Patton Family Sheep Unit at Chico State

09/30/2026

Are you looking for a family friendly event in the Chico region? Consider our Fall Festival - FREE and lots of fun activities

09/22/2026

Checking on all our sheep friends - how are you surviving lambing!
It has been raining babies at the Patton Family Sheep Unit since Friday! Over 25 lambs and more to go! This week is mostly our AI ewes and we had a handful of natural service. Super excited about our Delbert and Potentially Dangerous blackface sheep and our Denver/Royal Flush Southdowns!

09/20/2026

MEET THE TEAM: Lead Shepherd, Jace Williams!

09/20/2026

Meet our new staff supervisor, Kaitlyn Kampmann!

09/19/2026

IT HAS BEGUN! "Piglet" (210069; Lone Wolf x Ahart 869) had our first lamb of the fall season. Super stout, vigorous ewe lamb sired by Delbert from Estes Show Lambs! This one is going to be monitored as potential replacement...her momma is one of our most consistent producers.

08/04/2026

Here are our wether sire for this fall:

Delbert
Potentially Dangerous
Puppet master
Hard no
Follow me

Natural service
Ahart 399 (Kirby)
1729 (Pay to Play x Hancock we)

08/04/2026

Summer breeding has wrapped up and we are excited about this crop of lambs!

Southdown sires
Pettey 2206 (Smokey) - natural service
Forsee 25-219 (snowman) - natural service. He was champion Southdown ram at CA state fair.
Royal Flush - AI sire from Forsee Southdowns
Our goal is develop more hip in our Southdowns and we think these two can help!

08/03/2026

Many youth showing sheep and goats wonder why their animals are required to have a USDA Scrapie Tag. Scrapie is a disease that can impact humans and tarnishes the food safety of our product we send to the consumer. With so many animals coming into a fair and sent for harvest, traceability is important with the variety of regions animals are coming from. A typical county fair in our region could have lambs that come not only from CA, but other states like IA, TX, KS, ID, NV and others (these are ones I have seen). The rules are not meant to catch people cheating, they are to protect the integrity of our food supply.

PLEASE NOTE: Sharing from an educational standpoint. I know nothing about the origin of the sheep in Oregon.

🚨ANIMAL HEALTH ALERT🚨
USDA APHIS confirmed classical scrapie in a sheep slaughtered in a facility in Oregon.

APHIS and state animal health officials recently initiated an investigation to determine the flock of origin. The affected animal did not have an ear tag. This case is a reminder of why tagging compliance and surveillance participation are critical to safeguarding flocks nationwide.

Please read the full ASI press release here: https://champ.ly/XD8kUh9y.
For additional information regarding scrapie, visit: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/sheep-goat/scrapie.

ASI will not be monitoring social media comments as the USDA investigation is ongoing.

08/03/2026

The Chico State College of Agriculture is seeking an experienced and innovative leader to provide strategic direction and operational oversight for the University Farm and Meridian Range. 🚜🌾

The Farm Director will help advance the University Farm as a living laboratory and center for hands-on learning, applied research, workforce development, and agricultural innovation.

This position will work closely with faculty, staff, students, industry partners, and college leadership to support student success and strengthen the future of our agricultural programs.

We’re looking for a collaborative leader with experience in farm management, agricultural business, or extension-related services who is excited to support sustainable operations and the continued growth of the College of Agriculture. 🐄🌿🔬
📍 Full-time management position at Chico State
📅 Review of applications begins July 29, 2026
🔗 https://jobs.csuchico.edu/ch/en-us/job/559724/farm-director-administrator-iii