Cull Onion Disposal with Sheep Thomas M. McBride County Extension Director

2 Current Project with Colorado Onion Association The objectives are to determine if supple- menting cull onions to breeding ewes will:  Alter hormonal profiles to increase ovulation or increase embryonic survival of lambs.  Affect blood mineral parameters and ultimately the immune system of the breeding ewes.  Simulate a flushing response.  Affect semen quality in breeding rams.

3 Experimental Design A. 180 Rambouillet Ewes are randomly assigned to one of nine treatment groups. 1.Negative Control, ewes are not flushed - fed hay only for the duration of the trial. 2.Onions are used to flush ewes and then onions removed from diet and feed hay only for the duration of the trial.

4 Onion Treatment

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7 Nine Treatment Groups 3.Onions are used to flush ewes and full- fed onions only till a week prior to lambing. 4.Corn used to flush ewes and then fed hay only for the duration of the trial. 5.Corn used to flush ewes and then hay/corn fed till a week prior to lambing.

8 Hay and Corn Treatment

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10 Hay and Corn Treatment

11 Nine Treatment Groups 6.Corn used to flush ewes and then full- fed onions till a week prior to lambing. 7.Onions are used to flush ewes and then hay/corn fed till a week prior to lambing. 8.Ewes not flushed and full-fed onions till a week prior to lambing. 9.Ewes not flushed and hay/corn are fed till a week prior to lambing.

12 Hay Treatment

13 Hay Treatment

14 Experimental Design B. Nine Rambouillet rams, three animals per gestation diet (hay versus hay/corn versus hay/onions), will be fedcorresponding diets and semen quality measured.

15 Experimental Design C.Base blood levels will be determined for packed cell volume (anemia), mineral profiles, LH and FSH levels prior to ovulation and progesterone during pregnancy. After the ewes are lambed, numbers of lambs born live and survivability will be measured. Fleece weight will also be weighed and recorded.

16 Disease Pass Through  Sheep were fed white mold sclerotia for four days.  Fecal samples were collected from the treated ewe and a control ewe for four days.

17 Disease Pass Through  Samples were dried and analyzed for sclerotia.

18 Results One sclerotium was recovered on day four and passed through with no physical damage.

19 Conclusion The thinner and more delicate Botrytis sclerotia from onions would probably not survive the feeding and chewing actions of sheep.

20 Onion Analysis  Moisture90%  Crude Protein  TDN %  Calcium (.35)  Phosphorus (.40)

21 Previous Ewe Projects A.Drylot- 100%onions consumed 45 lb./day

22 Ewe Study  Group 1 - Onions After October 1  Group 2 - Onions Beginning September 10  Group 3 - Control - 4 lbs. Hay + 1 lb. Grain and Pasture FLEECE WEIGHT GroupFleece Weight

23 Ewe Study  Group 1 - Onions After October 1  Group 2 - Onions Beginning September 10  Group 3 - Control - 4 lbs. Hay + 1 lb. Grain and Pasture LAMBING PERCENTAGE Group Lambs Per Ewe

24 Ewe Study  Group 1 - Onions After October 1  Group 2 - Onions Beginning September 10  Group 3 - Control - 4 lbs. Hay + 1 lb. Grain and Pasture BODY CONDITION SCORE GroupInitial BodyFinal BodyCondition Score a a b

25 Ewe Study - Preliminary Results  Onions Fed Ewes Developed Severe Anemia by Week Two  Normal Packed Cell Volume (PCV) of Red Blood Cells is 35-40%  By Week Two Onion Fed Ewes 25-30%  By One Month Onion Fed Ewes Lows 20’s %  By Six Weeks Anemia Had Reached a Plateau and Did Not Get Worse

Previous Market Lamb Projects Thomas M. McBride County Extension Director

27 Averages of the 50% Onions, 25% Onions, and Controls

28 Return with Feed $5.00 CWT

29 Return with Feed $5.50 CWT

30 Carcass and Weigh Data

31 Dietary Treatments

32 Feeding Cull Onion Rates Feeding Cull Onion Rates from % of the Diet for the Last 75 Days of the Diet. ADG IN POUNDS. Control 25% 50% 75% 100% (.0857) -NO CHANGE IN FLAVOR-

33 After Three Week Adjustment Period Control 25% 50% 75% 100%

34 Cull Onions