Sheep and Goat Production

Sheep and Goat Production

Discussing current topics in Ontario sheep and goat production

All posts in 2015

Check Out the 2016 FarmSmart Program

Posted on Author ONswinePosted in ForageLeave a Reply

Check out the 2016 FarmSmart Program. Sheep Producers may be especially interested in these two sessions. Cover Crops: 10 Easy Ideas for Forage and Pasture Dr. Bill Deen, U of G & Jack Kyle, OMAFRA will discuss opportunities to use annual crops and double cropping systems integrated with cash crop production to save soil and produce extra forage or grazing. The Future of Livestock Traceability – Where are we and where we are going?” Albert Botha –Shropshirehills Farm/Trillium Lamb, Terry Ackerman – Canadian Lamb Producers Cooperative, Pascal Bouilly – Grober/Delft Blue Ontario livestock producers have used recent developments in livestock traceability to improve their operations and enhance marketing of their meat products. Panelists will discuss how to make traceability work…

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Body condition scoring survey request

Posted on Author Delma KennedyPosted in UncategorizedLeave a Reply

OMAFRA sheep extension staff would like to know how Ontario sheep producers use body condition scoring on farm. This information will allow us to evaluate the need for extension resources related to body condition scoring. In order to help us design the most useful approach, we would appreciate it if you could take 10 minutes to answer questions about your farming operation and how you use or don’t use body condition scoring. If you are connected to the internet and head to our body condition score survey, it will take you directly to the questions. The survey will be open until the end of January. If you would like to receive a summary of the results collected, please send me…

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Results of the 2015 Lamb Feeding Questionnaire

Posted on Author Delma KennedyPosted in AnnouncementsLeave a Reply

The 2015 Lamb Feeding Questionnaire was circulated to the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency (OSMA) email list and the Large Flock Operator email list. This questionnaire was developed to collect information on how Ontario sheep producers feed lambs to direct our talks at the Sheep Seminars and to evaluate the need for extension resources related to lamb feeding. The response to the survey was excellent with a total of 106 surveys started and 97 fully completed. The average flock size of those participating was 338 ewes with representation from all sizes of operations. Almost all participants were raising lambs born from ewes on their own farm with a focus on meat production. Producers responding to the survey represent about 79,000 market…

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OMAFRA welcomes Anita Heeg as the Feed Ingredients and Byproducts Specialist

Posted on Author Delma KennedyPosted in AnnouncementsLeave a Reply

We are pleased that Anita Heeg joined the Agriculture Development Branch on September 8, 2015 as the Feed Ingredients and Byproducts Specialist. Anita will be working from the Woodstock Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) office. The Feed Ingredients and Byproducts Specialist looks at the utilization of various feed ingredients, including food waste, and byproducts for livestock. This includes developing and introducing new feed ingredients to the animal feed market. Anita will assist the industry and producers to find and develop new feed ingredient and technology options for Ontario. Anita will be building on the great work done by Ron Lackey, who recently retired from the position. Anita’s agricultural and educational experience Anita grew up on a dairy…

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Don’t Miss the 2015 OMAFRA Sheep Seminars

Posted on Author ONswinePosted in AnnouncementsLeave a Reply

Grow the Market with More lbs of Lamb – A Profitable Choice? 2015 Sheep Seminar October 29, 2015 8:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Locations: -Nottawasaga Inn, Alliston -Lion’s Community Hall, Napanee via WebEx (speakers will be in Alliston and the presentations will be viewed on a large screen at Napanee) -Select locations in Northern Ontario via WebEx Should you consider taking lambs to heavier weights? Does adding weight add profitability? Cash flowing heavier lambs Health issues in heavier lambs Predicting when lambs will be ready for market For complete details and registration form please click here.

Rodent Control on Sheep Farms

Posted on Author ONswinePosted in Health & Nutrition, HousingLeave a Reply

Rats and mice have long been a problem on farms where food and nesting sites are plentiful. These animals consume and contaminate food destined for livestock and other animals, as well as humans. Mice and rats have tremendous breeding potential. Under ideal conditions, a pair of rats and their offspring can produce 20 000 000 young in three years. Controlling rodents is therefore a high priority for livestock producers. The OMAFRA fact sheet, “Rodent Control in Livestock and Poultry Facilities,” provides information about rodents on farms and what you can do to control them.

Nutritional Strategies to Reduce Nutrient Output in Sheep Manure

Posted on Author ONswinePosted in Health & NutritionLeave a Reply

There are a number of environmental consequences associated with improper management of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). As a result, public concerns are pushing the livestock industry to show that they are managing these nutrients appropriately. By better balancing P and N in feed rations, many livestock producers have been able to reduce feed costs, as well as minimize land requirements and improve efficiency of manure application by reducing the amount of nutrients that need handling. “Nutritional Strategies to Reduce Nutrient Output in Sheep Manure” discusses how nutrition is the simplest and most effective approach in reducing P losses from livestock operations.

Register Today for the OMAFRA Sheep Seminar on October 29

Posted on Author Jillian CraigPosted in AnnouncementsLeave a Reply

Grow the Market with More lbs of Lamb – A Profitable Choice? 2015 Sheep Seminar October 29, 2015 Locations: -Nottawasaga Inn, Alliston -Lion’s Community Hall, Napanee via WebEx (speakers will be in Alliston and the presentations will be viewed on a large screen at Napanee) -Select locations in Northern Ontario via WebEx 8:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Should you consider taking lambs to heavier weights? Does adding weight add profitability? Cash flowing heavier lambs Health issues in heavier lambs Predicting when lambs will be ready for market   For complete details and registration form please click here.     

Additional Teleconference/Webinar sessions on the new NNI-treated corn and soybean seed requirements

Posted on Author Delma KennedyPosted in AnnouncementsLeave a Reply

As of July 1, 2015 there are new regulatory requirements for Ontario corn and soybean growers to buy and use neonicotinoid treated corn and/or soybean seed. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) held several regional information sessions in late August and early September 2015 to ensure stakeholders are aware of and understand the new regulatory requirements. OMAFRA will hold the following two additional teleconference/webinars for stakeholders to learn about the new requirements: Teleconference/Webinar (English) • September 14, 2015 – 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. • September 18, 2015 – 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Registration: Register online at http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/pollinator/regional-reg.htm or by contacting the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca

Ontario Lamb Price and Volume August 2015

Posted on Author Delma KennedyPosted in AnnouncementsLeave a Reply

Lamb prices have continued to decrease in August for all categories but continue to be the highest ever received for this time of year. The monthly average price graphs have been updated for lambs <79pounds, 80-94pounds and 95-109pounds. As shown in Figure 1, the monthly average price for 80 -94 lb lambs started to decrease in June and continued to drop in July and August. It is likely there will be some recovery in price in September for thee Eid al-Adha holiday. Figure 1. 5 Year Average Market Price by Month 80 – 94 lb Lambs Due to the Eid ul-Adha holiday entering September, it is expected that the price drop seen in November 2014, 2013 and 2012 will happen…

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