Watch for Pneumonia During Rainy Winter Weather

We have seen a lot of rain coming down recently with temperatures in the high 30's to low 50's. This type of weather is often a cause of pneumonia when animals are housed in barns. The heavy air tends to keep any ammonia coming off the manure pack trapped inside the barn. Good ventilation is key to prevention. Observe sheep for ten minutes at least once a day for signs of illness. Sheep may not be as vigourous at the feeder or they may stand by themselves in a corner. Take action right away to insure that animals return to health quickly.

New Crop Lambs Valuable in December

In the next couple weeks, new crop lambs will be a valuable commodity for sheep producers who lamb in the fall. Because most sheep will only breed in the fall for lambing in the spring, new crop lambs are mostly in short supply for winter holidays. Most years we can expect increased prices for lambs that are sold at auctions during the couple weeks prior to Christmas. Is fall lambing something you should consider for increasing revenues for your sheep operation? Consider feed resources, labor for lambing as well as flock genetics as you ponder the answer to this question.

Fall Grazing

The beautiful fall weather has also brought some welcome rains to parts of PA. The rain, combined with the moderate weather, will get the pasture forages growing again. Be sure to allow pastures to grow to 6 inches in height or more before turning animals into those fields. Once the field is grazed down to 3 inches, move the animals to a new field. This not only protects the forage plants, but also helps to prevent the animals from picking up internal parasites.

Cold weather coming

Don't forget to check your watering systems as the cold weather arrives. Make sure heaters are plugged in, but check for any frayed wires before plugging them in! If you are using unheated water sources, be sure to break the ice at least once a day and preferably more often. ideally, remove all ice from the watering container and refill with fresh water.

Producing the "Ideal" Market Lamb

One of the challenges to the sheep industry in the United States is to produce a uniform size of market lamb. Many processors are looking for a 45 to 65 pound carcass in order to supply uniform cuts to their buyers. So, as a sheep producer you can ask yourself the question "Are my ewes producing a uniform group of lambs that finish out at 90 to 130 lbs live weight?" And, a second to go along with the first would be "Am I producing a size of lamb that best optimizes profitability in my management situation?"

Weaning Lambs

A variety of methods can be used to wean lambs from their mothers. Most producers will wean between 60 and 90 days of age. Ewes whose lambs are weaned at 60 days will need special care to prevent mastitis, an inflammation of the udder. These ewes should be taken off grain a few days prior to weaning and should be switched to a lower quality hay. Once the lambs are taken away, you may also want to restrict water access for 24 hours. For ewes who lambs are weaned at close to 90 days of age, they should also be taken off grain and switched to the lower quality hay. Because their milk production has dropped significantly since the lambs were 60 days of age, restricting access to water is likely not necessary.

What Do I Do With a Chilled Lamb?

With winter lambing it is almost inevitable that you will have a chilled lamb. These are lambs who are born during very cold weather and whose body temperature drops below normal. They will be lethargic and if you insert your finger into its mouth it may feel cold. A chilled lamb should be warmed up slowly. Some of the methods used are to take them into a warm room, blow hair air across them with a hair dryer or dip them in a bucket of warm water. I like to move them to a warm room where they can warm up over a period of an hour or so. Once the lamb has warmed and is trying to stand, you can then let them nurse, drink from a bottle or tube them.