Best Practices to Increase Your Lamb Crop

This webinar is made possible with funding support from the Let’s Grow Committee of the 

American Sheep Industry Association.

Presenter:

Reid Redden, Ph.D.Sheep and Goat Specialist 

Texas A&M AgriLife ExtensionHost/Moderator:  Jay Parsons

August 30, 2016

INDUSTRY COOPERATION

Misty Oaks Farm

Lewis White Dorpers

Current Lamb Crop111% National Average

Reid Redden, Ph.D. (Chair)Texas A & M University

Kathy BielekOhio sheep producer

Paul LewisOregon sheep producer

Rodney Kott, Ph.D.Montana State University (retired)

Dan Morrical, Ph.D.Iowa State University

Reproductive Efficiency

Task Force

High input flocks: shed lambing, herded, multiple management groups, strategic supplementation and improved pastures, etc.

Low input flocks: range/pasture lambing, fenced pastures, simple management groups and limited supplementation

Test Rams

Breed Ewe Lambs 7‐ 9 Months of 

Age

Select for Prolific Genetics

Accelerate Lambing Cycles

Use Cross‐breeding

Cull Under‐performing 

Ewes

Manage Seasonal Changes in 

ReproductionMatch

Reproduction to Mgmt

Test for Pregnancy Status

Reduce Lamb Loss

Optimal Nutrition

Disease Prevention 

and Treatment

Project Goal• Gain Industry Acceptance of Need to Improve• Awareness of Lamb Crop Best Practices• Set Goal to Improve Lamb Crop

– Implement 2 or 3 New Methods

1. Optimal Nutrition (Dan Morrical, ISU)

5 Time Periods◉ Maintenance◉ Breeding ◉ Early Gestational◉ Late Gestation

◉ Single◉ Twin◉ Triplet

◉ Lactation◉ Single ◉ Twin ◉ Triplet

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

Lamb bo

rn

Condtion Score

Lambs born per ewe exposed 

Merinos Mules

2.22.7

2.32.7

3.33.6

3.2

4.14.5

00.51

1.52

2.53

3.54

4.55

poun

ds

Stage of production

TDN requirements by stage and level of production for 150 pound ewes.

Common in Farm Flock, Not Common in Range Flock 10 - 20% of Flock Higher Lifetime Productivity

◉ Heritable (0.18) Implementation Suggestions:

◉ Retain Lambs from Highly Productive Dams◉ Commit to Solid Growth Program (0.5 lb/d)

◉ Weaning to Breeding◉ Breeding to Lambing

◉ Breed Ewe Lambs, Separately◉ Early Wean Lambs from 1-Year-Old Ewes

2. Breed Ewe Lambs (Bret Taylor, USSES)

Selection Challenges◉ Ewe Lifetime Trait, yet Rams Make Most Genetic Change◉ Limited Progress with Litter Size Selection

Estimated Breeding Values (NSIP)◉ Number of Lambs Born & Weaned

3. Select for Prolific Genetics –(Dan Waldron, TAMU)

‐2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Num

ber o

f Lam

bs W

eane

d EB

V (%

)

NSIP Reproduction

Katahdin ‐ NLW

Polypay ‐ NLW

Targhee ‐ NLB

Breeding a Ewe to a Ram of Another Breed 2 Reasons: Complimentary Traits and Heterosis

◉ Pairing Breeds to Maximize Lamb Performance based on Parental Breed Traits

◉ Hybrid Vigor or Heterosis - “The only free lunch”◉ Offspring will be better than the average of the parents

4. Use Crossbreeding (Kreg Leymaster, US-MARC)

“Culling underperforming ewes will reduce the cost of maintaining the flock. Underperforming ewes consume feed, take up space, and require labor, while producing less profit than their contemporaries; maybe, even costing the farm money. Thus, culling underperforming ewes is a way to help make sheep production more profitable, sustainable, and viable.”

5. Cull Underperforming EwesSusan Schoenian (U of Maryland)

USDA APHIS, National Animal Health Monitoring System, April 2014

10 - 20% lamb crop mortality (US, UK, AU) 2 Categories

◉ Prepartum – 2 to 4% natural causes◉ Aborting Diseases: Campylobacter, Chlamydia, & Toxoplasmosis◉ Ketosis (Twin Lamb Disease) – Improper nutrition late gestation◉ Low Birth Weight – Improper nutrition throughout pregnancy

◉ Postpartum – most losses occur within 2 weeks◉ Starvation – Mismothering, Mastitis, “Hard Bag”◉ Hypothermia – Drop in Body Temperature◉ Predation – Confinement Rearing, Fencing, & Guardian Animals

6. Reduce Lamb LossJeff Held (SDSU)

Benefits◉ Allocate resources (feed, labor, facilities, & equipment) to

animals that need it the most Methods of Detecting Pregnancy

◉ Breeding Harness◉ Bagging◉ Blood Test (PSPB)◉ Ultrasound

7. Test for Pregnancy StatusGeri Parsons & Cleon Kimberling

4 Categories◉ Nutritional◉ Infectious◉ Management-induced◉ Metabolic

3 Time Periods◉ Gestational◉ Pre-Weaning◉ Post-Weaning

8. Disease Prevention and TreatmentCindy Wolf – (U of Minnesota)

Every Sheep Operation is Different◉ Land Access, Feed Resources, Facilities, Environment, Labor◉ Sheep are adaptable to a wide range of areas◉ Sheep respond to good management

Set Realistic Goals◉ >200% lamb crop weaned – not realistic for arid range flocks◉ <100% lamb crop weaned – not realistic for farm flocks

“Don’t Let Tradition Blind Yourself to Opportunity”

9. Match Reproduction to ManagementDave Ollila (SDSU)

Breeding Soundness Exam◉ Gross Physical Exam◉ Body Condition Score◉ Scrotal Circumference◉ Microscopic Semen Evaluation

◉ B. Ovis Testing

Why?◉ $400 annual cost per ram◉ Open or Late Bred Ewes are Costly

10. Test RamsGeri Parsons & Cleon Kimberling

Seasonal Breeders◉ Day Length – Sheep are Short-Day Breeders

◉ Location◉ Breed

◉ European Origin ◉ Dorset has been selected for aseasonal breeding

◉ Mediterranean / Tropical developed breeds◉ Ram Effect◉ Nutrition◉ Lactation◉ Drug and Light Therapy

11. Manage Seasonal Changes in ReproductionMarlon Knights (West Virginia University)

90

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105

110

0

20

40

60

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100

Jan Mar May Jul Sept Nov

Per

cent

of A

vera

ge P

rice

Ew

es S

how

ing

Est

rus

(%)

Month

Reproductive ActivityPercent of Average Lamb Price

Market LambsMarket Lambs

Breed Ewes

Fall Lambing

Lambing More Than Once Annually Is Accelerated Production for You?

◉ Well suited for higher value, more productive land◉ Aseasonal genetics are key◉ Can you buy or produce high quality forage?◉ Need indoor lambing and/or feeding infrastructure?◉ Steady labor requirement (evens out labor annually)◉ Annual production must attain 1.3 lambs marketed/ewe

12. Accelerated Lambing CyclesRichard Ehrhardt – (MSU)

Optimal NutritionBreed Ewe Lambs at 7 to 9 Months of AgeSelect for Prolific GeneticsUse CrossbreedingCull Underperforming Ewes Reduce Lamb LossTest for Pregnancy StatusDisease Prevention and Treatment Match Reproduction to ManagementTest RamsManage for Seasonal Changes in ReproductionAccelerate Lambing Cycles

Best Practices to Increase Your Lamb Crop

www.LambResourceCenter.com

Questions