Transcript Spring Lambing Program Animal Production Topic #3017 Megan Burgess Terminology  Ewes - female sheep  Lamb - less than 1 year old  Ram -

Spring Lambing Program
Animal Production
Topic #3017
Megan Burgess
Terminology
 Ewes - female sheep
 Lamb - less than 1 year old
 Ram - male sheep
 Lambing - ewe giving birth
 Weaning - remove from nursing
 Shearing - shaving of the wool
Lambing Profitability
 Ewes lamb in late February, March, and
early April
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Ovulation rate is at a normal maximum
Little embryo loss due to heat stress and ram
fertility
 Mild temperatures make lambing easier
Lambing Profitability
 Use roughage, grain, or pasture feeding
mechanism that works best
 Objective:
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Produce slaughter lambs of market weight to
be sold July and August
 May interfere with other ag enterprises
Flock Requirements
 Suitable breed crosses between ewes of:
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Rambouillet
Columbia
Finnsheep
Targhee
Corriedate
Dorset
Hampshire
Suffolk
Shropshire
Flock Requirements
 Rams of large meat-type from sire breeds
 Replacement ewes may be raised/purchased
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Less expense than in fall or winter lambing
operations
80-90 days of age
Use pasture to lower costs
Feeding
 Ewes
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Supplemented silage and dry roughage
Grain and protein prior/during lambing
 Pasture will satisfy nutritional needs
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Silage and hay supplements during winter
Dry lot of silage, grain, and hay prior/during
lambing
Feeding
 Lambs
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Should be fed creep-feed
Mixture of grain and pasture
Should not be pastured with ewes
Cut away from ewes daily – graze separately
 Pasture only when lambs are eating well
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Breeding Practices
 Flushing, teasing, or control of enviro.
conditions has little effect on conception
rate, length, or lambing period
 Ewes on good quality feed
Lambing
 Lambing rates should be 150-200%
 Intense care in lambing shed to reduce
losses
 Ewes and lambs in separate pens 4’x5’
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Ewes with singles and those with twins
penned separately
Ewes and lambs retained in small groups as
long as possible
Weaning
 50-90 days of age
 Ewes moved away from lambs
 Do not change lamb ration
Shearing
 Ewes
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Shear once a year in spring prior to lambing
 Rams
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Shear twice a year before breeding and in
spring
 Lambs
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Shear May 15 - June 1 to account for rapid
growth gains
Health - Vaccinations
 Lambs
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Type D enterotoxemia
at 6 weeks of age
Replacement ewe
lambs again after
weaning
 Vaccinate all sheep in
problems areas for:
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Vibrosis (ewes)
Tetanus (ewes)
Type C enterotoxemia
(ewes)
Sore mouth (lambs)
Bluetongue (ewes)
Health - Internal Parasites
 Follow a planned pasture management
and drenching program
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Drench twice
Before ewes are put on pasture
 Before breeding
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Lambs
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Drench as pasture and climate conditions indicate
Health
 External parasites
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Dust, dip, or spray annually following shearing
 Docking and castration
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All lambs dock at 1 - 2 weeks of age
All ram lambs should be castrated
Selection
 Purchased ewes
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Good size, sound, and healthy
 Replacement ewes
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Multiple lambing
Growth rate to weaning
Selection
 Rams
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Large, sound, and with production records
Pre-weaning and post-weaning growth rate
If replacements, select rams born as twins
References
 Sheep pictures on slide 4
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http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/
 Sheep picture on slide 9
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http://www.agednet.com/subs/la134.htm
 All clipart found at
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http://dgl.microsoft.com/