Lamb-A-Year awards presented

Kemmerer – During the Sheepherders Come Bye, an annual celebration of Wyoming’s sheep industry, sponsored by the Wyoming Wool Initiative and held on July 1 during the inaugural Wyoming Sheep and Wool Festival, University of Wyoming (UW) Extension recognized award winners through their Lamb-A-Year program.

This year’s program featured lambs from 23 donors across the state. 

The lambs had a collective average daily gain (ADG) of 0.45 during the backgrounding phase and an average ADG of 0.7 during the finishing phase. 

Additionally, the lambs had an average hot carcass weight of 74.3 pounds, an average yield grade of 2.81, an average dressing percent of 49 percent, an average loin eye area of 2.83 inches squared and an average percent of boneless, closely-trimmed retail cuts of 46 percent. 

Growth performance winners

The 2023 Lamb-A-Year Top Performing Wether was donated by Bob and Kate Harlan with an ADG of 0.61. Following close behind was a lamb donated by John Driskill with an ADG of 0.6, and a lamb donated by Camino and Sons with an ADG of 0.58 came up third.

The top performing ewe in the program was donated by Brandon Dilts with an ADG of 0.64, and with an ADG of 0.60, a ewe lamb donated by Scott Johnson took the second place position. A lamb with an ADG of 0.57, provided by Driskill, was third.

Driskill also took home the award for the 2023 Overall Top Performing Lamb, with an ADG of 0.58. Second place was a two-way tie between lambs donated by Camino and Sons and Cassandra Scott, both gaining 0.55 pounds per day. Third place went to a lamb from Kay and Dave Neves’ 7K Ranch with an ADG of 0.53.

Carcass performance winners

In the carcass performance category, producers were awarded for percentage of boneless, closely-trimmed retail cuts, measured in pounds; rib eye area, measured in inches squared and leg score. 

Hamilton Ranch received honors for donating the top performing lamb with 42.66 pounds of boneless, closely-trimmed retail cuts. The second place lamb, with 40.11 pounds, was donated by the Laramie Research and Extension Center, and the third place lamb, with 38.92 pounds, was donated by 7K Ranch. 

A rib eye area of 3.61 inches squared earned Mike Curuchet an award for the lamb with the largest rib eye area. A Hamilton Ranch lamb with a rib eye area of 3.55 inches squared was second, while a lamb of Driskill’s with a rib eye of 3.25 inches squared was third.

At 12.5, Regan Smith was recognized as having the lamb with the best leg score. Following close behind in the second-place position was a Boner M Diamond lamb with a score of 12.4. Third place saw a two-way tie between Julian Land and Livestock and Marvin Schmidt, with lambs scoring 12.3.

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.