Annual Ewe Management

Program

(Fall Lambing)

I. Ewe Production Stages

Flushing: April 15 to May 1 Breeding: May 1 to May 31 Early Gestation: May 15 to September 15 Late Gestation: September 15 to October 15 Average Lambing Date: October 15 Lactation: October 15 to December 15 Average Weaning Date: December 15 Post-Weaning: December 15 to December 20 Maintenance: December 20 to April 15

II. Nutritional Flushing (15 days)

A. Management1. Highly Intensive

(a) Enter in 1.5 to 2.0 BCS(b) De-worm all ewes on April 7(c) Flush with cool season grass(d) Teasers in on April 15/out on

May 1(e) Fertile rams with marking

harnesses in on May 1

II. Nutritional Flushing (15 days)

A. Management1. Highly Intensive

(a) ADG = 0.2 to 0.25 lb/ewe/d(b) Leave in 2.0 to 2.5 BCS(c) Can’t flush > 3.0 BCS(d) Products of nutritional flushing

(1) Stimulate out-of-season breeding

(2) Synchronized breeding(3) 15 to 20% higher lambing rate

(e) Mineral, water, shade

III. Breeding (31 days)

A. Management1. Highly Intensive

(a) Continue flushing regimen all of

breeding period(b) Check raddle marks daily. Record(c) Remove rams on May 31(d) Leave ewes in same pasture for 7 to 10 days after ram removal(e) Leave breeding in 2.0 to 2.5 BCS(f) Mineral, water, shade

IV. Early Gestation (107)

A. Management1. Highly Intensive

(a) Enter in 2.0 to 2.5 BCS(b) Teasers with marking harnesses in on June 1(c) Check raddle marks daily for 20 days. Record(d) Remove teasers on June 20(e) Remove raddle marked ewes on June 20. Don’t have to cull. Re-expose in Aug/Sep for Jan/Feb lambing.

IV. Early Gestation (107 days)

A. Management1. Highly Intensive

(a) Divide pastures into small plots(b) Rotate so forage has 30 days to

recover from each grazing bout(c) Stocking rates (cool season

grasses)June 12 to 18 ewes/acreJuly 8 to 10 ewes/acreAugust 3 to 4 ewes/acreSeptember 3 to 7 ewes/acre

IV. Early Gestation (107 days)

A. Management1. Highly Intensive

(a) Vibrio booster on September 1(b) FAMACHA score ewes every 21

days to October 1(c) De-worm 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s(d) ADG = 0.07 lb/ewe/d (7 to 10

lb/ewe)(e) Mineral, water, shade(f) Quality of forage unimportant

as long as quantity is adequate

V. Late Gestation (30 days)

A. Management1. Highly Intensive

(a) Enter in 3.0 BCS(b) Begin to feed 1.0 lb corn/ewe/d

1 x/d on September 5(c) Higher quality and quantity

forage than EG(d) Continue pasture rotation

V. Late Gestation (30 days)

A. Management1. Highly Intensive

(a) If pasture unavailable, feed following outside or inside barn

OG hay (EV) = 3.3 lbCorn = 1.2 lb

(b) CDT vaccination(c) Move ewes to “up close” pens on

September 20. Shear wooled ewes(d) LG ration in barn

OG (EV) = 3.3 lbCorn = 1.2 lb

(e) Mineral, water, shade(f) 3.5 to 4.0 BCS at lambing

VI. LambingA. Management

1. Highly Intensive(a) Lamb in “up close” pens/move to

jugs(b) Weigh lambs/record. Iodine navel(c) Make sure lambs nurse/check every

2 hours(d) Water only 1st 24 hours(e) 3 to 5 lb grass hay/ewe/d from 24

hours to 2 to 5 days(f) Move to nursery pen (dock,

castrate, ear tag, may vaccinate for sore mouth)

VII. Lactation (60 days)

A. Management1. Highly Intensive

(a) Enter in 3.5 to 4.0 BCS(b) De-worm all ewes as they leave

jugs(c) Trim hooves(d) Leave in 1.5 to 2.0 BCS(e) Mineral, water, shade(f) Feed for milk, not BCS

VII. Lactation (60 days)

Rations1. OG, full bloom = 5.3 lb

Corn = 1.5 lb SBM = 0.5 lb

2. OG, early vegetative = 5.3 lb Corn = 1.4 lb

3. Alfalfa hay (mid-bloom) = 5.5 lb Corn = 1.5 lb

VIII. Post-weaning (5 days)

A. Remove grain from ewe ration 7 days before weaning

B. Reduce hay during last 7 daysC. No feed or mineral for 48 hours after lamb

separationD. Withhold water 24 to 48 hoursE. Mineral and water ad libitum after 48

hoursF. Turn to winter pasture

IX. Maintenance (116 days)

A. Enter in 1.5 to 2.0 BCSB. FAMACHA. De-worm 3’s, 4’s, and 5’sC. Palpate udders 4 weeks after weaningD. Cull ewesE. FAMACHA again. De-worm 3’s, 4’s, and 5’sF. Pasture pickings + mature hay ad libitum until

April 15

IX. Maintenance (116 days)

A. Vibrio and EAE vaccination 30 days before breeding

B. Mineral, water, shadeC. Leave maintenance/enter Flushing in 1.5 to

2.0 BCS

Annual Ram Management

Program

(Fall Lambing)

I. Nutritional Flushing (14 days)

A. Enter in 2.5 to 3.0 BCSB. De-worm teasers and fertile rams on

April 7C. Trim hooves of teasers and rams on

April 7D. Teasers in with ewes on April 15E. Manage like ewes on spring pastureF. Mineral, water, shadeG. Renew teasers on May 1

II. Breeding (31 days)

A. Fertile rams with marking harnesses in on May 1

B. One ram/group of ewes = single sire mating

C. Multiple rams/group of ewes = multi-sire mating

D. Leave with ewes until May 31E. Check harnesses/crayons dailyF. Record raddle marks dailyG. Change crayon color on May 16

II. Breeding (31 days)

Ewes to ram ratioMature 35 to 50:1Yrlg 20 to 35:1Lamb 15 to 20:1

Remove rams on May 31Leave in 2.0 to 2.5 BCS

III. Maintenance (316 days)

A. Teasers with harnesses replace fertiles on June 1

B. Check raddle marks daily for open ewes from June 1 to June 20

C. Remove teasers on June 20D. Re-acquaint rams and teasersE. De-worm all rams on June 20

III. Maintenance (316 days)

A. Pen all rams in barn until October 11. Feed 4 lb grass hay + 1 to 2 lb corn/d2. Manage matures, yearlings and lambs

separatelyB. Turn all rams to pasture on October 1C. Feed low quality grass hay until April 15D. Continue to feed ram lambs 1 to 2 lb

corn/hd/dE. Shear wooled breeds next Mar/AprF. Maintain 2.0 to 2.5 BCS

Annual Lamb Management

Program

(Fall Lambing)

I. Parturition

A. Born in “up close” pensB. Move to jugs

1. Weigh/record/iodine navel2. In jugs for 24 hours up to 2 to 5 days3. Dock, ear tag, may vaccinate for sore

mouth4. No castration5. Move to nursery pen

I. Pre-Weaning

A. Creep available by 7 daysB. 90% corn, 10% SBM, 1 lb Aureo-50/tonC. Vaccinate for EnterotoxemiaD. Wean on Dec. 15 – Move ewes awayE. Leave lambs on creep for 7 days with 0.5 lb

grass hay/lamb/dF. Mix creep and post-weaning diet 50:50 so

lambs on post-weaning diet by 14 days

I. Post-WeaningPost-Weaning Diet

10% CSH64.75% ground/cracked corn15.00% SBM5.00% DDGS1.50% gnd. limestone1.00% white salt0.50% ammonium chloride2.00% corn oil

Gnd. Grass can replace CSH or long hay can be fed separately

Market lambs at 100 to 150 lb by March 10