Month: November 2021

Small Ruminant Imports: Friend or Foe?

Dr. Reid Redden, Associate Professor and Extension Sheep and Goat Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
(Reid’s Ram-blings: November 2021)

By now you know that I am a strong proponent of eating and promoting the consumption of lamb and goat meat. Bottom line, it is delicious, but the reasons to include lamb or goat in your meal rotation do not end there. It is nutritious and versatile in the ways it can be prepared. And as producers I believe it is important for us to be advocates of our own products.

When we cook and eat lamb and goat ourselves, we also become better advocates for it. I can’t count the number of times, I’ve heard “I only like lamb when Reid cooks it.” Over time, the fear of something different and we gain another advocate. Be Patient!

As a routine customer, I’m always inquiring about the origin of the product. Often, they are sourced from another country. Imported lamb is perceived by many consumers as Continue reading →

Designing a Sheep Shed

One of the most common asked questions that I receive on a weekly basis revolves around the topic of indoor housing options for sheep and goats. Unfortunately, resources here in the United States are limited on this subject. Thankfully, other shepherds from around the world have already investigated this need. Although from the perspective on an Irish sheep system, Mr. Edward Egan of Teagasc nicely outlines the top 10 considerations involved in building or refurbishing an existing facility used to house sheep. Because of resources and climatic conditions here in Ohio, not all of the presented information may apply to our producers. However, this video does outline important factors such as feeding and floor space allotments, ventilation, and feeding system that can be used as you begin designing your new system. A word of caution, much of the information is presented in metric measurements, but don’t worry. Pause your video and do the conversions. I think that many of you will find these values of interest as they may be able to be used to improve  your current system. If nothing else, enjoy 10 minutes of pictures capturing alternative sheep production systems.

Scoring Pastures Yearly can Help Identify Trends

Tony Nye, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Clinton County
(Previously published in Farm & Dairy: October 28, 2021)

A well-managed pasture is both productive and sustainable. Important decisions such as livestock feed inventory, forage stand replanting, fertility needs, weed control, etc., all hinge on what we see in the pasture. That is why an objective evaluation of a pasture is a valuable tool.

Pasture condition scoring is a systematic way to check how well a pasture is managed and performing. If the pasture is located on the proper site and well managed, it will have a good to excellent overall pasture condition score.

By rating key indicators and causative factors common to all pastures, pasture condition can be evaluated and the primary reasons for a low condition score identified.

Conditions that can lead to one or more pasture resource concerns could include Continue reading →