By LINDA McGURK
Indiana Correspondent

BOSWELL, Ind. — In the sheep barn at the Benton County 4-H Fair, curious fairgoers watched as John Cox used a grooming brush and some hand shearers to put the final touches on his daughter’s Southdown sheep.

The otherwise slick-sheared animal still sported wool on its head and legs, a characteristic look for the Southdown, and Cox demonstrated how to brush and cut the fiber.

“With the females, you leave a little more wool on the head to give them a more feminine look,” he said.

Cox, of Oxford, Ind., was looking for a 4-H project that would be suitable for younger children when he came across the Southdown a few years ago. The Southdowns are popular with hobby breeders because of their small size and gentle demeanor, but with no previous experience of raising sheep, Cox and his kids, Kendra, 12, and Preston, 10, faced a steep learning curve.

Enter Dave Bechman, the Southdown “guru,” as Cox jokingly calls him.

“We knew nothing. We learned everything we know from the Bechman family,” Cox said.

His daughter Kendra added, “They helped us breed our first ewe, showed us how to shear and feed and how to use all the equipment.”

Bechman and his wife, Janet, bought some Southdowns as a 4-H project for their children about seven years ago and now raise 35 ewes near Otterbein, Ind. As a child, Bechman did dairy cattle and hog projects in 4-H, and admits he made fun of people in the sheep barn.

“I had never even touched a sheep until seven years ago. But the kids wanted to show livestock and sheep seemed like a good option, since they’re safer than cattle. My wife said no to pigs and I said no to goats,” said Bechman.

Still remembering being a beginner himself, he believes in helping others in the 4-H community and doesn’t mind sharing the tricks of the trade with those who buy his animals, many of whom are first-time sheep owners.

“We tend to price our stock a little lower to help people get started,” he said and advised, “make sure you find a good breeder to work with, one who will give you advice on how to get started as well as sell you the lambs.”

The lambs that don’t make the cut as show animals are sold for meat, often by word-of-mouth.

“As a commercial livestock enterprise, sheep are not very big in Indiana. But (the consumption of) sheep and goat meat is increasing because of the growing ethnic population,” Bechman added.

He said the Southdown sheep is not a common breed at smaller fairs, but is prevalent at the bigger shows. The Bechman and Cox families had just returned from the Junior National Southdown Show in Richmond, Ind., which drew big breeders from all over the country. Bechman said his kids, Ann, 18, and John, 16, placed in the middle, amid stiff competition.

“To me it’s more about the people you meet and the friendships you make, than about the sheep. The sheep come and go,” he said.