Management tools for flock and herd improvement

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Management
tools for flock and
herd improvement
SUSAN SCHOENIAN
Sheep & Goat Specialist
sschoen@umd.edu
www.sheepandgoat.com
www.sheep101.info
www.wormx.info

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Presentation topics
1. Vaccinations
2. Weaning
3. Planning for breeding
4. Breeding ewe lambs and doe kids
5. Pregnancy determination
6. Life cycle feeding, including flushing

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Vaccinations
Biological preparation
that produces immunity
in the body.
Purpose is to reduce
incidence of prevalence
of diseases.

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Vaccine use on US sheep farms
Vaccine Percent farms
C & D 71.4
Tetanus 64.5
7 or 8-way clostridial 29.5
Vibrio (Campybacter) 15.2
Soremouth 11.0
Chlamydia (EAE) 8.1
Respiratory 4.8
Leptospirosis 4.2
Foot rot (Footvax) 3.5
Caseous lymphadenitis 3.4
Rabies 1.2
E. Coli scours 0.9
81.6% of sheep operations vaccinated at
least one sheep or lamb in 2010.
[NAHMS, 2011]

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Vaccine use on US goat farms
Type Percent farms
Meat 55.7
Dairy 53.3
Other 34.4
All operations 49.0
Vaccine Percent farms
C & D 89.5
Tetanus 86.6
Other clostridial 15.1
Caseous lymphadenitis 8.3
Pasteurella 8.6
Leptospirosis 7.7
Soremouth 7.0
Vibrio or Chlamydia 4.3
Foot rot 4.1
Other 3.8
Rabies 3.6
Of those vaccinating

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Clostridial vaccinations
Only universally recommended vaccination for sheep and goats.
CDT
 3-way vaccination for
clostridium perfringins type C &
D (enterotoxemias, D=“classic”
overeating disease) and
clostridium tetani (tetanus).
7 or 8-way
 Vaccination for 7 or 8 clostridial
diseases, including clostridium
perfringins type C & D and tetanus.
 Is the added protection necessary (?)
Clostridial vaccinations may
be less effective in goats.
Clostridial organisms of various types are found in the
soil, where they can survive for a long time. Most
clostridial organisms can also occur quite naturally in
the gut of healthy animals. When conditions are
favorable for the uncontrolled growth of clostridial
organisms they produce powerful toxins.

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Clostridial vaccinations
 Vaccination of young animals
does not provide adequate
protective immunity until
lambs/kids are at least 1-2
months of age.
 For this reason, vaccination
strategies target the pregnant
dam so that maximum
immunity is transferred to the
neonate in the colostrum.
Need to consume ~8-10% of body weight of colostrum.

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Vaccinating pregnant females
 Vaccinate pregnant ewes and
does 2-6 weeks prior to
parturition.
 Need to give two vaccinations,
3-6 weeks apart (depending
upon product), to ewes and
does that have not previously
been vaccinated.
 Then: need to ensure
adequate colostrum intake by
neonate.

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Vaccinating lambs and kids
 Colostral immunity beings to
wane after ~6 weeks.
 Give first clostridial vaccination at
~6-10 weeks of age; repeat in 3-6
weeks (depending upon product).
 Vaccinate purchased feeders and
re-vaccinate pasture-reared
lambs/kids, if you put them in a
feed lot for finishing.

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What if dam was not vaccinated
or lamb/kid did not get (enough) colostrum?
 Lambs/kids under 4 weeks of age have
poorly developed immune systems and do
not respond well to vaccinations.
 But, sometimes we have no choice and
must vaccinate younger lambs/kids. In this
case, two boosters should be given.
 Can give tetanus anti-toxin at time of
docking, castrating, and disbudding to
confer immediate, short-term immunity.
 Can give anti-toxins in event of disease
outbreak.

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What about the boys?
Rams, bucks, and mature wethers
 Rams, bucks, and wethers
should be boostered annually
for clostridial diseases.
 Vaccine should be given prior
to risk period (e.g. breeding
season, after suffering deep
puncture wound).

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Other vaccinations for sheep and goats
Need depends upon disease prevalence and risk.
 Abortion
1. Chlamydia (EAE)1
2. Leptospirosis3
3. Vibrio (Campylobacter)1
 Caseous lymphadenitis (CL)12
 E. coli scours
 Foot rot1 (Footvax® availability ?)
 Respiratory
Pasteurella12 - IBR-P-I33
 Rabies (Vx)1
 Soremouth (live)12
 Autogenous (farm-specific)
1sheep
2goats
3cattle

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Administration of vaccines
 Most vaccines are given subcutaneously
(under the skin, SQ, sub-Q).
 Axilla (arm pit)
 Over ribs
 High on neck
 Use a sharp, ½ to ¾ inch, 16 or 18 gauge
needle.
 Switch needles every 15-20 animals; more
often is better (disposable needles!).
 Use same clean needle to draw vaccine
from bottle.
 Don’t vaccinate dirty, wet, or sick animals.
 Withdrawal period is usually 21 days.

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Vaccine basics
 Always follow labeled instructions
 Store properly
 Record use (e.g. lot number)
 Most vaccines require boosters for full immune
response.
 Anti-toxins only provide immediate short-term relief.
 There can be side effects to vaccination, including
anaphylaxis and injection site abscesses.
 Have epinephrine on hand in case of adverse reactions.
 Vaccines are not 100% effective in preventing disease.
Biggest cost to vaccines is
labor to give them.

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Weaning
Removal of milk diet,
usually accompanied
by separation of
offspring from dam.

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Why wean?
 Milk production peaks at 3-4 weeks,
after which time it declines rapidly.
 Weaning eases the lactational stress
of high producing females and
yearlings.
 Weaning assists prolific females in
raising their offspring.
 Weaning allows females to return to
breeding condition earlier (especially
important for accelerated birthing)
 Weaning allows the culling of females
earlier in the season.

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Why wean?
 More efficient to feed lambs and kids
directly than to feed dams and offspring
as a unit.
 If good quality forage is in short supply,
e.g. drought.
 If farm lacks safe pastures or pastures
are highly contaminated with worm
larvae.
 Because predator risk is high.
 For artificially-reared lambs/kids, labor
and cost of milk replacer are reasons for
early weaning.

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Weaning ages
 Can be stressful to both dam and
offspring; thus, goal is to minimize
stress.
 Weaning age varies from as early as 3
weeks until as late as “natural” weaning
at 5 to 7 months of age.
 In 2011, average weaning age of lambs
was 109 days (66.7 lbs.) [NAHMS,
2013].
 Kids are probably weaned later on-
average than lambs (?)
 Artificially-reared lambs are kids are
usually weaned earlier than dam-raised
offspring (4-8 weeks).

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Weaning rules of thumb
 Weight more important than age; the
heavier the lamb or kid is the better it
is able to cope with stresses of
weaning.
 Lambs/kids need to be eating solid
food before being weaned.
 Weaning grazing lambs before 45
days of age is not recommended.

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Weaning rules of thumb
 Minimum of 30 lbs. for lambs;
some recommend 45 lbs.
 Minimum of 20 lbs. for
standard sized goats.
 Another rule of thumb is 3x
the birth weight, assuming
birth weight was near
average.

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Early weaning
 Usually less than 90 days
 Most common when lambs/kids are
born in the winter or early spring.
 Most common with shed
lambing/kidding and jugging.
 Most common with creep feeding
and dry lot feeding.
 Artificially-reared lambs and kids
are usually weaned early.
Late weaning
 Usually more than 90 days
 Most common when lambs/kids are
born in spring (April-May).
 Most common with pasture
lambing/kidding.
 Late weaned lambs/kids are usually
grazed with their dams and sold
directly off of grass, put on better
quality pasture after weaning, or
transitioned to grain diets prior to
marketing.
Early vs. late weaning

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Advantages to different weaning ages
EARLY
 Ease lactational stress
 Allow females to return to
breeding condition earlier
 Market culls earlier
 More efficient to feed lambs
 So you don’t have to castrate
 Sell lambs/kids earlier in season
 Lower predator risk
 Lower parasite risk
 Save pasture for ewes and does
LATE
 More natural
 Less stressful
 Less mastitis risk
 More economical gains
 Fewer pens/pastures needed

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Recommendations for early weaning:
lambs and kids
BEFORE
 Begin feeding coccidiostat at
least 21 days before weaning or
put coccidiostat in water ahead of
weaning.
 Complete management tasks,
such as docking, castrating, ear
tagging, and vaccinations.
 Assess for parasites and deworm
any requiring treatment.
 Ensure lambs are eating creep
(1% of body weight).
AT WEANING
 Wean on a nice day.
 Leave lambs/kids in familiar
surroundings.
 Keep lambs/kids on same diet.
 Minimize stress
 Weigh to calculate Adj. WWs.
 Watch lambs/kids closely for signs
of problems.

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Recommendations for early weaning:
ewes and does
BEFORE
 Two weeks ahead of time,
begin removing grain
from diet.
 Gradually, switch to
feeding a low quality
roughage (mature hay or
straw).
 Limit water intake for 2-3
days before weaning.
AFTER
 Move ewe/does to another location, ideally
out of sign and sound of lambs and kids.
 Consider withholding water for 24 hours.
 Keep ewes/does on lower quality forage
until their udders start to dry up.
 Do not put on lush pasture after weaning.
 Monitor udders; can remove some milk to
ease pressure.

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Planning for breeding: decisions
When?
 Winter
Dec-Feb
 Early spring
Feb-March
 Late spring
April-May
 Fall
Sept-Nov
Where?
 Shed (barn)
 Pasture
How often?
 Annually
Once per year
 3 times/2 years
Every 8 months
 STAR system
5 times/3 years
Every 7.2 months
 Twice per year
 Continuous

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Factors to consider when determining
when, where, and how often to lamb/kid?
 Forage and feed availability
 Weather - climate
 Housing needs and availability
 Labor needs and availability
 Predator risk
 Parasite risk
 Seasonality of animals
 Markets - Demand

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Preparing for breeding
1-2 months before breeding
 Assemble females
 Bag and mouth
Cull unsound and unproductive females
 Assess health
Treat for external parasites, if necessary
Deworm, if necessary
Trim feet, if necessary
Vaccinate, if necessary
 Assess body condition
Separate into groups based on body condition.
Begin flushing thin females.
Move to better quality pasture.

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Preparing for breeding
1-2 months before breeding
 Allow new males at least 8 weeks
to acclimate.
 Isolate (sight and smell) from
females for one month or more to
take advantage of ram or buck
effect.
 Consider shearing, if in summer
 Make sure housing is secure to
prevent early breeding.

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Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE)
1. Physical exam
a) Body condition
3.0 to 3.5 is ideal – begin supplemental feeding, if necessary
b) Structural correctness
feet, legs, hooves, mouth, teeth, eyes
Trim hooves, if necessary
c) Health - free from disease
Deworm and treat for external parasites, if necessary
2. Inspection of reproductive organs
scrotum, testicles, epididymis, penis, prepuce, sheath
3. Semen evaluation and evaluation of sperm (Vx)
4. Libido (sex drive)
Serving capacity test
Up to 10-15% of males
have sub-par fertility.

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Breeding ratios
How many rams or bucks do you need?
 General recommendations
1. 1 mature male per 30-50 females
2. 1 ram lamb or buck kid per
15-25 females.
 Other countries (New Zealand) use much
higher ratios, e.g. 1.5% (multi-sire matings,
males determined to be fit and sound).
 More males are needed if breeding is
synchronized: 1 male per 8-10 females.
 Ideally, mate young females away from
mature females.
 Single-sire matings, if you need to know sire.

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Length of breeding exposure
 Sheep: Two heat cycles is 35
days, so no more than 42 days
 Goats: Two heat cycles is 42
days, so 45 days will cover two
heat cycles.
 Females that do not breed
after two chances should be
culled.
 Males should not be kept with
females when not breeding.

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Monitoring breeding activity
 Use marking harness or raddle powder to
monitor breeding activity of ram or buck.
 Male will leave mark on female after he has
serviced her.
 Marks will provide breeding date and help to
identify breeding problems
 Male infertility (repeat marks)
 Lack of libido in males (few or no marks)
 Lack of estrus in females (no marks)
 Females that do not settle (repeat marks)
 Change colors during breeding season.
Different colors for different sires. Start with
lighter colors.
 Apply raddle powder every 2-5 days.
Recommended in single-sire matings.

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Breeding ewe
lambs and
doe kids
Breeding ewe lambs and
doe kids so that they have
babies at a year of age
instead of waiting to breed
them as yearlings.

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Why breed ewe lambs and doe kids
 Improve lifetime productivity
 Quicker return on investment: increase
profitability.
 Shorter generation interval: accelerate
genetic improvement
 Ewe lambs or doe kids are big enough and
have reached puberty.
 You have the ability to keep them separate
from the mature females until they are
joined for the second time.
 You’re willing to spend extra time with them.

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Why not to breed ewe lambs and doe kids
 They’re not big enough.
 They haven’t reached puberty.
 You can’t keep them separate from
your mature females.
 Because yearlings have more
problems at lambing and kidding,
especially if they are over or under-fed.
 Because they require extra labor.
 Because you think early breeding will
stunt their growth (for showing).

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Recommendations for breeding ewe
lambs and doe kids
 At least 7 months of age.
 Size more important than age; should achieve 60-
75 percent of their mature size (weight).
 Breed to male of same or smaller breed.
 Mate separately from mature females.
 Manage and feed separately until second joining.
 Consider breeding later than mature females so
you can give them extra attention.
 Remember yearlings that are nursing offspring are
more susceptible to parasites, especially if nutrition
is not optimal.

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Pregnancy
diagnosis
Is she or isn’t she?
How many?

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Why test for pregnancy status?
Yes or No?
 Sell open females:
save on feed,
medicine, and labor
costs.
 Helps you select
females for early
puberty by culling
those that don’t settle.
Fetal numbers
 Separate into management groups
based on fetal numbers.
 Manage/feed ewes with singles and
multiples differently.
 Females carrying multiples need 25%
more energy.
 Females with multiples may benefit
from extra care.
 Females with singles need less feed
and oversight.

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Dry females have significantly lower nutritional
requirements than pregnant females
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
2.40
Maintenance Breeding Early
gestation
Late
gestation
Lactation
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/day
132-lb. mature non-dairy doe (twins)
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
gestation
Late
gestation
Lactation
176-lb. mature ewe (twins)

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Options for pregnancy determination
Yes or no? Is she or isn’t she?
1. Management
Breeding marks - return to estrus
Udder palpation: bagging
2. Blood, urine, or milk testing
1. Blood progesterone
2. Pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB)
(BioPRYN) - after 30 days
3. A-mode ultrasound (e.g. Preg-tone)
1. No image: beep or light indicates
pregnancy (40-120 days)
2. What actually is being detected is fluid
Thus, less accurate (e.g. full bladder).
~$300 and up < $7 per animal

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Females carrying multiples have
higher nutritional requirements
1.60
1.70
1.80
1.90
2.00
2.10
2.20
2.30
2.40
Single Twins Triplets
132-doe, late gestation
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
2.40
2.60
2.80
3.00
3.20
3.40
Single Twins Triplets
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/d
176-lb. mature ewe, late gestation

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Consequences of over and under-
feeding during gestation
UNDER
 Risk of pregnancy toxemia
(inadequate intake of energy)
 Low reserves of brown fat
(protection against hypothermia)
 Underweight lambs/kids
 Poor quality and quantity of
colostrum.
 Reduced milk yield
OVER
 Risk of pregnancy toxemia
(fat ewes are more vulnerable)
 Increased dystocia (difficult birthing)
 Oversized fetuses
 Over-conditioned ewes/does
 Increased risk of vaginal prolapse.
 Increased (unnecessary) feed costs.

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Pregnancy determination
Fetal numbers
 B-mode ultrasound
 Initially developed and used in
human medicine.
 Uses internal or external probe
 Scanning equipment emits
ultrasonic waves that reflect off
dense tissue. Ultrasound console
displays image from the reflective
image.
 Best at 35-90 days gestation.
 Diameter of fetal head can be
used to estimate the number of
days pregnant.
Trained technician interprets image.

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Life cycle
feeding of
ewes and does
Nutritional requirements of
ewes and does vary
according to their stage
(and level) of production.
Early to mid
gestation
Dry period
(maintenance)
Lactation
Late
gestation
Breeding
(flushing)

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Energy requirements vary according
to stage of production
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
2.40
gestation
Late
gestation
Lactation
132-lb. mature non-dairy doe (twins)
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
gestation
Late
gestation
Lactation
176-lb. mature ewe (twins)

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Monthly energy (TDN) requirements of ewes
and does lambing/kidding in the spring (April)
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
January February March April May June July August September October November December
176-lb ewe 132-lb doe
DryLactation
Early
gestation
Late
gestation Breeding
Lambing
Kidding
Wean

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and does lambing/kidding in fall (September)
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
Dry LactationEarly gestation
Late
gestationBreeding
Lambing
Kidding
Wean

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and does lambing/kidding in winter (January)
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
Dry periodLactation Early gestation
Late
gestationBreeding
Lambing
Kidding
Wean

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Matching forage to nutrient requirements
Spring lambing/kidding
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
DryLactation
Early
gestation
Late
gestation Breeding
Lambing
Kidding
Wean

z Matching forage to nutrient requirements
Fall lambing/kidding
Dry LactationEarly gestation
Late
gestationBreeding
Lambing
Kidding
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
Wean

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Matching forage to nutrient requirements
Winter lambing/kidding
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
Dry periodLactation Early gestation
Late
gestationBreeding
Lambing
Kidding
Wean

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Flushing
 Providing extra nutrition to ewes and
does prior to and during the early part of
the breeding season.
 Females respond to improved nutrition by
gaining weight and/or body condition.
 Purpose of flushing is to increase
ovulation rate, so that ewes and does
give birth to and raise more offspring.
 Flushing may also improve embryo
survival, which would also increase
lambing and kidding percentages.

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Flushing
 Flushing works best with females that
are slightly under-conditioned (BCS <3,
especially <2.5), e.g. those that have not
recovered from previous lactation stress.
 Females that are already in good body
condition (BCS >3.5) generally do not
respond to flushing.
 It is more beneficial to flush early in the
breeding season than late, when
ovulation rates are already naturally
high.
 Prolific breeds are less responsive.

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How to flush
 Provide supplemental feed in the form
of grain or better quality forage.
1. Up to 1 lb. of concentrate feed per
head per day.
2. Access to fresh or better pasture.
3. Feeding exceptional quality hay.
 Common to start 2-3 weeks prior to
breeding season and continue for 3-4
weeks into breeding season.
 Flushing period can be lengthened or
shortened, depending upon body
condition of females.

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There are many
different ways to raise
sheep and goats. No
management system is
best. However,
regardless of the
system, sheep and
goats usually respond
well to good
management ($$$).

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Thank you
Questions?
Comments?
SUSAN SCHOENIAN
Sheep & Goat Specialist
sschoen@umd.edu
www.sheepandgoat.com
www.sheep101.info
www.wormx.info

Management tools for flock and herd improvement

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