Pen of 3 Commercial Carcass Evaluation

Supported by the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative, the Pen of 3 Commercial Carcass Evaluation is designed to provide both a live evaluation and definitive carcass data to any producer wishing to improve flock genetics. Join producers, processors and industry representatives for a marketing roundtable on Sunday following the live evaluation.

HOW THE PEN OF 3 WORKS!

• Exhibitors enter a pen of 3 lambs at Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival.
• Lambs are evaluated in their pens at 10:00 am Sunday.
• All lambs will be harvested and carcass data taken at UW-Madison Meats Lab.
• Carcasses evaluated as a PEN OF 3 (Payments for lambs harvested are made directly to exhibitors.)
• Live evaluations will be announced at 1:00 p.m. Sunday.
• Carcass evaluations, along with data and indexing, will be listed online - www.wisbc.com.
• Payments for lambs and premium ranking will be mailed directly to recipients.

1. PEN RESERVATIONS - Deadline Labor Day or until pen limit (6 pens) is reached. Entry Fees $25 per pen. Entries accepted on a first-come-basis until pens are filled based on online entries. Limit – one pen per flock/farm making entry. Only those sheep for which pen fees have been paid will be permitted to be penned. Exhibitors receive one (1) gate pass to the festival.
2. ELIGIBILITY - The Pen of Three Commercial Carcass Evaluation is open to wether and/or ewe lambs, commercial or purebred, including dairy breeds. The weight of each lamb at entry must be between 115 and 150 pounds. The decision of the Pen of 3 Committee shall be final in all questions of eligibility.
   
   • PENNING: Lambs to be penned by 9 a.m. Sunday. Pens assigned by Coordinator.
   • FLEECE: Lambs must be shorn one month prior to evaluation.
   • GENERAL: No muzzles, drenching, cold water baths, ice wraps, blanketing, patch shearing, coloring, or fitting permitted, (including legs). Lambs may not be tied in the pen.
3. HEALTH CERTIFICATES & INSPECTION - All sheep will be inspected prior to unloading. Sheep originating from outside Wisconsin must be accompanied by a current certificate of veterinary inspection for interstate movement, to be submitted at check-in. Sheep showing any symptoms of contagious or infectious disease (sore mouth, ringworm, foot rot, pink eye, wool or club lamb fungus) will not be permitted to be unloaded or penned. All sheep entries must be identified with official, individual scrapie eartag ID of the participating flock/farm.
4. DRUG WITHDRAWAL - Persons entering lambs in the Pen of 3 Evaluation will be responsible for observing prescribed withdrawal times for all feed additives, antibiotics, de-wormers and vaccines. Evidence to the contrary at any stage of this evaluation may result in disqualification of lambs and/or carcasses and may cause an exhibitor to be banned from future competitions and the forfeiture of any and all premium or payments.
5. IDENTIFICATION - All lambs entered must have birth dates recorded upon arrival. Only lambs born in year of event are eligible. Official scrapie eartags with farm number and premise ID of the participating flock required.
6. ALL PENS ASSIGNED - Pens assigned by Carcass Evaluation Coordinator. Plan accordingly, no tack pens available. Pen cards will be provided.
7. FEEDING/CARE - Feeding and care of lambs until they leave the grounds for harvesting is solely the responsibility of the exhibitor. Bedding (shavings) provided.
8. EVALUATION - Lambs will be evaluated in their pens Sunday morning by a panel appointed by the Pen of 3 committee. Lambs are evaluated as a pen in both live and on the rail.
9. PAYMENTS - Payment for lambs will be made by processor directly to participant at the address on the entry form. Participants must provide contact information.
10. CONTEST RESULTS -
    
    • LIVE PEN RESULTS – Will be determined by the panel based on an evaluation of all three lambs in the pen and will be announced at Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival.
    • HARVESTED PEN RESULTS – Based on the carcass indexing information.
11. RIGHT TO USE DATA - The Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative reserves the right to record, photograph or otherwise utilize and/or share data and information from any and all Pen of 3 Carcass Evaluation entries.
12. TRANSPORTATION - Transportation of lambs to the processor will be provided by the Festival, arranged by the Pen of 3 Carcass Evaluation Committee, unless any disqualification shall cause an exhibitor to be required to remove entries from the Festival grounds.
13. LIABILITY - All Festival regulations shall apply.

PEN OF 3 COMMITTEE

Ralph Giorno - Chairman
Lisa Paskey - Coordinator
Elmer Held
Abdullah Hussaini
Mark Roembke

ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS

John Kane : Ethnic & Nontraditional markets
Cody Heimke : Marketing of lambs
Abdullah Hussaini : Current lamb markets, trends
Chef Joel Olsen (pending committee approval & interview)
Write up from Nick Forrest re: Home grown lambs and cooking a producer perspective
Todd Taylor UW Arlington Shepherd
Carolyn Idhe: Extension nutrition requirements of lambs
Dr. Emma : flock health & vaccinations
Deb Nelson Gourley : Heritage Breed Genetics
Jeanette Berringer : Shave to Save program

Participants of the program past & present are encouraged to add their perspectives on the value of the program for them as a producer.

THE PEN OF 3 COMMITTEE AND THE WISCONSIN SHEEP BREEDERS COOPERATIVE EXPRESS THEIR SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR SPONSORS!