Sheep Production
All Sheep Production Content
Multi-Species Grazing as an Alternative to Pasture Spraying
Broadacre spraying of pastures is intended to reduce undesirable plants and increase grasses for livestock. This practice often results in unintended consequences, including damage and reduction of native forbs and reduced profitability. One approach to managing perceived “weedy” plants is incorporating different species of livestock into a grazing operation.
Importance of Proper Forage Sampling
As dairymen and livestock caretakers, we are trying to optimize the performance of our livestock, whether it is producing milk or meat. Without knowing the quality of the feedstuff or forage we are feeding, it becomes difficult to balance a ration to ensure the animal is receiving the proper amounts of needed nutrients.
Structuring Grazing Leases
Fact sheet including ranch resource goals to improve landowner - lessee relationships.
Newborn Lamb Care Management
Proper newborn lamb care is a critical component of flock profitability. In the U.S. lamb mortality from all causes is approximately 20% with more than 80% of those losses occurring in the first two-weeks following lambing.
Sheep Breeds
Everyone has heard the fairytale “Baa Baa Black Sheep Have You Any Wool?” but what about the double-coated California Red, the multi-colored Katahdin sheep with hair, or the East Friesian dairy ewe that produces over 1,100 pounds of milk a year? Sheep come in different shapes, sizes, and colors and all of them provide different functions and uses for producers. These can range from meat, wool, and milk production or a combination of characteristics.
Dealing With Emergency Manure Runoff
With the recent flooding that the region has experienced and snowmelt that is yet to come, it is essential for livestock operators with animal waste management systems to regularly check on structures in order to prevent a manure storage spill.
Minimizing Hay Storage Loss From Heating or Fires
Successful hay storage is essential to preserving high quality forage, while ensuring desired performance from livestock and deterring economic losses from unwanted hay storage fires.
Employee Turnover: It Is Important in Agriculture Also
Lots of conversations in agriculture lately focuses around labor or the lack of a labor pool of employees. This is the case not only for dairy farms, but also within the entire agriculture industry.
Livestock Stress Tool
Weather conditions in the Northern Plains can present more than a few challenges for livestock producers. From below zero or blizzard conditions during winter or even spring, to heat waves in the summer months, farmers and ranchers need to be prepared for rapidly changing conditions to provide the best care for their livestock and minimize their risks of losses.
Effecting Change Towards Economic Growth
During 2018 the main driver for South Dakota's economic growth continued to be agriculture. It is still the number one industry, with almost $20 billion in impact yearly. In today’s uncertain economic environment, two things can help farmers succeed: information and knowledge.