Sheep Industry - US and Michigan

Fall 2002

Michigan Sheep Production Purebred production

– Greatest proportion of the industry– Produce and sell seedstock– Youth projects

Commercial production– Greatest proportion of animals– Market animals for meat production

Lamb feeding

Fall 2002

What’s happening in the industry?

Expanding / Shrinking? Good Markets / Poor Markets?

– Meat– Wool

Wide use of technology / limited use? Imports / Exports Commercial agricultural sector / hobby

industry?

Fall 2002

Useful Sheep Facts and Figures

Sex classifications:– Ewe - female, any age– Ewe lamb - female less than 1 year of age– Ram - intact male, any age– Ram lamb - intact male less than 1 year of

age– Wether - castrated male any age

Fall 2002

Typical weights:– Birth - 8-15 lbs– 90 day weights - 70 - 120 lbs– Mature weights -

» Ewes - 100 - 200+ lbs» Rams - 120 - 275+ lbs

– Market weight - 135 lbs

Useful Sheep Facts and Figures

Fall 2002

Wool characteristics:– Fleece weight (grease) - 4 - 12 lbs– Staple length - 2- 6 inches– Fiber diameter - 19 - 40 m (microns)

Useful Sheep Facts and Figures

Fall 2002

Reproductive characteristics:– Age at puberty - 5-6 months– Age at first lambing - 1 year– Estrous cycle - 17 days– Estrus (standing heat) - 30 hours– Gestation - 147 days– Lambing rate - 1-5 lambs born/ewe/year– Season breeders

Useful Sheep Facts and Figures

Fall 2002

Seasonal breeders:– Seasonally anestrous - not cycling– Short day breeders– Some breeds much more seasonal than

others– Most fertile - October, November– Both ewes and rams are seasonal

breeders

Useful Sheep Facts and Figures

Fall 2002

Economically important production traits: (commercial flock)– conception rate– lambing rate– age at puberty– pounds lamb weaned/ewe/year– pounds lamb sold/ewe/year– average daily gain– cost/pound of gain

Useful Sheep Facts and Figures

Fall 2002

Marketing characteristics:– ~90% of market lambs sold will grade choice or

better– value at marketing - based on weight, fatness– Presently - value based marketing not available

for most producers (carcass merit, grade and yield)

– 2 processing plants account for 40% of domestic harvest of lamb, next 6 plants account for another 44% (1999 USDA)

Useful Sheep Facts and Figures

Fall 2002

Niche marketing opportunities exist:– Fiber– Freezer lambs– Ethnic markets– Replacement breeding stock– Dairy sheep– Others

Useful Sheep Facts and Figures

Fall 2002

Production Systems

Range Production Farm Flock Production Characteristic differences between

them– Location– Size of flocks– Management

Fall 2002

Range Flock Production

Lambing ewes with or without attendant care in small pastures or unattended on rangelands.

Typically found in western US, TX, etc. Large flock sizes Low facility investment Sheep - white faced ewes - Rambouillet

Fall 2002

Range Flock - cont’d Lambing -

– Range, shed or drift– Rates low (~100-150%)– Reduced disease problems– Predators a problem

Feeding -– Native range, little supplementation

Record keeping difficult Shearing - 1X year Seeing shift to more emphasis on multiple births and meat

production

Fall 2002

Farm Flock Production Primary production in midwest and eastern US Flock sizes -

– small in comparison to range production– vary from few to several hundred ewes

Facility requirements:– barn, feeders, waters, fenced pastures

Breeds:– great diversity - purebred production– commercial production - crossbred ewes X meat breed rams

Intensive management compared to range production Predators

Fall 2002

Farm Flock Production - Cont’d

Lambing - – indoors - winter and/or spring most common; some

pasture lambing being tried– lambing rates - 150 - 250%– supervised lambing

Feeding - – pasture used during part of year, harvest forage also– supplementation during gestation and lactation

Record keeping varies - none to genetic evaluation programs

Shearing - usually 1X year Emphasis for increased production levels, carcass quality

Fall 2002

Breeds of Sheep

Meat Breeds:– Known for growth rates and carcass quality.– Also known as sire breeds– Examples: Suffolk, Hampshire, Dorset

Ewe Breeds:– Known for maternal traits - prolificacy, milk

production, mothering ability, wool– Examples: Rambouillet, crossbreds

Fall 2002

Breeds of Sheep Other Classifications:

– Wool breeds» Long Wool - (larger fiber diameter), Romney,

Lincoln» Fine Wool - (small fiber diameter), Merino,

Rambouillet

– Hair Sheep – Prolific – Natural Colored Sheep

Fall 2002

Management Calendar - Breeding Flock

Annual Ewe WeightChange

From Sheep Production Handbook, 1996

Single-bearing Ewe

Fall 2002

Management Calendar - Breeding Flock

Prebreeding:– Ewes

» Cull poor producers, unsound ewes» Provide health maintenance - prevent / treat internal

parasites, vaccinations, » Flush ewes

– Rams» Evaluate for breeding soundness» Observe recommended ram:ewe ratio

ram lambs 15 - 30 mature rams 25 - 50

Fall 2002

Management Calendar - Breeding Flock

Breeding:– Ewes

» Moderate condition, gaining weight» Heat stress - negative impact; shearing in

high heat and humidity may help– Rams

» Moderate condition, monitor libido» Mark ram to monitor cyclic activity of ewes

Fall 2002

Management Calendar - Breeding Flock

Early Gestation– Maintain ewes in moderate condition– During 1st 100 days - ewes should gain ~10

pounds Late Gestation

– 2/3 of fetal growth occurs during last 6 weeks– Adequate nutrition essential– Vaccinate ewes for enterotoxemia (overeating)– Shear ewes

Fall 2002

Management Calendar - Breeding Flock

Lambing Management– Observe ewes frequently– Assist only when necessary– Iodine Navel– Open teats– Move ewe and lamb(s) to pen – Identify lambs– Collect data - birth weight, birth dates etc.

Post-lambing Management– Dock tails– Castrate– Vaccinate– Start on creep feed

Fall 2002

Management Calendar - Breeding Flock

Lactation

– Highest nutrient requirements

– Peak milk production - 21-28 days of lactation

– Ewes suckling twins require additional feed

Fall 2002

Management Calendar - Breeding Flock

Creep Feeding:– Increases lamb gains– Lambs efficiently use feed– Lambs can be marketed at younger age

Weaning– Age varies greatly– 60 days of age or 45 pounds– Management system will dictate

Fall 2002

Management Calendar - Lamb Feeding

Drylot or feedlot Pasture followed by feedlot phase Feedlot Management:

– Hand-fed or self-fed– Start lambs on higher roughage diet– Gradually increase the amount of concentrate

in the diet– Feed additives not widely used– Enterotoxemia vaccinations– Observe, isolate sick, weak lambs immediately

Fall 2002

Management Calendar - Lamb Feeding

Pasture Management:– Lambs used to harvest forages - grasses,

legumes, turnips, corn stubble, small grains– Expect gains to be slower than lambs on high

concentrate diet– Cost of gain should be reduced to compensate

for lower gains– Enterotoxemia vaccinations still important– Internal parasite burden must be prevented– Lambs removed from pasture to finish in

feedlot are then managed as feedlot lambs

Fall 2002

Lamb feeding Feeding weaned lambs to market weight Availability greatest in fall - Aug. and later May incorporate pasture in system, usually grain based

in this part of country, byproduct feeds used in some areas

Feedlots - few hundred to several thousand head capacity

Lambs fed as means to market grains - corn, wheat belts Initial weights - 65 pounds - 110 pounds Final weights - 120 pounds - 140+ pounds Average daily gain - .5 - 1.0+ pounds/day