marketplace makes obvious both the commonalities and the dissimilarities among the participating farms. Regardless of the differences, these farms are successful business models whose basis is the quality of our Romney s meat and fleece. The site is celebratory, positive and informative. You can visit the site at ketplace.com. Questions Windy Oaks Farm 538 Geigel Hill Rd. Ottsville PA windyoaksfarm@yahoo.com (610) Watch for our entries at shows, sales and festivals in 2014 White & Natural Colored breeding stock available The Carlisle Family 510 Centerton Road (home) Moorestown, NJ (cell) c.carlisle@littlehoovesromneys.com about the site or participant parameters can be directed to Margaret Continued from page 13 Romneys are hardy critters and appear to have survived and are well into lambing now. There are two major fiber festivals coming to our district in May. The Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival is set for May in Lexington, KY. Visit their website: fiber.com The Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival will be held May in Dickson, TN. Learn more by visiting As you are shearing, remember to evaluate your fleeces for entry in fleece shows. Many fairs around the country have fleece shows as part of their Livestock Division. ROMNEY RAMBLINGS Howard at tawandafarms53@att.net or call Washington County Fiber Tour The Washington County Fiber Tour is set for April 26-27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour will feature 15 farms and a fiber mill, with just about every fiber producing animal imaginable. Five of the Fiber Tour farms raise Romney sheep. Check out the farms if you re looking for breeding stock, and see the products Romney s produce from raw fleeces to yarn and roving, and even pelts and blankets, along with cuts of lamb. Learn how to evaluate Romney sheep for their dual purpose qualities, and how to prepare fleeces for show. For more information contact Mary Pratt by at elihufarm@localnet.com or call You can also visit the website or Facebook page at Rambling Roads, continued Frequently the shows also have fleece auctions that are a good way to market your fleece to spinners. In our district there are several very active fleece shows. The Tennessee State Fair has a fleece show, an auction, a spinning contest and a sheep to shawl contest. Learn more at: org The NC Mountain State Fair has a fleece show. Read more at: The Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair is a very large fiber fair and an animal show Happy Lambing! Jane Caulfield District 6 Regional Director jcaulfield371@mac.com

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16 American Romney Breeders Association Lee Valley Road Coquille, OR Non-Profit Rate U.S. Postage PAID Myrtle Point OR Permit No. PI 10 Pitchfork Ranch Consistently true to type over time 2006 ram lamb 2011 yearling ram Pitchfork Ranch Purebred registered Romneys and Bluefaced Leicesters Cindy Cieciwa Margaret Van Camp Swartz Creek, MI