best practices to increase your lamb crop
TRANSCRIPT
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
95
100
105
110
0
20
40
60
80
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