The first "Master Sheep Producer" awards in North Dakota were presented at the annual banquet of the North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers Association at the Eagles in Valley City on March 5th.
Three North Dakota sheep producers were honored: a Master Purebred Producer, Master Commercial Producer, and a Master Lamb Feeder. Each producer was recognized for his efficiency and excellence in sheep production. The awards are sponsored by the North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers Association.
1979
Master Purebred Sheep Producer
Russ Silha
Bowman
Russ Silha of Bowman is North Dakota's 1979 Master Purebred Sheep Producer. Silha's flock consists of about 180 registered Corriedale ewes. Sheep on the ranch date back to 1938 with Purebred Corriedales starting in 1950. Besides sheep, Silha also runs registered Quarter horses and Polled Hereford cattle.
Lambing begins in April on the Silha ranch with an average lambing percent of 150. An enclosed pole building with portable lamb pens, sorting chute and hay storage on the inside serves as the lambing barn.
Specific dates for the different management practices are followed from year to year on the ranch. Worming is done twice a year on February 5 and June 15, shearing is done on March 17 and lambs are weaned August lst.
Each year, between 25-30 ewe lambs are kept back for replacements. Also, approximately 40 ram lambs are saved back for sale as breeding stock.
Silha is a member of the American Corriedale Association, NDAQRA, NDPHA and APHA. He serves on the Bowman County ASCS committee, was a winner of the Soil Conservation award and was a past member of the Fair Board. He is also an excellent trainer of Border Collie dogs.
Silha and his wife, Fran, have 2 sons (Randy and Logan) and three daughters (Roxie, Nada, and Myrna).
1979
Master Commercial Sheep Producer
Richard Martin
Bowdon
Richard L. Martin of Bowdon is North Dakota's 1979 Master Commercial Sheep Producer. The Martin operation, located in Wells County, consists of 350 commercial ewes plus some grain farming. Sheep have been a part of his farming operation for 11 years.
Efficient use of facilities and equipment plus top management, are keys to Martin's success. Grain is mixed with hay, using a grinder-mixer, and fed in fence-line bunks. Self-feeders are used in the lamb feeding operation.
A 64' x 64' old type barn is used during the lambing season. The barn is divided into seven large pens where the ewes are housed during the evenings in groups of about 25. Within each large pen are smaller lambing jugs. A sorting and loading chute is built inside this barn. A portable scale can fit right in the sorting chute for weighing purposes.
Teaser rams are used before the breeding seasons to bring ewes into heat. Ewes are sheared in January with lambing beginning in February. Martin's lambing percentage is about 150.
Weaning time on the Martin farm is based on the feeding habits of the lambs rather than a particular age or weight. Lambs are weaned whenever Martin observes them to be eating creep feed real good and drinking water. Some lambs are weaned at 40 days and others up to 60 days.
Martin is a member of the Bowden Volunteer Fire Department and a Township supervisor. He and his wife, Pat, have two girls (Rhonda and Melinda).
1979
Master Lamb Feeder
Dean Swenson
Harwood
Dean Swenson of Harwood is North Dakota's 1979 Master Lamb Feeder. Swenson annually feeds out about 500 lambs. He's been feeding lambs for 4 years and recently started a small commercial flock. Swenson rents the Cass County farm he lives on and puts in about 840 acres of small grains including wheat, barley and sunflowers.
Swenson is known as the "pee wee" lamb feeder. All his lambs come out of West Fargo ranging in weight from 50-55 pounds. These lambs, besides being light in weight are sometimes marginal as far as health is concerned. As new feeders arrive, Swenson deworms them and gives them a shot for overeating; two weeks later they are vaccinated once again for overeating. Lambs are hand-fed in A-frame feeder. Swenson indicates it's easier to check for sick lambs every day when hand-feeding versus having the lambs on self-feeders. He shoots for a death loss of 2% or lower.
Screenings are the main portion of the lamb rations in the Swenson feeding program. The screenings are ground and mixed with a protein supplement, Aureomycin, minerals and salt. Thru the use of the less expensive feeds such as screenings, Swenson's cost of gain is kept low.
Swenson starts purchasing lambs as soon as fall harvesting is completed and empties his feedlot before spring fieldwork begins.
Swenson is a 4-H leader, a member of the Church Council and a Luther League advisor. He and his wife, Paula, have two sons (Matthew and Kent).