Ewe and lamb body condition, breeding and production data from the Montana Agricultural Experiment station, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT from 1960 - 2012
Red Bluff Research Ranch is a 13,750-acre ranch is part of the Montana Agricultural Experiment station, and associated with Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. The ranch occupies most of the once thriving late 19th- to early 20th-century gold mining community in the Hot Springs Mining District, which was second only in gold production to Alder Gulch. The ranch nearly surrounds the town of Norris. Historically about 900 head of sheep were maintained year-round at the research ranch. The livestock, as well as the rangeland, are used for both teaching and research. Sheep nutrition studies included nutrition levels, management practices and sheep behavior. Animal scientists look at breeding as a major way to improve livestock production. Hybridization was studied in sheep to help predict staple length, open faces, smoothness and body conformation related to better and more meat. These data include ewe and lamb body condition, breeding and production data from 1960-2012.
Supported/funded by Montana State University College of Agriculture, Montana Agricultural Research Service, Montana Wool Lab., and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
Resources in this dataset:
Resource Title: MSU_EWES_1960-2012.
File Name: MSU_EWES_1960-2012.csv
Resource Title: MSU_LAMBS_1960-2012.
File Name: MSU_LAMBS_1960-2012.csv
Resource Title: Data dictionary for Montana State University ewe data 1960-2012.
File Name: MSU_Ewe_DataDictionary.csv
Resource Title: Data dictionary for Montana State University lamb data 1960-2012.
File Name: MSU_Lamb_DataDictionary.csv
Funding
USDA-ARS
Montana State University
Montana Agricultural Experiment Station
History
Data contact name
Posbergh, ChristianData contact email
christian.posbergh@montana.eduPublisher
Ag Data CommonsIntended use
This dataset could be used for analyzing long term lamb and wool production trends in the intermountain west setting, potentially associated with other historical data such as lamb prices, wool prices, and climate data.Use limitations
None knownTemporal Extent Start Date
1960-01-01Temporal Extent End Date
2012-12-31Theme
- Not specified
Geographic Coverage
{"type":"FeatureCollection","features":[{"geometry":{"type":"Point","coordinates":[-111.65843778879,45.550475417443]},"type":"Feature","properties":{}}]}Geographic location - description
Between 1955 and 1958, the Towne, Girvin and Boldt properties, located just west of the Montana State University campus, were purchased for use in livestock experiments and teaching. In 1956, 13,000 acres were acquired at Red Bluff, a ranch 30 miles west of Bozeman. The Red Bluff Range Research facility was used for range nutrition and breeding studies with cattle and sheep in cooperative studies with U.S.D.A. and the Animal Husbandry Department and for teaching opportunities.ISO Topic Category
- environment
- farming
Ag Data Commons Group
- Long-Term Livestock Production
National Agricultural Library Thesaurus terms
ewes; body condition; agricultural experiment stations; Montana; nutrition; livestock production; hybridization; staple (fibers); body conformation; meat; grazing; cattle; animal husbandry; data collection; wool production; Intermountain West region; prices; woolOMB Bureau Code
- 005:18 - Agricultural Research Service
OMB Program Code
- 005:040 - National Research
Pending citation
- No
Public Access Level
- Public