Sheep Management

1
Sheep Management

• Introduction to Agriculture
• March 1999

2
Vocabulary

• Ewe
• female sheep
• Ram
• male used for breeding
• Wether
• castrated male

3
Vocabulary - cont.

• Fleece
• wool
• Wool blindness
• condition of wool covering face

4
Sheep Information

• Puberty -- reached at 5 - 7 mos.
• Estrus period -- 30 - 35 hrs.
• Estrus cycle -- 16 days
• Gestation -- 150 days

5
Sheep Management

• Breed as yearling
• 5-6 years breeding life

6
Breeding Season Management

• Shorter days cooler weather
• Flushing -- increase protein to stimulate
  ovulation
• Shear dock

7
Care of Ram

• Marking Harness -- change every 16 days
• Shear all over -- belly chest
• 1 ram / 20-30 ewes

8
Lambing Management

• Signs of Lambing
• vulva swells
• udder swells - milk 12 - 24 hours
• Sink in hips 24 - 48 hours
• Lambing Pen
• Clean
• Draft free
• Watch closely

9
Lambing Management

• Born -- Lamb
• Dry lamb
• Remove mucus
• Colostrum
• Cut cord
• Heat lamp

10
Processing Lambs

• 3 days of age
• Dock tail
• Injections
• Iron
• Vitamin E -- prevent white muscle
• Castrate 1 week