Production Management Schedule
Sheep Management Program
By Stephanie Yankey, B.S.
Background | Facilities | Nutrition and Feeding Program | Flock Health | Reproduction and Breeding | Care of the Newborn Immediately Following Parturition | Assistance of the Ewe During Lambing | Trouble Shooting | Lambing Worksheet
The University of Idaho Sheep Research and Teaching Center has been in existence since the early 1900’s. In 1986 an agreement was made between the University of Idaho (UI) and Washington State University (WSU) to institute cooperative programs in sheep and swine. Since that time, WSU has offered the swine program and UI has offered the sheep program. With this cooperative agreement, the UI Sheep Center meets the sheep needs of the Animal and Veterinary Science Departments, WSU Veterinary School, USDA programs at both schools, and supports the sheep industries in Idaho and Washington. The UI conducts all the labs and sheep management courses at this center, and in agreement with the conditions, the UI provides an instructor for the Sheep Management course.
The mission and goals of the sheep farm are to: (1) provide a suitable teaching flock with adequate numbers to accommodate teaching of undergraduates, graduates, and veterinary students at UI, WSU, and WSU Veterinary School; (2) provide lambs and ewes for basic and applied research projects; (3) make the farm a show place for the hundreds of visitors (producers, grade school students, and guests) who tour the Center each year; (4) to provide students with hands-on experience with sheep production; and (5) to support the sheep industry in Idaho and Washington by sponsoring field days, tours and symposia.
The UI/ WSU Sheep Center is home to approximately 250 ewes and 10 rams. There are many different breeds represented at the center. The major breeds at the center are Panama, Dorset, Columbia, and Suffolk. Minor breeds, represented at the center are Cheviot, Arcot, Dorper, and Rambouillet.
The UI/WSU Sheep Center is located on 126 acres one half mile north of campus. Two large barns, located at the north end of the facility, are where lambing occurs. One barn is the lambing barn and contains four drop pens and eight lambing jugs. The barn also contains three or four mixing pens, depending on the arrangement of the panels. One mixing pen is reserved for older bum lambs. This barn provides protection from the elements, but is not heated. The other north barn is the hospital barn. This barn has five lambing pens, one of which is a bum pen. These pens are used only when a ewe or lamb needs particular care or watch, or the lambing barn is completely full. Since this barn is heated it is not recommended for lambing as the chance of pneumonia increases once the lambs are moved out into a colder environment. The hospital barn contains an incubator, scales, and all the medicine and medical equipment that may be needed during lambing season and throughout the year. This barn also houses the farm manager’s office, computer and records. Within the last year all records have been computerized using a program called Ovissey.
Along the access road, which runs through the middle of the sheep center, are nine loafing pens. The pens have been contoured using ash and cedar chips to allow for proper drainage. Each pen has a sheltered area for protection from the elements. The open front sheds have been individually fitted with sunshades to provide more shade during the summer, and keep the rain and snow out during the winter, while still allowing adequate ventilation. The east edges of the pens are lined with feed bunks, for feeding of concentrates and hay. These feed bunks were designed so that lambs could not get into or lay inside of them. Water is provided in each of the pens by frost-free waterers.
Towards the south end of the Center is the lower barn and handling facilities. The main level of the barn contains four pens, equipped with feeders and waterers, with access to the adjacent handing facilities. The loft of the barn is used to store hay, salt, milk replacer, zinc sulfate, and other bagged products. The loft also contains four feed bins, each of which has an access spout on the main level of the barn. The barn also contains a wool handling area equipped with a skirting table and mechanical wool bagger. The adjacent handling facilities consist of a large curved alleyway, which gradually narrows out until it forms single file chute. Using the system of alleyways, the handler then has access to scales, sort gates, flip table, or foot bath.
Since the majority of the land the center is located on is pasture, the center is in the process of implementing a forage based nutrition program. Most of the pasture is orchard and/or smooth brome grasses. In the spring the forage production exceeds the capacity to graze it and many pastures are cut for hay to be fed as round bales in the fall and winter. Throughout the spring, summer, and fall a rotational grazing system with movable electric fence is used.
This year several changes have been made to extend the grazing season. Last fall, thirty acres of pasture was plowed and replanted to an oat/pea mix. This oat /pea pasture was cut for hay during the spring, allowed to re-grow during the summer, and was grazed this fall. This fall a ten acres pasture were planted to turnips, which were used as winter graze.
During the winter and lambing season, some concentrates are still required. Ewes are fed a whole barley/corn mix starting the last trimester of gestation and continuing through lactation. Dry peas are added to the ration when they are available. The amount they are fed depends of whether they are raising a single or multiples. Lambs are given access to creep feed as soon as they are out of the jugs. This creep contains chopped barley, corn, mineral, and a coccidiostat.
To more effectively control health problems any new animals purchased for the flock are isolated for 30 days before introducing them into the main flock. Main diseases of concern are contagious footrot, ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP), and Scrapie. All breeding stock are enrolled in the Voluntarily Federal Scrapie Certification Program and are have been genotyped at the Scrapie loci (codons 131 and 176). All breeding stock has been tested for the OPP virus and those who were positive are being culled.
Any animal(s) who show possible symptoms of foot rot are treated aggressively, as foot rot has been a problem in the past. All new and yearling animals receive two injections of Foot Vax 10 in the fall and early winter. Two-year olds and older receive one "booster" injection in the fall. Feet are trimmed quarterly and all animals are run through a footbath every month. The foot bath is a 10% zinc sulfite (ZnSO4) solution made by mixing 8 pounds of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) with 10 gallons of water with detergent added as a surfactant. Animals’ feet are allowed to soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the bath after which they are allowed to stand on concrete for a time before they are put back in pens.
In the past, large groups of purebred animals have been maintained at the center, but as we move to become more efficient this is changing. Smaller purebred flocks of Suffolk, Columbia, Dorset, and Panama will be maintained for replacement breeding stock. The Panama will be kept as a purebred flock for the purpose of maintaining our agreement with the Laidlaw Foundation. Each of these flocks will consist of of 30-50 animals, except for the Panamas, which will be around 50 animals. The rest of the ewe base will be crossbred. Selection in the crossbred flock will be based on carcass characteristics, prolificacy, milk production, mothering ability.
The timing of lambing season has been moved so it coordinates with forage availability in the Spring. Because of this, lambing begins in late March continuing through early May. Rams are turned in with the ewes beginning in late October continuing through November. Yearling ewes are bred last so they have additional time to reach maturity and so the manager has the additional time needed at lambing. Even though most yearlings will only have singles and they require more attention at lambing, we believe the additional time is worthwhile. Studies have shown that ewes bred to lamb as yearlings have a more productive life overall than those who were bred at two years old.
The ewe flock has been split so there is also a fall lambing crop. Rams are put in with ewes in April so that lambing occurs in September and October. Ewes in either the fall or spring group with singles are weaned at ~45 days and rebred if they have maintained body condition allowing in some cases 3 lamb crops in two years. Ewes in either the fall or spring group are ultrasounded approximately two months after breeding to determine whether the ewe is pregnant or not, and whether they are carrying a single or multiples. The ewes are separated and fed different rations according to their requirements.
CARE OF THE NEWBORN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING PARTURITION
ASSISTANCE OF THE EWE DURING LAMBING
~ When to give assistance:
If in doubt, examine the ewe to check that all is well
~ When giving assistance:
~ After giving assistance:
10 ml of penicillin subcutaneously
2 ml of oxytocin intramuscularly
1 uterine bolus within the uterus
10 ml penicillin
2 ml of lutylase intramuscularly
10 ml penicillin
Normal temp: 101-102°F
Elevated temp: Above 103°F (think infection & antibiotic)
Cold lambs: Mild Hypothermia- 99-101°F
Severe hypothermia- below 99°F
MILD HYPOTHERMIA (99-101°F)
SEVERE HYPOTHERMIA (below 99
°F max temp)
~ If under 6 hours old:
~ If over 6 hours old:
(To make 20% dextrose combine 20 ml of 50% dextrose with 30 ml or sterile water)
ELEVATED TEMPERATURE (above 103°F)
OR
OR
~ All Newborns:
~ If lamb is unable to nurse, feed using a stomach tube at the rate of 20 ml colostrum per pound of body weight every three hours
Large lamb-12 lbs 240 ml colostrum
Medium lamb- 9 lbs 180 ml colostrum
Small lamb- 6 lbs 120 ml colostrum