We caught up with the breeder of the Grand Champion Market Lamb and Ewe at the 2022 Montana State Fair. We invite you to read our candid interview with Home Run Club Lambs below and please continue to check back often for our next edition of “Breeder Spotlight.”
TELL US ABOUT THE BREEDING OF YOUR STATE FAIR CHAMPION:
The sire of our State Champion Market Lamb is our lead buck “Open Range”. He is by Hell on Wheels and out of Becky (Ruckus x Maker) He is owned in partnership with Shellhouse Livestock. The ewe that dammed this wether is our donor ewe “Assassin” AKA “Sass” #21084 by Killshot and out a Crinkle x 30 Ott 6 daughter. She also dammed the 2022 State Fair Supreme ewe who was the natural born twin to this wether. The donor ewe herself was the 2021 Montana Fair Supreme Ewe, Reserve Champion Market Lamb Overall, Grand Champion Heavyweight Market Lamb, Grand Champion Crossbred Ewe, Grand Champion Yellowstone County Market Lamb, Reserve Champion Open Market Lamb as well as being her showman, Easton Albrecht’s, Grand Champion Beginner Showmanship lamb. We are expecting great things from this donor ewe in 2023 as she has 18 embryos in recips with How High as the sire and she herself is bred back this same way as this year’s State Champion with Open Range as the sire.
TELL US YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR BARN/MOST INTERESTING OBSTACLE YOU HAD TO WORK AROUND WITH YOUR BARN:
My favorite part of our barn would be the walls decorated with the backdrop and show pen pictures of all our showmen. Without them, and their hard work and commitment, we would not have the honor of hitting the backdrops anywhere. The biggest obstacle we have to work around with our barn is size. We definitely have plans in place to add to our facility this coming year to be able to have more room to house our sheep during lambing season as we live in Montana and we have some pretty rough winters out here. We also have plans to expand our embryo transfer program. I have had extensive experience in A.I. breeding and embryo work in horses and cattle but the small ruminant A.I/embryo process is so much more complex. Thank God for our friendships and partnerships with other experienced breeders. I love the challenge of gaining more experience and education each year.
WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?
I spend most of my time either in the barn doing chores, helping manage our showmen with showmanship and fitting lessons, or trying to do as much research as possible in order to better our genetics and learn as much as I can on sheep nutrition as the genetics and nutrient research is constantly evolving. I also professionally train dogs along with my husband who has a huge hand in our club lamb business and without him we wouldn’t have been able to have been as successful as we have the last few years.
BEST LAMBING TIP?
As a vet tech, as well as a nursing/emergency responder for years, I am a huge believer in being overly prepared for anything that can possibly go sideways, but my experience also has shown how import it is to have patience and give ewes time to let nature do it’s thing. There is definitely a time to get in there and help out, but many times if you give that ewe some quiet time she can work things out herself.
HOW LONG DO YOU LEAVE YOUR LAMBS IN JUGS?
With our weather many times we will have to leave lambs in jugs for longer than we would like but 2-3 days usually works well for us. If a ewe isn’t one that can lamb on her own, have a good milk supply and have a great maternal instinct she isn’t going to last around here.
THE WORST PART ABOUT RAISING SHEEP IS…
The cost of feed and bedding constantly increasing these last few years.
THE IDEAL SHEEP CUSTOMER TO ME IS:
The hard-working kids and families that ask a ton of questions and reach out to us so we can help them as much as possible and don’t wait until something isn’t working. The showmen we value the most send weekly weights, photos and videos, even Facetiming to allow us try to help them become successful. Hard work makes champions but sometimes it takes a village to raise one.
IF I DIDN’T HAVE LIVESTOCK YOU’D FIND ME….
Out training and working Police and Search and Rescue K9s and getting my horses worked a lot more. What’s a vacation??
