Boost Flock Genetics with 2025 LEC Ram and Buck Testing

By Blake Jackson

The Samuel E. Hayes Jr. Livestock Evaluation Center (LEC) in Pennsylvania Furnace is offering a valuable program for sheep and goat breeders to enhance their herd genetics through data-driven decisions.

This performance testing program provides crucial information on growth rates, carcass traits, and parasite resistance. Breeders interested in participating must submit their nominations by April 15, 2025.

Eligible rams and bucks must be registered and born between September 1, 2024, and February 28, 2025. The delivery dates for animals to the LEC are April 28-29, 2025, where they will be checked in.

A testing fee of $60 per animal is payable upon delivery, with additional costs for feed, veterinary care, and facility use shared among participants to maintain affordability.

This program presents a unique opportunity for breeders to establish production benchmarks, showcase superior genetics, expand their network within the small ruminant industry, and gain access to premium market opportunities.

Key benefits include comprehensive growth rate data through bi-weekly weight gain reports, carcass quality insights from loin eye and fat depth ultrasound evaluations, and parasite resistance testing via Fecal Egg Counts (FEC) for more resilient animals.

Participating breeders can also boost their sales and reputation by showcasing their data-backed performance index rankings to performance-focused buyers. Eligible animals will be marketed at the Performance-Tested Ram Sale on August 16, 2025.

Furthermore, each ram or buck receives essential health and fertility assurances, including vaccinations, parasite control, shearing, and a breeding and structural soundness exam.

All rams will also be genotyped for Scrapie at Codon 171, with additional tests available upon request.

The official testing period runs from May 6 to July 22, 2025, with final sale entries for the invitational female sale due by July 25, 2025. This program is a collaborative effort involving the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Penn State, and various breed associations.

Breeders can enroll by completing the nomination form and submitting it via email to ghubbard@pa.gov or by mail with payment to 1494 W. Pine Grove Road, Pennsylvania Furnace, PA 16865. Assistance with hauling rams to the LEC is available; interested parties can contact Austin Brown for more information.

For additional details on the program, including the full rules and nomination form, please contact Greg Hubbard, LEC Station Manager, at 814-238-2527 or ghubbard@pa.gov, or Austin Brown, Penn State Extension Program Extension Associate in Small Ruminants, at 814-865-1718 or aqb5615@psu.edu.

Photo Credit: istock-heebyj