Rooster Ridge Farm

05/08/2026

This guy is looking for a new herd. He’s ready to go to work NOW (just ask his pen mates! 😜). Message me for info.

04/29/2026

Seasonal weather changes, hauling stress, feed changes or parasites, doesn’t matter the cause of the scours, Clench Gel helps dry them up and get them back on feed. We keep it in the med cabinet and in the show box. It’s our first line of defense for getting them back on track.

https://rrfarmandfeed.com/products/vitacharge-clench-gel-1

If you’ve got one with the scours, this is one of the best products out there. I swear by it and keep it in my med cabinet at all times. Just used it this morning in fact….

Link in the comments.

04/27/2026

A sneak peek in one of our mineral feeders before I put the top back on.
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Concept Aid 5/S (Cattle) - I’m testing this out compared to the DuraFerm due to the higher levels of minerals and some potential issues I’m seeing in my herd.
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Home mix mineral. Mixed here, contains zinpro, yeast, de and kelp. Seems to help keep parasite issues at bay in the spring/summer months and keeps FAMACHA scores better.
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Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda). Free choice, seems to help with maintaining gut health during times of fast forage growth or change in seasons.
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These cattle mineral feeders work wonderfully for the goats on pasture.
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When you get their nutritional needs met, your goats will be healthier and have less challenges. However, each property and each herd is unique, so finding what works for your herd is usually trial and error. Don’t be afraid to try something new if you aren’t happy with what you’re doing.

04/27/2026

Applies to the goat industry as well. Worth the read!

Is Artificial Insemination Killing the Club Lamb Industry?

(And what reproductive technology is really doing to it)

⸻

Let’s start with what people are seeing

If you’ve been around club lambs for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed this shift:

• Lambs are either extremely expensive
• Or surprisingly cheap

There’s not much middle anymore.

That’s not random.

And for a lot of 4-H and FFA kids, this is part of the problem—
when the barrier to entry keeps climbing, motivation doesn’t always follow.

⸻

What Reproductive Technology Actually Did

Artificial insemination didn’t create better sheep.

Embryo transfer didn’t either.

But together…

They changed how genetics move…
and more importantly—how many times they show up.

AI helped move genetics coast to coast.

ET allowed the same females to be reproduced across multiple programs at the same time.

A ram that used to influence:

• 30–50 ewes locally

Now influences:

• Hundreds… sometimes thousands… across the country

And a ewe that used to raise:

• 1–2 lambs

Can now produce:

• Multiple sets of offspring across different flocks in the same season

AI spreads a ram.

ET multiplies a ewe.

⸻

The System Changed

Before widespread use of AI and ET:

• Top genetics were geographically limited
• Good flocks stayed good because access was controlled
• The average producer couldn’t easily “buy into” elite lines

Now:

• Many producers are using the same small pool of elite sires
• The same ewe lines are being replicated across flocks
• The baseline level of lamb quality has risen across the board

That sounds like a good thing—and in many ways, it is.

But every system pays somewhere.

⸻

Here’s Where the Pressure Shows Up

More “Good” Lambs Exist

When more people have access to better genetics—and can multiply them:

• The number of decent lambs increases
• The number of truly elite lambs does not increase at the same rate

👉 The market gets flooded with “pretty good”

⸻

The Middle Gets Crushed

• “Average” used to have value
• Now “average” looks like everything else

So what happens?

• The top few still bring a premium
• Everything else competes in a crowded middle

And price reflects that.

In some cases, the cost of these reproductive programs gets pushed forward—
and ends up being carried by the next buyer.

⸻

What Happens to “The Bench”

There used to be a group in this industry that sat just below the top.

Not elite yet… but close.

The ones who:

• consistently raised good lambs
• learned from year to year
• and kept knocking on the door

That group matters more than people realize.

That’s the bench.

⸻

Why It Matters

The bench is where:

• Future winners come from
• Young producers find momentum
• Systems get built over time

It’s where people stay in the game long enough to figure it out.

⸻

What’s Changing

When the middle gets compressed:

• It becomes harder to get rewarded for being “close”
• Harder to justify the cost of staying in
• Harder for young producers to take the next step

So what happens?

Some move up…

But a lot drop out.

⸻

The Quiet Risk

When the bench gets thinner…
the top eventually does too.

⸻

The middle isn’t just a price range.

It’s where the next generation of good producers is built.

⸻

Genetic Similarity Creates Compression

When the same sires are used everywhere…

…and the same ewe lines are multiplied across flocks…

Similarity isn’t an accident—it’s the outcome.

You start seeing similar type, shape, and look.

Differentiation becomes harder.

So buyers do one of two things:

• Pay up for the absolute best expression
• Or discount the rest because they can find something similar elsewhere

⸻

Embryo Transfer Changed the Female Side

AI gets most of the attention.

But ET is what really accelerated things.

Because it didn’t just spread genetics…

It multiplied them.

⸻

A ewe that used to contribute:

• A couple lambs per year

Now contributes:

• Multiple sets of offspring
• Across multiple flocks
• In the same season

⸻

That changes the math.

⸻

When the same females are being reproduced at scale:

• The number of similar lambs increases quickly
• The influence of a single ewe line expands rapidly
• And the industry starts working off the same genetic base

⸻

AI spreads the top end.

ET copies it.

⸻

You’re not just competing with better genetics now…

you’re competing with more copies of them.

⸻

The Old Days Are Over

There was a time when you could have something special…

…and keep it in the back barn.

Maybe a ewe line nobody knew about.
Maybe a ram that only a few people had access to.

That edge mattered.

That edge is mostly gone now.

Not just because rams are shared…
but because elite females don’t stay in one place anymore either.

You can’t quietly sit on something elite anymore.

If it’s truly special… it won’t stay hidden.

⸻

Access Used to Be Part of the Advantage

There was also a time when knowing where to look mattered almost as much as what you were looking for.

• Who had that ewe tucked away
• Which barns were worth the drive
• What hadn’t hit the public market yet

There were people who were very good at that.

They weren’t always raising the sheep…

…but they knew where the sheep were.

And that knowledge had value.

⸻

That Edge Is Narrowing

With how genetics move now:

• Fewer things stay local for long
• Fewer programs are truly “off the radar”
• More of the good ones get used—and seen—quickly

So the advantage shifts.

It’s less about:

• Knowing where to go

And more about:
• What you can consistently produce

⸻

At some point, the advantage stopped being “I know where to find them”…

and became “I know how to make them.”

⸻

What Happens When the Market Tightens

When more lambs look “good enough,” something predictable happens:

People start looking for any edge they can show quickly.

Not build over time—
show immediately.

⸻

The Shift Toward “What’s Hot”

You’ll start to see more emphasis on:

• Leg s**g
• Handle
• Side profile
• Whatever wins that year

Not because those things are new…

But because they’re visible and comparable.

When buyers are sorting through similar-quality lambs, they gravitate toward:

What they can see… and what they think will win

⸻

When Genetics Compress, Inputs Expand

As base genetics become more similar, another shift happens:

The focus moves from what the animal is…
to what’s being done to the animal.

You start seeing more emphasis on:

• Feed programs
• Supplements
• Facilities
• Development strategies

Because when genetic differences narrow, those are the levers people can still pull.

⸻

Where This Can Get Misleading

It’s easy to think:

“The difference is how much money is spent.”

But that’s not the full picture.

Inputs amplify a system—they don’t replace one.

⸻

The gap didn’t go away.

It just moved—from genetics… to management.

⸻

When Selection Narrows Too Far

As the market tightens and trends start driving decisions, selection pressure gets very focused.

Sometimes too focused.

You start seeing ewe bases built to produce a certain kind of lamb…

But not always built to support that lamb.

⸻

The Tradeoff Nobody Wants to Talk About

There are programs now with:

• Ewes that struggle to raise their own lambs
• Heavy reliance on grafting, bottles, or nurse systems
• And a barn full of recipient ewes to make it all work

⸻

What Gets Traded Away

In some cases, we’re slowly trading off:

• Maternal ability
• Milk production
• Longevity
• Functional structure

…and replacing it with systems that depend on:

• Recipient ewes
• Added labor
• Added cost

That works—until it doesn’t.

⸻

This Isn’t Unique to Sheep

This is happening across agriculture.

And it won’t stop.

⸻

The tools didn’t change the direction.

They changed the speed.

⸻

Closing

Artificial insemination didn’t kill the club lamb industry.

Reproductive technology changed how genetics move—and how many times they show up.

And in doing so… it exposed what actually matters.

Do you have a system…

or were you relying on one?

~

•Special thanks to R and W for helping me put this article together.

04/26/2026

Took advantage of the cool, dry day and got the does ready for breeding.

✅ Hooves trimmed
✅ Vaccinations
✅ Vitamins and Minerals
✅ FAMACHA Checked
✅ Lice/Mite treatment
✅ Copper bolus

04/24/2026

Fly season is here.
Managing flies should be a multi-tiered approach.
We put out our bag traps LAST NIGHT and they have already caught flies.
We have the HUGE reels in our barns.
We use Agita in our barns.
We try to keep pens clean and manure piles hot.
It’s still a battle every year. 😜
This is your reminder to start now. Every dead fly keeps up to 900 flies per month from hatching.

04/24/2026

What do we want to talk about today? How about Vets? As in Veterinarians. And how people starting to raise livestock will do everything in their power to NOT call them. Notice I said "people starting to raise livestock"....that's because folks who've been doing it a while generally have a great relationship with their veterinarian. Their vet is a trusted part of the team. They know that without a good relationship with our vets....we can't do what we do on a long term basis.
While I do what I can to care for my animals without the vet intervening, there inevitably comes a time where I'm tapped out and I need additional experience, hands, guidance, meds...whatever. That's when I reach for the phone. I've been with the same vet for 20+ years, and we have a good enough relationship that I feel comfortable calling him at 8 PM (even though I hate to) on a Sunday night with a stuck kid I can't get unstuck...or I have a calf with a fever that isn't responding to the treatment I've already tried. He answers, sometimes we work it out over the phone, sometimes he makes an emergency farm call and we get things handled. Sometimes it costs me money, and honestly, I am okay with that because it also saves me money - either in avoiding unnecessary or ineffective treatments, saving an animal that otherwise would have not made it, or saving me time in treating when I could have been doing something more effective.
Vets are expensive up front, I get that. But getting the right answers and treatment the first time saves money and resources. Even if it takes a few tries to get the right treatment dialed in, honestly, there's nothing probably more worthwhile to have than a good vet/client relationship when raising livestock - except maybe a magic wand that prevented every sickness, injury or malady that might affect our animals. (wouldn't that be amazing???)
So it boggles my mine when I see someone say "would rather not call the vet"....um...why??? This is literally their JOB. They went to school for YEARS to do it. They see THOUSANDS of cases each year for a vast knowledge base to tap in to and find answers. Successful people surround themselves with experts in their field. So, for livestock producers is should be Vets. Nutritionists. Reproduction specialists. Other producers. None of us do this alone. At least not if we want to do it long term and be successful.
Now, before anyone comes at me with "my vet doesn't know goats" or "no vet is close" or "not everyone has access to a vet nearby"....let me say this...I get it. Vets who are knowledgeable about goats can be hard to find, but most large animal vets know ruminants or have colleagues or resources available to help them learn. They definitely can treat your animals more effectively than some random people on socials giving advice with half the information and none of the resources needed to come up with a solid treatment plan. A vet is always going to be a better choice than some rando on the internet - especially now with antibiotics only being available from the vet - you NEED to have that relationship established.
I know that not everyone lives within an hour or two of a large animal vet. Sure, there are some parts of the country where you live very rural, and there may be miles and miles between you and the next neighbor, let alone a vet. I'm not talking to you - I understand that you often need to do what you can on your own, and I applaud you - I can't imagine. (But likely, you have a farm/ranch vet available who understands your limitations and will work with you over the phone and can provide resources you need to treat your stock when they can't make it to you) I'm talking to the folks who live close enough, who have friends/family/neighbors raising livestock in the same community who have a vet, yet for some reason "don't want to call a vet".
I'm here to say
Call them out for a "herd check".
Pay the farm call.
Get on their books as a client.
Pay them for their services and pay them promptly. (If you're on a tight budget, tell them that - they'll understand and likely give you options.)

Regardless, let them do what they do so you can do what you do. .
Raising livestock without a vet is like jumping out of a plane unprepared. At some point you're going to really wish you had a parachute.
Thanks for listening to my talk!

04/19/2026

Got a few mullein smudge sticks ready to dry. Just a small amount harvested around the property, will be getting some more made up as I find them!

04/18/2026

It’s hatch time! One out, and quite a few more pips starting to pop!

04/15/2026

We are starting to prep for breeding for fall kids. That means getting the girls bounced back from kidding and lactating and in good shape to breed back. You know, not too thin, but also not too heavy. Making sure they have everything they need to be as productive as possible starts now. Step one is adding a protein/mineral tub to the loose minerals and free choice hay/pasture they already have available. This is a low labor input way to ensure they are getting what they need without over conditioning them too soon.
Do you utilize tubs in your program? Let me know in the comments!

04/12/2026

Fun day out and about with the kid showing at the Battle of the Midwest, where we got to visit with old friends, and make some new ones! Unfortunately, these are the only pics I got… 🤪 … hopefully the photographer grabbed a few! Rooster Ridge After Party won his Senior buck class and was named Champion Senior Fullblood Buck under both judges. 🙌🏼 🙌🏼