This issue of "Secrets To Their Success" features Heath Geiman of Garden Plain, Kansas. He has three beautiful girls, twins - Claire and Blythe who are 8 years old and Drew who is 6. He currently runs a flock of 65 Hampshire Cross ewes. Enjoy reading our candid interview with Mr. Geiman and check back soon for our next "Secrets To Their Success"!
How did you get involved in the club lamb industry? Did you show?
As a young person my family raised Suffolks. I became involved exclusively in the club lamb business in 2007.
Did you attend college? If yes, were you on a judging team?
I attended Oklahoma State University and was a member of the 1994 OSU Livestock Judging Team.
What genetics are you using or what is the backbone of your flock? 
My Hampshire genetics come from 2 female purchases-one from Jim Miller in 1999 and the other from Fitch Family Hampshires in 2007. More recently I have incorporated females from Jim Strube and Brian Johnson.
What is your favorite part of raising sheep?
The most satisfying part of this business is making breeding decisions and learning from them. As in any business, the club lamb business is a people business, and I certainly value all of the relationships I have throughout the industry.
What is the biggest challenge to raising show lambs?
Outside of mating decisions, I believe the most challenging part of this business is getting my product into the hands of competitive and successful feeders.
In your opinion, what is your biggest accomplishment (sheep-wise)?
To date, more so than any show ring accomplishment, I am most proud of assembling a solid group of females to build upon.
If you could do one thing over again, what would it be (sheep-wise)?
If I could do things over, I would’ve purchased a larger group of foundation females at the outset. Quality, I agree, is certainly more important than quantity; however it is imperative to retain a large, high quality group of replacement females annually. This can be difficult to accomplish with a relatively small ewe flock.
What do you feel are more important: Rams or Ewes? Why?
I have always believed that if a breeder keeps his/her ewe flock uniform and free of defects, at any given time the program is only one generation away from making real and rewarding progress. Not to mention that true stud ram opportunities come along very rarely. So, to me, ewes are more important.
How do you go about purchasing a new ram? Does scrapie testing come into play?
Codon status is definitely something that I take into consideration. However, depending on the pieces I am looking for, there are many criteria that must be satisfied before I’ll ask how he bleeds.
List the three most important priorities in selecting replacement females for your flock?
Ewe family, correctness of structure and fleshing ability.
Do you use ET/AI? How do you see biotechnology fitting into your operation in the next 10 years?
I have used ET and I believe that once donor females are identified it is an excellent way to magnify the influence of a program’s most elite females.
Describe your facilities or describe what you think are the ideal facilities.
My facilities, after several years of adjustments, satisfy my needs for ease of movement, sheep comfort and access to forages. Outside of genetics, I believe that forages are a sheepmans’ most valuable investment, and I’ve designed my facility to take advantage of them as much as possible.
What’s your favorite lamb you’ve ever raised?
To date, my favorite sheep I’ve raised is Geiman 513, a Wheaton 7-056 daughter who’s currently in production here in my program.
What do you feel is the most important issue facing the sheep industry?
For a number of years now, short, round boned sheep have been trending, and that’s concerning to me. In some cases, I’ve observed what I perceive to be a little too much weight placed on superficial and easily manipulated traits. I’m sure that we can all cite a trend or fad that we may not be fond of. But, as long as we as breeders keep in mind that we are working for a greater good rather than the short-term success of our own programs, we’re headed in the right direction.
Where do you see yourself/your flock in ten years?
If, in my breeding program, I continue to make progress over the next decade, and customers are happy with my product, I cannot ask for anything more.
If you had one piece of advice to someone who is starting to raise sheep what would you tell them?
I would advise them to purchase a group of uniformly bred females as a foundation, as opposed to buying from several different sources. In the beginning, this makes sire selection much simpler. Also, I would encourage a beginning breeder to select from genetics that have a history of maintaining themselves on forages for the majority of the year. To a beginning breeder this may not seem like a big deal, but will prove to be a very valuable trait down the road.
What judge do you like to watch sort sheep?
I enjoy watching any judge who truly has a passion and appreciation for the discipline of livestock evaluation.
Who was the most influential person to your involvement in the sheep industry?
Bill Crutcher, retired shepherd at Oklahoma State University.
If I weren’t raising sheep I would be….
My career has revolved around agriculture since my college graduation, and it’s a way of life that I respect and appreciate. So any career move outside of sheep would hopefully fall in that arena. I also really enjoy history, so maybe something to do with that, like teaching.
I am most looking forward to…
Helping to raise and setting a good example for my three daughters.
If you could trade places with anybody for one day, who would it be?
I’ve often thought that it would be really cool to host the David Letterman show for an evening....LOL....imagine that!
Favorite movie? Cool Hand Luke |
