Sheep Management

We have found that the Royal Whites are very hardy, but sheep require more effort than cattle. We check our sheep daily to know what is happening in our pastures.

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Our management includes:

• OPP Testing. In 2021, we completed a whole herd test for OPP because we believe in the benefits of knowing our herd status and culling out poor performers. Our herd came back negative (big sigh of relief). However, we plan on testing a percentage of our herd yearly when we do our CAE testing on the dairy goats. 

• Rotational grazing is utilized during the grazing season so that pasture is always available.

• Free choice access to a balanced salt/mineral mix designed to offset selenium/iodine deficiencies and improve hoof growth.

• All adult sheep receive yearly CDT vaccinations 2-3 weeks before lambing, and lambs receive CDT at      30-45 days and between 75-90 days.

• Ewes are wormed within 24 hours of lambing. After that, the only time a ewe is wormed is based on FAMACHA scoring. All the sheep get an eye check each time we gather and pen them. Gathering the ewe flock can range from 8-week intervals during the fall and winter to monthly intervals during the hot and wet seasons.

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Once bred, ewes are on pasture until winter and have grass hay only. Because we lamb in the winter, we feed our ewes extra energy until the grass comes in. We begin feeding our ewes four weeks before lambing on a graduated plane of nutrition. Once the ewes have lambed, we will determine feed amounts based on condition and number of lambs. Ewes have access to quality grass hay during winter and are put on fresh pasture as soon as possible in the spring. 

We are working toward a lower input strategy, which takes time and planning. Therefore, we are a work in progress!

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A note about our data:

Travis subscribes to a monthly paper called OZARKS FARM. In a past article about livestock records, they used the phrase, "You can't manage what you don't measure." That phrase summarizes why I (Erica) am passionate about collecting data. 

Typical data collection includes:

• We weigh and tag babies at birth. The tags go in both ears so we can quickly tell their sex, dam, sire, and birth number.

• We weigh all lambs between 30 and 45 days and again at 75 to 90 days so that our weight days coincide with our vaccination schedule.

• We worm based on FAMACHA score and keep track of those ewes for culling

• Any lambs here past 90 days will be weighed between 120-150 days again for post-weaning weights. 

• lamb data is retained to calculate average daily gains, adjusted weaning weights, and ewe production

• carcass data is collected from lambs that are harvested

• We track hair coats, color, and scurs that may show up so that we can make the best culling and breeding decisions. 

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