Michael Metzger, Michigan State University Extension Educator
(Previously published on MSU Extension, Sheep & Goat: December 09, 2024)

With kidding and lambing season upon us or right around the corner, owners should prepare their animals to get the best outcome.

Kidding and lambing season is here again and there are steps that owners should take to make sure their herd or flock is prepared. By taking the time to prepare, owners will mitigate issues that could arise, and they will be set up for the best possible outcome. With proper care and planning problems can be kept to a minimum as animals give birth.

Implement a vaccination program for your herd or flock
Four to six weeks before the animals are due to deliver, they should receive a booster with CDT vaccine and Bo-Se if not providing selenium through feed or mineral mix.

Monitor your feeding program to meet nutritional needs of the gestating animals
Does and ewes in the last trimester of pregnancy should have their feed intake monitored. As

Continue reading Preparing Small Ruminants for Kidding and Lambing →

Haley Campbell, Lecturer, The Ohio State University ATI

I’ve gotten the question a few times – ‘How can I prevent water troughs from freezing without electricity?’ Well, what a very good question indeed. First, let’s talk a little bit of chemistry. Adding salt to water when you’re boiling noodles increases the boiling point of the water, meaning the water is hotter than 212 degrees. This is the same concept with salt water and freezing point; salt water will freeze at a lower temperature than 32 degrees.

Soda bottle and salt or burying the trough are a couple of solutions 
Now that the chemistry is out of the way, it brings us to our first option – making a saltwater float. Using a 2-liter soda bottle, fill it two-thirds of the way with water and add 2 cups of salt, making sure it dissolves. After tightening the cap, place it in your trough. It should float (if it doesn’t, empty a bit of the solution) and break the surface tension of the water without freezing itself. Additionally, if the trough begins to freeze, the stock may learn to press on the bottle to expose fluid water. You also can use a soccer or basketball for the same effect. Continue reading Recipes for Keeping Trough Water Running in Winter →

PennState Extension
(Published online with PennState Extension: April 23, 2024)

(Image Source: PSU Extension)

The largest input cost for any livestock enterprise is feed costs. In forage dependent operations, most of these feed costs occur during the winter when feeding hay. Spring is a great time to assess hay feeding areas and consider how much hay the sheep wasted over the winter.

Is there a large amount of wasted hay lying next to the hay feeders? Did pens inside the barn require minimal bedding last year due to the amount of hay waste? A “yes” answer to either of these questions should inspire producers to look more closely at feed quality and feeder design. Using feeders should be an obvious means to help reduce waste. Less obvious perhaps is the concept that feeders can also help to promote animal health. This occurs by preventing fecal or soil contamination that can lead to problems such as internal parasites, coccidia, or listeriosis. Hay losses can range from 2% to 60% and results from trampling, forage quality or maturity issues, and fecal contamination. This results in sheep and goats refusing to eat what’s left at the bottom of the hay pile, which is typically decomposed and contaminated. Selecting an appropriate feeder can help to manage hay waste.

Not all feeders are Continue reading Reduce Feed Costs by Reducing Hay Waste →

Dr. Andrew Weaver, Extension Small Ruminant Specialist, North Carolina State University
(Previously published online with NC State Extension: September 22, 2024)

(Image Source: Willow Creek Farm)

Introduction
Lambing and kidding season is an important time for a small ruminant operation. Survival of newborn lambs and kids is paramount to the economic viability of the farm. The new lamb or kid crop is the product of investments and decisions regarding genetics, and the next generation sets the stage for the future of the flock or herd. During the period surrounding lambing and kidding, understanding and identifying normal versus abnormal behavior and physiology and knowing when to assist are essential to newborn survival, a healthy start to life, and productive individuals in the future. This guide is a simple reference for beginner sheep and goat producers experiencing the lambing or kidding season. It includes instructions for neonatal care.

Facilities
Proper facilities will provide protection for Continue reading Lambing and Kidding Cheat Sheet for Beginning Small Ruminant Producers →

Dr. John Yost, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Wayne County

(Image Source: Alberta Beef Producers)

A farm emergency can take many forms. It could be a barn fire on a large dairy farm, or it can be something less extreme such as a simple power outage. Emergencies aren’t foreseen and no two are exactly alike. No matter what size farm you have, it is important for you to develop a plan on how you, and your facility, would respond to potential disasters.

Developing an emergency management plan will require careful thought but doesn’t have to be overly complicated. I equate them to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plans (HACCP) that are utilized by our food processing industry. When developing a HACCP plan, you think of where a food safety problem can occur, implement control measures that will prevent it from happening, and list the process for correcting the problem when it does happen. In this case, you are dealing with potential issues that you will not be able to prevent, and instead create your action plan for when they do. Continue reading Farm Emergency Planning →

Amber Friedrichsen, Managing Editor, Hay and Forage Grower
(Previously published in Hay & Forage Grower: November 5, 2024)

Drought can take an obvious toll on forage supplies, stand condition, and water resources, but the effect it has on electric fences may be less apparent. Less apparent, that is, until livestock escape a pasture because the fence didn’t hold a charge strong enough to deter them.

Dean Kreager, an agriculture and natural resources educator with Ohio State University Extension, says there are fencing issues specific to drought that can cause havoc in grazing systems if left unattended. These problems primarily stem from weak grounding rods and loose fence posts.

Weak connections
Although wet conditions can lead to electrical faults when forage and weeds overtake fences and reduce the electrical charge, Kreager states these faults are less of a concern in dry conditions since stressed forage isn’t usually as tall. Instead, electric fences may malfunction during drought because ground rods are less effective in dry soil. Some moisture is necessary to maintain a strong electric circuit. Continue reading Don’t Let Drought (Un)shock the System →