Sheep producers are known to strive for twins, triplets and even quadruplets in their lambing litters, but an Alberta veterinarian and sheep researcher says this could be harmful in the long run.
Tag Archives Sheep
Less is more when it comes to lamb litter size
A veterinarian says increased mortality and lower finishing weights are the price sheep producers pay for larger litters
Man. producers welcome livestock insurance changes
Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. introduces a new maximum value for calculating livestock predation claims
The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation will over double its maximum value when calculating predation claims this year
Producers encouraged to raise sheep by the numbers
An expert in sheep production says incremental change and increased measurement can increase production profit
Glacier FarmMedia – The pathway to profit in sheep is paved with little details. “The secret of success is doing the common thing uncommonly well,” said Mark Ferguson, founder and chief executive officer of neXgen Agri of New Zealand. “Our goal has to be kilograms of lamb out the door.” Measurement and data analysis are […] Read more
Industry asked for input on sheep code updates
Updated code will outline standards for production of market lambs, breeding stock, milk and wool for the next 10 years
Glacier FarmMedia – The National Farm Animal Care Council has finished picking producers’ brains on the incoming sheep code update. The council initiated an update to the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Sheep last year, although work didn’t get underway until April. Last month, the NFACC and Canadian Sheep Federation announced […] Read more
Sheep body condition scores must be accurate
Body condition scoring livestock is a human, hands-on process and that means it’s subjective. Steps can be taken to make sure evaluations are repeatable across many animals, says Delma Kennedy, sheep specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Body condition scoring helps to evaluate the effectiveness of feeding regimens and enables […] Read more
Advocacy group promotes fibre
Saskatchewan produces plenty of different fibres, including fibre from sheep, alpaca, flax and hemp. Yet the market for locally grown natural fibres has remained small. Now, the Prairie Fibreshed Network wants to change that by connecting producers and consumers and spreading the news about locally made fibres, said Sonja Welford, Prairie Fibreshed’s treasurer and a […] Read more
Sask. sheep exhibition shows market growth
Organizers scrambled to find room for 160 sheep and lambs from 32 producers for the Grasslands Sheep Exhibition
HUMBOLDT, Sask. — Sheep numbers at the 2023 Grasslands Sheep Exhibition in Humboldt, Sask., were up 50 percent over last year’s show, which organizers said is an indication of industry growth. Sheep producers from across the Prairies participated in the July 21-23 exhibition. Organized by the Saskatchewan Sheep Breeders Association and the Saskatchewan Sheep Development […] Read more
Sheep market up in first quarter; down from ’22
Decline attributed to inflationary pressure on consumers, and price volatility at auction markets expected to continue
Canada’s domestic sheep and lamb market continues to get by despite being largely overshadowed by imports from the world’s two largest exporting countries, Australia and New Zealand. In Alberta, the first quarter of 2023 saw prices per hundredweight for live lamb up slightly from the same period year-over-year and remaining more than 13 percent above […] Read more
Shearers provide vital service for sheep sector
A younger generation is joining the small group of professional shearers who ply their trade across Western Canada
Wrestling a bleating mass of dirty wool weighing more than 200 pounds, flipping it onto its back or side, then wielding an electric shearer — that’s the normal routine for a sheep shearer. “It’s super physical,” said Bethan Lewis, a young shearer from Alexander, Man. All sheep should be shorn once a year to keep […] Read more
Scrapie found in Alberta sheep
A case of scrapie, a fatal disease affecting sheep and goats, has been confirmed in an Alberta sheep. Alberta Lamb Producers said today that the disease was confirmed in late June in a sheep that had lived on multiple premises. Two Alberta flocks have now been quarantined. Their location was not disclosed. Scrapie is a […] Read more
