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How to get ewes to adopt orphan lambs

Getting ewes to adopt orphan lambs requires the orphans to smell like the ewe's own brood. There are several ways to transfer the ewe's smell to the orphan and pull off a successful adoption. Here's how to do it.

Cassie Bouska | Jan 2022 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Economic value of sheep footrot vaccination

Vaccinating your flock against footrot can yield benefits due to increased lamb weight gain. Learn how to assess the financial benefit of footrot control.

Shelby Filley | Dec 2020 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Nutrient requirements of sheep

Knowing the nutrient requirements of different types of sheep is fundamental to raising healthy animals. This series of tables provides the nutrient requirements of sheep in pounds and as a percentage of diet.

Aug 2019 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Mineral Requirements of Sheep and Goats

This document lists the mineral requirements of sheep. Two subgroups of minerals, macro and micro, are listed. Maximum tolerable amounts of the microminerals are included. Use these requirements along with the Mineral Assessment worksheets to balance rations.

Shelby Filley | Aug 2019 | Article

Using coyotes to protect livestock. Wait. What?

Protecting livestock by using one predator to repel another has given rise to an apparent oxymoron: guard coyote. But research has documented that when predators are eliminated, livestock losses can increase.

Randy Comeleo | Jun 2018 | Article

The causes and prevention of pregnancy ketosis in small ruminants

New producers of sheep and goats often first learn about pregnancy ketosis the hard way — with a dead dam, fetuses or both. Learn about the causes of ketosis and how to prevent it.

Susan Kerr | Jul 2014 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Pasture renovation tips for western Oregon ranchers

Renovating and reseeding a pasture requires time, money and a little luck. There are many ways to go about it, but if you begin the planning process in the spring, you’ll thank yourself in the fall.

Melissa Fery | Dec 2009 | Article

Understanding sheep reproduction helps ranch productivity

Understanding reproduction in sheep promotes highly productive flocks and the wise use of resources. An important point to understand is that the number of lambs produced depends on the seasonal timing of breeding.

Shelby Filley | Nov 2009 | Article