(hair)Sheep Herd Health Management

November 20, 2018

Hair Sheep Four Principle Breeds

Barbado, Carribean St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

Katahdin, Maine Dorper, South Africa

Marketing

Dictated by consumer

Uniformity and Consistency

Welfare orientated

No antibiotics – considered antibiotic free

For example: feet can be treated by trimming

and topical treatments

Castration and tail docking looked upon

unfavorably

Many know how... few know when

Premium Marketing Plan

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Where to start... 1. Purchase healthy animals

Parasites – rely on natural resistance, 80/20 Rule

Caseous Lymphadenitis – lesions can come and go

Contagious Echthymia (Orf) – secondary to stress

2. Biosecurity

30 day strict quarantine

Vaccinate and deworm

3. Feed

Strategically feed ewes

Pasture, good hay, protein supplement

Management

Different levels of

management

What is the goal?

Weed eater

Commercial

Replacement

Show lambs

Breeding Considerations

Calendar is key Lambing 2 times per year? Lambing 3 times in two years? Lambing in March? Lambing in November?

Prebreeding Protocols Prebreeding Exam

6-8 weeks prebreeding

Rams

Check overall health, trim feet

Palpate testicles, BSE if in doubt

Strategically deworm

Vaccinate for CDT

4 weeks prebreeding

Ewes

Check overall health, trim feet if needed

Strategically deworm

Consider feeding to “flush”

2 weeks prebreeding

Position rams across the fence if possible

Breeding Protocol

Breeding

Breeding period 35-45 days

Easier to manage lamb health

Some will use a year round breeding period

Feed through breeding period

Gestation

148-152 days, basically 5 months (21 weeks)

Postbreeding Protocol

Day 120 Ewes

30 days prior to lambing

Strategically deworm

Vaccinate CDT

Evaluate body condtion

May have to sort and feed those lacking adequate

body condition

Lambing Protocol

• Different management levels

• Lamb on pasture

• Day of birth

• Triplets – Hard to manage • Feed ewes separately

• Bottle feed largest lamb

• Day 3 • Band rams and clip tails

• CDT Vaccine

Preweaning Protocol

6-7 weeks old

Deworm

Vaccinate CDT

Will start eating with ewes

Make sure to allow room at bunk

9-11 weeks old

Deworm lambs, unless it is winter

Repeat every 3 weeks during parasite season

Weaning Protocol

Wean lambs at 3-4 months

Deworm every 3 weeks during parasite season

CDT Vaccine

Evaluate ewes

Sort off ewes with small lambs, bad udders, thin,

old

Fence line wean

Situate lambs and ewes just across the fence

Do not overfeed lambs

March Lambing Calendar

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Vacc ewes

Lambing Vacc & deworm lambs

Wean March lambs: vacc and

deworm every

3 weeks

Check rams

Turn-out

rams

Mid Nov pull

rams

November Lambing Calendar

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Vacc & deworm lambs

Wean Nov

lambs: vacc And

deworm

Check rams

Turn-out

rams

Mid July pull

rams

Vacc ewes

Lambing

Lambing in March and November

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Vacc & Deworm

Nov baby lambs

Vacc preg ewes

Wean Nov

lambs: vacc And

deworm

Lambing Vacc & Deworm March baby lambs

Turn-out

rams

Wean March lambs: vacc and

deworm every

3 weeks

Mid July Pull rams

Ck

rams

Vacc preg ewes

Turn-out

rams

Lambing

Check rams

Mid Nov pull

rams

Three Lambings in Two Years

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Vacc ewes

Lambing

Vacc And

deworm lambs

Wean lambs

Turn-out

rams

Vacc ewes

Lambing Vacc and deworm

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Wean lambs

Turn-out

rams

Vacc ewes

Lambing

Vacc and

deworm lambs

Wean Lambs

Turn-out

rams

Summary Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Vacc ewes

Lambing

Vacc And

deworm lambs

Wean lambs

Turn-out

rams

Vacc ewes

Lambing Vacc and deworm

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Wean lambs

Turn-out

rams

Vacc ewes

Lambing

Vacc and

deworm lambs

Wean Lambs

Turn-out

rams

PREMIUM DORPER LAMB MARKETING PLAN

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

MOD DEMAND

HIGHEST ANNUAL DEMAND

MODERATE DEMAND

MODERATE DEMAND

HIGH DEMAND

MOD SUPPLY LIMITED SUPPLY

MODERATE SUPPLY

HIGHEST ANNUAL SUPPLY

MODERATE SUPPLY

AVG MARKET WINDOW

PRIORITY MARKETING WINDOW

AVERAGE MARKETING

WINDOW

LIMITED HARVEST SPACE, DIFFICULT

MARKETING WINDOW

SECOND BEST

MARKETING WINDOW

Questions?