EFFICIENT EWE MANAGEMENT

SUSAN SCHOENIANSHEEP & GOAT SPECIALIST

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION

SSCHOEN@UMD.EDU

WWW.SHEEPANDGOAT.COM

WWW.WORMX.INFO

2015 KHSI EXPO, INDIANA, PA

EWE EFFICIENCY

What is efficiency?Why is it important?What determines

efficiency?How do you improve

efficiency?

WHAT IS EWE EFFICIENCY?

Number lambs born per ewe exposed Number of lambs weaned per ewe exposed Number of lambs produced (marketed or retained) per ewe

exposed

WHAT IS EWE EFFICIENCY?

Pounds lamb weaned per ewe exposed Pounds lamb produced (marketed or retained) per ewe exposed Pounds of lamb produced per ewe body weight Pounds of lamb produced per acre

WHAT IS EWE EFFICIENCY?

Profit per eweProfit per acre

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?Ewe efficiency is the driver of profitable sheep

production systems.

WHAT DETERMINES EWE EFFICIENCY?

Size

Longevity

Lambing percentage

Lamb weights

Feed efficiency

Other factors (?)

SIZEWEIGHT & BODY CONDITION

Bigger ewes Have more lambs Have bigger lambs that reach target weights

sooner But … they eat more And . . . heavier weights may decrease efficiency.

Heavier, better conditioned ewes Start cycling earlier in the breeding season Have higher ovulation rates Have higher conception rates Give birth to heavier lambs Produce more milk Wean heavier lambs with higher survival rates

LONGEVITY STAYABILITY, PRODUCTIVE LIFE SPAN

An underrated trait

Increased longevity . . . Decreases culling rates

Reduces female replacement costs

More market lambs to sell

Puts more selection pressure on replacement females.

Results in higher age-related performance

Longer generation interval.

HOW TO INCREASE LONGEVITY

Longevity is a moderately heritable trait33% Iran study27% UK study

No early life trait that facilitates indirect selection

Correlation with body weight

Future - develop EBVs for longevity

HOW TO INCREASE LONGEVITY

Determine primary reasons for death and culling in your flock

Don’t cull based on age

Maintain high performing ewes in flock for longer

Select replacements from long-lived parents

Crossbreed to increase longevity

LAMBING PERCENTAGENUMBER OF LAMBS PRODUCED ÷ NUMBER OF EWES EXPOSED (21 DAYS)

Primary factor determining profitability in sheep enterprise.

LAMBING PERCENTAGE

Composite trait

Fertility

Litter size (number lambs born) Ovulation rate

Embryo survival

Lamb survival Direct and maternal affects

Perinatal, pre- and post weaning

Affected by many different factors

Genetics

Nutrition

Management

Season

Age

IMPROVING LAMBING PERCENTAGE: FERTILITY (PREGNANCY RATE)

Maintain healthy flock

Proper ram management Use fertile rams with high libido

breeding soundness exam (BSE)

Adequate ram power: 35 to 50 (mature ram) 15-25 (ram lamb)

Monitor breeding activity

Have ewes in good body condition at time of joining: 2.5 to 3.5

Flush ewes with body condition scores < 2

Provide good nutrition to ensure embryo survival

Select replacements from ewes that lamb in early part of lambing season

Cull ewes that fail to breed in first heat cycle

IMPROVING LAMBING PERCENTAGE: LITTER SIZE (NUMBER BORN) = OVULATION RATE + EMBRYO SURVIVAL

Maintain healthy flock

Have ewes in good body condition at time of joining: 2.5 to 3.5

Flush ewes with body condition scores < 2

Proper nutrition to ensure embryo survival, placental development, and birth of moderate-size healthy lambs.

Breed in fall and lamb in spring

Maintain high-performing ewes in flock for longer

Reduce lambing interval: accelerated lambing

Select for litter size (H2=~10%)Use ram with family history of multiple birthsSelect replacements from most productive ewesEBVs for number born, number weaned

IMPROVING LAMBING PERCENTAGE: LAMB SURVIVAL

Timing

At birth

0-3 days

3-10 days

10 days until weaning

Post weaning

Causes

Abortion

Dystocia

Starvation

Hypothermia

Disease: scours, pneumonia, clostridial

Digestive problems

Internal parasites

Predators

When and why do lambs die?

IMPROVING LAMBING PERCENTAGELAMB SURVIVAL (0-10 DAYS)

Prevent losses due to abortionbiosecurity, vaccination, antibiotic therapy

Have ewes in good body condition at time of lambing: 2.5 to 3.5

Proper late-gestation nutrition

Proper lambing environment: dry, draft free, clean

Short lambing season

Attended lambing, jugging

Appropriate vaccination program

Select for lambing ease, mothering ability, lamb vigor, milk production.

EBVs for number weaned.

IMPROVING LAMBING PERCENTAGELAMB SURVIVAL (10 DAYS UNTIL MARKET)

Pre-weaning Short lambing season

Ewes in good body condition

Adequate colostrum intake

Strategic use of coccidiostats

Good nutrition: supplement forage diet, as necessary to meet nutritional needs for optimal performance.

Creep feeding, if pasture or milk production are limiting factors

Appropriate vaccination program, usually CDT

Select for number weaned.

EBVs for number weaned.

Post-weaning

Short lambing season

Appropriate vaccination program, usually CDT

Good nutrition to support optimal growth rates

Strategic use of coccidiostats

Integrated parasite management, including targeted selective treatment using FAMACHA© system, Five Point Check©, and Happy Factor (performance).

Predator control

LAMBS WEIGHTS AND FEED EFFICIENCY

Lamb weights

Pre-weaning

Pounds weaned

Post-weaning

Pounds marketed

Days to market

Market weights

Carcass weights

Market grade (?)

Feed efficiency

Lbs. feed per lb. of gain

Stocking rates

Cost of gain

IMPROVING LAMB WEIGHTS AND FEED EFFICIENCY

Lamb weights

Measure growth rates and calculate adjusted weights and ratios.

Select for pre- and post-weaning growth in your own flock.

Use rams documented to have superior growth performanceOn-farm performance testingCentral ram performance tests (PA, WV, VA)

Use EBVs for weaning, post-weaning, and yearling weights.

Supplement forage diet for optimal performance.

Crossbreed to improve post-weaning growth.

Feed efficiency

Determine feed efficiency and cost of gain.

Use rams documented to have superior feed efficiencyWest Virginia Ram Performance Test

Hand-feed instead of self-feed

Whole grains instead of processed grains.

Improve pasture and grazing management

Supplement forage diet for better forage utilization and optimal performance

Determine optimal ewe size for your production environment.

OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING EFFICIENCY

Parasite resistance need for deworming/monitoring

Hoof health need for hoof trimming

Hair coat need for shearing

Overall health and need for treatment

Behavior

KEEP/CULL TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

Use parasite resistant rams

Cull ewes that require (frequent) deworming or are heavy egg shedders.

Cull animals that require frequent hoof trimming

Cull animals with re-occurring hoof problems.

Cull animals that don’t respond to treatment for hoof diseases.

Favor animals with dark-colored hooves (?)

Cull animals that require shearing

Cull ewes that require assistance at lambing.

Cull any animal that fails to thrive.

Cull animals with behavior problems.

BREED EWE LAMBS TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY

Ewes that are bred as lambs have a higher lifetime production that ewes bred for the first time as yearlings.

Breeding ewe lambs speeds up genetic gain.

Evidence suggests that ewes that lamb at 1 year of age are better mothers at 2 years of age.

FACTS ABOUT EWE LAMBS

Ewe lambs have higher nutritional requirements than mature ewes, because they are still growing.

Ewes lambs do not compete well with mature ewes.

Ewe lambs cycle later in the breeding season than mature ewes – and stop cycling sooner.

Ewe lambs are less likely to seek out a ram

Ewe lambs are in estrus (standing heat) for a shorter period of time

Ewe lambs have lower conception and pregnancy rates

Ewe lambs have lower ovulation rates

Ewe lambs produce less milk

TIPS FOR BREEDING EWE LAMBS SUCCESSFULLY

Feed replacement ewe lambs for moderate growth so they reach their target breeding weights (60-70% of mature weight).

Manage and feed ewe lambs separately from mature ewes.

Mate ewe lambs separately and after mature ewes

Mate ewe lambs in confinement or small pastures

Mate ewe lambs to ram of same breed or breed with smaller mature size

Jug ewes and lambs

Creep feed lambs

Wean lambs early

ESTABLISH BENCHMARKS FOR YOUR FARMTrait Definition Goal

Fertility No. ewes lambing ÷ no. ewes exposed (21 days) 100%

Lambing percent No. lambs weaned ÷ no. ewes exposed > 200%

Percent triplet births Percent ewes giving birth to triplets > 33%

Birth weight Avg. birth weigh 8-10 lbs.

Lamb death loss Percent lamb deaths < 5 %

Pre-weaning ADG (Weaning weight - birth weight) ÷ age > 0.75

Pre-weaning ADG (Weaning weight - birth weight) ÷ age > 0.50

Lbs. lamb weaned Lbs. lamb weaned per ewe exposed > 150 lbs.

Efficiency Pounds of lamb weaned ÷ # ewes exposed >100%

Profit per ewe Income - expenses ÷ no. ewes >$150

Hoof growth Need for hoof trimming < 20%

Parasite resistance Need for deworming 0

THANK YOUR FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

SUSAN S CHOENIANSheep & Goat Specialist

sschoen@umd.edu www.sheepandgoat.