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Fall Sheep Management Tips
Livestock Update, September 2008
Dr. Scott Greiner,
Extension Animal Scientist, Sheep, VA Tech
- Test hay samples to determine their nutritive value. Assess winter feed supplies and devise plan to secure needed feedstuffs. Work with an Extension agent to determine the supplements that will be required to formulate balanced diets for winter feeding.
- Stockpile forages.
- Trim and check feet.
- Graze spring-born lambs on available fall pasture and aftermath hay fields.
- Supplement grain on pasture to enhance lamb weight gains.
- Plan marketing strategy for any portion of lamb crop that remains.
- Identify and retain ewe lambs from spring lambing to be used as replacements. Breed so that they will lamb first as yearlings.
- After November 1, place ewes on stockpiled fescue pasture.
- With adequate fall growth, one acre of stockpiled fescue should supply enough feed for five non-lactating ewes through February 1. Use temporary electric fence to limit the sheep’s access to a portion of the stockpiled pasture until fully utilized.
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