by Sarah Carr, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Kentucky State University Figure 1: Crossbred Boer x Kiko kid. Crossbreeding is not just randomly mixing breeds and hoping that the offspring do well. Rather, crossbreeding is a deliberate management technique that can have significant impacts on production outcomes. Generally, when implementing a crossbreeding program, the goal would be to maximize specific attributes such as carcass characteristics or material traits. Crossbreed

Ultimately “pretty good ewes” are those that make money. Money-making ewes are prolific, parasite resistant, maintain their health, and wean fast-growing, quality lambs.

By Kelley Yates, Executive Director, Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office Sarah Carr, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Kentucky State University Purpose of the Ram The rams in our operations do not get all the attention they deserve because we use them for a short amount of time each year. However, the rams are the ultimate deal breakers for producers, because 50% of genetics of their offspring come from the ram (and 50% from the ewe). Therefore, rams need to be in our