Production Corner

The mission of the CSBA Commercial Production Committee is to support and advance the use of Columbia sheep in the commercial sheep industry by promoting the quality, reliability, and value of Columbia genetics.

Members of the Commercial Production Committee developed this page to support producers who want to increase the role of Columbia Sheep in the commercial sheep industry. The page includes:

  • A comprehensive Flock Records System
  • A Performance Calculator for making:
    • Objective, within-flock comparisons of lamb performance
    • Objective, performance-based breeding stock decisions.
  • Information about the Certified Columbia Ram program—Criteria and History of rams that have earned Certified status.
  • Current information about Columbia Sheep enrolled in official ram tests
  • Information about wool and fleeces as specified in Columbia Sheep breed standards.
  • Links to informational resources for both commercial and purebred producers

Committee members want to serve CSBA members; we welcome suggestions for making this page more useful to you.

Columbia Data Collection Tool

Rams

Ram Test

Dakota Ram Test
Contact:
Dr. Chris Schauer, Director
Hettinger Research Extension Center, North Dakota State
University, Hettinger ND
701-567-4323 
[email protected]

i
2024-2025 Hettinger Ram Test Weights

1st Weights – Updated 10.2.24

Wyoming Ram Test

Contact:
Kalli Koepke, Sheep Unit Manager
UW Laramie Research and Extension Center
719-314-6571
[email protected]

2023-2024 WY Ram Test

Final Weights – Updates 4.18.24

Certified Rams

The Certified Columbia Ram program was initiated in 2017 to encourage breed improvement in economically important, heritable traits of gain, fleece quality, and carcass quality. Official, university-connected ram tests provide consistency and objectivity for identification of rams that excel in those traits. Rams that meet or exceed all trait thresholds earn a Certified Ram designation on their registration certificate and recognition in Speaking of Columbias and on the CSBA website.

Certified Ram Roll Call
PDF

(Updated 4.23.24)

 

Criteria

A ram must meet all of the following criteria while part of a CSBA approved ram test to achieve Certified Columbia Ram status.

1. Carcass (Ribeye/Loineye Area)

 – Ram must meet or exceed 1.3 square inches per 100 pounds of body weight

2. Average Daily Gain

 – Ram must meet or exceed 0.80 pounds per day

3. Wool:

 – Fleece fiber diameter must be within the range of 22.05-27.84 microns

 – 365 Day Estimated Staple Length must meet or exceed 4.3 inches for fleeces of fiber diameter 22.05-24.94

 – 365 Day Estimated Staple Length must meet or exceed 4.8 inches for fleeces of fiber diameter 24.95-27.84 microns

 – Face Wool Score must be 3 or less (Reference page 2)

 – Belly Wool Score must be 1 (Reference page 3)

4. Genetics for Scrapies Resistance

 – DNA at Codon 171 must be QR or RR

5. Registration

 – Rams must be registered with Columbia Sheep Breeders Association of America no later than sixty days after their initial weigh-in date at an approved ram test.

Click Here For Downloadable Version

Face Wool Scores

Face wool Scores

Belly Wool Scores

Belly Wool Scores

2024

Bell B-162 Reg # Y17315

Bell Columbias – Gillette, WY
Bell B264 CR0019WY-Y20574
4/9/23

Bell B-181 Reg # Y17313

Bell Columbias – Gillette, WY
Bell U8599 CR0020WY-Y20570
4/5/23

Bell B-181 Reg # Y17313

Faith Gasvoda, Big Sandy, MT
Gasvoda 3121 – CR0018ND-Y18973
3/21/23

Bell B-162 Reg # Y17315

Timber Coulee Columbias
Luanne Wallewein – Sunburst, MT
546 CR0016ND-Y20442
4/4/23

Photo Coming Soon

Timber Coulee Columbias – Luanne Wallewein
Sunburst, MT
82 CR0016ND-Y20442
4/4/23

2023

Bell B-162 Reg # Y17315

Scott and Raina Blackman – Wolf Creek, MT
Blackman 22857 4/12/22
CR0011ND-Y19438 Blackman
Photo credit – Raina Blackman

Bell B-181 Reg # Y17313

Doug Hitch, Hobson, MT
Hitch 663 5/17/22
CR0012ND – Y19465 Hitch
Photo credit – Doug Hitch

Bell B-181 Reg # Y17313

Heidi & Conner Klick, Simms, MT
Klick 2123 2/8/22
CR0013ND – Y19429 Klick
Photo credit- Raina Blackman

Photo Coming Soon

Russell & Kathy Bell, Gillette, WY
Bell 8546 4/9/22
CR0014WY – Y19547

 

Photo Coming Soon

Russell & Kathy Bell, Gillette, WY
Bell 8578 3/31/22
CR0015WY – Y19545

 

2022

Bell B-162 Reg # Y17315

Faith Gasvoda – Big Sandy, MT
Y17772 Gasvoda 121 “Jumanji” CR009 ND 3/11/2021

Bell B-181 Reg # Y17313

Bell Columbias – Gillette WY
Y18522 Bell B-183 CR010 WY 4/2/2021

2021

Bell B-162 Reg # Y17315

Bell Columbias – Gillette WY
Y17315 Bell B-162 CR006 WY   4/7/2020 

Bell B-181 Reg # Y17313

Bell Columbias – Gillette WY
Y17313 Bell B-181 CR005 WY    4/7/2020

Bell O-2897 Reg # Y17316

Bell Columbias – Gillette WY
Y17316 Bell O-2897 CR007  WY   3/21/2020

Bell Columbia's

Bell Columbias – Gillette, WY
Y17317 Bell O-2865 CR008 WY   4/1/2020

2020

Certified Columbia Ram

Loni Blackman – Craig, MT
Y16447 L Blackman 19098 CR004
ND 5/4/19

2019

Certified Columbia Ram

Eagleson Sheep Company – Buchanan, ND
Y15253 ESC W-59 CR001 ND 5/21/18

Certified Columbia Ram

North Dakota State University – Fargo, ND
Y15571 NDSU 18201 CR002 ND 4/9/18

Certified Columbia Rams

Bell Columbias – Gillette, WY
Y15724 Bell B-883 CR003 WY 5/29/18

Wool

Wool Testing Services – Testing Wool Samples

1. Hettinger Research Extension Center – NDSU
Contact:
Dr. Chris Schauer
[email protected]
701-567-4323
102 Hwy 12 W
Hettinger, ND 58639

2. LM Livestock Services (onsite testing)
Contact:
Lisa Surber
[email protected]
406-581-7772

3. Montana Wool Laboratory – Montana State University
PO BOX 172900
Bozeman, MT 59717-2900
406-994-2100
[email protected]

4. Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center
7887 US Highway 87 North
San Angelo, TX 76901-9714
325-653-4576
[email protected]

5. Utah State University
Contact:
Lyle McNeal, Ph.D
Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences
Logan, UT 84322-4815
Phone: 435-797-2154
Fax: 435-797-2118
Email: [email protected] 

Wool Testing Terms

Wool Terms

WOOL TERMINOLOGY – EXPLANATION OF ANALYSIS AND GLOSSARY OF TERMS
The OFDA 2000 is a portable instrument that tests wool for fiber diameter, variability of fiber
diameter, comfort factor, staple length, and many other measured and calculated traits. The
American Sheep Industry owns and provides the machines to four universities and a
cooperative to help improve the sheep industry’s wool clip within the United States. These
objective measurements are a useful tool for genetic selection in breeding programs and can
be used during shearing to class wool.

Average Fiber Diameter (AFD)
• This is a measurement of the wool sample’s thickness measured in microns.
• A micron is another term for micrometer, which is one millionth of a meter or approximately
1/25,400 inches.
• As wool does not grow at a uniform thickness, fiber diameter varies within the staple and
fibers growing next to each other grow at different rates. Even within a sample, it is not
uncommon for fibers to have a difference of 15 or more microns.
• The OFDA 2000 reports this value under the abbreviation MIC AVE.

Standard Deviation (SD)
• This is a measurement of the variation of wool fiber diameter.
• Statistically speaking, 2/3 of the fibers measured fall within +/- one SD of the Average Fiber
Diameter.
• For example – a sample with an AFD of 22.5 micron and a SD of 4.5 micron would have 2/3’s
of the fibers measured between 18 and 27 micron. The other 1/3 of the fibers would be finer
than 18 micron or coarser than 27 micron.
• The smaller the SD, the closer the fibers are to the Average Fiber Diameter, resulting in less
variation among the individual fiber diameters for the entire sample.
• The OFDA 2000 reports this value as SD MIC.

Coefficient of Variation (CV%)
• This is another measure of variability of the fiber diameter, but is expressed as a percentage
and is relative to the average fiber diameter.
• This is determined mathematically using the equation: CV% = SD/AFD x 100
• This is a useful measurement as it allows one to compare wools of different fiber diameters.
• Ideally, the CV% should be 20% or less within an individual animal sample.
• The OFDA 2000 reports this value as CV MIC.

Comfort Factor (CF%)
• This is the percentage of fibers 30 microns in diameter or less.
• It has been shown that fibers greater than 30 microns are rigid and do not bend when they
come in contact with the skin, resulting in the prickly feeling of wool and/or causing skin
irritation.
• Wool that is going to be made into garments should have a CF% of at least 95%.
• Wool with a comfort factor of 95% is made into garments, so they do not feel scratchy or
cause skin irritations.
• The OFDA 2000 reports this value as CF %.

Staple Length (SL)
• This is a measurement of the length of the relaxed staple expressed in millimeters.
• The OFDA 2000 reports this value as SL mm.

Histogram
• This is a graph that shows the individual fiber diameter measurements of a sample.

• The fiber diameter of each fiber measurement is put into “bars” on the chart, typically in one-
micron groups. The higher the height of the “bar,” the more fibers have been measured in that group.
• This is a quick and easy way to view the variability of fiber diameter within a sample.

Micron Profile
• This is a graph of the variation of fiber diameter along the staple during the growing season.
• Individual wool fibers are measured every five millimeters along the fiber.
• The left side corresponds to the fiber tip and the right side corresponds to the fiber base
(closest to the skin)
• This information is useful in determining the environmental differences that affect fiber
diameter during the growing season and growers can use this information to make
management decisions to benefit wool growth throughout the entire year.
• A relatively flat line indicates more uniform wool grown throughout the year.

PDF Version

Wool Videos

2022 NSS Workshop Presentation

“Revisiting Principles of Wool Evaluation” Whit Stewart, PhD

Genetic Factors

Nutritional Factors

Economic Considerations

Fleece Uniformity & Fiber Defects

2021 Production Committee Survey Results

Survey Results

Click to view

Resources

How To

Management