We encourage all members to join us on Monday, November 23^th at 7 pm central via Zoom for the United Suffolk Sheep Association Annual Meeting. Please note you do not need a computer to join, you can call in! Be sure to save the following connection to join.  This will also be posted on the USSA website www.suffolks.org along with a meeting agenda and other informational documents as the meeting approaches.

Zoom Connection Information
Join by Computer: Link provided via USSA website: www.suffolks.org under “What’s Happening” – 2026 Annual Meeting

Call-In Number: 16469313860

Meeting ID: 892 8103 9801

Passcode: 842605

Vacancy Notice
There is a vacancy in East USSA District only one intent to run has been submitted.  The USSA Board will select an individual to fill that position until the election next fall.

If you are interested in filling this position, we ask that you submit your name and a brief bio to the USSA Office by October 1.   The USSA Board will fill this vacancy in November. Please submit information via email – [email protected].
The qualifications to run for the board are –

1. A member in good standing. (Article III. Membership. Section 1. General Qualifications)
2. A member must have registered sheep with the Association in the 12 months preceding the declaration of their candidacy and in the immediate prior 24 months (Article V. Directors. Section 2. Number and Qualifications)

If you have any questions, please contact the USSA Office.

Director Candidates
West District
2 openings, each a 3-year term
John Baglien, Oregon
Chase Carson, Utah 
View West District Director Candidate Bios

East District
2 openings, each a 3-year term
Jay Harris, Illinois 
View East District Director Candidate Bio & Vacancy Notice

PLEASE NOTE USSA DISTRICTS BELOW.

For eligibility requirements, review the USSA Bylaws here.

If you or a USSA member you know would like to be a candidate for the upcoming USSA Directors elections, here’s a brief overview of your next steps:

• Submit a letter of intent declaring that you are willing to be a candidate for the USSA Board of Directors Election. Candidates for a director’s position shall be delivered to the USSA office a letter or correspondence via email stating intent to seek election as a director in the organization by August 1 of that year. Phone calls are not acceptable.
• Within one week of the deadline, candidates must submit a brief personal bio as well as a photo to the USSA Office. The personal bio should be approximately one-half of an 8 ½ x 11 page. The content of candidate bios should discuss the candidate’s qualifications, reasons they feel they are a good director candidate and any thoughts/ideas they may have on improving the association and Suffolk breed. Candidates who do not submit a personal bio and photo will only have their name listed on the election ballot.

New to the sheep business? Or a lifelong learner? Troubled by terminology? Wondering how to evaluate sheep for soundness, breeding, genetic conditions, heritable traits or even age? You’ll find all these handy sheep resources and more on the USSA’s Sheep Resources page at https://suffolks.org/resources.php

• From how to determine a sheep’s age by evaluating their teeth to understanding head and mouth soundness, structural correctness and how to evaluate rams and ewes for breeding potential, you’ll find helpful, easy-to-understand resources made available by the United Suffolk Sheep Association.
• Heard a term but not exactly sure what it means? Check out the extensive glossary of sheep terms to build your understanding.
• Wondering about the history of the Suffolk breed and the Suffolk Breed Standard? You’ll find all that and more on USSA’s comprehensive virtual sheep resources page.
• These make excellent resources for shepherds with any level of experience, and those considering investing in raising Suffolk sheep.
• If you’re a 4-H leader or an FFA advisor, or a member of 4-H or FFA or the United Junior Suffolk Sheep Association (UJSSA) looking for project ideas and resources, you’ll want to check out these downloadable sheep resources, available at no charge through the United Suffolk Sheep Association.
• Continue lifelong learning with these informative resources available at no charge from USSA at: https://suffolks.org/resources.php
• Encourage your friends, family and fellow sheep enthusiasts to check them out, too!

When you use USSA’s Digital Suffolk system, you can pay for and print your own registration papers electronically on demand, without paying any RUSH fees.

It’s quick and easy to register your Suffolk rams and ewes with Digital Suffolk. Simply enter in the sire and dam information, birthdate, type of birth, type of rearing, add any other desired information from a variety of field options and validate each registration and presto, you’ve committed your sheep to the USSA Suffolk registry database quickly and easily.

Take the time and hassle out of transfers

• Plus, with Digital Suffolk transferring sheep you’ve sold is a breeze. No more fumbling to find a registration paper, put it in the mail with payment, wait for it to be processed then wait yet again for it to arrive by mail. To process a transfer, register the Suffolk then simply add the new buyer’s USSA number, or look it up in the database or record a new record for the buyer and the date of sale, the percentage of the sheep sold, and that’s it. It’s that quick and easy!
• With Digital Suffolk registrations and transfers are recorded as soon as you commit them to the database and pay for the transfer. What could be easier?

Easy to access on your desktop or your phone

• Access Digital Suffolk from the convenience of your desktop or your mobile device. Use it to view the sheep in your flock, sorted by sex and by lambs, yearlings and mature sheep. Add DNA information to record each Suffolk’s resistance to scrapie, spider syndrome and dwarf genes.
• Track semen sales, semen rights and breeding certificates for natural breeding and artificial insemination.
• Submit your flock’s performance information to the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP) with the convenience of using Digital Suffolk, without the tedious process of having to reenter pedigree information.
• Searching for a certain flock or Suffolk sheep for sale? You can do that with Digital Suffolk, too!

Digital Suffolk calculates key dates quickly

• Wonder when sheep bred are due to lamb? No need to calculate or guess on the lambing date. Digital Suffolk does it for you. The same goes with heat cycles, as Digital Suffolk calculates when a ewe in heat on a certain date will experience her next 17-day estrus cycle.
• Wondering about weaning dates? Digital Suffolk calculates those date ranges for you, too, with everything from weaning to early post-weaning, to post weaning dates, based on birthdates.

See what you’ve been missing!

• Learn more about the many time-saving features of Digital Suffolk and how it works at: https://suffolks.org/wp/registration/
• Become a member of the United Suffolk Sheep Association or the United Junior Suffolk Sheep Association to get your Digital Suffolk log in information. Use the handy membership forms on this page to join USSA and/or UJSSA today: https://suffolks.org/wp/registration/
• Check out the fees and the key forms you may need for registering your Suffolks through USSA at: https://suffolks.org/wp/registration/
• Become a USSA or UJSSA member today, then unlock the keys to the many convenient features of Digital Suffolk at https://suffolk.digitalovine.com/

• Have questions? Email [email protected].

View the Suffolk Source!