Welcome to Performance Shropshires

Last updated on 2/23/19

2019 Comments ___________________________________________________________

This year marks our 7th lamb crop since putting together the Convergence Program and the 3rd lambing in Wyoming.  Our partnership with Jock Sheehan in Wyoming has brought a big practical input factor.  Being Midwesterners we had little knowledge of what really raising lamb was all about.  The showring and Purebred environment can easily put one’s eyes on factors outside real lamb production.  Jock provides us a reality check, it makes real how the industry works and for that we have a big dose of gratitude.  We are the better for it.

As an illustration of the changes that have transpired in Wyoming here is a picture of one of our top 2018 ewe lambs PS-1826.  Picture is from last September, at 7 months of age, before the ram was turned in.. She is an example of the growthy deep bodied sheep that we are currently producing for the western range environment. Notice this is not one of those pretty (short docked) staged pictures from back in our showing days.

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We have a long history in Shropshires.  Our first ewes were purchased in 1953.  Now we are managing a breeding program with a goal of genetic convergence of the three primary Shropshire types that have evolved over the years.

Major changes in our operation were implemented in October 2016. We set up the Performance Shropshire Consortium to further our Purebred Commercial Ram program. Further information is available in this website.

With that change we have a new affiliated partner to run the program operation and have moved our Knepp-Lafollette operating base to Dixon, Wyoming. The breeding and ram testing base will be run by Jock Sheehan, who also will be building a ewe flock from our base at his Roaring Fork Sheep LLC operation.

Below are two rams that are part of our ewe flock’s genetic profile.  First, the one representing Traditional/English bloodlines, Groverman 5517 “Grover I”, Great Grandsire of our Hiemke “Sport Pepper” ram.  Next, the one representing Frame type bloodlines, CLSF 622 “Tommy”.

Our newest addition to the profile (below) is a ram that adds current Shropshire Wether type bloodlines, Cabaniss 117-12, (purchased with Adams Shropshires).

NSIP performance EBV’s are a factor in our selection matrix.

 

This all started in September 2012
Knepp–LaFollette: Walking Away From The Competitors…

The start of our Genetic Convergence project. With tremendous muscle and a unique pedigree, this Hiemke 12034 ram (“Sport Pepper”), and select Knepp ewes will be the first step in our five year plan towards a NSIP-oriented production Shropshire direction.