SHEEP PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

Overview

• Basic Steps to Lambing

• Methods Used for Lambing

• Challenges Associated with Lambing

I. Basic Steps

A. Managing Ewe’s Health & Nutrition prior to and during pregnancy (gestation)

• Flushing used before breeding• Nutrition affects both the ewe and lamb

during pregnancy

I. Basic Steps continued

B. Identifying When Ewes Are Bred• Ram harness

• Chest paint

• Watch ewes for signs of heat (estrus)

• Check ewe’s udder for development late in gestation.

• Normal gestation length – 5 months minus 5 days, or 145 days

I. Basic Steps continued

C. Directly following Birth

• 3 steps commonly followed for high management operations.

• Strip

• Snip

• Dip

I. Basic Steps continued

D. Ways of Identification

• Ear Tag

• Ear Notching

• Ear Tattoo

• Paint Brand

I. Basic Steps continued

E. Docking, Castration, & Vaccinations

• Practices vary widely in different operations

• Docking

• Castrating

• Vaccinating

II. MethodsA. Pasture Lambing

– Ewe lambs in the field and does not come into the barn.

– Western Oregon– Cuts down on labor needed for

operation– Reduces chances of scours and

other bacteria infections– Increased chance of hypothermia

(cold lambs) & starvation.

II. MethodsB. Barn Lambing

• Intensive/High labor operation• Drop pens• Post lambing every ewe enters a small pen

(jug) for observation. • Higher incidence of scours & navel infection

II. Methods

C. Pasture to Barn Lambing• Moving ewe and lambs from pasture into barn

directly after lambing.

• Somewhat intensive management system

• Allows for a period of observation

• It’s a mix of the two other methods

III. Challenges/Problems

A. Abnormal Births

• Common Examples:• Legs turned back

• Head turned back

• Hind legs first

• Tail only, no legs

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM829X7.pdf

Example of A Normal Birth

www.ukagriculture.com/. ../lambing.html

III. Challenges/Problems

B. Poor Mothers• Abandonment or rejection• Udder problems

• Mastitis • Not enough or no milk/colostrums

• Often results in bummer lambs• Fed with milk supplement• Grafted onto another ewe

III. Challenges/Problems

C. Disease & Illness– Common Examples:

• Scours

• Sore mouth• White Muscle disease

– Deficiency in selenium– Common in Western Oregon

• Phenomena

III. Challenges/Problems

D. Predators• Fox problem with young lambs

• Coyotes main problem

• Mountain lions

• Bear

• Dogs

kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/.../ candid/Pictures/cyote.jpg