suffolk sheep The Agricultural Multiplier
Since this one factor makes up 50% of the herd, let’s try to dissect this a little further. Maternal traits in the ewe flock are paramount. As producers, we want it all. This list is extensive, but ultimately, we want an ewe that breeds timely, has multiple births without difficulty, loves their babies, milks well, produces a heavy fleece with a fine micron and fleshes easily during the off season so she can do it all again. Yep, she can do it all. To get this type of ewe flock, the sire must exhibit all these traits somehow. genetic testing will help, evaluating parentage will help, phenotypic evaluation will help but at the end of the day, we want a fine wooled ram, that travels well and is a breeder. This discussion should yield productive offspring for replacing the ewe flock. Focusing on the environment where these animals are raised is important to ensure the flock continues for generations. This equation might pay most of the bills, but are you maximizing your return-on-investment (ROI)? Did I mention the part about weight times price? This is the one agricultural multiplier that might be overlooked. The breeding scenario described above has the priority to produce the dam side of the equation. But most flocks really only need to
animal. Times that by $1.75/lb. this year, and that cross lamb made the producer another $11.81 per head. Times that by the 950-ewe band that produced 1,400 lambs, and you get the picture; that one change made the producer $16,534 more dollars. Not to mention the increased dressing percentage made the packer more money also. In certain parts of the country, the larger carcass weight is also desirable. Suffolk sheep are renowned for producing lean, heavy-muscled carcasses with excellent growth rates, making them a preferred choice for terminal sires in the U.S. commercial sheep industry. It’s estimated that over 50% of Western
JACK BLATTNER, PRESIDENT, IDAHO WOOL GROWERS ASSOCIATION VICE PRESIDENT AND BOARD MEMBER, UNITED SUFFOLK SHEEP ASSOCIATION (USSA) My son Ross has been updating our corn planter this season. Turning the six-row John Deere 7100 into a state-of-the-art planter has been quite a journey. Each time he adds a new part to this planter; we must buy that part six times. This is what I call the “Agricultural Multiplier”. When purchasing replacement parts, we multiply the cost of that part by the number of rows we need.
range lambs harvested in the United States have some degree of Suffolk influence. Carcass traits are some of the most highly heritable traits in sheep. This is extremely important to note as Suffolks are the go-to terminal sire and can quickly improve growth and carcass characteristics in just one generation. Suffolk rams are the perfect complement to “maternal trait” ewe flocks as they positively improve the carcass quality of their lambs. Suffolk sheep play a significant role in the U.S. lamb market, contributing to carcass characteristics that align with industry standards and consumer preferences, thereby influencing overall carcass cutout values. If you are interested in finding out more about Suffolks and the United Suffolk Sheep Association, please visit the USSA website at https://suffolks.org/. You will find many resources there that will answer questions, and you can explore the “Digital Suffolk” breed registry program. So, the next time you are charged with making ram purchase decisions, don’t forget about the agricultural multiplier.
replace somewhere between 10-20% of the flock each year depending on many factors. What about the other 80- 90%? Do the sires used for the maternal traits make the numbers you need for profit? That’s where cross breeding comes in. Specifically, using black faced, Suffolk rams on those whiteface maternal ewes. In a study by the US Sheep Experiment Station, that exact question was asked. If the environment and the
When we purchase fertilizer, we multiply the amount needed by the acres we are applying. When we harvest, we multiply the yield by the number of acres for that field. You get the picture. It really is no different when producing lambs. When buying feed, multiply the cost by the number of tons, or CWT needed. There are many different inputs that might come into play here, but essentially, the cost of gain per head always comes
back to this simple equation. Selling lamb is also similar. Total weight times price. That is the key. Maximizing efficiency in inputs, while maximizing total gain and weight. Many variables are important here, but the one that I see some producers never put enough research time into are the genetics of the ram battery.
female flock was kept the same, what happens to the offspring when crossed with different male breeds? In fact, all things being equal, the Suffolk cross lambs averaged 4.5% heavier and produced 5% more loin eye. That’s where the agricultural multiplier comes in. Do the math, 4.5% of a 150 lb. lamb equals 6.75 more lbs. per
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