2024-2025 Sheep Showing

[Margali]

Nothing anywhere close by in June so we will practice between bouts of mud.
July 7- Eastland evening show 2hrs away we may do if ewes can show as "hair sheep market lamb".
July 27- Caldwell evening show 2.5hs for us and 1hr from Granpa Andy in Normagee. Going if ewes can show with market.

August 17- Lufkin morning show is 3.5hrs drive for us. Same comments as Caldwell show.
August 24th is North Texas Breeding sheep in Denton

 

[SageHill]

She looked sooo good and did a fabulous job!!!
Big smile watching her.

 

[Baymule]

Love love love the videos! Cassandra was doing great!
The Lufkin show is only 20 miles from me. Y’all could come spend the night if you want to.

 

[Margali]

We got the detailed scoring notes today. Next time we will keep separate grain bin and hay for ewe with lamb so we can use the standard chart.

 

[Ridgetop]

Have Cassandra work on walking slower with Oreo. Try practicing with the ewe lamb for showmanship. Oreo is a big ewe and Cassandra is small. If she can show the smaller lamb, she may have more control. Check the market class rules - do the market animals have to auction? Also, if she is showing in the market class, they will have a showmanship class for that too.

 

[Margali]

Market lambs are required to be slick shorn which would ruin chance of upgrading Socks to 100% registered at 1yr old. Her coat must be unaltered before hair coat inspection.

Oreo and Socks will be different ages classes in the breeding sheep shows. I plan on working on pacing and slowing before full stop with Cassandra. That's the issue as near as I can tell. She give Oreo no chance to slow a little and Oreo overruns her.

 

[Show Sebright]

Market lambs are required to be slick shorn which would ruin chance of upgrading Socks to 100% registered at 1yr old. Her coat must be unaltered before hair coat inspection.

Oreo and Socks will be different ages classes in the breeding sheep shows. I plan on working on pacing and slowing before full stop with Cassandra. That's the issue as near as I can tell. She give Oreo no chance to slow a little and Oreo overruns her.

Check if that applies to hair sheep. Because here the hair sheep dont get shaved unless it’s at the final show

 

[Margali]

@Show Sebright It applies to Dorper market lambs which is only normally shown hair sheep in our area.

 

[Ridgetop]

Remember that Dorpers are required to be slick shorn for breeding shows too. On the other hand, hold Socks back from the market classes until she has been approved for registration. Use one of the wether lambs for the market class. I don't think it has to be a "Bred by Exhibitor" in the market classes.

Also, on Orea since she is a big ewe and can be strong minded, try using one of this type halters:

Nylon Sheep Halter & Lead​

Weaver Livestock

• 
  

Instead of buying another halter, try removing the nylon chin strap on your current halter, then run the lead from the metal ring on the right side through the metal ring on the left side. Put the halter on with the lead running under the jaw. The lead tightening on the lower jaw should give Cassandra more control. If the nylon lead is not enough pressure, you can use a chain for the chin strap like the halter pictured above. That halter has a very long chain which I don't like since it can be hard on the hands. I would just make one out of the current halter you have. Remove the lead from the current nylon halter, remove the nylon chin strap, use a small clip or split ring like for keys to attach a small length dog choke chain to the right metal loop of the halter (where the lead was attached). Thread the chain through the opposite ring, then clip the lead to it. The chain under the jaw should give Cassandra more control. The chain gives a lot more authority to the person on the other end of the lead rope. You can use the same type of halter for training Socks and other lambs. Don't use the chain, use the lead running under the chin. Lambs don't need the stud chain strength while they are babies.

Since Cassandra doesn't like the long halter lead, you can let her try a short 12" dog lead. They are about $10 on Amazon. It might be called a "traffic lead". The only problem with these short leads is that if the sheep gets away from her, she can't step on the end of a long lead to recapture her lamb.

My children showed their Boer goats with these 12" leads. They couldn't show holding the collars like they did with their disbudded dairy animals because of the Boers' horns. Instead, Boer exhibitors clipped this 12" lead to the collar and were able to show their horned goats with that.

​

 

[SageHill]

Rather than a clip or split ring a screw link (love those things) would be stronger.