N`ewesletter N`ewesletter

Transcription

N’ewesletter
u
Table of Contents
Alberta Lamb Producers
2015 Zone Meetings, Welcome to the New Board 1
Around the Zones
2
Highlights From the 2015 Zone Meetings
4
Your Check Off Dollars at Work
6
Producer Resources
Feeding Your Flock When Hay Is Limited Free ALP Webinar with Dr. Lynn Tait
You’re Invited! Meet the Board in Lethbridge
ALP Photo Contest
Cash Flow and Your Sheep Business Lamb Market Update
Ewe Nutrition During Early Lactation
Ewe Nutrition During Late Gestation
Alberta Lamb Brand
New! On SheepCentralAlberta
Got Questions?
2016 Calgary Stampede Sheep Showcase
Shearing School 2016
Canadian Sheep Federation
7
7
8
8
9
11
12
14
16
16
16
17
17
18
Industry Information
Small Ruminant Import Policy to Change
18
Kolodychuk Re-acclaimed as CSF Chairman 18
CSF: Sheep Value Chain Round Table
19
CSBA: 34th Canadian Sheep Classic
20
Peace River Lamb Association Scholarship
20
Changes to Animal Health Legislation
21
Farm and Ranch Workplace Legislation Changes21
Chops and Crops 2015
22
Sheep Handling Demonstration
22
Global Sheep – The Short Story
23
Classifieds25
Sheep Calendar
27
ALP Contacts 28
January 2016
What’s missing?
Your flock!
ALP’s first photo contest is underway.
See page 8 for details.
EWES EXPOSED TO:
WINDING LANE 4Z
MASTINE JACKHAMMER 43B
SECOND CHANCE 84B
CLYDE, AB
H: 780-348-5790
C: 780-307-3385
E-MAIL: grimm1@mcsnet.ca
VJV Westlock
LAMB PRODUCERS
Vold Jones Vold
in Westlock is the
Marketing
Headquarters
for all your sheep and lamb
marketing needs.
With one sale scheduled
per month, until Fall,
you have the option of
choosing when
to market your lambs
in one of the finest
facilities in the Province.
Field Rep
CORY POLAK
780-712-5749
Sale Dates:
Monday, January 18
Monday, February 15
Monday, March 21
For More Information
Contact VJV Westlock
780-349-3153
(only 1 sale date scheduled
per month until Fall)
www.vjvwestlock.com
email: gary@vjvauction.com
Field Rep
TRENT EWASIW
780-349-0239
.
Phone: 403-948-8533
Email: info@ablamb.ca
Websites: www.ablamb.ca and
www.albertalamb.ca
2015 Zone Meetings and Welcome to the New Board
ALP’s annual fall meetings took place October 24 to November 7 in Grande Prairie, Barrhead,
Red Deer, and Lethbridge. These meetings are required by our Regulations in order to present
the Annual Report. The Annual Report, which includes the financial statements, is available from
www.ablamb.ca or by contacting the office. This year, there were also elections in Zones 1, 2, 3
and 6. No nominations were received in time for Zone 1 meeting. However, the appointment of
Ray Nolan as Zone 1 Director by the ALP Board is currently pending approval by the Marketing
Council.
Introducing the 2015-2016 ALP Board of Directors:
Cover photo
Credits: istock
Zone 1 – Ray Nolan
Zone 2 – Phil Zaugg
Zone 3 – Cindy Armstrong
Zone 4 – Bill Gibson
Zone 5 – Erin Yaremko
Zone 6 – Darlene Stein
Zone 7 – Virginia Glover
N'ewesletter is published by
the Alberta Lamb Producers.
Opinions expressed herein do
not necessarily reflect those of
Alberta Lamb Producers, the
Board of Directors or its officers.
When reprinting articles from
N'ewesletter, credit must
be given to the ALP and/or
the author, if applicable. No
changes may be made without ALP’s, or the author’s, written permission.
Alberta Lamb Producers does
not endorse or promote any of
the advertisements or advertisers in the N’ewesletter.
For full Advertising Terms and
Conditions see the Media Kit at
http://ablamb.ca/documents/MediaKit.pdf.
New directors, from L to R: Ray Nolan, Darlene Stein, Cindy Armstrong and
Phil Zaugg
As the 2015 Vice Chair, Erin Yaremko is the Acting Chair until the full board meets to elect the
Chair, Vice-Chair, and Financial Director at the next board meeting.
In recent years, we have added value to the fall meetings by inviting speakers to give presentations on topics you have asked for or that are particularly relevant at that time. The presentations
this year were on animal welfare (Isabelle Girard, Kristin Hall), feeding when hay is limited (Dale
Engstrom, Dr. Gary Chang, Dr. Kim Stanford), and zoonotic diseases (Dr. Madhu Ravi). Thanks to all
of the speakers for sharing their expertise at our meetings! ALP looks forward to working with the
new directors to grow the sheep industry in Alberta.
More information from the Zone Meetings is on page 4, with highlights of your check off dollars
at work on page 6. For the full presentations and Annual Report, please visit www.ablamb.ca.
January 2016 1
Around the Zones
Zone 1
Born and raised in Co. Carlow Ireland, I grew up on a
sheep farm which my parents still run and operate. They
run a flock of 300 Texel cross ewes. The family farm has
been in operation for four generations and is still going.
Just over a decade of my life was spent in the hospitality trade. I was lucky enough to work in some great hotels
and restaurants, where I met and worked with some
great people over the years. During my culinary travels of
Ireland, England and Canada, I had the privilege to cook
for H.R.H. Queen of England at a state banquet in London, England. Over the course of my career we served
many celebrities and heads of state: Tom Cruise, Russel
Crowe and Ozzy Osbourne to mention a few. Probably
the most memorable was Nelson Mandela. But more
importantly I also met my future wife, a chef also, which
brought us to Canada. We stayed in Toronto at first then
were Calgary bound and finally back to a small town
6,503 km away from where it all started.
Nowadays we call Vulcan, AB home, where we have
two future shepherds, Brayden (four) and Charless (two).
We also own a grain farm with my wife’s parents which is
great to be a part of.
Lambtastic farms was born about five years ago when
we decided to stop cooking and move to Nancy’s family
run farm. We mainly run it as a “farm to fork” operation.
As chefs we always wanted to know where our food
came from so now we produce it. The last few years have
been a great and big learning curve for us. We run a flock
of 350 Suffolk cross ewes; we started out with 50 ewes
and grew over the years. We enjoy the daily challenges
that a farm brings and we hope to keep producing and
promoting lamb in the coming years. Our farm was
featured on an episode of Salt Fresh and Field which was
aired on TELUS optic TV, another great experience. Our
ewes also did a guest appearance at Calgary Stampede
for the world championship stock dog trials, the best
show on earth.
Thank you,
Ray Nolan
Phone: 403-681-0276 E-mail: zone1@ablamb.ca
Zone 2
Hi, my fellow lamb producers,
The white stuff is back again and with it the challenges
winter brings. Chores might be a bit tougher and on
2 January 2016
some stormy days, we might need a bit more motivation
to get out there and look after our animals.
For many of us it was a tough year, dealing with a low
yield on our hay crop to no crop at all. Having to buy feed
that was three times as expensive as in previous years
made things hard. But all things considered, we got good
money for our lambs this year and the feed prices actually came down a bit again. I hope everybody has the
feed they need to get through this winter.
This is an exciting time to be a lamb producer. There is
a lot of room to grow, and you can certainly be proud to
be a part of this great industry. As Alberta Lamb Producers we want to work together in growing our industry,
share ideas and pass on our knowledge to one another.
Remember, we are not competitors, we are partners!
I hope to see you all at the upcoming “Meet the Board”
meeting in Lethbridge. The meeting will be held at the
Sandman Hotel on January 30th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
(see page 8). As your new director, I’m looking forward to
meeting all of you at some point. I also want to hear from
you. I am your voice in the industry and want to represent you the best I can. Please feel free to call me or write
me an email and share your thoughts with me.
Have a great winter!
Phil Zaugg
Zone 3
ALP welcomes Cindy Armstrong to the Board as the
Zone 3 Director.
Cindy Armstrong is an accountant by training, a personal coach by preference, and a country girl at heart.
She was born in Manitoba and travelled to Europe, Quebec and Winnipeg because her father was in the Armed
Forces.
She is an Albertan by transplant and loves calling the
family’s farm home. Cindy and her husband, Larry Sirr,
own a quarter section which is located kilometres from
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, off of Hwy 21.
Over three years ago they purchased Black Belly ewes
to “clean up our pastures.” They believe there is a market
for small farm lamb, raised on pasture as much as possible, and have been growing their flock since then.
Cindy states, “My desire to represent Zone 3 and Alberta Lamb Producers is about learning, communicating,
asking questions, and learning LOTS more. And I am very
excited to be a part of a growing opportunity.”
Cindy Armstrong
Zone 4
Greetings from zone 4.
What a winter so far! The mild weather has made it
easier to be outside for both man and beast.
I would like to welcome the new directors from zones
1, 2, 3 and 6. Thank you for your commitment and interest
in the Alberta Lamb Producers, as well as your commitment to the sheep and lamb industry in Alberta.
Robyn Moore and Beth Kyle, our dedicated staff, also
deserve a huge thank you for their guidance and hard
work through this transition period until the new board
members are “up to speed.”
Robyn especially has been super busy since midOctober attending meetings, organizing meetings and
representing us at functions, and that’s only the visible
stuff. We are fortunate to have her. As the Governments
of Alberta as well as Canada are brand new we expect
that the workload will increase, not decrease, in the coming months.
Lorna and I wish all the shepherds out there Happy
Trails for 2016.
Cheers,
Bill Gibson
Zone 5
I can honestly say it was disappointing that no producers from zone 5 attended the zone meeting this year.
There were great presentations by Dr. Gary Chan and Isabelle Girard, and a great lunch. A few days after, I left for
Australia with my family and my excitement about the
sheep industry was restored. It was incredible to see the
world’s largest sheep saleyard last week in Wagga Wagga,
New South Wales, with 34,000 sheep being sold in just a
little over two hours, and this sale was only half the size
of a full yard sale. I was very impressed with the quality
and uniformity of the lamb lots. The Australian market
system is very different from ours, using a common saleyard with multiple agents and their clients bringing and
selling stock. All stock is sold by sight by the head, and
nothing is weighed so it really puts the onus on farmers
to preweigh, type, and sort their own individual lots to
fetch premiums. Finished lambs were $130-$150. We also
got to take in a shearing day and farm tour near Young.
This farmer was getting up to $12/kg for good merino
wool and grade wool for the F1 crossbreds was still
trading around $5/kg. It was great to talk with the farm
blokes and learn about how different raising sheep is in
Alberta compared to New South Wales. They think we
are crazy and laughed at the idea of jugging each ewe at
.
lambing, saying that is way too much work. In this area
the biggest challenges and killers of sheep are internal
parasites and blowstrike. Parasite resistance is a huge
problem as well in Australia. They don’t have predator
problems, mastitis or pneumonia in this area. I’m jealous.
We learned so much in this beautiful hot country, topping 48°C when we were in Sydney.
I’d like to give a big thank-you to Ronald and Chris for
all of their hard work and dedication to ALP serving as
directors over the past years. Robyn and Beth are doing a
great job in the office. Welcome to all new directors and
welcome to a great new year!
Erin Yaremko
Zone 6
ALP welcomes Darlene Stein to the board as the Zone 6
Director.
Darlene is a mother of three and grandmother of two.
She lives in the Barrhead area and farms with her husband Rudy, son Conner, and daughter Lexi.
They pasture lamb most of their 650 ewes at the beginning of June. This is Darlene’s favourite time of the year,
especially if the weather cooperates!
This was the Steins’ first year operating the wool depot
in their area and it gave them the opportunity to meet
many new and seasoned sheep producers in our area, to
share ideas and more than a few laughs.
She enjoys spending time with friends and family,
horseback riding or curling up with a great book. She
also loves passionate, exciting conversations about anything and everything.
Darlene states, “I look forward to the time I will spend
working with others in the sheep industry to keep things
moving forward in a progressive manner in this ever
challenging economic environment.”
Darlene Stein
Zone 7
Hi Everyone,
Well, another year has come and gone. And what an
exciting year it has been for me, going to board meetings
and meeting lamb producers from across this great province. All have been united in making the sheep industry
the best that it can be. I now represent the sheep industry for Alberta at the Canadian Sheep Federation and had
the opportunity to attend the Annual General Meeting
and the Sheep Value Chain Round Table. To say it was a
learning experience would be an understatement. No
January 2016 3
matter how many people you talk to about sheep, we as
producers face the same problems regardless of where
you live in Canada. We are there to keep you informed
of the challenges of the government regulations that are
always changing. Everyone on the CSF board has sheep
and is very involved in the sheep industry. The Sheep
Value Chain Round Table is where Government and different organizations that have a vested interest in the
sheep industry, meet. It was very interesting but at times
it could be mind boggling. Thanks Bill Gibson for you
past participation with CSF.
Thanks to everyone who came and participated in
our Alberta Lamb Producers Zone 7 Fall meeting, which
was in Grande Prairie. Thanks also to the ones who sent
emails saying how much they enjoyed the day. With
Christmas and New Year’s behind us now, it’s time to
start another exciting year in our sheep industry. So from
our house to yours, may you all have a safe, prosperous
new year and I look forward to meeting as many of you
as possible.
Virginia Glover
SHEEP AND GOATEQUIPMENT
Richard Zubot
Box 822, Humboldt S K
S0K 2A0
Ph: (306) 682-3252
Cell:(306) 231-7928
Email: crzubot@ hotmail .com
We manufacture a complete line of sheep and
goat equipment, such as:
- Tipping Tables
- Handling Systems
-Scales
- Trimming Stands
- Bale Feeders
- Shearing Chutes
-Sorters
- Lambing Panels
- Head Gates
- Gates
- Creep Panels
- Fenceline Feeders
CREEP FEEDER
-5’ single sided with lid
-holds approx 12 bushels
-feed flow is adjustable without
wrenches
-shown with creep panel and mesh panels
-easily moved on skids
-14ga material fully welded
Other sizes of single and double sided feeders are available.
Call for details and pricing.
All of our products are available from Zubot Welding, all Peavey
Mart stores and from the Sask. Sheep Dev. Board., Saskatoon, Sk.
For more info about prices, etc.
Please call Richard @ 306-682-3252.
----Check out our website atwww.ZubotWelding.ca----
Highlights From the 2015 Zone Meetings
From Dr. Madhu Ravi’s presentation
“Zoonotic Diseases of Sheep”
4 January 2016
.
From Dr. Kim Stanford’s
“Feeding your Flock in a
Drought”
 Ewes in last trimester
 Milking ewes
 Pregnant ewes as a whole
Welfare - sheep industry
From Isabelle Girard’s
“Sheep Welfare in
Alberta”
For the full presentations and ALP Annual Report, please visit www.ablamb.ca.
A hard copy can be requested from the
office by phoning 403-948-1522 or emailing admin@ablamb.ca.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Stressful handling and management
Poor nutrition
Transport
On-farm euthanasia
Painful procedures
Flock health
Accelerated lambing
Neonatal care
Young lamb at auction markets
…
18
January 2016 5
Your Check Off Dollars at Work
“Alberta Lamb Producers is a dynamic partner in building
a sustainable, thriving industry for sheep producers”
Above all, ALP enables the sheep industry and its producers to have a
voice, to be at the table when decisions are being made and to encourage the development and
success of the industry.
The check off you pay is your investment in your industry; it provides for the operational
expenses,communications and advocacy from ALP. In addition, it enables the organisation to obtain funding and
manage industry development projects. From providing management resources to promoting the lamb you produce, ALP gives you a great return on your investment.
The funded projects we undertake do not always fall into one financial year and the grants are only reported
in the year they are spent*. The 2014/5 project activities include:
»» Viability and Sustainability (ALMA) - $97,750* (total project $ 167,500)
Resource modules on marketing and coyote predation, industry promotion,
producer seminars and meetings, educational videos for YouTube / sheepcentral, SheepBytes advertising. Completed.
»» Welfare Program Delivery Agent (Growing Forward 2) - $19,000* (Total
project $ 103,000)
Development of self-assessment for grant eligibility, communications and
education, producer meetings and presentations, revision of “Guide to
Humane Care and Handling of Sheep,” new factsheets, video presentation
for YouTube / sheepcentral. Ongoing until March 2016.
Annual Report 2014/2015
»» ALP + Check off + AF collaboration + ALMA $$ = Producer Benefit
Some of these projects involve the collaboration of Alberta Agriculture and
Forestry. We appreciate their support for the lamb industry and the contributions of Susan Hosford, (AF, Sheep Industry Specialist).
»» ALP believes in an attitude of collaboration – together we achieve more.
ALP’s Annual Report
Questions on any projects are invited – please call your zone director for a chat.
Please visit www.ablamb.ca for the full report or request a hard copy from the office by phoning 403-948-1522 or
emailing admin@ablamb.ca.
6 January 2016
.
Feeding Your Flock When Hay Is Limited
Webinar with Dale Engstrom
On November 14, ALP was very pleased to host our first
webinar.
Ruminant nutritionist, Dale Engstrom, provided tips on
keeping your flock healthy and productive when feed
is limited and when feeding alternative forages. Participants listened to some great advice and asked a number
of interesting questions.
If you missed the live webinar, we’ve posted a recording on ALP’s YouTube channel ‘Sheep Central Alberta’.
Watch the presentation anytime by going to www.youtube.com/user/SheepCentralAlberta.
Webinars are a cost-effective way of getting information out to as many producers as want to participate. ALP
will still hold as many face-to-face meetings as ever, but
the flexibility of webinars means we’ll be able to bring
you more resources at little added cost. Results of a participant survey from the November 14th webinar were
overwhelmingly positive and unanimous in asking for
more webinars in the future.
Since we always try to please, we’ve already planned
another one!
Save the date: February 8, 2016 (7:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
Take a break, have a coffee and listen to Dr. Lynn Tait
discuss flock health considerations.
It’s free!
As with all webinars, no special equipment is needed to
join—just your computer and internet connection. The
only downside is, unlike our face-to-face meetings, we
can’t bring the coffee and cookies!
R. R. 1
Carstairs, Alberta
T0M 0N0
Phone/Fax (403) 337-2221
• Comforters
• Mattress Pads
• Sleeping Bags
• Batts
• Roping 4-Str.
• Yarns
• Work Socks
• Custom Services Washing
Dying
Carding
Spinning
Sewing
Knitting
at AFAC’s Livestock Care Conference and
Producer Workshop
March 22 and 23 at Olds
See page 20 for details.
OLDS AUCTION MART LTD.
4613 – 54th Street, Olds, AB. T4H 1E9
Ph: 1-877-556-3655 or 403-556-3655
SELLING ALL CLASSES OF SHEEP & GOATS EVERY
TUESDAY AT 12:00 PM (NOON)
AT OLDS AUCTION MART.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO CONSIGN LIVESTOCK
CONTACT: JOEL WADDELL - 403-512-6151
OR
JIM CRAWFORD – 403-556-4457
January 2016 7
You’re Invited!
Meet the Board in Lethbridge
January 30th 2016, 1 to 4 p.m.
Sandman Hotel, 421 Mayor Magrath Drive, Lethbridge
What’s on the agenda?
»» Meet your 2015/16 ALP Board. After the fall Zone meetings there are a number of new faces on the board,
with new directors in zones 1, 2, 3 and 6. Come out and let them know what you’d like ALP to do for you!
»» Industry updates, including progress on the Alberta Lamb initiative.
»» Have a coffee and visit with fellow sheep producers.
»» Listen to a great guest speaker. ALP is very pleased to have Dr. Ed Pajor join the meeting to present
“Animal welfare: the new social ethic, future drivers and what it means to lamb producers.”
First-hand knowledge of how food is produced is falling dramatically as the
population becomes more urbanized. The onus for maintaining public trust in
farming practices is increasingly placed on producers and industry. Dr. Pajor will
discuss how this demand could change the sheep industry in the future.
Dr. Pajor is a Professor of Animal Welfare at the University of Calgary, Faculty
of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Production Animal Health. He is recognized internationally for his research in livestock behaviour and welfare as well
as expertise in animal welfare standards and legislation. Dr. Pajor has served on
the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Animal Science as well as Applied Animal
Behavior Science and as the US representative to the International Society
of Applied Ethology. Dr. Pajor also provides scientific expertise to numerous
organizations including the McDonald’s Animal Welfare Panel, the National Pork
Board’s Animal Welfare Committee, and Humane Farm Animal Care.
NE
W!
ALP Photo Contest
Photo credit: Mopani
8 January 2016
Submit your photos to ALP for your chance to WIN
PRIZES and the chance to have your photos included in
future N’ewesletters, calendars, or other ALP publications.
Our judges will select one winner per zone and a second
winner will be selected by the crowd at the Annual Fall
Round Up. Photos should be submitted electronically to
admin@ablamb.ca with the photographer’s name and
the location where it was taken. The photo needs to be
high resolution (2 MB or over). By entering the photo
contest, you agree that your entry may be used or reproduced at the discretion of ALP (credit will be given to the
photographer).
Deadline to submit is September 1, 2016.
Producer Resources
Cash Flow
and Your Sheep Business
“Cash is the lifeblood of a business, but with so much
emphasis usually put on profitability, it is often overlooked,” says Rick Dehod, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF). “Of course, the bottom line is important, but
poor cash flow management can drive a growing and/or
profitable operation out of business.”
One of the largest demands on cash flow is family living costs. “In the last five years, family living costs have
increased substantially due to inflation and good farm
margins. The average Alberta farm family living costs
in 2013 as reported by Statistics Canada were $71,429
before income taxes. Farm families today enjoy the same
standard of living as their urban cousins,” says Dehod.
While cash flow projections are critical, especially in
tough times, producers don’t have to wait for a crisis to
benefit from good cash flow planning. A properly developed cash flow projection can help a business foresee
and prepare for potential cash shortages. Cash flow
management can also help:
• Maintain adequate cash reserves to pay all living costs.
• Maintain adequate cash reserves to pay bills and
payment on time or invest in expanding the business
should an opportunity arise.
• Reduce interest cost through managed borrowing.
• Increase interest income by transferring surplus funds
into interest-bearing accounts temporarily, if appropriate.
• Control costs by having the cash available to take advantage of buying inputs at favourable prices.
• Improve relations with the bank manager and trade
creditors.
• Plan for the coming production year.
As family living costs and the farm’s business costs
are blended in, a farm business that prepares cash flow
projections often learns more about the dynamics of
its business and its cash demands. Preparing cash flow
projections often has other positive outcomes as well.
You might discover that you need to pay more attention
to lamb markets to obtain the right price. You may need
to have a better understanding of your production costs
to determine what a profitable price for a lamb might be.
You also could decide you need to take courses to help
you make better decisions to protect or improve your
farm’s profit. You may find that you really don’t know
what it costs you to produce a lamb for market or what
your living costs are.
.
To assist managing cash flow, Cash Flow Analyzer was
developed. It can be used to allocate cash requirements
and income sources throughout the year. The Cash Flow
Analysis Tool is available by searching on the Farm Manager homepage http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca.
Source: Rick Dehod, Livestock and Farm Business Branch, Agriculture
and Forestry
CCWG LIVESTOCK
SUPPLIES LTD.
Lethbridge Branch
For all your livestock supplies….
Let us know how we can help.
FENCING - Gallagher & Stafix
LIVESTOCK TAGS – Z-Tags – Allflex - Shearwell
WATERERS – Miraco (Mira-fount – Lil’Spring)
SHEARING EQUIPMENT – Lister, Heiniger, Oster
SHEEP EQUIPMENT – MarWeld & Premier
Clipper Blade Sharpening &Equipment Repairs
Visit our website:www.wool.ca
Find us on FACEBOOK at
CCWG Livestock Supplies
918 – 1st Avenue South
Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 0A9
Toll Free: 1-800-567-3693
ccwglb@wool.ca
Animal health products available,
$’s cannot be advertised in AB or on our E-Commerce site
Call us for more details and to order
Free Webinar!
February 8, 2016 (7:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
Take a break, have a coffee and listen to Dr. Lynn
Tait discuss flock health considerations.
See page 7; contact ALP for details.
January 2016 9
SUNGOLD WANTS YOUR LAMBS
• Rail price, plus PREMIUMS
based on carcass quality
• Grain Finished Lambs
• Live Pricing for Feeder Lambs,
Cull Ewes and Goats
Call Us Now to Discuss Your Lamb Marketing Options:
Contracts, Cash, Feeders and Culls
Please Contact:
Kurt Paskal: 403-505-1165 Producer Relations
Cathy Krohn: 403-227-7866 Plant Lamb Coordinator
Dwayne Beaton: 403-894-4388 CEO
For more information visit our website:
www.sungoldmeats.com
»»»»»»»»»»»»»
CANADA GOLD LAMB LOT
MORE MARKETING OPTIONS!
Access SunGold Grading on Your Feeders by:
1.
2.
Sale of your feeders to Canada Gold using
Forward Contracts or Cash (market) based purchase options for Pricing
Through This Marketing Option for Your Feeders We Offer:
1.
2.
Carcass grading results from SunGold
Option to Sell Cull Ewes to SunGold at a preferential price
Please contact:
10 January 2016
Rick Paskal
Kurt Paskal
Dwayne Beaton
403-894-9449
403-505-1165
403-894-4388
Producer Resources
Lamb Market Update: November 30, 2015
Jason Wood, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
The story has not changed much for Alberta lamb
prices,which have remained strong through 2015. Yearto-date the live lamb price has averaged $187/cwt, 29.5%
higher than 2014 and 36% higher than the 5-year average.
On the slaughter side, 2015 year-to-date Western
Canadian lamb slaughter is up 10.4% over 2014 and 17.3%
higher than 5-year average. Comparatively, 2015 year-todate lamb slaughter in Eastern Canada is down 12% and
9.6% compared to 2014 and the 5-year average respectively. Overall year-to-date Canadian lamb slaughter is
down 2.8% from the same period in 2014. For Western
Canadian lamb producers, higher slaughter in the west is
good news as it signals strong demand for good quality
finished lambs.
.
and sheep meat, including offal, in the second half of
2015. Chinese demand has also been affected by reports
of large volumes of lamb and mutton in cold storage.
The fall in Chinese demand has led Australia and New
Zealand to increase shipments to other export markets
such as the US.
The US is one of Canada’s largest markets for lamb and
sheep meat exports. On average, between 2010 and 2014
approximately 45% of Canadian lamb and sheep meat
exports have gone to the US.
For the January to September 2015 period, US lamb
and sheep exports are down 17% compared to 2014,
while imports are up 10.5%,mainly from Australia and
New Zealand. This has increased US domestic availability
of lamb and sheep meat. It has also affected Canadian
export volumes to the US, which are down 3% from
2014 for the January to September period. However, the
weaker Canadian dollar is expected to aid export sales
by easing potential export demand weakness while also
providing price support.
Declining prices and increased production of hogs,
cattle, and poultry have lowered wholesale prices for
competing proteins such as pork, beef, and chicken. As
lower wholesale prices filter their way to the retail level
we may see a change in consumer protein choices and
expenditures. The October Consumer Price Index (CPI)
for beef and chicken was up 1.6% and 0.5% respectively,
while pork was down 0.6% in Alberta from September.
Retail prices for competing proteins are still strong, but
lower wholesale pork prices and weekly flyer features
have affected pork movement.
What does all of this mean for Alberta lamb prices? Live
slaughter lamb prices are expected to soften initially in
the first quarter of 2016 and then seasonally increase
later in the year. For comparison, the USDA has recently
released a 2016 forecasted price range for San Angelo,
Texas choice slaughter lambs and reports prices could be
down between 3-9% from 2015. Overall 2016 lamb prices
are expected to be lower than 2015, but should remain
well above the 5-year average.
Looking forward,there are a few factors that may
weigh on live Alberta lamb prices: a slowing global
economy, a decrease in US lamb and mutton exports,
and lower wholesale prices for competing proteins.
The slowdown in the global economy, specifically in
China and Asian countries, has reduced demand for lamb
January 2016 11
Producer Resources
Ewe Nutrition During Early Lactation
Abby-Ann Redman
Nutrient requirements of ewes differ significantly throughout the production cycle. Early lactation, which is the first
six weeks after lambing, is a critical time to feed a good quality and well balanced diet as milk production puts a large
strain on the ewe. Nutrient requirements change depending on the stage of the production cycle and the number of
lambs nursing. Ewes nursing triplets produce on average 60% more milk than those nursing singles, greatly increasing
metabolic demand. Customizing diets to more specifically meet the animal’s nutrient requirements helps maintain
good body condition and high milk quantity and quality, and has economical benefits by reducing overfeeding.
Dietary protein and energy
It is critical to increase protein and energy levels from levels fed
during late gestation; protein deficiency causes milk production to
fall, and energy deficiency will result in poor body condition. Ewes
should not lose more than half a body condition score (BCS) during
early lactation to ensure good condition for rebreeding. One BCS
is equivalent to about 15% of the body weight. Table 1 shows the
expected pregnancy rates for ewes in varying levels of body condition with a body condition score of 2.5 to 3.0 having the highest
pregnancy rate of 75.9%.
Body Condition Score Pregnancy Rate (%)
≤1.5
33.7
1.5–2.0
56.9
2.0–2.5
73.0
2.5–3.0
75.9
3.0–3.5
70.5
≥3.5
54.9
Table 1: Effect of BCS on pregnancy rate
Case study
Examples, using the SheepBytes ration balancing program (www.sheepbytes.ca),are representative of an 80 kg ewe
mothering singles, twins or triplets. Environmental conditions during late gestation assumed spring lambing with the
approximate temperature of 4.1°C and 10°C during early lactation. Other assumptions used were a wind speed of <18
km/hr and the ewe in a body condition of 3 with full fleece in dry conditions. Using these assumptions, Table 2 shows
the dry matter intake (DMI), protein, and energy requirements for an ewe in late gestation and early lactation mothering singles, twins, and triplets.
Singles
DMI
Protein
(lb.)
(g)
Late Gestation 4.4
179
Early Lactation 4.8
225
NEm
(Mcal)
1.64
3.19
Twins
DMI
(lb.)
5.5
6.2
Protein
(g)
225
426
NEm
(Mcal)
1.76
3.37
Triplets
DMI
(lb.)
4.9
6.9
Protein
(g)
235
438
NEm
(Mcal)
1.84
3.47
Table 2: Dry matter intake, protein, and energy levels for ewes in late gestation, or early lactation mothering singles, twins, or triplets
Feed quality
Feeding can be made easier by separating the flock into pens based on the number of lambs the ewes are nursing.
Separating ewes allows producers to provide appropriate volumes of forage and concentrates to each pen based on
their DMI. High quality forage should be fed during early lactation, as it will provide more nutrients per volume than
poor quality forage, so fewer concentrates are needed. Nutrient requirements should be met as much as possible by
forage and supplemented with concentrates since we don’t want ewes to lose too much body condition. Good quality
alfalfa-grass hay in 2014 costs about $0.04/lb. whereas barley grain costs about $0.08/lb. It is beneficial for producers to
test forage and concentrates as nutrient levels can differ significantly. Testing diet ingredients will also give producers
the information necessary to formulate a diet correctly. Table 3 shows the average nutrient concentration of good quality alfalfa-grass hay and barley grain.
DM (%)
Alfalfa-Grass Hay 87.4
Barley Grain
88.5
Protein (%)
14
12.50
Table 3: Nutrient profile of alfalfa-grass hay and barley grain
12 January 2016
DE (Mcal/lb.)
2.63
3.66
Calcium (%)
1.22
0.07
Phosphorus (%)
0.19
0.38
Producer Resources
.
Diets for ewes nursing singles, twins or triplets
Using the nutrient concentrations from table 3, diets were formulated specifically for ewes nursing singles,twins or
triplets (Table 4). When high volumes of concentrates are required, feedings should be split into twice a day of smaller
amounts, reducing the chance of acidosis, to which sheep are very susceptible.
Feeding a ‘one size fits all’ diet
Alfalfa-Grass Hay (as fed lb.)
Barley Grain (as fed lb.)
1:1 Mineral W salt (lb.)
Vitamin E 50000 (lb.)
Vitamin ADE 4 Million (lb.)
Total Cost ($/head/day)
Singles Twins
3.280
6.634
1.883
0.991
0.024
0.048
0.020
0.019
0.004
0.16
0.26
Triplets
7.055
0.772
0.075
0.019
0.26
Table 4: Example diets for ewes in early lactation nursing singles, twins, or
triplets
Early lactation is a short period of the production cycle
but a critical time to feed a well balanced and high quality
diet. Protein and energy should be provided in the correct
ratios as diets deficient in protein will limit milk production and diets deficient in energy will cause ewes to loose
body condition, resulting in poor rebreeding percentages.
Separating ewes into pens based on the numbers of lambs
nursing will make feeding easier, and allow the producer to
provide appropriate amounts of forage and concentrates to
each pen of ewes.
Feeding one diet to a flock of lactating ewes
mean some will be over nourished while others will be under nourished. Over nourished
ewes will experience weight gain that lowers
rebreeding percentages, and increases feed costs.
Undernourished ewes will have poor body condition, reduced milk quantity, and poor milk quality, ultimately affecting lamb growth. Using the
Sheepbytes ration-balancing program, feed costs
per ewe were determined to show the savings
possible when ewes are managed according to
their productivity.
Example of feed costs for a flock of 100 ewes consisting of 60 nursing singles, 38 nursing twins, and two
nursing triplets during the six week period of early
lactation.
Separated into pens and fed specific diets: $840.00
Entire flock is fed a diet meant for ewes nursing twins:
$1092.00
Difference: $252.00
PICTURE BUTTE AUCTION MARKET
P.O BOX 6 PICTURE BUTTE, ALBERTA T0K-1V0
Tel~ 1.403.732.4400 www.picturebutteauction.ca
Selling sheep and goats every Saturday 11:00 a.m.
Followed by horses, llamas, baby calves and all other classes of cattle.
Thank you for your support in previous years!
We wish you all the best for Lambing Season and 2016.
For more information or to consign livestock contact the market at 1-403-732-4400
Erik Dunsbergen at 1-403-308-6662
January 2016 13
Producer Resources
Ewe Nutrition During Late Gestation
Abby-Ann Redman
Nutrition during late gestation (the last six weeks of pregnancy) is largely related to the health and profitability of the
flock. Lamb size and viability are in part determined by the quality of diet the ewe is provided. Ewes that are fed rations
that meet their nutrient requirements have healthier lambs and are in better body condition to provide milk for their
lambs after parturition. Nutrient deficiencies during late gestation can result in small, weak lambs that have a higher
percent mortality before weaning while excessive nutrient levels lead to physically large lambs, increasing the chance
of dystocia, and feed costs. Precision feeding ewes to meet their nutrient requirements is a good management tool for
producers to increase health and profitability of the flock.
Technology such as ultrasound can be used to determine the number of lambs being carried. Knowing this allows
producers to feed ewes more specifically to their nutrient requirements. Individuals carrying single lambs have lower nutrient reSingles Twins
Triplets
quirements and can receive less feed, while ewes carrying triplets Birth weight (kg)
have higher requirements. Table 1 shows the weights of dead
Dead lambs
5.3
3.7
3.0
and surviving lambs at birth, and the percentage of dystocia seen
Survivors
5.2
4.1
3.4
in ewes carrying singles, twins, and triplets. This can be altered
by ewe nutrition, as a 10 kg increase in ewe live weight results in
Dystocia (%)
7.1
2.2
2.3
a birth weight increase of 0.3 kg in singles and 0.25 kg in twins
(Scales et. al. 1986). Feeding ewes to meet their nutrient require- Table 1: Birth weights of lambs that died during birth and
lambs that survived, as well as the percentage of dystocia
ments gives producers control over the body condition score of
in ewes carrying singles, twins or triplets
the ewe and, indirectly, the birth weight of the lambs.
Case study
The following example, using the SheepBytes ration balancing program (www.sheepbytes.ca), represents the dry
matter intake (DMI), energy, and protein requirements for a 80 kg ewe during late gestation carrying singles, twins, or
triplets. Environmental conditions during late gestation assumed spring lambing with an approximate temperature
of 4°C. Other assumptions used were a wind speed of < 18 km/hr, the ewe in a body condition score of 3, the wool full
fleece and in dry condition.
Protein and energy
Dry matter intake (DMI), protein and energy requirements vary considerably throughout the production cycle. Table
2 shows the requirements increase from early gestation to late gestation due to lamb growth. Requirements also vary
between ewes carrying multiple lambs versus a single lamb due to increased metabolic demand for ewes carrying
multiples.
Singles
DMI
Protein
(lb.)
(g)
Late Gestation 3.54
1.57
Early Lactation 4.38
1.64
NEm
(Mcal)
136
179
Twins
DMI
(lb.)
4.08
5.51
Protein
(g)
1.62
1.76
NEm
(Mcal)
157
225
Triplets
DMI
(lb.)
4.42
4.93
Protein
(g)
1.67
1.84
NEm
(Mcal)
170
235
Table 2: Dry matter intake, energy, and protein requirements for ewes in early and late gestation carrying singles, twins, or
triplets
Example diet for late gestation
Late gestation diets do not require extreme protein or energy dense ingredients; forage such as timothy hay is
acceptable to feed during late gestation when supplemented with a concentrate such as barley grain. Table 3 gives example diets for ewes in late gestation carrying singles, twins, and triplets. Ewes carrying triplets need higher volumes
of concentrates in the diet to meet nutrient requirements without exceeding their DMI. Ewes carrying triplets have
reduced DMI because of the rumen’s inability to expand. Providing barley grain increases the nutrient density of the
diet without excessively increasing the volume.
14 January 2016
Producer Resources
Timothy Hay (lb.)
Barley Grain (lb.)
1:1 mineral with salt (lb.)
Vitamin ADE 4 Million (lb.)
Vitamin E 50000 (lb.)
Cost ($/head/day)
Singles
4.630
0.243
0.029
0.002
0.0019
0.17
Twins
5.952
0.220
0.066
0.019
0.20
Triplets
3.968
1.803
0.033
0.001
0.019
0.16
.
Focusing on profit?
SheepBytes
Sh
Eliminate the guesswork in feeding
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Balance the right feeds in the right
amount for the right sheep.
Help prevent costly nutritional
wrecks: open ewes, dead and weak
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Easy to use.

is a cost effective tool for today’s
flock manager
Table 3: Example diet for an ewe in late gestation carrying singles,
twins or triplets
Feeding one diet to a flock of ewes
A disadvantage to feeding
Body
Lambing
one diet to a flock of ewes
Condition rate (%)
is many of the individuals
score
will be over nourished while
others will be under nour≤1.5
32
ished. Over nourished ewes
1.5–2.0
57
will gain weight, resulting
2.0–2.5
71
in heavier lambs and an
70
increased chance of dystocia 2.5–3.0
while lambing, as well as
3.0–3.5
69
increased feed costs. Un≥3.5
51
dernourished ewes will lose
body condition, resulting in Table 4: BCS and lambing rate
small and unthrifty lambs. Lambing rate is highest when
ewes are in a body condition of 2.0-2.5 (see table 4).
Achieving this body condition score with as many of the
ewes in the flock as possible is difficult when only one
diet is fed.

Conclusion
Benefits of feeding a diet that has a nutrient profile
closely matching the nutrient requirements of the ewe
include: more uniform lambs, reduced chance of dystocia, and increased profitability due to a reduction in the
number of small and unthrifty lambs. Additionally, input
costs in feed are reduced because producers can more
accurately provide ewes with appropriate volumes of
feed, which prevents over eating. For ewes carrying multiple lambs it is essential to provide a high nutrient dense
diet as these ewes have limited DMI, so more nutrients
must be provided in a smaller volume of feed.
Example of feed costs during late gestation for a flock
of 100 sheep consisting of 60 carrying singles, 38
carrying twins, and two carrying triplets.
Separated into pens and fed specific diets: $761.04
To learn more, try the demo, or subscribe
go to: www.sheepbytes.ca
To le
go to
Single farm users pay only $100 the first year
and $50 for yearly renewals.
Sing
and
Entire flock is fed a diet meant for ewes carrying
twins: $840
Difference: $78.96
* According to 2015 feed costs.
January 2016 15
Producer Resources
Alberta Lamb Brand
New! On SheepCentralAlberta
Press pause on those funny cat videos and head over
to our YouTube Channel, SheepCentralAlberta. We’ve
recently added two videos!
In November 2015, our funding request, to build a new
market for Alberta lamb through the Alberta Lamb brand,
was approved for Phase 1. This will be a collaborative project including retail, processing, and production stakeholders. We will create and promote a reputable, clearly
identifiable product that consumers can confidently buy
as their “lamb of choice.”
In the coming months, ALP will develop a strategic
plan for this project that will outline the direction of this
project and a plan for Phase 2. ALP will also be re-designing our consumer website www.albertalamb.ca as well
as developing informational and promotional material.
Keep checking the website for exciting developments!
Ram Lambs &
Yearlings
Available Now
www.fairsunfarm.ca
+1 (780) 682 3844
contact@fairsunfarm.ca
Winfield, Alberta
Canadian Arcott
Rideau Arcott
Ile De France
Charollais
F1 Females
Performance-based Selection
Scrapie Certified
High Health Standards
16 January 2016
Responsible Animal Care and the Code of Practice
The vast majority of sheep producers in Alberta are
committed to ensuring their animals are given a high
standard of care. Flocks provided a high standard of care
have improved welfare and productivity. This five minute
video gives an overview of how Alberta sheep and lamb
producers can use the National Farm Animal Care Council
‘Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Sheep’ to
care for their flocks.
Feeding Your Flock When Hay Is Limited
This hour long video is a recording of our live webinar
conducted in November. Low moisture levels during
the 2015 growing season has left many Alberta sheep
producers with limited winter forage. This webinar presentation, given by ruminant nutritionist Dale Engstrom,
covers options for dealing with limited supplies of hay
and alternative forage sources.
www.youtube.com/user/SheepCentralAlberta
Got
Questions?
We’ve got answers! ALP’s sheep management modules, developed in Alberta for Alberta producers, are
free for download from http://www.ablamb.ca/index.php/
resources/management-modules or at cost prices for hard
copies. Contact the ALP office for details.
Module series includes:
»» Nutrition, Health and Reproduction (SGMA) – 3
modules
»» Infrastructure: Setting it Up
»» Shepherding 101: Getting Started
»» The Busine$$ of Sheep
»» Managed Grazing for Sheep and Goat Producers
»» Marketing Your Lambs
»» Predation Management with a Focus on Coyotes
Producer Resources
.
2016 Calgary Stampede Sheep Showcase
The theme for the 2016 Calgary Stampede Sheep
Showcase is ‘The history of sheep ranching in
Alberta’. We are on the hunt to gather interesting
materials to display. Among other things, we are
gathering photos, equipment used in raising/caring
for sheep, and even interesting stories about sheep
ranching in Alberta’s history.
I would like to send out a call to our membership
to see if anyone has any pictures we could copy or
equipment we could borrow to display during the
10 days of Calgary Stampede, and we’d like to know
if they have any stories we should include in our
display, or should be researching.
If you have items to contribute or need more
information, contact:
Doug Noyes
Rusty Iron Acres
403-350-0001
rustyironacres@gmail.com
Focusing on customer service?
Fo
SheepBytes
Sh
Proactively manage flock nutrition.
Fine-tune rations to cost-effectively
meet requirements for all production
groups.
Formulate supplements.
Manage multiple client files.
On-line access from any computer.
Data secure and always backed-up.

is a tool today’s sheep consultants need

Shearing School 2016
To learn more, try the demo, or subscribe
go to: www.sheepbytes.ca
To le
go to
Commercial users pay only $200 the first year
and $100 for yearly renewals.
Com
and $
Photo credit: Jacquie Turuk
Experienced shearer Shaun Fajnorwill lead you through
the basics of shearing at this 2-day workshop.
When: April 8 and 9, 2016
Where: Lethbridge area
For more information and to register, call:
Margaret Oosterhof at 403-317-0330, jmfarms@look.ca.
We are looking for host farms in other areas of the
province. If you’re interested, please contact the ALP office 403-948-1522 or admin@ablamb.ca.
January 2016 17
Canadian Sheep Federation
–your national voice
Small Ruminant Import Policy to Change
February 1, 2016
Following a lengthy consultation period that saw three
draft policies considered over the past three years, the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has announced
that revised import policy for small ruminants intended
for breeding purposes will change effective February 1,
2016.
Among other revisions, the policy will require that:
• Imported females must originate from a farm that is
considered a “negligible risk premises.”
• Imported males must meet ONE of the following criteria to be eligible for import from the US:
»» Must originate from a “negligible risk premises,”OR
»» Rams must be of the codon 136AA 171RR or 136AA
171QR genotype, OR
»» May be imported from any premises in the US provided they are imported onto a farm that has been
enrolled in the Voluntary Scrapie Flock Certification
Program (VSFCP) for a minimum of one year. Under
this option, there are additional post-import restrictions placed on imported animals including how
they are kept and where they can move.
The policy describes what constitutes a “negligible risk
premises” in detail. In essence, US farms enrolled in the
USDA Scrapie Flock Certification Program Export Monitored stream for a minimum of five years (even if they
have not yet reached ‘Export Certified’ status) constitute
negligible risk premises. In addition to scrapie-related restrictions, some disease testing may be required depending on the species and state of origin.
Import policies for all species are reviewed and revised
regularly to ensure that they remain in line with current
domestic disease control policies and that they reflect
the most current science in disease control. The CFIA
currently has scrapie control programs and measures in
place in Canada, and the revisions to import policy are
designed to ensure that the risk of importing scrapie
infected sheep and goats into Canada is minimized.
Scrapie is a threat to the health of the national sheep
flock and goat herd. Not only is scrapie a debilitating
disease that over time causes affected animals to suffer, scrapie-exposed and at-risk animals are subject to
18 January 2016
disease control actions that can include euthanasia. For
these reasons, small ruminant industry groups are supporting efforts to prevent the spread of scrapie and its
implications in animal health and welfare. The goal is
to minimize any further losses to producers and to the
industry. There is no question that this policy represents
increased restrictions on the import of new genetics, but
it is designed to protect the industry over the long term.
In an effort to support producers who wish to import
breeding stock from the US, the Canadian Sheep Federation (CSF), through its Scrapie Canada activities, continues to offer the VSFCP for all interested Canadian sheep
and goat producers.
For more information about the Voluntary Scrapie
Flock Certification Program, contact Scrapie Canada by
calling 888.684.7739 or by emailing admin@scrapiecanada.ca.
For a full copy of the future import policy, please
contact the Canadian Sheep Federation by phone at
888.684.7739 or by email at info@cansheep.ca.
Kolodychuk Re-acclaimed as CSF
Chairman for Third Term
During the Canadian Sheep Federation’s (CSF’s) recent
Annual General Meeting, Phil Kolodychuk was acclaimed
as Chairman for a third consecutive term.
Mr. Kolodychuk, a sheep farmer from Bluesky, Alberta,
thanked the CSF Board of Directors for their support of
his nomination to lead the sheep industry in the coming
year. “We have a great opportunity in our industry as the
high quality of our Canadian Lamb products is in great
demand. The CSF will continue to support our producers
to make upcoming traceability requirements as easy and
affordable as possible,” said Kolodychuk following his
appointment.
This is Mr. Kolodychuk’s sixth year on the CSF Board
of Directors. Phil, along with his wife and children have
raised lambs for the past 17 years. Phil also works off
the farm. “I got involved to better my knowledge of the
national sheep industry,” he says. Phil hopes to influence
other producers to keep involved in their industry.
Joining Phil on the Executive is the re-acclaimed Vice
Chairman Rob Scott, a sheep producer from Brantford,
Ontario. Rounding out the Executive Committee are
Barbara Johnstone-Grimmer from Pender Island, British
Columbia, and Herman Bouw of Dugald, Manitoba.
For more information about the Canadian Sheep
Federation give us a call at 1-888-684-7739 or email us at
info@cansheep.ca.
.
This is page 16 of the Canadian Sheep Federation’s Annual Report. For the full report, please go to www.cansheep.ca. Representatives from ALP attended the Sheep Value Round Table again, in November 2015, and have committed to being involved
in the working groups. For more information about the Roundtable, please visit http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/industry-marketsand-trade/?id=1360881916382.
The Canadian Sheep Federation works closely with the Sheep Value Chain Round Table
(ShVCRT) and where it can, supports Round Table activities. Through the course of
the past year, the ShVCRT has addressed a number of broad-reaching industry issues
through the efforts of its working groups.
In working with the PMC, Health Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, the Medications Working group identified two drugs that can be approved quickly via label change (long-acting oxytetracycline and decoquinate).
Health Canada determined the information needed for the assessment and
PMC agreed to undertake the collection of this information via literature review, which once completed was included in a submission package to Health
Canada for product approval.
In addition to exploring options for a national cost of production tool that
could help standardize calculations and allow for a national benchmarking
system, the Expansion Working Group revised the industry’s lenders presentation. This presentation is meant to provide lenders with detailed information
about the sheep industry and support lending to the sector.
The Meat Quality Working Group undertook a survey of provincial and federal processing plants to better understand how grading and classification
is carried out across the country. The Working Group is also developing
an approach to explaining the differences between grading and classification systems (including terminology) to ensure a better informed discussion
amongst all stakeholders with regard to the system that would better suit the
needs of the sector.
The Research Working Group created a list of past research projects conducted in different sectors of the sheep industry to serve as a reference for all
stakeholders. The Working Group then prioritized a list of potential research
projects as suggested by the industry and created a research strategy to help
engage funding agencies. This research strategy will help focus the industry’s efforts on the most pressing research needed.
January 2016 19
Canadian Sheep Breeders
Association: 34th Canadian
Sheep Classic
On July 7, 8 and 9th 2016, the Canadian Sheep Breeders Association (CSBA) will host the 34th Canadian Sheep
Classic, in cooperation with the “Société des éleveurs
de moutons de race pure du Québec” (SEMRPQ), at the
Richmond fairgrounds in Richmond, Quebec (the Eastern
Townships).
This major event, which gathers all members of the
Canadian sheep industry, is held in a different province
each year. The last Quebec edition of this national sheep
classic was also held in Richmond, in 2010. Participants
from all across Canada were present for this successful
three-day event, where everyone could attend judging
and demonstrations, and tour the many kiosques on the
fairgrounds. Furthermore, a purebred sheep auction of
top genetic quality completed the event. The Canadian
Sheep Classic’s main objectives are to share and communicate the knowledge and expertise of Canadian sheep
genetics between breeders of all provinces.
In order to have many Canadian sheep breeders and
others members of sheep industry participate, more than
3000 sale catalogues will be printed and shipped at the
national and provincial level. Copies of this catalogue will
also be accessible through several sheep industry websites. Please also note that the event will be advertised in
“Ovin Québec”, a magazine of Quebec’s sheep industry
delivered to all sheep farmers in the province (2000 copies).
These sale catalogues contain very useful information
such as names, addresses, e-mail addresses and phone
numbers of all participants, and also include information related to sales and equipment suppliers. These
catalogues are often used as reference books by many
producers who want to keep in touch with these companies and breeders.
The Canadian sheep industry is flourishing and presents an incredible potential of growth. Together, we
must take advantage of this opportunity. Your support in
this national event would be greatly appreciated in order
to ensure its full success.
For more information about the Classic go to www.
cansheep.ca or call 1-866-956-1116.
David Mastine, President,
Canadian Sheep Classic 2016
20 January 2016
Peace River Lamb Association
Scholarship
Vanessa Campbell with board members Sherry Mortland, Bill
Mortland and Gerty Sorenson.
Sara’s and Meghan’s grandparents Leanne and Bob Jobson
with board members Sherry Mortland, Bill Mortland and Gerty
Sorenson.
At our November 24th Peace River Lamb Association
meeting we presented three scholarships. The recipients
each received $500 towards their post-secondary education. The first recipient was Vanessa Campbell, who is
attending Grande Prairie Regional College taking Office
Administration – Oil and Gas. The second was Meghan
Jobson who is attending University of Alberta Augustana
taking a combined Bachelor of Education and Science.
The third was Sara Jobson who is attending the University of Alberta taking a Bachelor of Science majoring
in Biology. Congratulations to all three ladies and best
wishes in your post-secondary education.
Sherry Mortland, PRLA Chair
Changes to Animal Health Legislation
Alberta’s Chief Provincial Veterinarian would again like
to remind producers about changes to the Animal Health
Act and regulations, which came into effect on June 30,
2014.
Alberta’s animal health legislation was updated to
ensure it continues to meet the evolving needs of producers and the agriculture industry, and to make sure the
legislation continues to effectively protect animal and
public health. For example, some of the changes clarify
policies and requirements, recognize modern practices,
or allow for more flexibility and options for the livestock
industry.
Ideas and information provided by Alberta’s agriculture
industry were instrumental in building and updating the
legislation–making it stronger and more valuable, and
recognizing the cutting-edge industry that exists today.
What do the changes mean for lamb producers?
There were several changes to the Disposal of Dead
Animals Regulation. For example, there’s now more
flexibility for the storage and disposal of dead animals,
because the regulation was changed to be more outcome-based (rather than prescriptive). Changes clarified
that only animal owners (or people in care and control)
who have possession of their animals when they die may
use on-farm disposal methods on their own land. New
provisions have also been added for on-farm burial of
animals less than 100 kg.
Producers should also know that your Premises Identification (PID) Number is required and will be recorded
as part or regular business transactions, both when
purchasing animal medicines and as part of transactions
involving livestock at auction markets. These are new
requirements in the Authorized Medicine Sales Regulation (formerly the Production Animal Medicine Regulation)
and the Livestock Market Regulation. In the coming
months, Agriculture and Forestry will work with livestock
markets to implement this new Livestock Market Regulation requirement.
Since 2009, the Premises Identification Regulation has
required livestock owners to apply for a PID Account.
Premises identification, together with animal identification and animal movement, are the foundations of effective traceability–which is important to protect animal and
public health. Knowing where animals could be located
is crucial to emergency planning, preparedness and
response, so that if an animal health issue or emergency
were to occur, it could be managed quickly.
.
For more information, forms and online registration,
visit www.agriculture.alberta.ca/premises.
Quick reference guides outlining the main changes in
the regulations, as well as links to the Animal Health Act
and regulations, can be found on the Agriculture and
Forestry website at www.agriculture.alberta.ca/animalhealthact.
For more information, you can also contact the Ag Info
Centre at 310-FARM (3276).
Farm and Ranch Workplace Legislation
Changes
As this issue of N’ewesletter goes to press, Bill 6: The
Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, has
passed. The Government has stated that the bill was
introduced to ensure paid farm workers are protected. It
will affect farms with one or more paid workers.
The following changes will take effect January 1, 2016:
• WCB coverage will be required for farms with paid
employees.
• OHS basic safety standards will apply on farms that
employ one or more worker.
The Government has promised consultation periods in
spring 2016 on Employment Standards Code amendments
and Labour Relations Code amendments. In 2017, they will
consult on OHS technical requirements.
Alberta Lamb Producers strongly supports efforts to
improve farm safety, and would encourage enhanced
education over legislation when possible. ALP encourages producers and farmers to attend the information
sessions and to provide their feedback through the consultation process. ALP will continue to update producers
though our email service (N’ewesline), website, and the
next issue of N’ewesletter.
For updates and chances to provide feedback, go to
http://work.alberta.ca/farm-and-ranch.html or call 310FARM.
Free Webinar!
February 8, 2016 (7:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
Take a break, have a coffee and listen to Dr. Lynn
Tait discuss flock health considerations.
See page 7; contact ALP for details.
January 2016 21
Chops and Crops 2015
On November 23, Alberta Lamb Producers, along
with seven other commissions, came together to
host Chops and Crops, an evening reception where
government and industry can meet face-to-face in
an informal setting while sampling an assortment of
Alberta produced food. This year was the 4th annual
Chops and Crops reception. The event provides an opportunity to fortify bonds between the elected farmer
directors and staff from boards and commissions, the
MLAs, invited public servants and industry partners
while showcasing the agriculture industry’s vital role in
driving Alberta’s economy.
Alberta lamb was featured on the menu in two ways:
lamb wellington and shepherd’s pie. It was a successful
event,offering many chances to discuss the sheep industry in Alberta with government. Thanks to SunGold
Specialty Meats for supplying the fresh Alberta lamb.
The boards and commissions who co-hosted the
event with Alberta Lamb Producers are: Alberta Pork,
Alberta Canola Commission, Alberta Wheat Commission, Alberta Barley, Alberta Pulse Growers, Alberta
Oat Growers Commission, and the Potato Growers of
Alberta.
Alberta Farm Animal Care’s Livestock Care Conference and Producer Workshop
March 22 and 23 at Olds
The Livestock Care Conference is an annual event showcasing speakers from Canada and around the world.
The conferences centres around promoting responsible, humane animal care and continual improvement in
Alberta’s livestock production systems.
This year’s producer workshop is all about sheep!
Nationally recognized stockmanship instructor, Curt Pate, will give a demonstration of low-stress handling techniques for sheep on March 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
This is an unique opportunity for sheep producers to learn practical and effective
handling techniques that can save you time and money.
The demonstration will be held at the South Arena of the Olds College Campus, with the remainder of the conference held at the Pomeroy Inn and Suites in Olds.
Registration for the entire conference is $180 (general), or$25 to attend only the handling demonstration.
Full details and a speaker agenda are available from AFAC (www.afac.ab.ca, info@afac.ab.ca, 403-652-5111).
Tickets are available from https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2016-livestock-care-conference-tickets-18749938571.
22 January 2016
Global Sheep – The Short
Story
Susan Hosford, Agriculture and Forestry
New Zealand
“Smart Farms” use sharp pencils.
It has been suggested that uptake of
information would be quicker if regional
“smart farms” were developed. The idea is
to have a place where farmers, scientists,
agronomy specialists and tech transfer
specialists could meet on a regular basis to develop
best practice models for new management and forage
systems. This way, the costs and the risks of this commercialisation are shared by the industry, and so are the
results. For example, some innovative farmers are using
new grazing management, forages, clovers and herbal
cocktails that could benefit other farmers.
What you feed is as important as how much you feed
for leading edge animal performance.
It is well known that balanced nutrition is the key to improving animal production. In sheep pasture systems up
until now the message has been“if it’s green and it grows
well, it’s got to be good.” The advent of new forages,
mixtures and high performance legumes has created a
realisation that top‐end lactation and gain performance
are possible. However it is also possible to have pasture
quality that isn’t providing a balanced ration for high
producing animals. It is possible to overload with protein.
Conversely,feed conversion on high carbohydrate diets
(grain, fodder beet) can be compromised by insufficient
protein in the mix.
Improved forages, improved technology, improved
productivity
Wyeth Farm, Masterton uses novel forages to upgrade
their sheep system to allow weaning off pasture at 60‐70
days. The use of electronic identification (EID) management systems has allowed them to zero in on their
highest performing sheep to retain only the “best of the
best.”This has resulted not only in higher performance
but higher longevity. A replacement rate of young ewes
of 22% vs 28% has a huge economic impact on a breeding system. Using EID systems has also allowed them
to closely track live weight gains of lambs on a range
of forages and supplementary feeds to identify where
gain flattens and where the nutritional balance has to be
changed.
Source: NZ Country Wide, September 2015
.
Expectations 2016
• No significant rebuilding of flock numbers to mid2016; lamb crop is expected to be at an all-time low;
drought conditions in the coming year are still a factor.
• International markets for lamb are weak; higher production in the United kingdom, higher exchange rates
mean less exported lamb and higher domestic supplies.
• Lambing percentage fall in 2015, 4% lower at 131%
than 2014 (135%); lamb weaning weights lower with
ewes in poorer condition due to feed shortages in
early lactation.
• Ewe slaughter ahead of normal due to earlier weaning,
poor pasture conditions; some increased interest from
China in sheepmeat.
Source: NZ AgLetter November 2015
Australia
New tools to improve genetics, onfarm management and farmgate returns “The Data-to-Decision-to-Dollars”
project aims to develop a cloud-based
data management platform to improve
the collection and use of sheep-related data.
Good information is critical to making good decisions
on the farm. This project will give producers better data
on every animal in their flock. This will facilitate better
on-farm decision-making and contribute to better care of
the flock, improved productivity and faster genetic gain,
which will drive better profits back to the farmgate.
“There are a number of technologies already available,
such as semi-automated measurement systems and EID,
that are limited in their uptake due to the lack of integration with other operating systems and the difficulty
in getting the most value our of the data,” Prof. Rowe
said. This project aims to facilitate machine-to-machine
transfer and smart analysis of large amounts of data, so
that we can effectively use information and apply it in
productive and practical ways.”
In Australia farmers generate a $12 return within 10
years for each dollar the government invests in agricultural R&D—so it’s a solid return on investment for both
government and industry.
“It’s vitally important Australian producers remain at the
cutting edge of agricultural practices, and investing in
digital technologies will make sure we stay ahead of the
game, and drive increased profits to producers’ bottom
lines,” Minister Joyce said.
Source: Sheep CRC, SmartFarm NSW, October 2015
January 2016 23
United States
Consumers hold food processors the most responsible for food
transparency,with farmers second.
For farmers this means that food processors will continue to ask for more transparency from
them as part of their supply chain. Research has found
that consumers become more trusting and supportive of
practices when they see what is taking place. When farmers reassure consumers it goes a long way to overcoming
their fear of the unknown. The Center for Food Integrity
research also found that consumers pretty much give
a pass to restaurants and grocery stores on transparency. This research backs up the growing trend of most
consumers wanting transparency from the people who
make their food. Charlie Arnot, CEO, says the study found
the message to farmers is “to probably expect food
companies to ask more of their supply chain in terms of
transparency. If consumers expect more of food companies then food companies are likely to expect more of
farmers.”
Source: Center for Food Integrity / www.foodintegrity.org
Niche meats, niche processing
Niche meats can be locally raised, grass-fed, certified
organic or humanely raised or free from various products. In the United States the National Meat Processor
Assistance Network (NMPAN) is a network of people and
organizations working to create and support “appropriate-scale” meat processing for niche meat production
and marketing.
Small and mid-sized processing plants, when available at all, often lack capacity, equipment, inspection
status, and the human and financial capital to upgrade
or expand. To meet this need, NMPAN assists processors, producers, buyers, regulators, and others involved
in this growing sector by coordinating, distributing, and
developing information and resources to improve access
to processing infrastructure and the long-term stability
of this sector. If you’re involved in farm direct or niche
marketing their website is worth visiting.
Source: http://www.nichemeatprocessing.org
Canada
Agriculture is big business!
Canada’s agriculture and agri-food
system provided 2.3 million jobs and
contributed C$108.2 billion (6.6 per cent) to Canada’s
gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014. With 34.8 million people, and farm production outpacing domestic
consumption,Canada must export a large proportion
of agriculture and food production. Canada is the fifth
24 January 2016
largest exporter of agriculture products and the eighth
largest exporter of agri-food products.
“Work Smarter, Not Harder” new sheep handling
video on YouTube
Ontario’s Farm and Food Care Ontario’s IMPACT program has an eight minute video showing how producers
can incorporate the instincts of ‘flocking’ and ‘following’
into more effective sheep handling. The cartoon drawings are great to watch. There is also a similar video on
handling goats.
Source: YouTube
Global trade
As one of the world’s largest agriculture and agri-food
trading nations, Canada benefits from market conditions
that create trade opportunities. Farm Credit Canada Ag
Economics: A 2015 Look at Global Trade Report looks at
global trade as key for the long-term health of Canadian
agriculture and agri-food.
The report identifies key factors that will affect Canadian agriculture:
• Trade agreements like the Comprehensive Economic
and Trade Agreement (CETA) to increase trade opportunities with the European Union. The EU already
imports significant quantities of Canadian agricultural
and manufactured food products. The market is expected to grow.
• Exchange rates and currency fluctuations impact the
values of exports in Canadian agriculture commodities
and food products. Export values of live animals and
manufactured food products to the U.S. are impacted
almost immediately after a change in the value of the
loonie. Understanding and being aware of fluctuations in exchange rates is important, as well as having business plans that build a competitive position
around innovation and productivity.
• Canada is renowned worldwide for its consistently
high-quality, safe agriculture commodities and manufactured food products. Innovation, product quality
and developing solid trade relationships have a great
impact on Canadian trade. Ensuring Canada upholds
its reputation as one of the world’s most trusted
sources of food will build and maintain its role as a
leading global exporter.
Source: https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/about-fcc/corporate-profile/
reports/fcc-ag-economics.html
Canada is one of the most trusted sources of food in
the world.
In the Conference Board of Canada’s 2015 Report Card,
Canada’s food safety scored an ‘A’. Consumer trust is also
on based social and environmental trust. Canada’s report
card lagged with a ‘C+’ in environmental management
and ‘B’ across the balance of social issues (health food,
diets, food security).
The challenge for industry stakeholders will be in safeguarding that positive reputation as well as building a
global reputation as leaders in areas where we lag. Look
at the complexity and volume of issues the food sector is
contending with (sourced from SAI, 2013).
Expectations of consumers and supply chain stakeholders as well as trading partners are on the rise for
.
corporate social responsibility and transparent business
practices. Businesses must demonstrate they are managing business risk while ‘doing the right thing’. Whether
we are talking about food security, climate change,
biodiversity, health, safety and equality for workers, job
creation and economic activity—sustainability will be
part of the dialogue. Canada’s “food” reputation and
a sustainable industry will depend on how we address
these issues.
Source: Cher Mereweather, Provision Coalition, November 2015
4-H LAMBS
Classifieds
Classified ads are available free to Alberta producers. In addition to being published in the newsletter,
they are available on-line under News and Advertising at http://ablamb.ca/news/advertising/index.html.
Contact your zone director if you have lambs
suitable for 4-H project lambs or are looking for lambs
for your club.
This online list is updated at the beginning of each
month. Email admin@ablamb.ca or fax 403-912-1455
or call 403-948-1522 to place, amend or delete your
classified ad. Alberta Lamb Producers does not endorse or pro-
Clun Forest ewe and ram lambs born early May from
easy lambing ewes and good mothers. Ewe lambs
will be exposed to ram Nov 27th. Glynn Brooks, Lethbridge, Ab 403-327-2242, ceeder1@telus.net.
mote any of the advertisements or advertisers in the N’ewesletter.
SHEEP & LAMBS: For Sale
January 2016 25
1 registered Katahdin ram, 1 unregistered Katahdin
ram, 4 years old, both non-aggressive, healthy and up
to date on vaccines and feet trim, easy to handle. $250
each, call 780-848-2267 or 587-596-1556.
3/4 Ile de France,1/4 Rideau Arcott ewe lambs born in
March 2015. Approx. 120-130 lbs (in Oct). None of these
lambs have had grain (pasture only). Weaned in July.
Asking $350 as bred ewe lambs (breeding in Oct. to a
purebred Ile de France). Also 2 purebred Rideau Arcott
ewe lambs. saddleval@gmail.com 780-568-4136.
13, 2-yr old ewes. Sheared, had 8-way, dewormed
and hoof trim in the spring. Due to lamb in March/
April. Commercial stock from (over the years) Suffolk,
Dorset, Texel,and Jacob rams. Very good maternal genetics. Some black, excellent wool. Forced to sell due
to unexpected health problems. Call 403-932-2386 or
email corffs@hotmail.com.
3 yr. old Ram, Dorset/Jacob cross. From good maternal stock. Call (403) 932-2386 or email
corffs@hotmail.com.
Flock dispersal. 200 purebred Rambouillet ewes.
Contact Jack Braat 403-327-9757.
Isle Of Skye Pedigree North Country Cheviot Breeding Stock. *New Bloodlines* Select number of Top
Quality Ram Lambs Available.
www.isleofskyecheviots.ca Susan Neal 403-588-3808.
Peace Country, AB. Purebred, well-bred & well-muscled, yearling Suffolk & Dorset rams. Still some available. These kinds of genetics have won awards for
champion & supreme champion & also highest selling
ram at the Classic numerous times! Call or text 780864-8924.
Alberta Sheep Breeders’ Association (ASBA) members are your source for registered breeding stock in
Alberta. Join today! 1-866-967-4337
www.albertasheepbreeders.ca.
Parker Stock Farm 2015.Glen and Kathy Parker.
GenOvis performance tested breeding stock. www.
parkerstockfarm.com, parkerstockfarm@xplornet.com,
403-443-7220.
Need More Lambs? Romanov &Charollais Rams, Ewes
& Crossbreds. Performance based selection OPP-Neg
hdf@ocflock.com or 403-224-2463.
Yearling Suffolk & Rambouillet rams. Top quality
rams selected for growth & wool. Jack Braat 403-3279757.
26 January 2016
Registered Suffolk rams & ram lambs. Purebred Suffolk ewe lambs Contact Ted/Linda Buelow 403-788-2411.
American Blackbelly Sheep for sale. All purebred and
registered. Check out our website www.rustyironacres.
Come and see what’s available and for pricing. Doug
and Tina Noyes 403-396-4705.
SHEEP & LAMBS - Wanted
Feeder lambs and culls in High Prairie area. All sizes
and types. Animals weighed, no shrink. Clients emailed
price/lb weekly and can decide if they want to deliver.
Hauling possible. No commission fees. Call Eric
Verstappen 780-536-6740, pref. 8-9 p.m.
DOGS
Well-bred Border Collie puppies for sale. From working parents, sire is imported from Scotland. Black and
white, tri-color and brown. Born October 28, 2015. Contact: brinkmann@equitopfarm.com or 780-855-2477.
Maremma Ambasch puppies for sale. Male and female puppies available, parents can be viewed. Great
companions and guard dogs - hate coyotes! $200.
Contact 306-843-2898 or lark@sasktel.net.
8 Maremma puppies in Olds AB. Born mid-March and
ready to go. 5 male and 3 female. Proven working parents. Born and raised in pen with lambing ewes. $350.
Great pups from great parents. Call 403-556-7952 or
403-586-5638.
Equipment & Miscellaneous
Shearwell sorting gate/scale. Like new, only used a
few times. Bought new for $18,000 selling for $10,000.
Call Bert Peters 403-793-0465.
For Sale Lister Flexible Shaft Inner Core (new) with
two Lister Boyonet Joints. $125.00. Glynn Brooks
Lethbridge 403-327-2242; ceeder1@telus.net.
Are you looking for a better way to feed grain to
your sheep? 3in1 Feeders are now available in Canada.
Check out these controlled self-feeders on our new
Canadian website at www.3in1feeders.com. To get
in on the current shipment of feeders or for further
information contact Myrna at Huber Ag Equipment Ltd
403-575-1977 or huberagequip@gmail.com. For more
shortline equipment see www.huberequipment.com.
Blue Rock Animal Nutrition. Manufacturers of custom sheep, beef and goat mineral premixes. Nutrition
Consultation, Feed Testing and SWEET PRO protein
tub distributers. Kristen Ritson-Bennett 403-358-1674 Small Ruminant Nutrition Consulting bluerockmineral@
xplornet.com.
.
Sheep Calendar
What
Where
When
ALP Board Meeting
Lethbridge
January 29-30.
ALP “Meet the Board”
Open to all producers
Sandman Hotel
421 Mayor Magrath Dr. S
Lethbridge
January 30, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Guest Speaker: Dr. Ed Pajor, U of C
See page 8. Contact ALP to RSVP.
ALP Webinar: Flock Health with Dr.
Lynn Tait
The comfort of your own
home
February 8, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Contact ALP for details.
Deadline for April N’ewesletter
Send submissions to the
ALP office
February 29.
CSBA Annual General Meeting
Winnipeg, MB
March 19. www.sheepbreeders.ca,
1-866-956-1116.
Livestock Care Conference & Producer Workshops
Pomeroy Inn and Suites,
Olds
March 22-23.
Alberta Farm Animal Care, www.afac.ab.ca
Curt Pate Sheep Handling Demonstration
Olds College, Olds
March 22, 2016. (Livestock Care Conference)
www.afac.ab.ca
Shearing School
Lethbridge
April 8-9. 403-317-0330, jmfarms@look.ca
Deadline for June N’ewesletter
ALP office
May 16.
CSBA All Canada Sheep Classic
Richmond, QC
July 7-9. www.sheepbreeders.ca
Summer Synergy
Olds
July 11-15. www.summersynergy.ca
Deadline for October N’ewesletter
ALP office
August 26.
Please e-mail admin@ablamb.ca or call 403-948-1522 to provide details of your event for the N’ewesletter and website sheep calendar
Beaver Hill
Auction Services Ltd.
"The Market dedicated to the sheep and goat industry."
PO Box 957, Tofield AB T0B 4J0
Phone: 780-662-9384 Fax: 780-662-3615
Western Canada’s Largest Regular Sheep and Goat Sale
Regular Sales at (11:00 a.m.)
• The best buyer support from across Canada.
2nd and 4th Monday every month from January to July
Weekly Monday Sales from August to December (except holidays)
Sunday receiving hours - 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Order buyers representing local meat packers
as well as meat packers on the West Coast,
Ontario and Quebec.
Pre-book your animals with Doug at 780-777-4540.
Market reports available at www.beaverhillauctions.com
January 2016 27
Alberta Lamb Producers 2015/2016
Zone #1 – Ray Nolan (Nanton, Pincher Creek, Cardston, Fort Macleod, Vulcan)
Phone: 403-681-0276
E-mail: zone1@ablamb.ca
Zone #2 – Phil Zaugg (Brooks, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Manyberries, Milk River)
Phone: 403-548-3939
Zone #3 – Cindy Armstrong (Olds, Calgary, Red Deer, Drumheller)
Phone: 403-773-2407
Zone #4 – Bill Gibson (Wetaskiwin, Lacombe, Coronation, Rocky Mountain House)
Phone: 403-788-2883
Zone #5 – Erin Yaremko, Vice-chair (Athabasca, Wainwright, Vegreville, St. Paul, Lloydminster, Thorhild)
Phone: 780-645-6550
E-mail: zone5@ablamb.ca Cell: 780-210-0480
Zone #6 – Darlene Stein (Barrhead, Edmonton, Drayton Valley, Whitecourt)
Phone: 780-674-3732
Zone #7 – Virginia Glover (High Level, Grande Prairie, Valleyview, High Prairie)
Phone: 780-356-2800
ALP Office
Robyn Moore Executive Director Beth Kyle, Project Administrator
403-948-8533 info@ablamb.ca
403-948-1522 admin@ablamb.ca
Address: Agriculture Centre, 97 East Lake Ramp NE, Airdrie, AB T4A 0C3
Fax: 403-912-1455
www.ablamb.ca for producer information, www.albertalamb.ca for consumer information
Saves time with no waste
Limit intake of sheep and goats to just 200grams/day
Discover the benefits at:
3in1feeders.com
the leader in controlled feeding
28 January 2016
Masterfeeds
is having a sheep feed sale for the
upcoming lambing season!
Sheep tubs and blocks:
Rite-LixTM Multi-Blok for sheep (56.7 kg tub)
Sweetlix (15.12 kg) blocks.
Creep feed:
GoalMaker lamb milk minipellets for new born
lambs (20 kg bag)
Call us for all your Sheep feeding needs:
Milk replacer, GoalMaker starter, grower-finisher,
ewe, supplements, top-dress, loose minerals and
pelleted minerals.
Call Ian (403-350-0268) or Doug (403-396-9081)
for special sales pricing.
RFID tools that work for you
X
X
X
X
FarmWorks software
Psion stock recorder
RFID stick reader
Auto weighing and drafting systems
Eligible for the Traceability Technology
Adoption Program!
Grant funding for 70% of purchase cost of software,
Psion and stick reader.
Apply now - funding is limited!
Erona Farms Ltd/ Shearwell Canada sales and support
780 - 674 - 9564
sales@eronafarms.ca
www.eronafarms.ca
Bred Ewes
On Sale Now!
To lamb in
February 2016
Call for quote
and brochure
Page 10
Thank you!
to all our buyers in 2015.
We wish you every success
with your new flocks in the
New Year.
SHEEP CANADA