Sharpen your skills when it comes to lambing and kidding at an educational workshop planned for North Platte, Neb.
The Nebraska Sheep and Goat Producers, along with Nebraska Extension, are hosting the fourth annual Lambing and Kidding School on Jan. 22.
Featured speakers include Mark Hoogendoorn, sheep operations manager at Meat Animal Research Center. Rachel Gibbs, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate assistant and goat and sheep producer, will speak at 1 p.m. on sheep and goal health. Randy Saner, Nebraska Extension educator, will talk about goat herd management during kidding at 2 p.m. Ivan Rush, sheep producer and retired Nebraska Extension educator, will speak at 2:30 p.m. on economical feeding programs for ewes.
The day will start at 9 a.m. with a farm tour at Bruns Brothers just northwest of North Platte. Bruns Brothers raises Southdown sheep and Boer goats for show. The rest of the program takes place at the UNL West Central Research and Extension Center, concluding at 3 p.m. with a producer panel.
Speaker feature
Hoogendoorn, who will speak at 1:30 p.m. on accelerated lambing, grew up in western Iowa on a small farm raising cattle, sheep and pigs. After high school graduation in 2005, Hoogendoorn attended Iowa State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in dairy science. In 2006, he started to compete in sheep shearing competitions across the U.S.
Hoogendoorn traveled from California to Michigan and everywhere in between competing for the next 10 years. After college graduation in 2009, he began working for the industry shearing sheep and started a flock of his own. He raised 200 ewes and traveled across the Midwest while he continued to compete in shearing competitions.
As Hoogendoorn sheared, he had the opportunity to see all aspects of sheep management. He was on nearly 100 different operations per year. The operations varied from range production systems in Montana to an intensively managed flock with an accelerated lambing program in Northwest Iowa.
One of his most exciting opportunities was in Tintinara, Australia, to shear for a contractor. One of his most exciting competitions included the National Sheep Shearing Champion in 2012 at the Rapid City Stock Show. In 2015, he was given the opportunity to travel to Ireland to represent the U.S. in the world contest.
Hoogendoorn has been a member of the Pipestone Lamb and Wool program for 10 years. As his passion for the industry continued to grow, he came across the sheep operations manager opening at the Meat Animal Research Center. He understood and realized the impact MARC has on the industry and wanted to apply to be a part of it.
Hoogendoorn started in August 2019 and has since increased sheep identification using an electronic identification system. He has created a plan for a fall lambing flock of Polypay and Romanov breeds and has built a healthy culture and sense of ownership with the sheep care team.
The cost for the workshop will be $30 for nonmembers, $25 for NSGP members and $10 for students. This fee includes handouts and a lunch. To register, email ne.sheep.goat@gmail.com or call Melissa Nicholson at 308-386-8378.