02-Uncaster Farming Saturday, April 19,1986
Sheep and Cattle Can Be Partners
The most unique factor of animal
agriculture in the Northeast region
is the abundance of forage. The
rainfall and temperature in the
region is ideal for cool season
grasses, legumes and brassicas
which can be pastured for animal
production. In addition, soil types
respond to treatment and
management.
A recent seminar conducted by
Winrock International compiled
and presented both international
and U.S. research data showing
that grazing sheep and cattle
together can benefit both the
pasture and the animals.
Both New Zealand and Colorado
grazing trials have shown the
carrying capacity of pastureland
to be increased by 15 to 23 percent
when sheep and cattled grazed
together. The reason appears to be
simple: “Cattle and sheep prefer
to eat different things,” explains
former researcher Dr. Wayne
Cook, range scientist, Colorado
State University. Generally, he
says, cattle prefer the more
mature grasses and sheep prefer
to browse the forbes or broadleaf
plants. And, as Cook explains,
when both types of foliage are kept
in check, the regrowth patterns
under controlled grazing
management will produce better
pasture yields.
Virginia livestock producers
have shown that no additional
agronomic inputs are needed when
adding one mature breeding ewe
for every beef cow. The assump
tion, of course is the carrying
capacity is in balance with the
established pasture program.
Ewe Profitability
The question most frequently
asked with today’s depressed farm
beef and pork prices is, “How
much money can I make with
Commercial producers semi
COCHRANVILLE - Three
producers who collectively
produce, feed out and market over
4,000 lambs annually will share
their management expertise with
new and experienced shepherds at
a seminar on commercial market
lamb production during the
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival
at the Howard County Fair
Grounds, West Friendship,
Maryland on May 3.
Responding to a growing interest
in lamb production, the Penn
sylvania-Maryland Shropshire
Association is sponsoring the
seminar to aid all those who are
interested in the sheep business.
While the farm economy sags in
most areas, commercial lamb
production is becoming more
profitable with market prices for
sheep?” The influence ewe and
lamb management has on lambing
percentage and the associated
lamb market price are factors to
reckon with when one looks at net
profit per ewe.
The information in Table 1,
shown below, correlates lambing
percent to market price and gives
the projected profit or loss/ewe for
any combination of these two
factors. All values are based on
total costs/ewe at $B5 and market
lamb weights of 110 lbs.
Table 1
Ewe Profitability*
Market Price ($/cwt)
Lambing % 55 60 65
ISO 5.57 14.00 22.25
140 -0.80 7.40 15.10
130 -6.35 0.80 7.95
120 -12.40 -5.80 0.80
110 -18.45 -12.40 -6.35
*1985 Sheep Profit Day Report,
University of Kentucky
PSWGA Date Change
The annual meeting of the
PSWGA has been rescheduled for
May 12. The general session will
start at 1:30 p.m. at the Southridge
Motor Inn, State College. Mr. Tom
Brown, president of the Ohio Sheep
Improvement Association will be
the featured speaker at the
Banquet on May 12, 5:30 p.m. at
the Tussey Mountain Inn, (Ski
Lodge) Boalsburg. Advance
reservations are due on or before
May 5 by calling (814) 863-3668. The
banquet costs are $lO/person or
518/couple. Make checks payable
to the PSWGA and mail to 316 W. L.
Henning Bldg., University Park,
PA 16802, ATTN; Clair Engle.
The annual wool sale is
rescheduled for the following
morning 9 a.m., May 13 in the
Colonial Room of the Nittany Lion
Inn.
slaughter lambs reaching new
highs. The recent establishment of
two new lamb slaughtering plants
in Pennsylvania and Virginia have,
added impetus to the sheep
business. Facilities, feeding,
health care and marketing will be
covered in the seminar. In addition
to the participating producers, two
marketing agents will be on the
panel. The seminar will be held in
the cafeteria at the fair grounds
and will begin at 1 p.m.
David Albert of Trout Run, who
feeds out 3,000 market lambs and
runs a 400-ewe flock will be one of
the producer panelists. The Rev.
Victor Decker of Tunkhannock,
also will be one of the speakers.
Decker, in addition to being a
fulltime clergyman, has a com
mercial flock of 250 ewes lambing
USDA revises meat labeling standards
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S.
| Department of Agriculture today
announced it is restricting its
1 definitions for the terms “lite” and
I “lean” and other fat claims used
on meat and poultry labels to
reflect more accurately a
I product’s fat content. USDA also is
requiring specific labeling in
formation on products using these
i terms.
Processors will have one year to
: change their labels in accordance
‘ with the new requirements.
“Today, consumers are more
i conscious of the fat content of their
) diet and many are concerned that
J ‘low fat’ and other fat claims are
made for products that are rela
tively high hi fat,” said Donald L.
Houston, administrator of USDA’s
Food Safety and Inspection
Service. “We need to ensure that
labeling information on fat content
of meat and poultry products is
clear and not misleading. At the
same time, 'Wt want to be so
Maryland plans 'bigger and better'
Lamb and Wool Festival
WEST FRIENDSHIP, Md. -
More of everything is in store for
visitors to the 13th annual
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival
to be held May 3 and 4 at the
Howard County Fairgrounds, West
Friendship, Md., according to
Mary E. F. Streaker, chairman.
West Friendship is located bet
ween Baltimore and Frederick,
Md. just off 1-70.
A total of 539 sheep entries from
69 consignors will participate in
either one or more of six sheep
shows. Border Leicesters will start
the shows at 9 a.m. Saturday,
followed by Romneys and
Corriedales. Natural colored sheep
will show at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Columbia sheep will lead off at 8
a.m. Sunday, followed by white
wool sheep and selection of
supreme champions. Columbias
and Corriedales are new to the
show this year. Other events are a
carcass contest and a feeder lamb
show and sale.
An auction will be held following
the shows at 3 p.m. Sunday, where
only high quality sheep will be
offered, assures Jack Price, sale
chairman. Thirty two ewes and 24
rams have been nominated for the
sale.
More than 150 crafts persons will
be exhibiting their wares, and the
latest in sheep handling equipment
and fencing will be displayed.
With the addition of a building
which houses a demonstration
nar to highlight Sheep and Wool
three times a year.
Panelist Pam Kamer, VMD, and
husband Tim Wills-Alien have
recently moved their 250 plus ewe
flock from Chadds Ford to Ithaca,
N.Y. Dr. Kamer, formerly on the
staff at the University of Penn
sylvania’s New Bolton Center, now
has her own private practice with a
special interest in small
ruminants. Dr. Kamer not only
will discuss the management
techniques employed on her farm,
which includes plastic housing and
five lambings a year, but will also
talk about health maintenance in a
large flock. Kamer’s husband, an
Australian, has brought many
innovative management
techniques to their sheep en
terprise.
With lamb prices at the Lan
caster Stockyards consistently
higher than any other market in
the country, Ken Smoker, of
Walter M. Dunlap and Sons,
Lancaster Stockyards, will discuss
eastern lamb markets and the type
of lamb buyers want. William R.
Reid from Wolgemuth Bros., Inc.,
Mt. Joy, will represent Rocco, one
of the new lamb slaughtering
facilites. Reid will explain Rocco’s
contract feeding program.
strict with our labeling standards
that we discourage industry from
producing lower-fat products.”
Under the new policy, the term
“extra lean” will be reserved for
products .containing no more than
five percent fat. Processors must
disclose the actual amount of fat on
the product label-for example,
“This product contains 4 percent
fat.”
The terms “lean” and “low fat”
can be used only on products
containing less than 10 percent fat,
and the amount of fat must be
stated on the label.
The terms “light,” “lite,”
“leaner” and “low fat” can be
used on products containing at
least 25 percent less fat than the
majority of such products in the
marketplace. A statement ex
plaining the comparison must be
included on the label. For exam
ple, the label for “Leaner Ground
Beef” might include “This product
contains 20 percent fat, which is 33
kitchen the lamb cooking contest
has been greatly expanded. Both
senior and junior cook-off contests
will be staged and professional
meat cutters and chefs will con
duct demonstrations on lamb
cutting and cookery.
Two seminars are scheduled-the
first on wool grading and judging
at 7 p.m. Friday. All sheep judges
on Uie Maryland official judges’
list have been invited. The second
seminar will be a sheep showing
workshop at 7;30 p.m. Saturday.
Both white and natural colored
fleeces will compete for prizes.
Only those entered in competition
will be judged. All fleeces, com
petition or not, are priced by
producers and the festival acts as
“middle man” to bring buyer and
seller together.
Polled Hereford events scheduled
LANCASTER - Within the next
two weeks two major Polled
Hereford events will take place in
the Keystone State.
On April 25, the Northwest
Pennsylvania Polled Hereford
Association will hold its show and
sale at the Mercer 4-H Park in
Mercer County. Judging the show
will be Glenn Eberly, director of
the Meat Animal Evaluation
Center at State College. The 31-
head show gets underway at 2
Moderator for the seminar will
be Annette Menhennett from
Cochranvi'le. The Menhennetts
have a flock 100 purebred
Shropshires. There is no admission
charge for the seminar. The
Howard County Fairgrounds are
« Commercial lamb producers Tim Willis-Alien and wife Pam
Karner use greenhouse-type structures for housing sheep.
Dr. Karner will discuss flock health at Maryland Wool
Festival,
correction
percent less fat than is in most
ground beef.”
In addition, the terms “lean,”
“lite” or other fat claims can be
part of fanciful names, brand
names and trademarks only if the
product meets the requirements
for that claim and if the claim is
explained on the label. This
restriction, however, does not
apply to the use of these terms on
brand-name products like frozen
dinners and entrees when the
terms indicate a product’s
usefulness in calorie control.
Labels on these products must
carry nutrition labeling that in
cludes the fat content
Previous labeling requirements
allowed fat claims such as “lite,”
“lean” and “extra lean” to be used
interchangeably on meat and
poultry products containing 25
percent less fat than a comparable
product and on products con
taining no more than 10 percent
fat.
One barn will be devoted to
breeds of sheep not ordinarily seen
at local sheep shows. It is
customary to display at least 30
different breeds in this area. Such
eye catchers as four-homed Jacob
sheep may be viewed here.
Other competitions include
sheep to shawl, junior spinning,
shearing, queen shepherd’s lead,
skein and garment, photography
and fine arts. There will be
shearing demonstrations and
working sheep dog demon
strations.
Admission and parking are free
and there will be a variety of lamb
dishes and other foods to purchase.
For further information contact
Mary Streaker, 301-321-1344; or
Ernest Hall, 301-845-8744.
p.m., followed by the sale at 7 p.m.
For information contact Stanley
Hunt, 412-368-8359.
The Bedford County
Fairgrounds will be the site of the
Pennsylvania Polled Hereford
Association’s Spring Show and
Sale on May 3. Judging the 32-head
show will be Gail Long, manager of
Nittany Farms, State College. The
show is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.
with the sale following at 1 p.m.
For information contact Sam
Hunter, 301-824-4771.
Festival
located on Rt. 144 and Fairground
Road, just off Route 70N at West
Friendship, Maryland. For more
information about the seminar,
contact Annette Menhennett, Box
88A Bryson Road, Cochranville,
PA 19330, telephone 215-593-5726.