Transcript Sheep Production Mrs. Rogers Why choose sheep? Sheep can survive where cows can’t  Sheep will eat problem weeds like Leafy Spurge  Profit per.

Sheep Production
Mrs. Rogers
Why choose sheep?
Sheep can survive where cows can’t
 Sheep will eat problem weeds like Leafy
Spurge
 Profit per acre is the same for sheep
and cows, and usually higher for sheep
 Easier to get started due to less
equipment needed

Breed Categories
Wool Type: white wool only, better
quality
 Meat Type: any black wool
 Dual Purpose: white wool, but better
meat than wool types

Sheep Terms
What do you call an adult male?
Ram or Buck
 What do you call an adult female?
Ewe
 What do you call a young female?
Ewe lamb

Sheep Terms
What do you call a castrated male?
Wether
 What is the gestation for sheep?
147 days
 What do you call the act of giving birth?
Lambing

Feeding Sheep
Mostly roughages, concentrates for
finishing
 Average adult eats about 4 lbs..... dry
feed per day
 Overfat ewes - problems conceiving &
delivering

Sheep Reproduction
Seasonal breeders - only breed in
spring and fall
 Ewe lambs must be 100 lbs..... to breed
 Ram can service 12-15 ewes as a lamb,
and up to 100 as a yearling
 Most common = 3 rams / 100 ewes
 Usually not kept after 6 yrs

Lambing
Lamb should nurse within minutes,
especially if cold weather
 Strip teats to remove a mucous plug that
seals the teat, lamb may not be strong
enough to suck the plug out and not get
any milk, if he fails, he will quit trying
and die

Lambing



Colostrum: mothers first milk (antibiotics)
Keep ewe and lamb together for first 24 hours
or more if the ewe doesn’t want to claim the
lamb
Grafting: adopting lambs (triplets) onto other
ewes (with singles or dead lambs)
– can be difficult to get ewe to claim lamb
Lambing
Many lambs are lost in the first 24 hrs
 Twins - first born gets separated while
second is being born
 Assist difficult lambings
 Gently pull front legs
 Give ewe antibiotics after
 Disinfect lambs navel with iodine

Management
Identification: mark lambs with paint brands,
or ear tags or tattoo ears (purebreds)
 Docking: cut off tails
– tails are a bother
– between 1st and 2nd vertebrae of tail
– Elastrator: rubber band cuts off circulation
– Hot Iron: electric, heated knife stops
bleeding

Management
Castration: remove testicles
– Elastrator
– Cut with a knife
– Burdizzo crushes cords
 Dock & Castrate before 6 weeks old
 Wean at 3-4 months

Management


Culling: choosing animals not to keep for
breeding purposes
Aging Sheep: less than 1 yr.. = milk teeth
– 1-2 yrs = middle two teeth replaced by 2
larger teeth
– each year to 4 yrs = another set replaced
– 6-7 yrs = begin to lose teeth