1. Sheep Production

2. 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

3. Breed Categories Wool Type: white wool only, better quality
Meat Type: any black wool
Dual Purpose: white wool, but better meat than wool types

4. Feeding Sheep Mostly roughages, concentrates for finishing
Average adult eats about 4 lbs..... dry feed per day
Overfat ewes - problems conceiving & delivering

5. Feeding Sheep
If sheep can eat all their feed in 1/2 hour, increase amount
If food left at next feeding, decrease amount
Average lamb weighs 7-9 lbs..... and will gain 1/2 LB per day
Flush ewes 17 days prior to breeding (increased level of nutrition)

6. Feeding Sheep
Increase nutrition 6 weeks prior to lambing until 1-2 months after lambing
Increase quality of feed not quantity
stomachs shrink when pregnant due to lambs in uterus
Males - increase nutrition 6 weeks prior to breeding to build strength

7. Sheep Reproduction Seasonal breeders - only breed in spring and fall
Ewe lambs must be 100 lbs..... to breed
Ram can service ewes as a lamb, and up to 100 as a yearling
Most common = 3 rams / 100 ewes
Usually not kept after 6 yrs

8. Sheep Reproduction
Marking harness - ram marks back of ewe with a crayon when mating
Change crayon colors every couple of weeks, if ewes are rebred, the first time was not successful
may have a bad ram or ewe

9. Lambing Many lambs are lost in the first 24 hrs
Twins - first born gets separated while second is being born
Assist difficult lambings
Disinfect hands, gently pull front legs
Give ewe antibiotics after
Disinfect lambs navel with iodine

10. 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

11. 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)
cam be difficult to get ewe to claim lamb

12. 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

13. Management Castration: remove testicles
Elastrator
Cut with a knife
Burdizzo crushes cords
Dock & Castrate before 6 weeks old
Wean at 5-6 months or 100 lbs.....
Shear at least once per year, before lambing (20-40% of income)

14. 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 (broken mouth)

15. Sheep Terms What do you call an adult male? Ram or Buck
What do you call an adult female?
Ewe
What do you call the act of giving birth?
Lambing

16. Sheep Terms What do you call a castrated male? Wether
What is the gestation for sheep?
147 days
What do you call a young female?
Ewe Lamb

17. Cheviot

18. Columbia

19. Dorset

20. Finn

21. Hampshire

22. Lincoln

23. Merino

24. Polypay

25. Rambouilette

26. Romanov

27. Southdown

28. Targhee

29. Texel

30. Goats

31. Alpine

32. Angora

33. Cashmere