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 moreTag Archives Sheep — page 2
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
Chinese wool demand unlikely to help Canada
The Chinese government is making new uniforms for its military and government workers, but those garments won’t contain much Canadian wool. However, such large quantities of wool needed for this project could affect other parts of the wool market, said Canadian Co-operative Wool Growers general manager Eric Bjergso. “Unfortunately, our fine wool production is such […] Read more
Better care needed as fertility rates rise
More is not better if lamb mortality increases with higher birth rates, says Saskatchewan veterinarian
As fertility rates rise for lambs and kids, so does the need for better management practices in keeping them alive. However, therein lie the issues, said Dr. Fritz Schumann of the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine. “Even if fertility rates are high, there must be a point where physiologically the lambs can’t […] Read more
‘Range maggots’ to the rescue on ranch pasture
LUNDBRECK, Alta. — Cattle ranchers traditionally aren’t keen on sheep but the “range maggots” they sometimes disparage have brought a major weed problem to heel on southern Alberta’s Waldron Ranch. Several years ago, leafy spurge flourished on parts of the ranch, turning the prairie greenish-yellow with its blossoms and foliage. Leafy spurge chokes out native […] Read more
Sheep producers happy with average results at ram sale
FORT MACLEOD, Alta. — Organizers of the annual Pound Maker ram sale in southern Alberta may have to change the name of the event to the Rain Maker ram sale. It rains almost every year on the day of the sale, and on May 19, the rain was particularly welcome as the first measurable precipitation […] Read more
Couple eager to return biblical sheep home
Israeli producers living near Abbotsford, B.C., say Jacob sheep should be the national animal of the Jewish people
TORONTO (Reuters) — A breed of sheep believed to have been raised by the Jewish patriarch Jacob may soon be brought to Israel, its biblical homeland, after an Israeli couple gathered a herd in Canada and brokered a bureaucratic detente to import the animals. Jenna and Gil Lewinsky’s efforts to send 130 sheep to the […] Read more
Genetic improvements have lasting legacy
Breeding sheep with greater disease resistance instead of treating symptoms could benefit animal welfare, food supply
RED DEER — Understanding sheep DNA could result in healthier, stronger animals. “Genetics have a lot of advantages over our traditional approaches. Unlike changes in management, genetics are permanent and cumulative,” said Susan Schoenian, a sheep and goat specialist from the University of Maryland. Breeding animals with greater disease resistance instead of treating symptoms with […] Read more
Lamb sector profits attract some cattle producers
While Canadian lamb producers are making money at current prices, feedlot owners’ margins are ‘tight and small’
It’s a great time to be a lamb producer. Prices keep getting stronger, supply is never enough and the strong U.S. dollar keeps American buyers looking north for bargains. “Prices are wonderful, but last year was also a good year for prices,” said Alberta lamb producer Bill Gibson of Tees, Alta. Prices for 80 to […] Read more
Sheep sharing leaves shepherds blue
Tara MacLachlan and Kirstin Tittemore have the blues. And those blues are believed to be the first purebred Bluefaced Leicester sheep flock in Saskatchewan. The women, one from Eyebrow and one from Central Butte, bought the flock several weeks ago from Rory and Jody McLean of Valleyview, Alta., and relocated it to the Saskatchewan plains. […] Read more
