Answers to Showmanship Questions
1) Which state has the most sheep?
Texas2) Which state has the most flocks of sheep?
Texas3) What is the current national market price of lamb?
For this question, the exhibitor must be knowledgable about any changes in the national price. For this reason, one must constantly check what the price is at a particular time. To find the current national market price of lamb visit AMS @ USDA.4) When was your lamb born?
Obviously the answer to this question depends on each individual lamb. Know ahead of time all of your lamb's important information. If you are asked this question and don't know the answer, just make one up that is close to when it should be. A judge has no way of knowing if it isn't true. Also be sure not to stutter on this question. Already have the date in your head so that when you are asked you can confidently give the judge the date.5) Is your lamb a ewe or a wether?
If you don't already know before you go into the show ring, then you could be in some big trouble. Be sure to use the correct terminology when answering this question as well. Respond with ewe or wether not male/female or boy/girl because it doesn't look as professional. Don't look at the lamb and then give the answer because this doesn't look good (don't look under the lamb and then respond with "a wether"). 6) How much does your lamb weigh?
Most shows have a weigh-in prior to the show so be sure remember how much you lamb weighs.7) How old is your lamb?
Obviously the answer to this question depends on each individual lamb. Know ahead of time all of your lamb's important information. If you are asked this question and don't know the answer, just make one up that is close to what it should be. A judge has no way of knowing if it isn't true. Also be sure not to stutter on this question. Already have the age in your head so that when you are asked you can confidently give the judge the age.8) What kind of feed do you use?
Surprisingly most exhibitors don't know the answer to this question because their parents buy the feed and the kids feed the lambs (or the parents feed the lambs). If you don't know, ask your parents ahead of time. If you mix your own feed, be prepared to tell a little about your feed.9) How much feed do you use?
Again, most exhibitors don't know the answer to this question because their parents tell their kids how much to feed the lambs. If you don't know, ask your parents ahead of time. It always sounds better if you use units when describing the amount you feed. For example don't say "a coffee can" or "a scoop". Instead, tell the weight of the feed. For more information on correctly measuring your feed visit How to Measure Your Feed.10) What type of exercise program is your lamb on?
Explain to the judge what types of exercises you do, how often you do them, and how long each exercise lasts. For example you may say that you walk your lamb every other other day for about 10 minutes. On the days you don't walk your lamb you practice isometrics for about five or 10 minutes.11) What is the fat percentage in your lamb's feed?
Memorize everything there is to know about your lamb's feed and be ready to correctly state certain percentages at any given time.12) What would you change about your lamb?
This question is frequently asked by judges. This is to see how well you know your lamb. Give your lamb a good looking at before the show and be prepared to give lots of details on your answer.13) What is the best feature of your lamb?
This question is frequently asked by judges. This is to see how well you know your lamb. Give your lamb a good looking at before the show and be prepared to give lots of details on your answer.14) Where is the (name of body part) on your lamb?
Exhibitors are accustomed to knowing certain parts of a lamb on a diagram, but rarely practice on a live animal. Get with your parents or sheep group and practice naming the parts of the lamb on a live lamb to better prepare you if you are asked where something is. When asked this question be sure to point and touch directly to the spot on your lamb where the part is located. Never say and point "around here somewhere".15) What percentage of back fat do you think your lamb has on it at this time?
This is perhaps one of the most trickiest questions a judge could ask you. Most people know when their lamb is too fat or too lean by feeling the back fat, but estimating a percentage is a difficult thing to do. Backfat is measured on the carcass at the 13th rib. You would take a ruler and measure the depth of the fat at that point. It is a little more difficult on a live lamb so you kind of have to "guestimate". If you get the chance, go to the slaughter plant and look at carcasses. Some contests involve judging the carcasses and if you can go look at these carcasses. Another thing you can do is take a lamb chop and look at the fat along the edge. If the butcher hasn't cut off excess fat, you can measure this and get an idea of how much fat is there. The more fat there is, the less bone you can feel. 16) What is the average percentage of back fat on a lean lamb?
17) How many wool fibers are there per square inch?
5,000 to 50,000 fibers per square inch depending on breed and individual sheep18) When will your animal be sexually mature?
This varies from breed to breed. The best thing to do for this question is to visit your breed's national association site and look for this information. A list of breed associations can be found at the Breed Links page.19) What breed is your lamb?
Obviously the answer to this question depends on each individual lamb. Know ahead of time all of your lamb's important information. Be sure not to stutter on this question, otherwise you may not look as intelligent as what you are.20) How many parts are there to the stomach?
421) What are the parts of the stomach?
Omassum, abomassum, rumen, reticulum22) Name examples of meat breeds.
Cheviot, Columbia, Dorset, Hampshire, Montadale, Oxford, Shropshire, Southdown, Suffolk 23) Name examples of wool breeds.
Cotswold, Lincoln, Merino, Rambouillet, Romney24) What is the original meat breed?
The answer to this question is currently being sought. Please let us know if you know the answer by emailing the webmanager with references to where you found the answer.25) What is the original wool breed?
The answer to this question is currently being sought. Please let us know if you know the answer by emailing the webmanager with references to where you found the answer.26) How long is the gestation period for a ewe?
146 days27) What is the carcass yield percentage?
The dressing percentage (carcass weight divided by live weight multiplied by 100) that is not directly related to yield grades or cutability28) How many pounds of feed must be fed for one pound of weight gained?
.5-.75 pounds per day per pound of feed29) What is a lamb's normal body temperature?
Varies from lamb to lamb depending mostly on the weather. 102-103 can be considered normal.30) How many teeth does a lamb have? A sheep?
Lambs have 20, sheep have 3231) Where would you give your lamb a shot?
If you are asked this question, please answer by asking what kind of a shot. More than likely they will want the answer for a SQ injection, which should go anywhere there is loose skin on the lamb, most likely in the neck, flank, or behind the front leg.32) What do you think is the best lamb in the class and why?
33) What cut of meat would come from where I'm touching your lamb right now?
34) What vaccinations has your lamb had?
Keep an accurate record of all of your lambs vaccinations on paper. Plant the most important ones in your brain as well.35) What is the normal respiration rate of a sheep?
12-2036) What is a safe copper level for sheep?
24 ppm and below37) What is your lamb's name?
If your lamb doesn't have a name, make one up. Some judges don't like it when exhibitors don't name their lambs.38) How many sets of incisors (milk teeth) are lambs born with?
439) Can you name a sheep by-product?
Candles, coatings for pills, medicines, rugs, clothing, lanolin products, leather goods, photographic film, surgical sutures, yarn, pelts, carpets, cosmetics40) What is the average weight of a (specific lamb breed)?
For this, you must be quite familiar with each lamb breed in order to know the average weight.41) What do you worm with?
42) How often do you trim your lamb's hooves?
43) What is the average amount of back fat on a lamb?
.25544) Name an example of a dual-purpose breed.
Columbia, Dorset, Lincoln, Montadale, North Country Cheviot, Polypay, Romney45) What is the average daily rate of gain for a market lamb?
The answer to this question is currently being sought. Please let us know if you know the answer by emailing the webmanager with references to where you found the answer.46) Where did your lamb originate from?
47) What is lanolin?
Lanolin is purified wool grease. 48) What is an example of a dairy breed of sheep?
Friesland, British Milksheep, Dorset Horn/Poll Dorset, Lacaune, and Assaf Sheep49) Who was your lamb's breeder?
50) How often do you need to worm your sheep?
Because the life cycle of most worms is 4 weeks, lambs need to wormed every 3-4 weeks to kill worms.51) What is the amount of crude protein in your feed?
Memorize everything there is to know about your lamb's feed and be ready to correctly state certain percentages at any given time.52) What is crude protein?
Crude protein is the total amount of protein in a feed, expressed as a percentage of the feed. Crude protein is further subdivided into soluble, degradable, undegradable, bypass, and bound protein fractions.53) What is the most expensive cut of meat and what is its diameter?
Loin, 1.27cm average54) How is the yeild grade determined?
(Back fat x 10) + .455) What is the most important nutrient sheep need?
Water56) Who are the officers of your lamb's breed association?
57) What are the rations of feed that you feed your lamb?
58) How many glands does and sheep have and where are they located?
8, under each eye, in between all four hooves, and near each teat59) How much do you work your lamb daily?
60) What is the average thickness of a lamb's loin?
The answer to this question is currently being sought. Please let us know if you know the answer by emailing the webmanager with references to where you found the answer.61) What is the average milking policy for a lamb?
The answer to this question is currently being sought. Please let us know if you know the answer by emailing the webmanager with references to where you found the answer.62) What does worsted and woollen mean?
Worsted is a smooth compact yarn from long wool fibers used especially for firm napless fabrics, carpeting, or knitting. Woollen is a fabric made of wool and especially of woolen yarns having a fuzzy or napped face (as for use in clothing or blankets).63) What are some concerns for the sheep industry?
The answer to this question is currently being sought. Please let us know if you know the answer by emailing the webmanager with references to where you found the answer.64) Which sheep breed is the most popular? Why?
The answer to this question is currently being sought. Please let us know if you know the answer by emailing the webmanager with references to where you found the answer.65) What is the purpose of scrapie tags?
The answer to this question is currently being sought. Please let us know if you know the answer by emailing the webmanager with references to where you found the answer.66) How would you get a belly off of a market lamb?
The answer to this question is that it all depends on the reason the lamb has a belly in the first place. Lambs can have big bellies for a number of reasons. They could have worms, tanked up on water, feed, or hay, or they could just be genetically made to have a bigger belly. You must explain you to solve the problem for each case. Worm your lamb, restrict feed, hay, and water before entering the show ring, and choose a lamb that didn't inherit that belly.67) In what month are most lambs born?
Another trick question. Lambs are born naturally in spring, or in April and May. However, market lambs are bred so they will be born in January or February or later depending on when your show is.
