UW Extension highlights lamb quality and grazing at fall convention

During the West Central States Wool Growers Convention, held Nov. 7-8, 2025 in Cody, a trio of University of Wyoming (UW) Extension specialists provided a series of fast-paced, TED-Talk style presentations to share their insights into sheep production across the West.

The session featured discussions on lamb eating quality by UW Associate Professor of Meat Science Dr. Cody Gifford, targeted grazing strategies by UW Extension Educator Barton Stam and sheep grazing behavior by UW PhD Student Aaron Kirsch.

Analyzing flavor differences

Gifford kicked off the discussion by addressing a longstanding question among sheep producers and industry experts alike – whether there is a measurable difference in eating quality between lamb produced by wool breeds versus hair breeds.

While opinions vary widely, Gifford noted scientific data comparing flavor profiles between the two is limited and research conducted at UW suggests any detectable flavor differences are subtle.

“The reality is any of the general differences we have recently found in flavor performance are very subtle,” he admitted. “We don’t have a lot of robust data specifically focused on major flavor differences between these two flavor profiles.”

Instead, Gifford said maturity and diet are two primary factors driving lamb flavor, more so than breed type. He noted, over the last couple of decades, meat science research has found these two variables consistently influence flavor intensity and palatability more than genetics alone.

To drive this point home, Gifford explained researchers often don’t know the precise genetic background of the carcasses they are sampling for flavor analysis since many lambs these days are composite breeds.

“Even within the same lot of lambs, trained sensory panels sometimes detect variation in flavor intensity from animal to animal, raising additional questions about what drives those differences,” he said.

Further, Gifford underscored the importance of consumer preferences, which is just as diverse.

He shared an example from his doctoral research, in which samples of lamb were evaluated by chefs, industry professionals and producers, and the feedback varied dramatically. 

“We couldn’t really make sense of the information,” Gifford confessed. “The chefs told us all of the lamb we served them was way too mild. They wanted something more intense for a unique experience. The allied industry members described it as a stronger, more mature flavor, and producer preference was mixed across the board.”

He continued, “We walked away wondering how we actually come up with a singular method to producing lamb that’s consistently going to meet those preferences every single time from a flavor standpoint.”

“We also can’t ignore individual preference is very important,” Gifford concluded. “This is why we can’t go ahead and recommend a singular breed or production system when raising lamb for flavor.”

Rethinking targeted grazing

Stam was next to the stage to offer some range management advice. 

To start, he encouraged producers to think beyond simply converting forage into pounds of lamb or beef. Instead, targeted grazing systems may also aim to reduce toxic and invasive species, manage annual weeds, control brush and reduce wildlife fuel loads.

“I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but sheep may be the perfect animal for all of this,” he stated.

One practical example Stam shares is using sheep to manage larkspur, which is toxic to cattle. Although it poses a serious threat to their bovine counterparts, sheep can often graze larkspur with far less risk, offering biological control in certain situations.

Stam also highlighted a collaborative project near Sunlight, where yearling steers are being used to improve winter elk habitat, demonstrating how the practice of targeted grazing can be applied across multiple livestock species.

Stam further noted he believes public education must accompany targeted grazing projects, especially for those on public lands. 

“The public needs to know and understand how livestock grazing is improving their public lands and habitat for wildlife,” he stated. 

“We all need to improve our skills at communicating with the public and with each other, especially those who may hold opposing views on natural resource issues,” he added. “Poor communication might be even worse than no communication at all.”

Switching gears, Stam then challenged two longstanding range management rules of thumb – range readiness and the “take half, leave half” rule.

“My hang-up with range readiness and the ‘take half, leave half’ rule is one assumes the range can only be grazed at one time of the year, and the other ignores the time of the year, other users and rest periods,” he stated. 

Instead, Stam urged producers to focus on planning, remaining adaptable, monitoring conditions and adjusting grazing based on weather, plant growth and environmental variability.

He also noted short-term monitoring methods should inform long-term understanding of livestock distribution and stocking rates, rather than serving as an automatic trigger for management decisions.

“Short-term range monitoring methods should not become the management objective or be used as automatic triggers to move livestock or to gauge the condition of an allotment,” he reiterated. “Short-term range monitoring techniques should teach us about livestock distribution and stocking rates over multiple years.”

“All too often, the standard becomes the objective to meet with little to no thought of actual on-the-ground conditions, such as perennial plants versus annuals, soil cover, invasive species or woody plant encroachment,” he continued. “Short-term and residual monitoring methods are prone to procedural errors. They are vulnerable to season of measurement, and they’re quite subjective.”

“We should be talking more about managing for current conditions, avoiding cookie-cutter approaches and improving – not just sustaining – our range resources,” he concluded.

Evaluating grazing behavior

To round out the presentations, Kirsch provided insight into his research which explores grazing behavior and diet selection in sheep.

He explained the study initially focused on sheep grazing larkspur, but eventually expanded to broader questions regarding breed-specific diet preferences, posing the “deceptively simple” question of why grazing animals eat what they eat.

“A pasture is a lot like a buffet,” he stated. “There’s a mixture of grasses, forbs and shrubs, and they each have different components – some of them are very nutritious, some might be bitter and others might even be toxic.”

He added, “I wanted to understand grazing behavior as a whole. I was asking the questions of why animals eat what they eat and how they make decisions about what to eat, because these decisions can really shape the success of our grazing systems in ways we’re only beginning to understand.”

To attempt this, Kirsch’s research used fecal DNA barcoding to identify plant species consumed by individual sheep and measure species richness within their diets. The study also compared diet preferences among breeds, including Rambouillets, Hampshires and Dorpers, in which he found subtle but meaningful differences.

“There were subtle differences between these breeds under more constrained forage conditions, but as the season progressed, the landscape greened up and more plants became available, the diets started to even out and the breeds became more similar,” he explained.

Kirsch noted, Dorpers, which are often described as non-selective grazers that will eat anything, lived up to this reputation.

“Early on in the season, when forage was more scarce, the Dorpers were able to select from a broader range of plant species – close to 12, compared to the other breeds’ seven,” he shared. 

In contrast, Kirsch observed Rambouillets demonstrated a strong preference for scarlet globemallow, selecting it at significantly higher rates than other breeds.

“Small details like this can really tell us a lot about grazing,” he concluded. “It reminds us grazing is not a random act. It’s intentional, and it’s guided by each animal’s own preferences and needs. Understanding these preferences can help us design better grazing systems that are productive, sustainable and more in tune with natural processes.”

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