Dr. Haley Linder, Assistant Professor, OSU Ruminant Nutrition
Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist
Sheep 
producers across Ohio are invited to participate in a new research project conducted by The Ohio State University focused on understanding mineral availability and mineral status in sheep flocks. The project, Mineral Status Across Ohio Sheep Farms, is funded by the Ohio Sheep & Wool Program and is led by Haley Linder and Brady Campbell, Assistant Professors in the Department of Animal Sciences at The Ohio State University.
Mineral concentrations in soil, forage, and water vary widely across the state, yet many flocks rely on standard mineral mixes without knowing whether they match local conditions. This project aims to characterize regional mineral trends by collecting soil, forage, water, and blood samples from sheep farms across five Ohio regions (NW, NE, Central, SW, SE).
Participating producers will receive farm-specific mineral results, including blood mineral status and environmental mineral data. All sampling supplies and laboratory costs are covered by the project. Producers will also be asked to share basic management information, such as their current mineral and nutrition program, to help interpret results.
Both pasture-based and confinement operations are eligible, provided soil and forage can be sampled from the field(s) where forage fed to the sheep was grown.
Producers interested in participating should contact Haley Linder (linder.129@osu.edu) or Brady Campbell (campbell.1279@osu.edu). Recruitment will occur in Winter 2025, with sampling planned for Spring 2026.