American Lamb Board
(Previously published in the American Lamb Board Newsletter, August 8, 2019)
Helping each
sheep producer find ways to be more efficient plus take more control of flock productivity, both of which protect against price volatility, is the bottom line reason for the Best Practices to Increase Your Lamb Crop fact sheets. The series is a joint effort of the American Lamb Board (ALB) and the American Sheep Industry Association’s Let’s Grow program. These fact sheets were developed by a group of industry experts and are designed to help producers increase their productivity and profitability.
Even though sheep production practices in the U.S. vary widely, there are lamb crop best practices that will benefit every flock. Most sheep producers will be able to identify at least 3 of the 12 best practices that will help them gain efficiency and improve profitability.
Key indicators have also been developed to help identify which lamb crop best practices will be most beneficial for various production styles. For example, a range flock should have no more than 7% – 10% of dry ewes, whereas a farm flock should have no more than 5% – 7%.
The entire set of fact sheets, compiled into one document, can be downloaded here.
For those interested in checking out one specific area of interest in the document listed above, click on any one of the following links below to be directed to the most appropriate fact sheet.
Best Practices to Increase Your Lamb Crop
- Introduction and Key Indicators
- Optimal Nutrition
- Select for Prolific Genetics
- Testing Rams for Breeding Soundness
- Cull Underperforming Ewes
- Test for Pregnancy Status
- Disease Prevention and Treatment
- Reduce Lamb Loss
- Manage for Seasonal Changes in Reproduction
- Match Reproduction to Management
- Use Crossbreeding
- Breeding Ewe Lambs
- Accelerated Lamb Cycles