Fall Lambing Considerations

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:9 mins read

  • Loading

Experienced Polypay producer, John Anderson of Lambshire Polypays in Ohio, shares some sage advice and techniques on how he successfully lambs in the fall without the use of CIDRs or other artificial methods. John lambs exclusively in the fall now after nearly 40 years of accelerated lambing using both the STAR system and three times per year. Why lamb in the fall? There are many benefits to lambing in the fall. Fall born lambs often bring better prices at market than those born in the spring. Pasture lambing in the fall can match fall forage growth. In many parts of…

Continue ReadingFall Lambing Considerations

Colostrum

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:21 mins read

  • Loading

The best diet that you can offer your lambs is good quality colostrum, followed by milk that they consume straight from their healthy, well-fed dam. Unfortunately, things do not always go as planned and all shepherds should be ready to, at least temporarily, supplement or replace a lamb's colostrum needs in case their dam is unable to do so. What is colostrum? The "milk" that ewes produce in the days leading up to lambing and is available to her lambs on the first day after lambing is called colostrum. It is "liquid gold" that contains antibodies to all the diseases…

Continue ReadingColostrum

Winter Grazing for Livestock: Enhancing Animal Performance, Health, and Farm Profitability

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:6 mins read

  • Loading

Winter grazing for livestock offers numerous benefits that extend beyond traditional feeding practices. This article explores the advantages of winter grazing, including improved animal performance, enhanced animal health, reduced labor for farmers, and ultimately, improved profitability. Improved Animal Performance: Winter grazing allows animals to continue their natural behaviors which limits exposure to mud and pathogens that often occur at hay feeding stations. Research by Johnson et al. (2018, "Effects of Winter Grazing System on Cow Performance and Pasture Productivity") demonstrates that properly managed winter grazing can maintain or even enhance body condition in livestock leading to improved reproductive performance and…

Continue ReadingWinter Grazing for Livestock: Enhancing Animal Performance, Health, and Farm Profitability

Evaluating your mineral program

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:15 mins read

  • Loading

We all know that our sheep need minerals, but how do we know that we are not over- or under-supplying their needs? Mineral deficiencies can lead to disease, but too much can lead to toxicity and even death. Minerals interact with each other; high levels of molybdenum can suppress copper levels and cause copper deficiency but it is also used to protect against copper toxicity in instances where high copper levels are present. The whole diet needs to be evaluated, not just the minerals you are offering. Minerals in the soil determine what minerals are available in the forages grown…

Continue ReadingEvaluating your mineral program

Grazing Native Warm-Season Grasses: SARE Grant Update

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:12 mins read

  • Loading

In my career with USDA-NRCS I've been fortunate to see a lot of different production methods involving a variety of livestock operations across North Carolina. Beginning in 2016, I began working with more producers that had established or wanted to establish native warm-season grasses (NWSGs) in their pasture operations. Those producers mainly worked with beef cattle. These work experiences led me to want to do the same thing on our small 20-acre farm in North Carolina. However, I wanted to do something different by using sheep. Study Design My proposed theory was that I could use NWSGs to lower feed…

Continue ReadingGrazing Native Warm-Season Grasses: SARE Grant Update

Scours: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:65 mins read

  • Loading

Scours or diarrhea is something that most of us probably see in our flocks over the course of a year. Animals scour whenever there is a disturbance in the normal processes that regulate how much fluid is excreted in their manure. Scours is a symptom, sometimes due to a serious disease that requires prompt treatment, but often diet induced and transient, requiring only tincture of time to resolve. Diet plays a large role in manure consistency; expect looser manure for a few days whenever there is an increase in protein and/or energy or a decrease in fiber in their diets.…

Continue ReadingScours: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

It All Starts in the Rumen

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:4 mins read

  • Loading

As prey animals, sheep evolved with the ability to harvest their food quickly with very little chewing, then retire to a safe place to further process their meal. Sheep are unable to directly digest the cellulose in forages and must rely on billions of microorganisms in the rumen (bacteria, protozoa and fungi) for fermentation and digestion. The byproducts of these microbes provide the sheep with needed nutrients (protein, energy, B vitamins and vitamin K). The health of the entire animal is reliant on the health of the rumen microbes. The rumen is often referred to as a large fermentation vat…

Continue ReadingIt All Starts in the Rumen

Late Gestation Management Considerations

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:9 mins read

  • Loading

Ewes are bred, the holidays are just around the corner, and for all of us with winter lambing flocks, lambing season is almost here. Over the last year, we have invested in high quality genetics to move our flocks forward and now it's important that we make sure our next generation of lambs gets off to the right start. This begins with good late gestation management. I have summarized nutritional requirements in Table 1 (think of this as nutrient demand by the animal). Requirements for energy (as indicated by total digestible nutrients) and protein increase substantially for late gestation and…

Continue ReadingLate Gestation Management Considerations

Alternative Feeds: Is Variety the Spice of Life?

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:11 mins read

  • Loading

When it comes to sheep feed…it depends. With staggering increases in feed costs due to inflation, supply chain disruptions, impacts of international conflicts affecting energy, grain and fertilizer production along with regional weather events, now might be a good time to investigate alternative feeds. Alternative feeds are those that are not commonly used on a regular basis as part of the usual livestock feed ration and are often cheaper than typical feed, such as corn and soybeans. Availability and cost of certain alternative feeds will vary based on geographic region so it pays to do some research on what might…

Continue ReadingAlternative Feeds: Is Variety the Spice of Life?

Small Farm Hay Considerations

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:3 mins read

  • Loading

For a small producer, identifying a hay farmer that suits your needs each and every year can be an invaluable asset to your farm. Building and nurturing that relationship may mean you have access to hay during unforeseen events, such as drought or shortage. Creating that relationship gives you an understanding of what you are buying. It allows you to become actively involved in the production of your animal's diet for a good portion of the year. The benefit to your hay farmer is simply knowing that you are coming back every year. It's easier to produce a product for…

Continue ReadingSmall Farm Hay Considerations