GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida will hold its second Ram Test and Sale this year and interested participants must register by May 1.
The Ram Test and Sale is part of a program to grow the sheep and goat industries in the Sunshine State and the Southeastern United States. Efforts surrounding sheep and small ruminants are a collaboration between the UF College of Veterinary Medicine and the UF/IFAS animal sciences department.
The program is designed to standardize environmental conditions to evaluate individual ram performance, provide high-quality performance tested rams to producers, offer educational opportunities to the industry, and facilitate networking among producers.
Eligible rams must be born between Dec. 1, 2021, and Feb. 15, 2022, and weaned by April 15, 2022.
Other important dates for the Ram Test and Sale are as follows:
- May 1 – Pre-registration deadline
- May 14 – Rams arrive at UF/IFAS Sheep Unit
- May 26 – 84-day gain test begins
- August 18 – 84-day gain test ends
- September 17 – UF/IFAS Ram Test Sale & Educational Program
To read more about the program and access the registration information visit https://animal.ifas.ufl.edu/smallruminant/ramtest/. For any questions regarding the UF/IFAS Ram Test and Sale, contact Jesse Savell at sanspur@ufl.edu or (352) 494-3397 or Clay Whitehead at jacobcwhitehead@ufl.edu or (904) 796-0441.
–Shelby Thomas, UF/IFAS