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. Management 1. 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. Management 1.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. Management 1.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. Management 1.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. Management 1.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/acre July 8 to 10 ewes/acre August 3 to 4 ewes/acre September 3 to 7 ewes/acre

IV. Early Gestation (107 days) A. Management 1.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. Management 1.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. Management 1.Highly Intensive (a)If pasture unavailable, feed following outside or inside barn OG hay (EV)= 3.3 lb Corn= 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 lb Corn= 1.2 lb (e)Mineral, water, shade (f)3.5 to 4.0 BCS at lambing

VI. Lambing A. 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 1 st 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. Management 1.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) Rations 1. 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 days C.No feed or mineral for 48 hours after lamb separation D.Withhold water 24 to 48 hours E.Mineral and water ad libitum after 48 hours F.Turn to winter pasture

IX. Maintenance (116 days) A.Enter in 1.5 to 2.0 BCS B.FAMACHA. De-worm 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s C.Palpate udders 4 weeks after weaning D.Cull ewes E.FAMACHA again. De-worm 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s F.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, shade C.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 BCS B.De-worm teasers and fertile rams on April 7 C.Trim hooves of teasers and rams on April 7 D.Teasers in with ewes on April 15 E.Manage like ewes on spring pasture F.Mineral, water, shade G.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 31 E.Check harnesses/crayons daily F.Record raddle marks daily G.Change crayon color on May 16

II. Breeding (31 days) Ewes to ram ratio Mature35 to 50:1 Yrlg20 to 35:1 Lamb15 to 20:1 Remove rams on May 31 Leave 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 20 D.Re-acquaint rams and teasers E.De-worm all rams on June 20

III. Maintenance (316 days) A.Pen all rams in barn until October 1 1.Feed 4 lb grass hay + 1 to 2 lb corn/d 2.Manage matures, yearlings and lambs separately B.Turn all rams to pasture on October 1 C.Feed low quality grass hay until April 15 D.Continue to feed ram lambs 1 to 2 lb corn/hd/d E.Shear wooled breeds next Mar/Apr F.Maintain 2.0 to 2.5 BCS

Annual Lamb Management Program (Fall Lambing)

I. Parturition A. Born in “up close” pens B. Move to jugs 1.Weigh/record/iodine navel 2.In jugs for 24 hours up to 2 to 5 days 3.Dock, ear tag, may vaccinate for sore mouth 4.No castration 5.Move to nursery pen

I. Pre-Weaning A.Creep available by 7 days B.90% corn, 10% SBM, 1 lb Aureo-50/ton C.Vaccinate for Enterotoxemia D.Wean on Dec. 15 – Move ewes away E.Leave lambs on creep for 7 days with 0.5 lb grass hay/lamb/d F.Mix creep and post-weaning diet 50:50 so lambs on post-weaning diet by 14 days

I. Post-Weaning Post-Weaning Diet 10% CSH 64.75% ground/cracked corn 15.00% SBM 5.00% DDGS 1.50% gnd. limestone 1.00% white salt 0.50% ammonium chloride 2.00% corn oil Gnd. Grass can replace CSH or long hay can be fed separately Market lambs at 100 to 150 lb by March 10