Management practices of five U.S. sheep breeds: insights from a producer survey

Authors: YAZAR GUNES, HILAL - University Of Nebraska; Murphy Jr, Thomas; Wilson, Carrie; Freking, Bradley; Burke, Joan; Taylor, Joshua; BRITO, LUIZ - Purdue University; LEWIS, RONALD - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Translational Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/22/2026
Publication Date: 4/6/2026
Citation: Yazar Gunes, H., Murphy, T.W., Wilson, C.S., Freking, B.A., Burke, J.M., Taylor, J.B., Brito, L.F., Lewis, R.M. 2026. Management practices of five U.S. sheep breeds: insights from a producer survey. Translational Animal Science. 10. Article txag041. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag041.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag041

Interpretive Summary: Sheep producers across the U.S. adopt different management strategies based on breed-type, production goals, flock size, and climatic conditions. To document this variation, which may support customizing breeding strategies, we surveyed 97 flocks enrolled in the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP). The survey focused on five major breeds—Katahdin, Polypay, Suffolk, Rambouillet, and Targhee—and considered general husbandry and practices related to parasite control, lambing, feeding, udder health, culling, and climate mitigation. Survey respondents often used different management approaches depending on breed-type. For internal parasite control, selective anthelmintic treatment based on FAMACHA scores, fecal egg counts, or animals in poorer body condition was common in Katahdin and Suffolk flocks, whereas fine-wool (Rambouillet–Targhee) producers usually dewormed the whole flock. Culling priorities also differed: fine-wool producers more often cited ewes’ reaching a fixed age as the primary reason for culling, which is a common criterion in extensive rangeland systems. In contrast, Suffolk, Polypay, and Katahdin producers more often cited udder defects, emphasizing maternal soundness and ability to raise lambs. This is the first national survey to document flock management practices across U.S. sheep breeds in the NSIP. These findings provide a baseline to tailor genetic selection to specific management systems.

Technical Abstract: Management practices can substantially influence animal performance, health, and potentially the robustness of genetic evaluation programs. Yet, despite their importance, these practices remain poorly documented in U.S. sheep breeds. This study provides a snapshot of current management strategies among flocks enrolled in the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP). We designed a survey of 53 questions considering seven domains, including general flock management, gastrointestinal nematode control, lambing, feeding, udder health, culling, and climate mitigation strategies. We distributed the online survey to 242 NSIP producers and observed a 40% completion rate. Respondents represented five major breeds: Katahdin (n = 50), Polypay (n = 21), Suffolk (n = 13), Rambouillet (n = 8), and Targhee (n = 5). Responses from Rambouillet and Targhee producers were combined into a fine-wool group. Survey results were compared among breeds using Fisher’s exact test. Breed-specific patterns emerged across most management domains, reflecting distinct production goals, climatic pressures, and historical selection priorities. Significant differences among breeds were found for 27 of the 53 survey responses. For instance, the reasons ewes were culled varied by breed (P < 0.001). Udder health problems were ranked as the primary culling reason for Katahdin (62.0%), Polypay (76.2%), and Suffolk (76.9%) producers; fine-wool producers, however, most often cited age (53.8%) as their primary culling reason. Ram lamb castration practices also differed by breed (P < 0.001). Over 90% of Katahdin producers did not routinely castrate ram lambs while fewer Polypay (20%), Suffolk (46%), and fine-wool (23%) flock owners left all male lambs intact. This study was the first nationwide survey to compare management practices across five major U.S. sheep breeds among producers engaged in a formal genetic evaluation program. These results provide a benchmark for understanding a key component of production environments—how animals are managed—while also providing opportunities for breed-specific extension programming and alignment of genetic evaluation programs with on-farm or on-ranch practices.