Sheep and Goat Production

Sheep and Goat Production

Discussing current topics in Ontario sheep and goat production

All posts tagged lambs

Machine Options to Reduce Labour when Feeding Milk Replacer

Posted on Author Kristy BlankersPosted in UncategorizedLeave a Reply

Introduction Artificially rearing lambs and kids is costly and labour intensive. Investing in a machine to help reduce the labour costs associated with feeding is something to consider. There are various types of milk replacer machines on the market. Which type of machine is best suited for an operation depends on the size of operation, current infrastructure and budgets. This article aims to introduce three types of milk replacer machines. Automatic Milk Machine (e.g. Grober/Forester Technik) Automatic milk machines continuously mix small portions of milk replacer for ad libitum milk feeding. A common machine in Ontario is sold by Grober in partnership with Forester Technik. This machine allows for portions to be set and counted and has various features to…

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Artificial Lamb Rearing: Part 1 – A Producer Project

Posted on Author Jillian CraigPosted in Health & NutritionLeave a Reply

From March to August 2022 an on-farm project on artificial rearing systems specifically focusing on milk machines and lamb performance was conducted at several Ontario farms. The project had three main objectives: lamb productivity, rearing cost, and producer labour. The results will be presented in a series of articles; this article will focus on-farm set-ups, machine cleaning and milk replacer cost.    Six farms participated in the project. Two farms had Lac-Tek milk machines and four farms had Eco Feeders also commonly known as Förster-Technik and / or Grober refer to Figure 1. The total number of ewes represented on the farms was 3395, with flock sizes of 400, 825, 120, 1000, 450 and 600 respectively. Two farms kept artificially…

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Colostrum Requirements for Lambs

Posted on Author Jillian CraigPosted in Health & NutritionLeave a Reply

Spring lambing is quickly approaching. Ideally, a lamb should receive 50 ml per kg of bodyweight of its own mother’s colostrum, within 1 hour of birth. Additionally, 150 ml per kg spread over three more feedings within the first 24 hours of life should be provided.  If you do ‘inherit’ some bottle babies, the total daily feeding rate should be no more than 10% of a lamb’s own body weight, and in as many as four feedings per day. Appropriate feeding frequencies at a given age are listed below. Recommended feed source, and frequency of milk replacement (M.R.) feeding for lambs from birth to weaning Age (days) Feed Source M.R. Frequency 0 -24 hr. Colostrum 4 to 5 times* 1 –…

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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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Sheep Reproduction Basics and Conception Rates

Posted on Author ONswinePosted in Business, ReproductionLeave a Reply

To run a profitable sheep operation, producers must understand the details of many different disciplines and how they interrelate. One of the basic aspects of a sheep farming operation is to make sure that ewes become pregnant and have lambs. It is important to understand the basic physiology of the reproductive cycle to ensure that management decisions do not prevent ewes from becoming pregnant. Conception rate varies between season, age, breed and lambing system. Understanding the effect of these factors will enable you to determine what a good conception rate is for your farm. Read more in the OMAFRA factsheet Sheep Reproduction Basics and Conception Rates.