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 WILLIAM C. WEIR - HIUBIN AIM 
 
 S*#s 
 
 
 CALIFORNI 
 Experimen 
 E x t e 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of California, Davis Libraries 
 
 http://archive.org/details/californiasheepp16weir 
 
California 
 
 SHEEP 
 Production 
 
 WILLIAM C. WEIR - REUBEN ALBAUGH 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE 
 
 Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension Service 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 DAVIS 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Distribution, breeding, and selection 1 
 
 History of their introduction into the state 1 
 
 Sheep population 2 
 
 Present distribution in the state 2 
 
 The four general groups 4 
 
 Breeding replacement ewes 
 
 How to select breeding stock 8 
 
 Keeping records of performance 10 
 
 Sheep raising as a business 13 
 
 The pros and cons 13 
 
 Five types of sheep operations 13 
 
 How to start a sheep enterprise 14 
 
 Handling sheep 15 
 
 Predator and dog control 15 
 
 Marketing lambs 16 
 
 Production costs 16 
 
 Sheep prices compared to cattle prices 19 
 
 Equipment for sheep production 19 
 
 Develop an over-all plan 19 
 
 List of available plans 19 
 
 The loading chute 19 
 
 Scales 20 
 
 The feed yard 20 
 
 Sheep dogs 24 
 
 Feeding sheep in California 25 
 
 Requirements 25 
 
 Total feed 25 
 
 Digestible protein 25 
 
 Total digestible nutrients 28 
 
 Minerals 28 
 
 Vitamins 30 
 
 Composition of feeds 36 
 
 Supplemental feeding 36 
 
 Calendar of operations 39 
 
 Breeding season 39 
 
 Shearing, branding, and hoof-trimming 42 
 
 Care of ewes from breeding to lambing 44 
 
 Care of the ewe at lambing time 45 
 
 Care of ewes after lambing 47 
 
 Care of lambs 47 
 
 Culling the breeding ewes 54 
 
 Water 54 
 
 Shade " 54 
 
 Marketing 55 
 
 Fattening feeder lambs 56 
 
 Feeding lambs on pasture as a soiling crop 58 
 
 Stilbestrol implants 58 
 
 Reference reading 59 
 
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 HEPHERDING is one of the oldest professions known to man- 
 kind. Dating back to biblical times, the care of sheep is often 
 used in song and story as a symbol of the simple life. But the 
 sheep business as it exists today in California is a complex 
 enterprise. 
 
 This manual will acquaint you with the principal aspects of 
 sheep production — the breeds raised in the state; sheep as a 
 business; equipment you will need; feeding sheep; and a cal- 
 endar of operations for a typical year. 
 
 There is also a list of reference books, in case you wish to 
 read further on any particular phase of sheep raising. 
 
 This manual replaces Extension Circular 49. 
 
 THE AUTHORS: 
 
 William C. Weir is Assistant Professor of Animal Husbandry and Assistant Animal Husbandman 
 in the Experiment Station, Davis; Reuben Albaugh is Extension Animal Husbandman, University of 
 California, Davis. 
 
 OCTOBER, 1954 
 
California 
 
 SHEEP 
 Production 
 
 WILLIAM C. WEIR - REUBEN ALBAUGH 
 
 DISTRIBUTION, BREEDING, and SELECTION 
 for wool production or for meat 
 
 A brief history of their introduction 
 into the state 
 
 Domestic sheep were first introduced 
 into California in 1769. They were 
 brought here by the Franciscan fathers, 
 who were then establishing their chain of 
 missions along El Camino Real. These 
 sheep, of Spanish origin, were low-grade, 
 of the coarse-wool type. They were used 
 by the mission fathers as a teaching aid 
 in missionary work with the natives. The 
 men were taught the care and manage- 
 ment of the flocks, and the women 
 learned the art of making clothing from 
 the wool. Sheep also supplied food and 
 fiber to the colonists. 
 
 In 1825 about one million head of 
 sheep were kept by the seventeen mis- 
 sions, and a like number were owned by 
 ranchers. This indicates that in the early 
 days the coastal district of California 
 was a great sheep-producing region. Be- 
 sides clothing and blankets made by the 
 women of the mission, large numbers of 
 pelts and quantities of tallow processed 
 and sold to trading ships were economi- 
 cally important. 
 
 During the period of 1832-1848 the 
 disposal of livestock was placed in the 
 hands of Government officers. By their 
 ruling much of the livestock property was 
 sold to interests outside the missions. 
 
 With the discovery of gold in Cali- 
 fornia in 1848 and the influx of fortune- 
 seekers from all parts of the country, 
 there was a great demand for fresh meat. 
 Lambs brought $12 and wethers $15 per 
 head. Large numbers of sheep were 
 slaughtered, and by 1850 only 17,514 
 head of sheep remained — less than 1 per 
 cent of the number roaming the ranges 
 of California 25 years before. During the 
 period of 1852-1857, because of the de- 
 mand for meat 551,000 sheep were im- 
 ported into California by the trail route 
 from New Mexico. 
 
 Following the gold-rush days many 
 enterprising and progressive sheepmen 
 began to improve their flocks. They im- 
 ported purebred sheep from Vermont, 
 New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. 
 Spanish Merinos were first brought to 
 California by Curtis and McConnell of 
 Sacramento. Besides importations from 
 other states, large numbers of high- 
 priced sheep were brought into Cali- 
 fornia from Australia. It is reported that 
 during the period of 1856-1860 as many 
 as 200 purebred sheep were exhibited at 
 fairs as a single exhibit. 
 
 The first California sheep and wool 
 growers association was organized on 
 September 24, 1860, its purpose being to 
 foster and promote sheep breeding and 
 
 [i] 
 
wool growing in all its branches and to 
 take steps to prevent a monopoly on the 
 wool market of the state. The California 
 Woolgrowers Association is the state's 
 oldest agricultural organization. 
 
 Sheep numbers increased rapidly from 
 1860 to 1876. Over 6 million head were 
 reported in the state in 1876, producing a 
 wool clip of 56,550,970 pounds. During 
 the period 1880-1890 there was a grad- 
 ual decrease in sheep numbers, due 
 mainly to the low price of wool and the 
 competition for grazing lands from other 
 agricultural industries. According to E. 
 J. Wickson in a book entitled "Rural 
 California," over 225,000 sheep were 
 trailed eastward in 1881. During the 
 nineties sheep numbers still continued to 
 decline, and the farm value reached an 
 all-time low of $1.50 per head. 
 
 In the decade 1900-1910 conditions 
 for raising sheep remained adverse. In 
 1906 the U.S.D.A. placed a grazing fee 
 on domestic livestock grazed on the Na- 
 tional Forests. Public policy appeared to 
 be against the wool producer. 
 
 New interest was awakened in mutton 
 sheep with the outbreak of the World 
 War in 1914, and sheep values increased. 
 In spite of this, during the period 1914- 
 1920 numbers did not expand. After the 
 war a national depression was experi- 
 enced, and many believe that the sheep 
 business withstood this economic disor- 
 der better than did some other industries. 
 
 During these different periods in the 
 sheep industry, a gradual change took 
 place in breeding, feeding, management, 
 and marketing. Four- to six-months-old 
 milk-fat lambs of good breeding replaced 
 the aged wether, which had been kept 
 mainly for its wool. With the aid of 
 scientific data sheepmen began selective 
 breeding for wool and lamb production. 
 Although the American people do not 
 favor mutton, they like lamb. The de- 
 mand for lambs is such that about 65 per 
 cent of the sheepman's income in Cali- 
 fornia is from this source, while 35 per 
 cent is from wool. 
 
 Sheep population in 
 California is now on 
 the increase 
 
 Sheep numbers in the state from 1920 
 to 1944 fluctuated from slightly over 
 2,000,000 head to about 3,500,000 head, 
 the peak year coming in 1934. From 
 1944 to 1950 the numbers showed a 
 gradual decrease, reaching a low point 
 in 1950 of only 1,756,000; but by the 
 beginning of 1954 there were again 
 2,034,000 sheep in California. 
 
 Several factors are responsible for the 
 decline from the 1934 peak of produc- 
 tion. Lands formerly used for sheep have 
 gone into other crops. More profit has 
 been realized from other enterprises. 
 Skilled sheep labor has been difficult to 
 secure. Wool prices have been relatively 
 low. Grazing allotments have been re- 
 duced. Predatory animals and uncon- 
 trolled dogs have been a problem. There 
 has been increased competition by wild- 
 life, especially deer, for range forage. 
 Brush encroachment has reduced the 
 forage available to sheep in the range 
 area. 
 
 It is generally agreed that if sheep 
 numbers are to be materially increased 
 more farm flocks must be established. 
 
 How the present sheep 
 population is distributed 
 
 Before entering the sheep-production 
 business, make a careful study of your 
 area to determine if it is suitable for 
 such an enterprise. Although sheep rais- 
 ing is carried on in most sections of the 
 state, the largest population is found in 
 the great interior valleys — Sacramento 
 and San Joaquin. 
 
 On January 1, 1953, the Sacramento 
 Valley area had 671,000 sheep. The San 
 Joaquin Valley section reported the same 
 year 321,500 head. 
 
 Commercial and farm flocks make up 
 the largest percentage of sheep popula- 
 tion in California. However, in some 
 areas the purebred business is highly 
 developed. 
 
 12] 
 
WHERE SHEEP ARE RAISED IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 \" f 
 
 • 
 
 • • 
 
 1 • • 
 J • * 
 
 • • 
 • 
 
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 • • • 
 
 
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 \ • 
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 / • 
 
 •••>|V.W( •• 
 
 •^ 
 
 ) V • vvvL 
 
 r +V 
 / * * • 
 
 SHEEP DISTRIBUTION 
 
 IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 1953 
 
 • represents approximately 10,000 head 
 + represents approximately 5,000 head 
 •" represents less than 5,000 head 
 
 • • 
 
 • • • 
 
 • • 
 
 THE TEN LEADING COUNTIES IN 1953: 
 
 Glenn 150,300 
 
 Humboldt 140,500 
 
 Mendocino 133,000 
 
 Sonoma 134,300 
 
 Solano 130,800 
 
 Kern 116,700 
 
 Colusa 98,000 
 
 Tehama 88,600 
 
 Fresno 61,100 
 
 Yolo 61,000 
 
 [3] 
 
Most breeds fall into 
 four general groups 
 
 These are fine wools, long wools, 
 medium wool dual-purpose, and medium 
 wool mutton breeds. Instead of discus- 
 sing each breed in detail, this section 
 gives the principal use, advantages, and 
 disadvantages of each group. 
 
 The fine wools were selected from 
 the original Spanish Merino and have 
 been the basic breed for range-sheep 
 production. Their advantages and dis- 
 advantages are contrasted below. 
 
 Advantages. 1) They are rugged — 
 can stand extremes of heat and cold and 
 can exist under unfavorable feed condi- 
 tions. 2) They produce a desirable clip 
 of wool. Fine wool normally sells for the 
 highest price per pound on a clean basis. 
 
 3) They possess herding instinct — will 
 band together under range-herding con- 
 ditions. 4) They breed early — will breed 
 in April, May, June, and July to lamb in 
 the fall. This is important under Cali- 
 fornia conditions. 5) They are long-lived. 
 Many ewes will live to be 10 to 12 years 
 of age. 
 
 Disadvantages. 1) Fine-wool sheep 
 lack mutton conformation. With more 
 and more emphasis on the income from 
 lamb, the importance of mutton confor- 
 mation increases. 2) Ewes are not such 
 good milk producers as ewes of the other 
 groups, and in consequence do not pro- 
 duce such rapidly growing or high grad- 
 ing lambs. 3) Fine-wool sheep are more 
 subject to fly-strike (maggots resulting 
 from fly eggs) because of the wrinkles 
 and wool close to the anus and vulva. 
 
 4) Some of the wool is too short in staple 
 to bring the best price. 5) Shrinkage is 
 relatively high. 
 
 The long-wool breeds of sheep were 
 developed in England under cool, moist 
 
 RAMS . . . 
 
 of these breeds are used for producing cross- 
 bred fat lambs. Top to bottom: Shropshire, 
 Hampshire, Southdown, Suffolk. 
 
EWES . . . 
 
 of these breeds are used to produce commer- 
 cial lambs. Left, top to bottom: Australasian 
 Merino, Columbia, Corriedale, Rambouillet. 
 Below: Targhee, Romeldale and Romney. 
 
Breeds of Sh 
 
 eep 
 
 Grouped Accord 
 
 ing to Wool and Mutton Type 
 
 
 (Bi 
 
 eeds most common in 
 
 California in italics) 
 
 
 Fine wools 
 
 
 Long wools 
 
 Medium wool 
 dual-purpose 
 
 Medium wool 
 mutton breeds 
 
 Rambouillet 
 
 
 Romney 
 
 Columbia 
 
 Hampshire 
 
 Merino 
 
 
 Lincoln 
 
 Corriedale 
 
 Suffolk 
 
 
 
 Cotswold 
 
 Romeldale 
 
 Shropshire 
 
 
 
 Leicester 
 
 Targhee 
 
 Southdown 
 
 
 
 Border Leicester 
 
 Panama 
 
 Dorset 
 
 Cheviot 
 
 Oxford 
 
 conditions, where feed supplies are fa- 
 vorable. They are not well adapted to 
 most California conditions. 
 
 Advantages. 1) The largest sheep 
 belong to long-wool breeds. 2) The sheep 
 are rapid-growing (but late-maturing). 
 3) Long-wool breeds, particularly the 
 Lincoln, cross well with fine-wool breeds 
 to produce intermediate or dual-purpose 
 sheep. 4) Ewes are good milk producers. 
 5) Long-wool breeds can stand wet 
 weather, and the claim is made that the 
 Romney breed is more resistant to foot- 
 rot than other breeds. 6) They produce 
 a heavy clip of wool, low shrinking and 
 coarse in texture. 
 
 Disadvantages. 1) They are not 
 adapted to hot, dry climate. This limits 
 their usefulness to only a small section of 
 the North Coast area of California. 2) 
 They must have an adequate feed supply, 
 and are not so rugged as fine-wool sheep. 
 3) They do not produce such a desirable 
 carcass as mutton breeds. 4) Their wool 
 sells for a lower price because coarse 
 wool is not in such demand as fine wool 
 (but the increased yield may compensate 
 for the lower selling price) . 5) They lack 
 the herding instinct. 
 
 The medium-wool dual-purpose 
 breeds have been developed by crossing 
 the long-wool breeds with the fine-wool 
 breeds in an attempt to combine the de- 
 sirable characters of both groups and 
 
 eliminate as many of the bad points as 
 possible. All these breeds except the Tar- 
 ghee are essentially half long-wool and 
 half fine-wool breeding. The Targhee is 
 approximately three fourths fine wool 
 and one fourth long wool. The bulk of 
 the commercial ewes in California are 
 some mixture of the fine-, medium-, and 
 long-wool whiteface breeds. 
 
 Advantages. 1) Mutton conforma- 
 tion and milk production are improved 
 over the fine-wool breeds; as a result, 
 lambs produced by these medium-wool 
 ewes reach market weight at a younger 
 age and are more desirable from the 
 standpoint of conformation and carcass. 
 
 2) The length of staple and the clean 
 weight of wool clip are increased over the 
 fine-wool breeds, but the wool is still fine 
 enough to receive a good price per 
 pound. 3) Wool produced is free of black 
 fibers and has desirable quality. 4) These 
 breeds maintain the herding instinct of 
 fine-wool sheep. 
 
 Disadvantages. 1) They are less 
 rugged than fine-wool sheep. 2) They are 
 generally smaller than long-wool sheep. 
 
 3) They will not usually breed so early 
 as fine-wool breeds. 
 
 The mutton breeds were developed 
 primarily for their lamb-producing abil- 
 ity. Their principal use under California 
 conditions is to furnish sires for the pro- 
 duction of market lambs. 
 
 [61 
 
Tests conducted at this station have 
 shown that Hampshire and Suffolk rams 
 sire lambs that weigh more at marketing 
 and return the greatest income per ewe 
 bred. Southdown rams produce lambs of 
 the highest carcass quality, but the lambs 
 are small. Lambs sired by the Shrop- 
 shire rams are intermediate in size and 
 quality. Romney-sired and Rambouillet- 
 sired lambs are inferior in carcass qual- 
 ity to lambs sired by the mutton-type 
 rams. See also "Cross-breeding Investi- 
 gations" by R. F. Miller, referred to 
 among Source Books, on page 59. 
 
 Because of the increased size of the 
 lambs produced, most commercial lambs 
 in California are sired by Hampshire or 
 Suffolk rams. 
 
 Advantages, 1) Lambs of excellent 
 quality and grade can be produced. 2) 
 Ewes are prolific, good milkers, and good 
 mothers. 
 
 Disadvantages, 1) Ewes breed late. 
 Very few lambs are born in the fall. Most 
 lambs will be born from December 
 through March. 2) Ewes are short-lived. 
 3) Wool clip is light in weight and may 
 be contaminated with black fiber. 4) 
 Mutton breeds will not herd; they do not 
 have the banding instinct. 
 
 For these reasons it is not recommend- 
 ed that mutton-breed ewes or mutton- 
 breed crossbred ewes be used as commer- 
 cial breeding ewes. 
 
 Shall the sheepman 
 
 breed his own replacement 
 
 ewes or buy them? 
 
 As most commercial ewes are bred to 
 mutton-breed rams, all the lambs, both 
 ewes and wethers, should be sent to mar- 
 ket. The sheepman must then replace his 
 breeding ewes from some other source. 
 
 Historically California sheepmen have 
 found it economical to buy replacement 
 ewes from out-of-state breeders. Recent- 
 ly, as good replacement ewes become 
 harder to find, considerable interest is 
 being shown in raising their own replace- 
 ment stock. 
 
 Here are the reasons some sheepmen 
 have taken to producing their own breed- 
 ing ewes: 
 
 The flock can be improved by a selec- 
 tive breeding program under the direct 
 supervision of the sheepman. 
 
 Records can be kept on the sheep and 
 replacements saved from only the most 
 productive lines. The sheepman can se- 
 lect for twins, good milkers, desirable 
 fleece, etc. 
 
 Breeding ewes are acclimated; that is, 
 they will be producing, in the same en- 
 vironment in which they were born and 
 reared. 
 
 Breeding ewes are lambing at the same 
 season in which they themselves were 
 born, whereas a ewe from the Rocky 
 Mountain area born in April may be ex- 
 pected in California to lamb in No- 
 vember. 
 
 By not bringing new sheep onto the 
 ranch each year, the sheepman can avoid 
 the possibility of introducing diseases or 
 parasites. 
 
 California-bred replacement ewes can 
 be bred as lambs under good manage- 
 ment and feed conditions. 
 
 On the other hand there are good rea- 
 sons why some sheepmen prefer not to 
 produce their own breeding ewes : 
 
 The sheepman must use two kinds of 
 rams, whitef ace rams of the desired breed 
 to produce his replacement ewes and 
 blackface rams to produce market lambs. 
 The best ewes should be bred to the 
 whiteface rams. 
 
 Lambs marketed are of two types — 
 whiteface wethers and blackface ewes 
 and wethers. Most sheepmen agree the 
 whiteface wethers will weigh slightly less 
 than the blackface wethers, but reliable 
 data are not available on this difference. 
 
 Replacement ewe lambs should be 
 cared for in a separate group from the 
 main breeding band. (The breeding of 
 ewe lambs will be discussed on page 42.) 
 
 The cost of breeding replacements on 
 the ranch is probably greater than that 
 of buying them. 
 
 [7] 
 
How to select 
 your breeding stock 
 
 Ewes. Breeding ewes, irrespective of 
 breed, should be large and deep-bodied, 
 standing on straight legs with ample bone 
 and showing some femininity and breedi- 
 ness. Ewes should be free of wool around 
 the eyes to avoid wool-blindness. Wool 
 should be characteristic of the breed, 
 dense, long staple, and moderately fine. 
 
 Age of ewes should be determined by 
 examination of the teeth. At the same 
 time "overshot" and "undershot" mouths 
 can be detected. This is a condition where 
 the incisors fail to meet the dental pad at 
 the correct place. Ewes that have pre- 
 viously lambed should be checked for 
 sound udders; those showing pendulous 
 udders or udders with hard spots may 
 not be able to raise another lamb. 
 
 Aged ewes, sometimes called "broken- 
 mouthed" ewes (with some teeth miss- 
 ing), can often be bought cheaply, but 
 they will require extra care and attention 
 in order to raise another lamb crop. 
 Since a rather high death rate is to be ex- 
 pected among them, it is risky for a be- 
 ginner to start in the sheep business with 
 such ewes. 
 
 Rams should be purebreds of the 
 breed desired. Each should be medium- 
 to-large for the breed, with ample bone, 
 sound feet and legs, wide chest, straight 
 back, and thick hindquarters, and should 
 show masculinity (indicated by a thick, 
 muscular neck, a broad muzzle, and a 
 bright, alert eye). The wool of rams to 
 sire replacement ewes should be care- 
 fully examined. It should be typical of 
 the breed (rams' wool may be slightly 
 
 How to determine age of sheep by their teeth. 1.— lamb shows four pairs of incisors; 2.— one-year- 
 old shows one pair of permanent incisors; 3.— two-year-old shows two pairs of permanent incisors; 
 4.— three-year-old shows three pairs of permanent incisors; 5.— four-year-old shows four pairs of 
 permanent incisors; 6.— teeth have all dropped out. This usually happens at seven to twelve years 
 
 of age and the animal is then known as a "gummer." 
 
 [8] 
 
CHOOSE YOUR BREEDING STOCK CAREFULLY 
 
 
 Photo at right shows a desirable 
 and an undesirable ewe. 
 
 m 
 
 m 5, . 
 
 Photo at left shows a sheep with an overshot 
 jaw— a condition to be avoided. 
 
 .■.:■■■. 
 
 i 
 
 
 Aged ewes, such as those shown above, no longer able to "rough it" on the range, will usually 
 produce another crop or two of lambs under the more favorable conditions of farm flocks. 
 
 [9] 
 
more coarse than ewes'), and should 
 show length, density, and uniformity of 
 diameter (fineness) over the entire body. 
 The wool on mutton-breed rams is of 
 little concern to the sheepman because 
 all the lambs produced by these rams will 
 be marketed as fat or feeder lambs. 
 
 Keep records of 
 performance and grading 
 
 Sheepmen interested in practical, sys- 
 tematic methods for improving the pro- 
 duction and quality of their flock should 
 ask their local farm advisor for an Ex- 
 tension Circular entitled "A Guide for 
 Sheep Improvement Programs" (See 
 Source Books listed on page 59). 
 
 This guide discusses the grading sys- 
 tem used by University of California spe- 
 cialists in evaluating sheep for confor- 
 mation, type, quality, and character. The 
 grading program also considers quality, 
 density, and staple length of fleece. Its 
 main purpose is to evaluate sheep uni- 
 formly in comparison to the sheep popu- 
 lation as a whole. It is very similar to the 
 system used for grading feeder and fat 
 lambs and to the grading method em- 
 ployed in beef-cattle improvement work. 
 
 In addition to evaluating the sheep for 
 
 conformation and wool, the guide affords 
 the owner an opportunity to keep accu- 
 rate records on the production of each 
 individual ewe and ram. Fleece weights, 
 birth weights, and weaning weights of 
 lambs may be recorded. With data of this 
 kind available, it is possible for a sheep- 
 man to cull his flock more effectively. 
 
 Here are the things necessary in con- 
 ducting such a program: 1) A suitable 
 scale for weighing sheep. 2) An accurate 
 breeding and lambing record. 3) A flock 
 book with separate record sheet for each 
 ewe (Ask your farm advisor) . 4) A uni- 
 form system of grading each animal. 5) 
 Standard record forms to assure uni- 
 formity. 
 
 The owner must have an interest in the 
 program and a willingness to keep rec- 
 ords in cooperation with the farm ad- 
 visor. The best time to start a record of 
 performance and a grading project is in 
 the spring, usually before shearing. 
 
 On pages 11 and 12 are score cards 
 and grading guides for grading sheep in 
 California. These score cards are not 
 those of any particular breed, but they 
 are believed by the authors to be a rea- 
 sonable guide for selecting good sheep of 
 any breed. 
 
 [10] 
 
SCORE CARDS USED IN GRADING SHEEP 
 
 WHITEFACED DUAL-PURPOSE SHEEP 
 
 CONFORMATION, 65 PER CENT 
 
 Weight for age and scale 10 
 
 General appearance and breed type 8 
 
 Head and mouth 5 
 
 Shoulders, chest, and spring of ribs 8 
 
 Back and loin 8 
 
 Twist and leg of mutton 8 
 
 Rump 5 
 
 Feet and legs 7 
 
 Natural fleshing 5 
 
 Scrotum or udder 1 
 
 FLEECE, 35 PER CENT 
 
 Density 8 
 
 Length of staple 12 
 
 Spinning count (breed considered) and uniformity (all parts of body) 10 
 
 Character (crimp, color of secretions, freedom from hair) 5 
 
 100 
 
 BLACKFACED MUTTON SHEEP 
 
 CONFORMATION, 90 PER CENT 
 
 Weight for age and scale 10 
 
 General appearance and breed type 10 
 
 Head and mouth 8 
 
 Shoulders, chest, and spring of ribs 10 
 
 Back and loin 10 
 
 Twist and leg of mutton 10 
 
 Rump 5 
 
 Feet and legs 15 
 
 Natural fleshing 10 
 
 Scrotum or udder 2 
 
 FLEECE, 10 PER CENT 
 
 Density 2 
 
 Length of staple 4 
 
 Freedom from black fiber 2 
 
 Belly wool 2 
 
 100 
 
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SHEEP RAISING AS A BUSINESS ... some 
 things the beginner should know or consider 
 
 Before you begin, 
 study the pros and cons 
 
 Sheep perform the primary function 
 of converting grass and other products 
 of the plant world — largely of no use to 
 man in such form — into food and fiber 
 for human use. You should clearly under- 
 stand how they differ from other live- 
 stock before you go into the business of 
 raising sheep. You will want to study the 
 costs of production (See pages 16 to 
 18) and the possible income on farm 
 flocks and range flocks. 
 
 Consider also these points on the credit 
 side of sheep-raising as a business: 
 
 Sheep produce two crops each year — 
 lamb and wool. 
 
 Returns come relatively rapidly. Ewe 
 lambs can be bred to lamb as yearlings. 
 Lambs are marketed young — at four to 
 seven months. 
 
 Sheep utilize roughages as their pri- 
 mary feed supply. They do not need large 
 amounts of purchased feeds. 
 
 Lambs will fatten on good pasture 
 alone, without any supplemental feed. 
 
 Sheep are easily handled and moved. 
 
 Equipment and shelter can be rela- 
 tively simple and inexpensive. 
 
 Sheep can aid in a weed-control pro- 
 gram and reduce the fire hazard on the 
 ranch or farm. 
 
 On the other hand, there are certain 
 adverse considerations: 
 
 Sheep are naturally defenseless, and so 
 man must protect them against their ene- 
 mies. Severe losses will otherwise occur 
 from stray dogs and predatory animals, 
 such as coyotes, bobcats, and bear. 
 
 Furthermore, sheep are subject to both 
 external and internal parasites. The shep- 
 herd must be alert and watchful to pre- 
 vent losses from these dangers. 
 
 Sheep must either be watched contin- 
 ually by a herder or pastured in fields 
 that are fenced "sheep-tight" (with a 
 woven-wire fence, which is expensive to 
 construct). 
 
 Foot troubles will occur if sheep are 
 forced to stay on muddy, wet ground. 
 
 In general, they require more atten- 
 tion and labor than do cattle. 
 
 In California there are five 
 types of sheep operations. 
 
 1. Range commercial sheep — 
 herded. Sheep are operated in bands of 
 from 500 to 2,000 and are constantly 
 
 Photos before and after pasturing sheep on an irrigation ditch. The sheep not only save expense 
 in keeping the ditch clean, but keep the banks well trampled so that gophers are less troublesome. 
 
 ^■^I^^^^v^ssn*- -\ -i 
 
 amm 
 
"Sheep-tight" fences such as that shown above should be made of woven wire, with barbed wire 
 
 above to protect the woven wire. 
 
 under the care of a sheep herder. They 
 utilize desert and mountain ranges and 
 may pasture alfalfa, irrigated pasture, 
 grain fields, and beet tops. Available 
 range is nearly all utilized by present 
 operators. 
 
 (This is a specialized business requir- 
 ing experience and skilful management.) 
 
 2. Range commercial sheep — 
 fenced pastures. Sheep are grazed in 
 fenced fields of varying size. The land is 
 owned or on long-term lease. This opera- 
 tion requires large initial investment, but 
 a comparatively lower cost of operation. 
 
 3. Purebred sheep. The primary 
 source of income from a purebred flock 
 is through the sale of rams to commercial 
 sheepmen. This enterprise requires the 
 ability to select desirable breeding stock 
 and facilities, particularly feed supply, 
 and to keep animals in desirable condi- 
 tion at all times. Commercial sheepmen 
 demand high-quality, well-grown rams. 
 A beginner should not start in the pure- 
 bred business. It is much better to gain 
 experience first with commercial sheep. 
 
 4. The farm flock. This may vary 
 from a few head to a few hundred sheep 
 
 on a farm. In this case sheep are usually 
 only one source of income. Thirty to 
 forty breeding ewes is considered a mini- 
 mum economic unit. 
 
 5. Fattening feeder lambs. Most 
 feeder lambs are fattened on irrigated 
 pastures in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, 
 and Imperial Valleys. This operation will 
 be discussed under lamb fattening, on 
 pages 56-58. A smaller number of lambs 
 are fattened in feed lots on dry feeds. 
 
 How to start 
 
 a sheep enterprise 
 
 First answer the following questions: 
 
 1. Is a source of feed available for ev- 
 ery month of the year? 
 
 2. Are fences "sheep-tight"? 
 
 3. Are there facilities for caring for 
 sheep at lambing? At shearing? 
 
 4. Can the sheep be kept out of mud 
 during wet weather? 
 
 5. Are dogs and predators likely to be 
 a serious menace? 
 
 6. Do you like sheep? 
 
 7. Have you had adequate sheep expe- 
 
 rience 
 
 [14] 
 
You can establish a farm flock in sev- 
 eral ways. From a start with bummer 
 lambs (young orphans) from some rec- 
 ognized breeder, it is possible to begin 
 with a very small investment. Fair-sized 
 enterprises have eventually developed 
 from bummer lambs used in projects by 
 4-H Club and FFA members. The care 
 and feeding of these is discussed in Sec- 
 tion 5. 
 
 Healthy, thrifty, well-bred, broken- 
 mouth ewes can also be used to start a 
 farm flock. Ewes of this kind, culled 
 from range bands, are sometimes avail- 
 able on the market at reasonable prices. 
 If given proper feed and care, such ewes 
 will often raise another lamb crop or two. 
 Care should be taken not to buy ewes 
 that are too old, because the death loss 
 is apt to be high. 
 
 A small flock of well-bred ewe lambs, 
 yearlings, or two-year-old grade ewes will 
 need less care and attention than the 
 above groups. The initial cost will be 
 greater, but in the long run they may be 
 the cheapest buy. 
 
 Handling sheep 
 
 Whenever it is necessary to handle in- 
 dividual sheep, the flock or band should 
 be enclosed in a small corral. A beginner 
 often makes the mistake of placing a few 
 sheep in a big enclosure. This is hard on 
 both the sheep and the sheepman. 
 
 Do not catch individual sheep by the 
 hind leg. The animal will fight in this 
 position, and there is real danger of crip- 
 pling it by pulling the hip out of the 
 socket. It should be caught by grasping 
 the rear flank just in front of the stifle 
 joint. By lifting slightly, you can immo- 
 bilize the animal without any great strug- 
 gle. The other correct way is to catch the 
 sheep by the head. 
 
 A sheep hook or shepherd's crook may 
 be used in large bands for catching ewes 
 on the open range. It should be used only 
 when absolutely necessary, as there is 
 danger of crippling the sheep by careless 
 handling. 
 
 Once the sheep is caught, it can be 
 held by placing one hand under the jaw 
 near the mouth and the other hand be- 
 hind the head or on the rump just above 
 the dock. If the sheep tries to go forward, 
 lift up on the chin and place your knee in 
 front of the brisket. If it tries to back up, 
 put pressure on the end of the dock. 
 
 Never under any circumstance pull on 
 the wool! This results in pain to the 
 sheep and will only cause it to fight more. 
 
 Predator and dog control 
 
 Agencies responsible for controlling 
 predatory animals and sheep-killing dogs 
 are numerous in California. For example, 
 a large number of counties have coopera- 
 tive predatory-animal agreements with 
 the United States Fish and Wild Life 
 Service and the State Department of Ag- 
 riculture. A check in 1953 showed that 
 41 California counties were operating 
 under this cooperative agreement with 
 these two agencies. 
 
 In a few counties, predatory-animal 
 control is handled directly by the county 
 government through the Board of Super- 
 visors. In other areas the work is under 
 the direction of the County Agricultural 
 Commissioner. Some counties do not 
 work under a paid hunter and trapper 
 system. In these counties funds are ap- 
 propriated on a county basis for the pay- 
 ment of bounties on predators. 
 
 Where sheep losses have occurred from 
 sheep-killing dogs, a few counties have 
 organized strong, workable dog ordi- 
 nances. Under this control system an effi- 
 cient, alert poundmaster is employed. 
 His job is to see that all dogs are licensed 
 each year, to impound unlicensed dogs, 
 and to determine the ownership of dogs 
 that are found worrying, wounding, or 
 killing sheep. 
 
 The headquarters of the poundmaster 
 vary. Some work out of the county sher- 
 iff's office, others with the agricultural 
 commissioner. Some have their own of- 
 fices within the county government. 
 
 [15] 
 
California has a fine dog law, and all 
 sheepmen should be familiar with its pro- 
 visions. A copy of this law can be had 
 by writing to the California Wool Grow- 
 ers Association, 151 Mission Street, San 
 Francisco. 
 
 Besides the state and county govern- 
 ment program for predatory-animal con- 
 trol, individual sheepmen may hire ca- 
 pable hunters and trappers. In some 
 areas several sheepmen employ hunters 
 and trappers cooperatively. Other sheep- 
 men may pay bounties to hunters for ani- 
 mals that kill sheep. Still others do their 
 own hunting and trapping. 
 
 If you suspect sheep losses to be from 
 predatory animals or dogs, get in touch 
 with your local trapper, hunter, or pound- 
 master. In case you do not know how to 
 reach these agents, you can contact your 
 local farm advisor or local wool growers 
 association for information. 
 
 Marketing your lambs 
 
 California is in a favorable position 
 for marketing her lamb crop. Because of 
 mild winters, growers are able to finish 
 and market lambs during the months of 
 April, May, and June. As lambs are usu- 
 
 California spring lambs such as these are 
 
 ally in short supply at this season, the 
 price is generally higher than after 
 July 1. 
 
 During these spring months, Califor- 
 nia lambs are exported to eastern mar- 
 kets to relieve the surplus. A total of 
 285,000 head were shipped in 1952. Dur- 
 ing the remainder of the year, California 
 is a deficit area, and large numbers of 
 lambs are shipped into the state, both for 
 immediate slaughter and for fattening 
 before slaughter. In 1953, 1,180,000 head 
 were shipped in from out of state. 
 
 Production costs 
 
 Since sheep return two incomes per 
 year (wool and lamb) many people may 
 become overenthusiastic about the profit 
 in sheep raising. Before investing in the 
 sheep business, you had better become 
 familiar with certain costs of production 
 and expected returns. 
 
 Successful sheep raising is largely de- 
 pendent on sound, progressive manage- 
 ment such as correct breeding, feeding, 
 and marketing practices. The chief profit- 
 determining factors are: 1) quality and 
 quantity of lambs and wool;. 2) prices 
 
 usually marketed in April, May, and June. 
 
 
 « \ iv*. ' 
 
 Mil, 
 
 ' &S $ 
 
 
 m& 
 
received for lambs and wool; and 3) an- 
 nual costs per sheep. 
 
 Since the cost of production and the 
 returns from a sheep operation both 
 vary, not only within each sheep-produc- 
 ing area but also from ranch to ranch, 
 it is difficult to present definite cost-and- 
 return data. 
 
 The information on costs and income 
 
 outlined below has been developed by 
 A. D. Reed, Extension Economist, at the 
 University of California at Berkeley, and 
 can be used as a guide (using current 
 and local prices) when figuring costs, in- 
 comes, and investments. If an income 
 falls below these estimates, then a careful 
 analysis of the management should be 
 made. 
 
 TABLE 1 — Farm Sheep Flocks 
 
 Production Data 
 Ewes — 5 per cent mortality, 15 per cent culled 
 Lambs — 100 per cent raised 
 Rams — One per 25-50 ewes. Purchase replacements as necessary. 
 
 SAMPLE INCOME AND EXPENSE PER 100 EWES 
 Income 
 
 Lambs sold, 80 head @ 90 lb.— 7,200 lb. @ 20 cents $1,440 
 
 Ewes sold, 15 head @ 120 lb.— 1,800 lb. @ 10 cents 180 
 
 Buck sold, 1 head @ 150 lb.— 150 lb. @ 10 cents 15 
 
 Wool, 1,0001b. @ 50 cents 500 
 
 $2,135 
 Expense 
 
 Replacement buck, one 100 
 
 Pasture : 
 
 Natural range 50 acres — 400 hd. mo $ 240 
 
 Irrigated pasture 15 acres — 500 hd. mo 600 
 
 Stubble 25 acres— 200 hd. mo 80 
 
 Total pasture $ 920 
 
 Hay, 60 days @ 3 lb.— 9.0 tons @ $20 180 
 
 Grain for lambs, 30 days @ l A lb.— 750 lb. @ $3.50 26 
 
 Salt and mineral, 600 lb. @ $0.02 12 
 
 Totalfeed $1,138 
 
 Shearing and wool bags, 103 hd. @ $0.60 62 
 
 Taxes and miscellaneous 50 
 
 Labor, 300 hr. @ $1.00 300 
 
 Investment and Depreciation 
 
 Original cost Depreciation 
 
 Buildings and fences $ 800 40 
 
 Equipment 300 30 
 
 Stock— 100 ewes and 3 rams 2,300 
 
 Land for corrals and sheds 500 — 70 
 
 Interest, 5 per cent on $3,350 168 
 
 Total cost 1,888 
 
 Net profit $ 247 
 
 [17] 
 
In studying the "input" and "output" is labor. On the other hand, the largest 
 statement you can readily see that the big income is from lamb, followed by wool, 
 cost item is feed, which includes both Therefore, if net income is to be mate- 
 raised and purchased. Next largest cost rially increased, effort should be made to 
 
 TABLE 2 — Range Sheep Flock 
 
 Production Data 
 
 Ewes — 7 per cent mortality, 13 per cent culled 
 Lambs — 80 per cent raised 
 Rams — one per 30 ewes 
 
 SAMPLE INCOME AND EXPENSE PER 1,000 EWES 
 
 Income 
 
 Lambs sold, 600 head @ 80 lb.— 48,000 lb. @ 20 cents $ 9,600 
 
 Ewes sold, 130 head @ 110 lb.— 14,300 lb. @ 10 cents 1,430 
 
 Bucks sold, 6 head @ 135 lb.— 810 lb. @ 10 cents 81 
 
 Wool, 10,000 lb. @ 50 cents 5,000 
 
 16,111 
 Expense 
 
 Replacement bucks, 7 @ $75 525 
 
 Feed: 
 
 Range, 3,000 acres— 10,000 hd. mo. @ $0.60 $ 6,000 
 
 Stubble, 250 acres— 2,000 hd. mo. @ $0.40 800 
 
 Hay, 30 days @ 3 lb.— 45 tons @ $20 900 
 
 Cake, 90 days @ \i lb.— 11.5 tons @ $100 1,150 
 
 Grain for rams, 30 days @ l A lb.— 500 lb. @ $3.50 cwt 18 
 
 Salt and mineral, 3 tons (a>, $35 105 
 
 Total feed 8,973 
 
 Horses, 2 @ $100 200 
 
 Dogs, 2 % $15 30 
 
 Truck, 2,000 miles @ 7 cents 140 
 
 Taxes and miscellaneous 500 
 
 Spraying, 1,030 hd. @ 8 cents 82 
 
 Shearing and wool bags, 1,030 hd. @ $0.60 618 
 
 Labor, 2,500 hours @ $1 2,500 
 
 Investment and Depreciation 
 
 Original cost Depreciation 
 
 Buildings $ 5,000 $ 250 
 
 Equipment 2,000 200 
 
 Stock : Ewes, 1,000 (5 $20 20,000 
 
 Bucks, 33 @ $75 2,475 
 
 Land for corrals 1,000 450 
 
 Interest (a 5 per cent on $26,975 1,349 
 
 Total expense $15,367 
 
 Net profit 744 
 
 5 per cent interest is based on ' - 2 of original cost of buildings and equipment and on original 
 costs of other items. 
 
 I IK] 
 
keep feed and labor costs as low as pos- 
 sible, at the same time increasing the 
 quality and quantity of lamb and wool 
 produced. 
 
 How do sheep prices compare 
 with those for cattle? 
 
 Prices are favorable for sheep produc- 
 tion, as compared to cattle. For example, 
 it is usually assumed that a beef steer 
 will put on 300 pounds of gain during a 
 pasture season. If at least four ewes can 
 be managed on the same amount of pas- 
 ture as one steer, the four ewes on good 
 feed comparable to the feed producing 
 300 pounds of beef should produce four 
 90-pound lambs, or 360 pounds of meat. 
 
 There is another factor that must not 
 be overlooked. These four ewes should 
 
 also produce at least 32 pounds of wool. 
 This would be, according to present-day 
 estimates, equivalent in value to 80 
 pounds of lamb. Therefore, while 
 1 steer produces 300 pounds gain, 
 4 ewes produce 440 pounds gain. 
 At present, prices of grass-fed cattle 
 and lamb are about the same. According 
 to a cost study prepared by Arthur Shul- 
 tis, Extension Economist of the Univer- 
 sity of California at Berkeley, it costs 
 16.3^* to produce a pound live weight of 
 beef and 12.4^ to produce a pound live 
 weight of lamb under average California 
 conditions — based on probable "in-line" 
 long-time average costs. (See The Rela- 
 tive Economy of Meat Production in Cal- 
 ifornia by Several Types of Farm Ani- 
 mals, referred to on page 59.) 
 
 EQUIPMENT FOR SHEEP PRODUCTION . . . some of 
 it is easy to build from available plans 
 
 Develop an over-all 
 sheep-handling plan 
 
 Well-planned sheep equipment such as 
 corrals and other handling devices saves 
 labor, cuts shrinkage to a minimum, and 
 is among the best investments a sheep- 
 man can make. No one plan is suitable 
 for all ranches. However, certain features 
 and construction details might be usable 
 on any ranch. 
 
 A good, practical set of corrals and 
 equipment should make it possible to 
 sort, brand, mark, load, unload, weigh, 
 spray, shear, and treat sheep. Drinking 
 water should be in or near the corrals. 
 Shade and weather shelters are desirable 
 in some areas. Valuable equipment 
 should be strongly built, and painted to 
 "preserve the material. 
 
 Corrals and structures should not only 
 be arranged for convenience but should 
 also be laid out and planned for economy 
 and serviceability. In selecting a site for 
 corrals and equipment, choose a location, 
 if possible, in the center of the ranch op- 
 eration. This will reduce the distance of 
 
 movement of stock. The area should be 
 well drained and the soil of sandy tex- 
 ture. 
 
 In building sheep structures and 
 equipment, plans and blueprint details 
 must be followed closely. Equipment 
 built from plans discussed below has 
 been found workable and practical. 
 
 Plans are available 
 
 The Agricultural Engineering and Ani- 
 mal Husbandry Departments have devel- 
 oped the plans and specifications which 
 are listed on page 20. Ask your farm ad- 
 visor for any that are of interest to you, 
 or write to Agricultural Publications, 22 
 Giannini Hall, University of California, 
 Berkeley 4, California. 
 
 The loading chute 
 
 It is important that this be located so 
 that large trucks and trailers can reach 
 it easily at any time of year. After you 
 have selected the site for the loading 
 chute, the corral and other equipment 
 can be built around it. For ease in work- 
 ing sheep through chutes, they should if 
 
 r i9i 
 
PLAN 
 NUMBER 
 
 50 
 
 72 
 
 73 
 
 74 
 
 75 
 
 112 
 
 114 
 
 115 
 
 116 
 
 117 
 
 118 
 
 177 
 
 185 
 
 191 
 192 
 
 198 
 
 199 
 
 5019 
 5025 
 
 PLANS DEVELOPED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRICE 
 
 Salt feeder for sheep. Self feeder type, 4' long, 2' wide. Salt pro- 
 tected from weather $.15 
 
 Portable self-feeder for sheep. Eight feet long; capacity about 28 
 
 cu. ft. Suitable for feeding salt-concentrate mixtures 25 
 
 Wool sacking windlass. For installation on sacking stand or in wool 
 
 loft. One man operation 25 
 
 Sheep parting chutes. Two types 15 
 
 Loading chute for sheep 15 
 
 Barn. 2 units. 2-story. 32' x 42'. 1 -story shed attached 30' x 48'. 
 
 Shed part has eight 12' x 12' pens. Mow over 2-story section 1.00 
 
 Lambing panel, hinged near center 05 
 
 Trough for grain, portable. 12' long. Similar to 117, except one end 
 of trough is hinged for easy cleaning, and a piece 1" x 6" prevents 
 
 sheep from climbing in trough 15 
 
 Hay rack. On skids. Suitable for feeding long hay in feed lot 15 
 
 Trough for grain, portable. 12' long. Widespread legs to prevent 
 
 tipping 15 
 
 Feed rack. Combination hay and grain. 12' long. Troughs both sides .15 
 Sheep drafting yards. Two types. Indicates all chutes, parting gates, 
 
 and pens 25 
 
 Feeder for range sheep. Chopped hay. Feed section 10' x 48'. Gable 
 roof extends over feed troughs on each side to protect both feed 
 
 and sheep 25 
 
 Shearing shed. 8 men 1.00 
 
 Creep feed equipment for lambs. 3 types of feed troughs; 2 types of 
 
 hay mangers; 2 types of feeding panels 25 
 
 Shearing shed. 4 men. 24' x 32'. Gable roof. Includes sacking pit 
 
 and wool platform; 4 catching pens; wool storage area 75 
 
 Sheep barn, 48' x 56'. Capacity 150 ewes. Center section for hay, 
 
 20' x 40' 25 
 
 Shed. Enclosed. 16' x 24'. Height to eaves 6'. Gable roof 25 
 
 Shed. Open. 16' x 24'. Open on one side. Shed roof 25 
 
 possible face the north and run up hill. 
 Sheep do not drive well toward the sun. 
 
 Scales 
 
 Scales are essential for many sheep 
 ranches. Operators say they pay for them- 
 selves the first year. A good pit-type scale 
 can be installed for ahout $700. 
 
 Locate scales so that movement of 
 sheep is cut to a minimum. Arrange the 
 plan in such a way that sheep can he 
 worked in adjoining corrals without 
 passing over the scales. The only time 
 animals Bhould cross the scales is when 
 
 they are being weighed. The scale pen 
 should be slightly smaller and attached to 
 the weighing platform. 
 
 The feed yard 
 
 The feed yard should provide labor 
 efficiency, good drainage, and protection 
 for both feed and animals from weather. 
 
 Gates should be large enough to allow 
 the use of mechanized equipment for 
 feeding animals, and for cleaning cor- 
 rals and equipment. Allow 20 square feet 
 of corral space and one foot of manger 
 space for each lamb. 
 
 [20] 
 
The parting chute (lower right in photo above) can be used to cut sheep into four groups. The 
 shearing shed (below) was built from University of California Plan 191. It is an 8-man shed. 
 
 "mgmmryt wm p fmuft f t t tun | W"i'» ' w * ' ■■■*■{ t " * ■ > > ' *; * ■"•« •- 
 
 111 
 
 ^fe. 
 
 [21] 
 
4-6" 
 
 3'- 6"- 
 
 T 
 _L 
 
 ^ 
 
 !/' 
 
 I\lNGE 
 
 <0 
 
 _i_ 
 
 -h-- 
 
 : ii/ „~ El 
 
 Wl l"^4" Material <J 
 
 ill 
 
 This hinged panel can be used for making a lambing jail. Details are given in Plan 1 14. 
 
 HANDY SHEEP EQUIPMENT . . . 
 
 /|"*6"E>«£.ce, 
 
 i^ 
 
 2<-lO 
 
 -28 
 
 ^yiDE LlEVA.TION 
 
 0) 
 <0 
 
 \ 
 
 i-ft 
 
 II 
 
 i\6 
 
 
 ^\qyA 
 
 f*6" 6k^ce 
 
 U^ 
 
 l'<6 
 
 r 
 
 \*4 
 
 Lnd Elelvatiow' 
 
 f 
 
 This combination hay and grain rack may be conveniently set across 
 pens in a barn to serve as a partition. It can be made from Plan 1 18. 
 
 22 
 
 v* 
 
End 
 
 Elevat- 
 
 ion 
 
 A simple grain trough for sheep. 
 
 ...YOU CAN BUILD FOR YOURSELF 
 
 I «-6 
 2** -4' UpiyGivpr 
 
 »> This hay rack for sheep may be built with or without a 
 
 floor. It is set on 2 x 6" skids for easy moving. It can be 
 *6" E>oa.r3?^ built from Plan 116. 
 
 —_ BuTT- - __ — 
 
 End Elevation 
 
 T' 
 
 [23] 
 
Left: Plan 72; a self-feeder for feeding salt mixes. Right: Plan 185; hay storage and feeding shed 
 for supplementing sheep on pasture. When sheep need supplemental feed, feed doors are lifted; 
 
 overhanging roof provides protection from weather. 
 
 Sheep dogs 
 
 One of the most important single items 
 of equipment on a sheep ranch is a well- 
 trained dog. It is difficult to operate a 
 sheep enterprise of any appreciable size 
 without such help. When moving a flock 
 of woollies, a dog well schooled in the 
 fundamentals of working and handling 
 sheep is more valuable than several men. 
 On the other hand, a poorly trained dog, 
 one that will not respond to commands, 
 or one that lacks the natural ability for 
 working sheep, is useless and can cause 
 much damage and loss to the flock. 
 
 Training sheep dogs is a highly skilled 
 profession. Several books available on 
 the subject are listed in the Source Books. 
 
 There are several ways of acquiring 
 ownership of a good sheep dog. Start by 
 
 buying a well-bred pup of any of the rec- 
 ognized breeds of sheep dogs. At present, 
 the Border Collie seems to be the most 
 popular. However, many breeds and 
 types are used in the sheep business. 
 
 In training the pup, patience plus some 
 knowledge of dog training are essential; 
 observing experienced trainers in action 
 may also be helpful. If you do not have 
 the time or knowledge required for train- 
 ing a dog, employ a good trainer. It is 
 also possible to buy a dog already 
 schooled in handling sheep. 
 
 Treat the dog with kindness, yet insist 
 that he obey commands. When he does a 
 good job reward him. A little petting at 
 the proper time will keep the dog inter- 
 ested in his work, and he will respond 
 more readily to commands. 
 
 A Border Collie— an excellent sheep dog. 
 
FEEDING SHEEP IN CALIFORNIA . . . what sheep 
 require and how to make sure they get it 
 
 Sheep depend almost entirely upon the 
 plant world for their feed. Among our 
 farm and range animals the sheep is out- 
 standing in its ability to produce effi- 
 ciently upon cheap feeds such as grass, 
 legumes, browse, and hay. For greatest 
 efficiency, however, the sheep must re- 
 ceive all of the nutrients it requires. Not 
 only must these feed constituents be ade- 
 quate, but the animal will use the various 
 nutrients to better advantage if they are 
 available in the proper balance. 
 
 Since sheep receive much of their feed 
 in the form of pasture or range feeds, the 
 sheepman must be the judge of the feed 
 value they are obtaining from this vege- 
 tation. If you understand the fundamen- 
 tal requirements for the proper nutrition 
 of your animals, you can much more in- 
 telligently assess their need for supple- 
 mental feed. It is especially important to 
 know when to use it and how much you 
 can use and still operate soundly from an 
 economic standpoint. 
 
 Requirements 
 
 The nutritive requirements shown in 
 Tables A and B were prepared by the 
 subcommittee on sheep nutrition of the 
 National Research Council. In these ta- 
 bles the needs are grouped as follows: 
 total feed, digestible protein, total diges- 
 tible nutrients, calcium, phosphorus, salt, 
 and carotene. Table A gives the require- 
 ment per animal daily, while Table B 
 gives the requirements in terms of the 
 percentage composition needed in the 
 total feed of the animal. This latter table 
 is particularly valuable when computing 
 feed mixtures or in comparing the feed- 
 ing value of a specific feed to the need of 
 a particular class of sheep. An explana- 
 tion of the various parts of the tables is 
 given below. 
 
 Total feed 
 
 The figures given for the various 
 classes and weights of sheep may be used 
 
 as a guide as to how much feed to allow 
 each animal per day. This figure may be 
 regarded as a "governor" to regulate the 
 bulkiness of the daily feed. For example, 
 the other requirements given in the table 
 for a breeding ewe might be met by feed- 
 ing her one pound of barley and one 
 pound of cottonseed meal per day. How- 
 ever, the ewe would go off feed unless 
 she had access to some bulky feed such as 
 hay or straw. On the other hand, the re- 
 quirements of a fattening lamb might be 
 met by feeding him 4 or 5 pounds of al- 
 falfa hay. As the lamb would not have 
 the room in his digestive tract to handle 
 this much bulk, he would not eat all of 
 this hay. He would grow, but he would 
 not fatten to suitable market condition. 
 By following the recommendations of the 
 table, we find that in order to stay within 
 the limitations for dry matter and yet 
 furnish enough energy (TDN) we must 
 feed the lamb a fairly large proportion 
 of a concentrated feed such as barley or 
 
 corn. 
 
 Digestible protein 
 
 This refers to that portion of the pro- 
 tein furnished by the feed that is actually 
 digested and available in the body proper 
 for use by the animal. Protein is the part 
 of the feed that contains nitrogen. It is 
 essential to the sheep for growth, for 
 body maintenance and repair, and for 
 wool development; to the pregnant ewe 
 for proper development of her unborn 
 lamb ; and to the lactating ewe for secret- 
 ing milk. The animal must have an ade- 
 qute supply of protein in order to use 
 efficiently the other nutrients provided 
 by the feed. A deficiency of protein will 
 result in reduced body and wool growth, 
 poor development, and inefficient use of 
 the feed. 
 
 Animals such as pigs and poultry are 
 very exacting in the kind as well as the 
 
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amount of protein they require. For ex- 
 ample, pigs should have a source of ani- 
 mal protein such as skimmilk or meat 
 scraps in their ration. Such proteins are 
 referred to as good-quality protein. 
 Sheep, however, are fortunate in that if 
 they are provided with enough protein 
 of any kind, the bacteria and protozoa 
 (microorganisms) that live in the rumen 
 or paunch will convert this protein into a 
 form that can be utilized by the sheep. 
 Thus our main concern about protein 
 in sheep feeding is that the animal re- 
 ceive an adequate supply. Growing lambs 
 and pregnant and nursing ewes have a 
 relatively high protein requirement. 
 
 Total digestible nutrients 
 
 This unit (often abbreviated TDN) is 
 used to describe the energy value of a 
 feed. It is useful in that it gives the com- 
 parative value for the different feedstuffs. 
 For example, corn has a TDN value of 
 80.0, while oat straw has a TDN of only 
 44.7. This means that one pound of corn 
 will furnish almost twice as much energy 
 to an animal as will one pound of oat 
 straw. 
 
 The total digestible nutrients (or en- 
 ergy) are the fuel upon which the animal 
 body functions, just as gasoline is the 
 fuel that furnishes the energy for an au- 
 tomobile. Sheep need energy to maintain 
 the body functions, grow wool, and store 
 fat; and in the case of the ewe, to nourish 
 the unborn lamb or produce milk for the 
 suckling lamb. 
 
 A lack of energy is probably the most 
 common deficiency encountered in sheep 
 production. Sheep often do not get 
 enough to eat, or the feed they do eat 
 does not contain enough energy to meet 
 their needs. When sheep are on good 
 feed and receiving more energy than they 
 require, some of this excess energy is 
 stored in the form of fat. When the feed 
 is poor and the energy needs are not be- 
 ing met, the sheep will draw upon fat 
 stores to make up for the energy de- 
 ficiency. The sheepman says his sheep 
 
 are "losing condition." Unless sheep are 
 on very poor feed, the wool will continue 
 to grow. As a result an inexperienced 
 sheepman may not notice that the sheep 
 are losing condition, because the wool 
 will cover some of this loss. If an energy 
 deficiency continues long enough, the 
 sheep will become weak and eventually 
 die of starvation. 
 
 Minerals 
 
 Those known to be essential for ani- 
 mal life are calcium, phosphorus, so- 
 dium, chlorine, iodine, iron, copper, co- 
 balt, manganese, zinc, potassium, sul- 
 phur, and magnesium. Some of these 
 elements (such as potassium, magnesium, 
 and zinc) are always present in such 
 large quantities that we need not give 
 them any consideration. Others such as 
 sodium and chlorine must always be pro- 
 vided, while the remainder are usually 
 present in adequate amounts but may be 
 limited in certain soil areas or in some 
 combinations of feeds. 
 
 Calcium and phosphorus are the 
 main minerals found in bones. Young, 
 growing lambs and pregnant and milk- 
 ing ewes have a high calcium and phos- 
 phorus requirement. In general, rough- 
 ages, especially alfalfa, have a high cal- 
 cium content. Sheep usually receive 
 enough roughage so that there is little 
 likelihood of their suffering from a cal- 
 cium deficiency. Concentrates — that is, 
 grains and especially the high-protein 
 concentrates such as cottonseed meal — 
 are high in phosphorus. Roughages, how- 
 ever, may be low in phosphorus, espe- 
 cially when grown on soils that are low 
 or borderline in this mineral. As sheep 
 depend primarily on roughages for their 
 feed supply, a phosphorus deficiency is 
 much more likely than a deficiency of 
 calcium. Phosphorus is likely to be de- 
 ficient in dry range feed. This may be 
 indicated by slow growth, unthrifty ap- 
 pearance, or listlessness. In extreme cases 
 sheep may have a depraved appetite; that 
 is, they will chew on bones, fences, or 
 
 [28 1 
 
rocks. Lambs on a phosphorus-deficient 
 ration may develop crooked legs. 
 
 Sodium and chlorine must be fur- 
 nished sheep as ordinary salt. Salt should 
 be available to sheep at all times. If they 
 do not have it, they will crave it and will 
 eat less feed and use what they do eat to 
 poor advantage. Salt is ordinarily sup- 
 plied sheep as half-ground salt or block 
 salt. In addition to the requirements 
 listed in the table, other nutrients dis- 
 cussed below may be of importance in 
 sheep feeding. 
 
 Iodine is needed in the animal body 
 for the proper functioning of the thyroid 
 gland. When an animal does not receive 
 enough iodine the thyroid gland enlarges 
 and is commonly known as goiter. If 
 sheep are deficient in iodine, lambs will 
 be born with a characteristic enlarge- 
 ment of the throat. These lambs are usu- 
 ally born dead or die soon after birth. 
 An iodine deficiency has been observed 
 in a few localities in California but is not 
 widespread. Iodine may be most eco- 
 nomically and safely furnished to sheep 
 by feeding iodized salt. Although this 
 salt contains only 0.0076 per cent iodine, 
 it will furnish adequate iodine for the 
 sheep. 
 
 Iron is necessary for proper blood 
 formation in the animal body. An iron 
 deficiency has never been demonstrated 
 in sheep. Therefore it can be assumed 
 that they ordinarily receive plenty of 
 iron in their feed. 
 
 Copper is needed for normal wool 
 growth and for the prevention of a con- 
 dition of Iambs referred to as "sway- 
 back" of "enzootic ataxia." In a copper 
 deficiency the wool loses its crimp and is 
 referred to as "steely" wool. When sheep 
 are suffering from a low copper intake 
 the Iambs are born weak, lack muscular 
 coordination, and soon die. This condi- 
 tion has never been observed in the 
 United States, but is of considerable im- 
 portance in Australia. It appears unlikely 
 that sheep in California ever lack copper 
 unless the area is high in molybdenum. 
 
 A deficiency of certain minerals will 
 cause trouble: 
 
 phosphorus — depraved appetite; 
 
 poor gains 
 sodium and chlorine (supplied in 
 
 salt) — reduced gains 
 iodine — goiter; weak and dead 
 
 lambs 
 copper — swayback and steely 
 
 wool 
 cobalt — loss of condition and ap- 
 petite; eventual death 
 sulphur — poor appetite; reduced 
 
 gains 
 An excess of these minerals will 
 cause trouble: 
 
 fluorine — differential wear of 
 
 teeth 
 molybdenum — scouring, gray or 
 
 white wool in black sheep 
 selenium — sloughed hoofs and 
 
 stiff joints 
 
 Cobalt, although needed in only mi- 
 nute amounts, is essential for the produc- 
 tion of thrifty sheep. Cobalt-deficient 
 areas have been found in many parts of 
 the world, including Australia, Scotland, 
 and some areas of the United States. To 
 date, no cobalt-deficient areas have been 
 detected in California. Sheep suffering 
 from a lack of cobalt go off feed, lose 
 condition, become weak and anemic, and 
 eventually die. It has been shown that 
 cobalt must be present for the micro- 
 organisms in the rumen to produce vita- 
 min B 12 , which is essential to the sheep. 
 
 Sulphur deficiency in sheep has re- 
 cently been demonstrated at the Univer- 
 sity of Illinois. Investigations currently 
 under way at the California Experiment 
 Station indicate that on certain soils the 
 forage produced is low in sulphur. Fer- 
 tilizing such areas with gypsum will 
 generally increase plant growth and also 
 increase the sulphur content of the 
 forage- 
 
 [29] 
 
Manganese, zinc, potassium, and 
 magnesium deficiencies have never 
 been demonstrated in practical sheep 
 feeding; hence we need not consider 
 these elements in planning our sheep- 
 feeding program. 
 
 Fluorine may cause poisoning if it is 
 present in large amounts. Raw rock phos- 
 phate should never be used as a phos- 
 phorus supplement because it carries 
 enough fluorine to be toxic to sheep. 
 
 Molybdenum is another chemical 
 element that is important because an ex- 
 cess is poisonous. In some areas of Cali- 
 fornia sheep and cattle will scour because 
 of an excess of molybdenum in the for- 
 age. Sheep receiving a high molybdenum 
 ration will scour and lose weight. Wool 
 that is normally black will grow in gray 
 or white if the feed contains a high level 
 of molybdenum. If copper is fed in addi- 
 tion to the molybdenum, the wool will 
 grow in black again. This problem is not 
 completely understood, but if you suspect 
 molybdenum poisoning, consult your 
 local Farm Advisor. 
 
 Selenium is another element that 
 causes poisoning when it is present in 
 excess. The most characteristic symptom 
 is the soreness and sloughing of the hoofs 
 and stiffness of the joints. This condition 
 has been found in South Dakota and 
 Wyoming. There is no evidence that it 
 occurs in California. 
 
 Mineral mixtures for sheep 
 
 Although sheep are known to require 
 the several essential mineral elements, 
 feeds commonly available will furnish 
 these minerals except in unusual cases. 
 Other than in the case of iodized salt, the 
 California Experiment Station has no evi- 
 dence of a need for the feeding of com- 
 plex mineral mixtures to sheep. If there 
 is any question of a phosphorus defi- 
 ciency, steamed bone meal or other phos- 
 phorus supplements can be provided 
 quite economically. It appears that 
 money commonly spent for minerals for 
 sheep could be used to better advantage 
 
 by buying supplemental feed to correct 
 the more fundamental deficiencies of 
 energy and protein encountered in range 
 sheep. 
 
 The vitamins 
 
 Carotene-vitamin A is the most im- 
 portant vitamin for sheep production. 
 Sheep obtain vitamin A from carotene 
 present in green plants. Certain yellow 
 feeds such as yellow corn, carrots, and 
 sweet potatoes also furnish carotene. The 
 degree of green color is a practical guide 
 to the carotene content of roughages. 
 Sheep may suffer a vitamin A deficiency 
 when they are kept on dry, mature, and 
 weathered forage for long periods. Preg- 
 nant ewes low in vitamin A will give 
 birth to weak or dead lambs. Lambs are 
 always born with too small a storage of 
 vitamin A; therefore it is essential that 
 they receive colostrum milk from the 
 ewe, which is rich in this vitamin. 
 
 Vitamin D is normally obtained by 
 sheep through the action of sunlight on 
 a substance present in the sheep's skin. 
 If sheep do not receive sunlight, lambs 
 may develop rickets from a lack of vita- 
 min D. Under usual farm and range con- 
 ditions of California, there is no evidence 
 to indicate that sheep ever lack vita- 
 min D. 
 
 The vitamin B complex is not be- 
 lieved to be of importance in a sheep 
 diet. It has been shown that mature sheep 
 are able to synthesize these factors in the 
 rumen. Young lambs require the B vita- 
 mins in their feed, but these are normally 
 supplied in the ewes' milk. 
 
 Vitamin E is important in prevention 
 of muscular dystrophy or white muscle 
 disease in suckling lambs. Lambs suffer- 
 ing from this disease become stiff and 
 unable to rise to nurse. They will eventu- 
 ally die of starvation. As the colostrum 
 milk is high in vitamin E, this is another 
 reason for making sure that the newborn 
 lamb gets a good fill of it. The deficiency 
 may also be prevented by properly feed- 
 ing the ewe so that her milk will provide 
 
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an adequate supply of vitamin E for the 
 nursing lamb. 
 
 Wheat-germ meal, wheat-germ oil, and 
 high-quality dehydrated roughages are 
 all good sources of vitamin E. 
 
 Composition of feeds 
 
 The average composition of feeds com- 
 monly used for sheep feed in California 
 is shown in Table C. Bear in mind that 
 this table, while representing the best 
 available information, does not always 
 reflect the exact analysis of all feeds. For 
 example, high-quality alfalfa hay may 
 contain more than 10.8 per cent digest- 
 ible protein and 19.4 milligrams of 
 carotene per pound; but on the other 
 hand, badly weathered alfalfa may con- 
 tain considerably less of these nutrients. 
 
 How to compute rations. The ex- 
 amples in tables D, E, and F show how 
 the tables of recommended allowances 
 and the feed-composition tables may be 
 used for computing rations for sheep that 
 are receiving all of their feed in the form 
 of harvested roughages and concentrates. 
 
 Supplemental feeding 
 
 As sheep spend most of the year on 
 range or pasture, it is important to esti- 
 mate the nutrients the animal is able to 
 
 obtain in grazing and to detect any de- 
 ficiencies. To aid in estimating the prin- 
 cipal nutrients, data are presented in the 
 range-forage sections of Table C on some 
 of the more common California range 
 and pasture plants. 
 
 The stage of maturity of these plants 
 is very important in assessing their value 
 to the animal. At the beginning of the 
 growing season, especially when rainfall 
 is frequent and heavy, forage plants may 
 contain as high as 90 per cent moisture, 
 and only 10 per cent dry matter. At this 
 season it may not be possible for a sheep 
 to eat enough of this watery feed to meet 
 its energy requirements. If it is assumed 
 that the ewe will not eat over 20 pounds 
 of this forage per day, it is apparent that 
 she is suffering from an energy defi- 
 ciency (see table E). The feed should be 
 supplemented with grain or hay to get 
 enough energy to care for her needs. 
 
 As the feed "hardens" (that is, as the 
 dry matter increases) the ewe is able to 
 get her needs from the native forage. 
 
 Table H shows the changes that take 
 place in range forage as it matures and 
 dries. Of importance nutritionally is the 
 fact that the protein, phosphorus, and 
 
 Table F. Using Table B, the computation is simplified, particularly for 
 
 formulating more complex mixtures. 
 Recommended Nutrient Allowance in Per Cent or Per Pound of Feed 
 
 Requirements for 70-pound lamb, 
 expected daily gain 0.35 lb. 
 
 Formula for mixed feed 
 
 Alfalfa hay 51.5% 
 
 Barley 26.0 
 
 Molasses dried beet 
 
 pulp 22.0 
 
 Salt 0.5 
 
 100.0% 
 
 Total feed, 
 
 air dry 
 
 basis, 
 
 lb. 
 
 2.7 
 
 Total 
 
 digestible 
 
 protein, 
 
 7.0 
 per cent 
 
 5.56 
 2.03 
 
 1.69 
 
 9.28 
 
 Total 
 digestible 
 nutrients, 
 
 63 
 per cent 
 
 26.0 
 20.3 
 
 16.3 
 
 62.6 
 
 Calcium, 
 
 0.24 
 per cent 
 
 0.78 
 0.01 
 
 0.13 
 
 0.92 
 
 Phos- 
 phorus, 
 
 0.20 
 per cent 
 
 0.11 
 0.10 
 
 0.02 
 
 0.23 
 
 Carotene, 
 
 1.5 
 mg. /lb. 
 
 5.9 
 
 5.9 
 
 * Obtained from Table B. 
 
 [ 36 | 
 
Table G. Effect of the Dry-Matter Content of Pasture Forage on the 
 Amount Needed for a Ewe to Balance Her Ration 
 
 Recommended nutrient allowance for a 
 120-pound ewe nursing a lamb 
 
 One pound of rye grass containing 10 per 
 cent dry matter would furnish 
 
 To balance her ration a ewe would have 
 to eat 54 pounds of grass per day, which 
 would furnish 
 
 In contrast, one pound of bur clover at 
 the seed stage would furnish 
 
 Therefore to balance her ration the ewe 
 would need to eat only 4.9 pounds, 
 which would furnish 
 
 Total feed, 
 air- dry 
 basis, 
 4.6 1b. 
 
 Total 
 
 digestible 
 
 protein, 
 
 0.28 lb. 
 
 Total 
 digestible 
 nutrients, 
 
 2.7 1b. 
 
 Calcium, 
 6.4 
 gm. 
 
 .1 
 
 .008 
 
 0.05 
 
 
 5.4 
 
 0.43 
 
 2.7 
 
 
 .9 
 
 .118 
 
 .562 
 
 3.9 
 
 4.4 
 
 .58 
 
 2.75 
 
 16.2 
 
 Phos- 
 phorus, 
 4.7 gm. 
 
 1.4 
 
 3.0 
 
 Table H. Seasonal Changes in the Composition of Representative 
 
 Annual Forage Species* 
 
 Forage species 
 
 Bur clover : 
 
 Early green stage 
 Bloom stage .... 
 
 Seed stage 
 
 Mature, dry 
 
 Soft chess : 
 Bloom stage .... 
 
 Seed stage 
 
 Mature dry 
 
 Dry, leached .... 
 
 Broad-leaf filaree : 
 Early green stage 
 Bloom stage .... 
 
 Seed stage 
 
 Mature dry 
 
 Dry, leached. . . . 
 
 Crude 
 protein 
 
 32.9 
 24.2 
 22.8 
 16.7 
 
 13.6 
 
 11.5 
 
 7.7 
 
 6.9 
 
 25.0 
 
 14.6 
 
 11.2 
 
 6.4 
 
 5.9 
 
 Nitrogen- 
 free 
 extract 
 and fat 
 
 44.7 
 49.2 
 47.5 
 46.4 
 
 53.6 
 59.1 
 60.9 
 60.5 
 
 52.1 
 55.1 
 54.0 
 57.2 
 58.6 
 
 Crude 
 fiber 
 
 12.8 
 18.2 
 22.2 
 30.7 
 
 28.2 
 26.1 
 28.0 
 30.1 
 
 12.1 
 22.1 
 27.0 
 28.3 
 30.0 
 
 Total 
 minerals t 
 
 9.7 
 8.4 
 7.4 
 7.1 
 
 4.6 
 3.3 
 3.4 
 2.5 
 
 10.8 
 8.2 
 7.9 
 7.9 
 5.9 
 
 Calcium 
 
 1.1 
 1.5 
 1.2 
 1.5 
 
 0.35 
 0.31 
 0.35 
 0.41 
 
 1.7 
 1.4 
 1.4 
 1.7 
 1.9 
 
 Phos- 
 phorus 
 
 0.45 
 .40 
 .32 
 
 .24 
 
 .37 
 .33 
 .26 
 
 .14 
 
 .39 
 .35 
 .32 
 .13 
 0.08 
 
 * All figures are expressed on the basis of moisture-free samples. 
 f Total minerals represent silica-free ash. 
 
 Reference: Guilbert, H. R., and G. H. Hart, California Beef Production, California Agricultural Experi- 
 ment Station and Extension Service Manual 2, p. 17, section III. 
 
 [37] 
 

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 carotene decrease and the fiber increases. 
 As the fiber increases, the digestibility 
 and thus the feeding value of the feed 
 decreases. Bur-clover is one of the best 
 range plants in that it contains a high 
 level of protein and phosphorus. It re- 
 tains a relatively high level of these nu- 
 trients when dry and mature, whereas 
 most dry range plants are very low in 
 these nutrients. The table on this page 
 shows the deficiencies a ewe would be 
 subject to during the summer and fall 
 months, when grazing on a range consist- 
 ing of annual grasses such as soft chess 
 and fescue that are mature and dry. One- 
 half pound per day of 43 per cent pro- 
 tein cottonseed meal will balance all of 
 the deficiencies except that of carotene. 
 
 Fortunately the sheep is able to store 
 quite a large supply of vitamin A in the 
 liver, which will carry it through rea- 
 sonable periods of vitamin A or carotene 
 deficiency. However, sheep on dry feed 
 for long periods should be supplemented 
 with alfalfa hay of good quality or alfalfa 
 pellets, which will furnish adequate 
 carotene. A new product available com- 
 mercially containing stabilized vitamin 
 A may prove very useful in providing 
 vitamin A in a dry form that can be 
 mixed with supplemental feeds. 
 
 Browse plants that stay green through 
 the summer months are valuable as a 
 supply of protein and carotene for range 
 sheep. The brush must be low enough for 
 the sheep to reach and open enough so 
 that they can move through it easily if 
 they are to obtain any feed from it. 
 
 Salt mixes as supplemental feed. 
 Recently mixtures containing 25 per cent 
 salt and 75 per cent cottonseed meal have 
 been tested at the Hopland Field Station 
 as a supplement for range sheep. Further 
 tests are under way using variable per- 
 centages of salt mixed with equal parts 
 of barley and cottonseed meal. These sup- 
 plements are provided in self-feeders on 
 the range. In a trial with pregnant and 
 lactating ewes, the average daily intake 
 per ewe ranged from 0.073 pounds of 
 
 38 | 
 
cottonseed meal and 0.024 pounds of salt 
 to 0.347 pounds of cottonseed meal and 
 0.116 pounds of salt. By varying the per- 
 centage of salt in the mix the intake of 
 supplemental feed can be controlled. 
 From observations of this method of 
 feeding, the following advantages and 
 disadvantages have been noted. 
 
 Advantages: Sheep do not need to be 
 fed every day. Each sheep has an oppor- 
 tunity to take as much supplement as it 
 desires. Sheep can increase their intake 
 as the supply of other feed decreases. 
 Less feeder space is required — one foot 
 
 of feeder space per five sheep or less. All 
 the sheep do not have to be at the feed- 
 ing grounds at feeding time to get their 
 share of the supplemental feed. Little 
 feed is wasted as there is little crowding 
 around the feeder. 
 
 Disadvantages: Sheep may not be 
 seen so often as is usually considered 
 good management. There is the addi- 
 tional cost of the salt and the cost of 
 providing covered self-feeders. Water 
 must be plentiful. Range sheep may need 
 some training before they will eat from 
 a self-feeder. 
 
 CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS . . . during a typical 
 year certain things happen with regularity 
 
 To aid novice sheepmen in organizing 
 their work, this section will carry a group 
 of sheep through a complete yearly cycle. 
 
 Breeding season 
 
 The date that rams are placed with 
 ewes will depend, naturally, upon when 
 the lambing season is desired. The gesta- 
 tion period of the ewe is approximately 
 147 days, varying from 142 to 152 
 (about 5 months). Choose the lambing 
 season after considering several factors. 
 It is usually most important to have the 
 lambs born early so that they are old 
 enough to utilize the spring growth of 
 natural feed and be sold as "fats" before 
 the feed dries. Other considerations are 
 (1) marketing the lambs early in spring 
 to receive the higher price usually paid 
 before July 1; (2) weather during lamb- 
 ing; (3) feed available for lambing; (4) 
 shelter for ewes at lambing time; and 
 (5) the pressure of other work. 
 
 The normal breeding season of sheep 
 is autumn, but in California it is usually 
 desirable to breed ewes in late spring and 
 summer. Since the ewes are breeding out 
 of season, the rams must be left with 
 them for at least three months, and even 
 then there may be some ewes that will not 
 
 breed. Where early fall lambs are de- 
 sired, it is especially important that the 
 ewes carry some fine-wool blood. Dorset 
 Horn ewes also commonly breed early. 
 
 Number of rams needed. Under 
 range-breeding conditions, three rams 
 are commonly used per hundred ewes 
 bred. Under pasture conditions, one year- 
 ling ram may settle up to 50 ewes. Be- 
 yond two years of age, rams are usually 
 not so active. Ram lambs, if well grown, 
 may be bred to as many as 20 ewes. 
 
 Care of ewes before breeding. 
 Usually the previous crop of lambs will 
 be weaned a few weeks before the breed- 
 ing season. After the lambs are removed, 
 it is a good plan to hold the ewes on dry 
 feed until a few days before turning in 
 the rams. Ewes should not be overly fat 
 when placed with rams. 
 
 Drenching the ewes to reduce the 
 load of internal parasites should be done 
 at this time. ( The parasites will have in- 
 creased during the green-feed season, 
 and if their number is reduced by 
 drenching at the beginning of the dry- 
 feed season, the ewes will probably not 
 be reinfected while on dry feed.) 
 
 Phenothiazine should be kept in the 
 salt (1 part phenothiazine to 9 parts salt 
 
 [39] 
 
by weight) and provided the sheep 
 throughout the year. 
 
 Dipping. If the sheep are infested 
 with any external parasites, such as ticks 
 or lice, they should be sprayed or dipped 
 at this time. A mixture of rotenone, 
 D.D.T., and benzene hexachloride has 
 been found effective. This spraying will 
 also reduce for a few weeks the danger 
 from fly strike. 
 
 Flushing the ewe. This is the prac- 
 tice of feeding the ewe so that she is 
 gaining weight at the time she is bred. It 
 is normally accomplished by keeping the 
 ewe on poor feed from the time the lamb 
 is weaned until just before breeding. 
 Then the breeding ewes are placed on 
 the best feed available so that they are 
 gaining rapidly when exposed to the 
 ram. This practice is generally believed 
 to increase the number of eggs shed by 
 the ewe, resulting in an increased num- 
 ber of twins at lambing time. 
 
 Care of rams before breeding 
 season. Rams should be bought well in 
 advance. If possible, they should be on 
 the ranch for a few weeks before being 
 
 turned in with the ewes and should be 
 well fed during this period. Rams lacking 
 in condition may be fed as much as a 
 pound of grain per day for about a 
 month. 
 
 If the rams are carrying much wool, it 
 is desirable to shear them before turning 
 them in with the ewes. Some sheepmen 
 shear only the belly and scrotum before 
 the breeding season. 
 
 Care of rams during breeding 
 season. Active rams running with a 
 large number of ewes over a long period 
 will lose condition. One way to insure 
 that they are well cared for is to turn 
 the rams in with ewes only at night, 
 separate them in the morning, and keep 
 the rams in a corral on a good feed of 
 hay and grain during the day. This sys- 
 tem is only practical where the sheep can 
 be brought to a separating corral every 
 night and morning. 
 
 Another practice, more applicable to 
 most sheep ranches, is to turn in only 
 half the rams at one time. After a week 
 or two these rams can be removed, rested, 
 
 Ewe at right-center has recently been bred by a ram with a painted brisket. 
 
 I 40 1 
 
and fed well while the other half of the 
 rams are in with the ewes. By rotating 
 the rams it is possible to keep fresh, well- 
 conditioned rams in with the ewes during 
 the entire breeding season. 
 
 Check fertility of the ram. In pure- 
 bred flocks and in one-ram flocks, it is 
 essential that the ram used be fertile; 
 otherwise a complete lamb-crop failure 
 may result. The most common method of 
 checking on the fertility of the ram is 
 to use a ewe-marking harness or paint 
 the brisket of the ram with a solution of 
 paint pigment in a non-drying oil. Then 
 when the ram breeds the ewe, he will 
 leave a colored mark on her rump. The 
 color of the paint (or of the crayon in 
 the ewe-marking harness) should be 
 changed every 15 days. It is well to start 
 with a light-colored paint or crayon and 
 change to darker colors as the breeding 
 season progresses. 
 
 If all or most of the ewes that are 
 marked during the first period are 
 marked again during the second period, 
 it means that the ewes were not settled at 
 the first mating; this throws the fertility 
 of the ram in doubt. Even with highly 
 fertile rams a few ewes may return to 
 service; but if a large proportion have 
 not conceived, the ram should be re- 
 placed. 
 
 If facilities are available, some sterile 
 rams mav be detected earlv bv examining 
 the semen under a microscope. After the 
 ram is bred to a ewe, tip the ewe up on 
 her tail and, using a small, smooth 
 spatula, take a drop or two of the semen 
 from the vagina and place it on a slide. 
 Examine the slide immediately under a 
 microscope. There should be large num- 
 bers of active, normally-shaped sperm. 
 
 Artificial insemination. Although 
 the techniques of practicing artificial in- 
 semination in sheep have been carefullv 
 developed, so much labor is involved that 
 under farm or ranch conditions it is not 
 practical. One of the major problems is 
 that estrus or heat can be detected in the 
 ewe only by a ram. 
 
 The use of hormones. The repro- 
 ductive processes of sheep are known to 
 be controlled by hormones secreted by 
 the ductless glands. Much research work 
 has been done on these substances in re- 
 cent years. 
 
 Possible uses of hormones are (1) to 
 breed ewes out of season earlv in the 
 summer; (2) to produce two lamb crops 
 per year; and (3) to increase the per- 
 centage of twin births. 
 
 To breed ewes early in summer. 
 The use of hormones for this purpose has 
 been studied for many years by the Uni- 
 versity of California Department of Ani- 
 mal Husbandry, under the leadership of 
 Dr. H. H. Cole. Occasionally a high de- 
 gree of success was obtained by injecting 
 gonadotrophin, a hormone that stimu- 
 lates the ovaries. This is obtained from 
 the pituitary gland located at the base of 
 the brain. In most instances, however, re- 
 sults were unsatisfactory. On the aver- 
 age, no more than 10 per cent of the 
 treated ewes became pregnant following 
 breeding. 
 
 Recentlv sensational results have been 
 reported from the use of ECP I Estradiol 
 cyclopentylpropionate) . This is one of a 
 group of chemically related substances 
 called estrogens. ECP has been reported 
 to be almost 100 per cent effective in 
 bringing ewes into heat shortly after in- 
 jection; furthermore, the ewes were re- 
 ported to become pregnant after breed- 
 
 ing. 
 
 These reports were received with skep- 
 ticism bv experts in this field because 
 previous experiments had shown that es- 
 trogens inhibit rather than stimulate the 
 ovaries. To test the effectiveness of this 
 new material, field tests have been con- 
 ducted by farm advisors supervised by 
 Dr. Cole. In one such test, 50 Columbia 
 x Rambouillet ewes were injected with 
 2 milligrams of ECP. Forty-eight of these 
 ewes had come in heat and bred by the 
 fifth day after treatment. L nfortunately. 
 however, not one became pregnant to the 
 early mating following the injection. Five 
 
 [41] 
 
and one half months after injection, none 
 of these ewes had lambed. Results in 
 other trials have been similar. Our con- 
 clusion is that ECP is entirely valueless 
 in- stimulating the breeding of ewes dur- 
 ing early summer. In fact, its use may 
 well be detrimental because the rams are 
 overworked breeding ewes that do not 
 conceive. 
 
 To produce two lamb crops per 
 year. Wide publicity has attended the 
 use of hormones for this purpose. Unfor- 
 tunately, the workers who issued the 
 original report have not to date disclosed 
 the hormones used nor the amounts in- 
 jected. Unless it can be clearly demon- 
 strated by controlled experiments con- 
 ducted by scientists that such a hormone 
 will consistently produce two lamb crops 
 per year, sheepmen should not attempt to 
 use any such system. 
 
 To increase the percentage of 
 twins born, English research workers 
 have clearly shown that it is possible to 
 increase the number of eggs shed by the 
 ewe at breeding time by injecting one of 
 the hormone preparations (pregnant- 
 mare serum, PMS). The difficulty from 
 the practical standpoint, however, is that 
 too many eggs may be shed, resulting in 
 the production of as many as five or 
 more lambs. Such lambs are of no prac- 
 tical value, as they are too small and 
 weak to survive after birth. 
 
 Hormones are not recommended. 
 It appears at this time that there is no 
 advantage of treating sheep with hor- 
 mones to improve their reproductive 
 ability. Early lambs can best be obtained 
 by using a breed of sheep that normally 
 breeds early and then selecting within 
 the flock for the ewes that consistently 
 drop early lambs. 
 
 Breeding ewe lambs. The common 
 practice among sheepmen is to breed 
 ewes for the first time when they are 18 
 to 19 months, to give birth to their first 
 lamb when they are approximately two 
 years of age. Under this system the only 
 
 return received from the ewe during her 
 first year is her wool clip. 
 
 Where a good feed supply is available 
 for the ewe lambs, they can be bred at 9 
 to 11 months of age, to lamb when they 
 are 14 to 16 months. For example, a ewe 
 lamb born in November, 1952, might be 
 bred in August, September, or October, 
 1953, to lamb in January, February, or 
 March, 1954. Size is a better criterion 
 than age in deciding when to breed a ewe 
 lamb. She should weigh a minimum of 
 80 pounds when bred, preferably 90. 
 These lambs should be well fed continu- 
 ously to insure steady growth during 
 pregnancy. As lactation is a more severe 
 drain on the ewe than is pregnancy, the 
 yearling ewes should be kept on excellent 
 feed while nursing the lambs. If good 
 pasture is not available, the ewes should 
 receive a grain supplement. 
 
 The lambs produced by these young 
 ewes should be weaned young — usually 
 by 3 months — to allow the ewe to regain 
 condition for the following breeding sea- 
 son. That is, in the above example, lambs 
 should all be weaned by June 15, 1954, 
 so that the ewes can be rebred, to lamb 
 early in the season they are two years of 
 age. 
 
 This practice of breeding ewe lambs is 
 gaining in popularity in sections of Cali- 
 fornia where a good supply of summer 
 feed is available, particularly in irri- 
 gated-pasture areas. Records kept by the 
 Extension Service of cooperative tests 
 with sheepmen involving more than 
 13,000 ewes indicate that a lamb crop of 
 from 60 to 85 per cent has been obtained 
 using this system of breeding, and the 
 average return per ewe bred was $16.60 
 (1951-52). This practice is not recom- 
 mended to sheepmen who do not have a 
 plentiful supply of feed for the ewes dur- 
 ing the entire season. 
 
 Shearing, branding, 
 and hoof-trimming 
 
 Shear in the spring, late enough so that 
 there is little danger of a cold storm. (For 
 
 42 1 
 
a detailed description of wool and shear- 
 ing, see "California Wool Production" 
 by J. F. Wilson, listed among Source 
 Books on page 59.) In California this 
 period will vary from February in the 
 extreme south to July in the mountain 
 areas. 
 
 Shearing is generally done by profes- 
 sional shearers, who furnish their own 
 tools and power supply. Usually the 
 sheep owner must provide facilities for 
 penning the sheep, as well as a shearing 
 floor and a sacking stand for the wool; 
 but some crews will also provide the 
 pens. Shearing-shed plans are available 
 as discussed on page 20 in Section 3 on 
 Equipment. 
 
 Carefully tie the fleeces with paper 
 twine and pack them in regular wool 
 bags, which will hold 20 to 40 fleeces 
 with a weight of 250 to 350 pounds. Tags 
 (See p. 45), black wool, and buck wool 
 should be sacked separate from the ewe 
 fleeces. Keep dung locks out of the wool 
 bag. 
 
 Sheep, other than ewes nursing lambs, 
 should be kept off feed for a few hours 
 before shearing. Sheep full of lush feed 
 when shorn are hard to shear, and some 
 losses may occur. 
 
 Summer shearing. In most of Cali- 
 fornia the usual time for shearing is 
 March or April, but it may vary, as 
 stated above, from February to July. 
 Some sheepmen, particularly in Yolo, 
 Solano, and Sonoma counties, shear 
 again in late summer or early fall. This 
 shearing must be done before the nights 
 become too cold in the fall, or trouble 
 with pneumonia may be encountered. 
 
 Experimental results show that there 
 is little difference in the actual weight of 
 clean wool produced in twelve months 
 when shearing once or twice a year. The 
 chief disadvantage of this summer-shear- 
 ing program is the increased cost. Shear- 
 ing costs will be doubled since the price 
 per head for each shearing is the same 
 whether the ewes are shorn once or twice 
 a year. Furthermore, the length of staple 
 
 of the wool is reduced. The fall clip hav- 
 ing been grown for only 4 to 5 months 
 will be too short to comb and will sell for 
 a reduced price. The spring clip grown 
 for 7 to 8 months will also sell for less 
 per pound than a 12-month clip. 
 
 You will want to weigh these consider- 
 ations against the advantages of shearing 
 twice before coming to your decision: 
 1 ) Ewes that are shorn will thrive better 
 through the winter. 2) Fewer ewes are 
 lost from getting down on their backs 
 and being unable to get up. A ewe with 
 a long fleece is forced when wet to carry 
 considerable additional weight. 3) Less 
 trouble is encountered with fly strike. 
 The ewe that has been summer-shorn is 
 less likely to get dirty around the rear 
 quarters. If ewes are not summer-shorn, 
 they should be tagged before lambing. 
 4) The spring clip will be cleaner. 
 Through late spring and summer sheep 
 will pick up bur clover, foxtail, and other 
 weed seeds that cling to the wool. These 
 seeds irritate the skin and cause discom- 
 fort to the sheep. Summer shearing re- 
 moves these seeds, relieves the sheep of 
 irritation, and results in a spring clip 
 free of seed defect. 5) The heat load of 
 the ewes is relieved. By summer shearing 
 in early August, discomfort due to high 
 temperatures is reduced. Some sheepmen 
 believe that ewes breed better after the 
 wool is removed. 
 
 Branding. Sheep are commonly 
 branded with the owner's brand. Such a 
 brand is essential for separating sheep, 
 in case of a mixup with others. Only 
 branding fluid that will scour out of the 
 wool should be used. The brand may be 
 carved out of wood or made of heavy 
 wire or metal that will hold its shape. It 
 should be not over 6 inches in diameter. 
 Larger brands will become so large as to 
 prove unreadable as the wool grows. The 
 brand should be placed on the back of the 
 sheep so that it is easily seen by the oper- 
 ator of a parting gate in a chute. 
 
 Hoof trimming. LTnless sheep are 
 traveling over rocky and gravelly terrain, 
 
 [43] 
 

 I 
 
 i 
 
 Sheep with long, ill-shaped feet due to neglect. 
 
 The front feet were trimmed before photo was 
 
 taken. 
 
 the feet should be trimmed at least once 
 each year. If the feet are not trimmed the 
 toes grow very long and the wall of the 
 hoof turns in, producing deformed feet. 
 Such untrimmed feet may produce lame- 
 ness and even permanent weakness and 
 crooked legs and pasterns. Neglected feet 
 often break unevenly and are subject to 
 foot rot and foot abscess. A good practice 
 is to trim the feet of all sheep every fall. 
 The hoofs will be softer after the ground 
 is damp following the first fall rains. 
 
 Care of ewes from 
 breeding to lambing 
 
 After the ewes are bred, they are usu- 
 ally put on whatever pasture is available. 
 Grain stubble and other crop aftermath 
 is good for such ewes. If they are kept 
 continually on irrigated pasture they may 
 become overly fat. On the other hand, 
 ewes pastured on native ranges may be- 
 come too thin. In general, pregnant ewes 
 should not be allowed to lose weight but 
 should gain enough to be in good condi- 
 tion at lambing time. 
 
 Beginners may be misled about the 
 condition of ewes at this time of year, 
 because as the wool grows longer they 
 appear to be gaining weight. Their actual 
 condition can be readily determined by 
 catching a few ewes and feeling through 
 the wool along the back and ribs to de- 
 termine the fat covering. 
 
 Feed well for health. One good rea- 
 son for feeding the ewes well before 
 lambing is to avoid the disorder known 
 variously as "pregnancy paralysis," 
 "twinning disease," "lambing paralysis," 
 and "pregnancy toxemia." This ailment 
 mainly occurs in ewes far advanced in 
 pregnancy that are carrying twin or trip- 
 let lambs. An affected ewe will appear 
 
 Grain stubble provides an important source of feed for breeding flocks in California. The sheep will 
 clean up weeds, remaining grain, and some straw but should not be forced to eat all of the latter. 
 
 w 
 
 ■m+ 
 
dull and listless, refuse to eat, eventually 
 become blind and unable to rise, and will 
 finally die. 
 
 It is generally believed that the condi- 
 tion is caused by a lack of readily avail- 
 able carbohydrate in the ration of the 
 ewe. In order to meet the demands of her 
 body and of the unborn lambs, the ewe is 
 forced to draw upon her fat stores for 
 energy. As a result a toxic condition, 
 known as "ketosis," occurs. Sheepmen 
 who have encountered this trouble have 
 found that it could usually be avoided by 
 the following program: 
 
 1) Feed the ewes a generous ration 
 before lambing. 2) Feed regularly. 3) 
 Make sure every ewe gets her share of the 
 feed every day. Adequate rack space is 
 essential. 4) Force the ewes to get some 
 exercise every day. 
 
 Molasses fed to pregnant ewes has 
 been found particularly effective in 
 avoiding lambing paralysis. It may be 
 necessary to thin the molasses with water 
 and pour it over the hay for a few days 
 to get the sheep accustomed to it. It may 
 then be safely fed free-choice from a 
 trough. 
 
 If a ewe is noticed in the early stages 
 of the disorder, drenching with a cup of 
 molasses or concentrated sugar solution 
 twice daily will sometimes be helpful. 
 Veterinarians have recently been success- 
 ful in saving affected ewes by removing 
 the unborn lambs by Caesarean opera- 
 tion if the operation is performed early 
 in the disease. 
 
 Increase feed six weeks before 
 lambing. (For rations for pregnant and 
 lactating ewes see page 34 in Section 
 4 on Feeding Sheep.) It is very im- 
 portant that the ewes be well fed the last 
 six weeks of pregnancy, when the lambs 
 are developing rapidly as is also the ud- 
 der. British workers have clearly shown 
 that ewes on a high plane of nutrition 
 during the last six weeks of pregnancy 
 will give birth to stronger lambs and pro- 
 duce more milk than will ewes that have 
 been on a low plane of nutrition before 
 
 lambing. This difference is striking, even 
 though the ewes are fed the same after 
 lambing. 
 
 Tagging. This is the term applied to 
 shearing the wool from the inside of the 
 hind legs, the udder, and around the anus 
 and vulva. This operation is particularly 
 desirable a few weeks before lambing. 
 The udder is then easily observed, and 
 thus some indication is given as to how 
 soon the ewe will lamb. Furthermore, the 
 teats are easily found by the newborn 
 lamb, whereas if the ewe is not tagged 
 the lamb may attempt to suck a lock of 
 wool. Tagging also reduces the danger of 
 fly strike as the rear end of the ewe re- 
 mains cleaner. 
 
 Sorting the ewes before lambing. 
 Where the lambing facilities are limited, 
 it is often desirable to separate out the 
 group of ewes that is expected to lamb 
 early in the season and to give these spe- 
 cial attention. This is commonly called 
 "bagging out the heavies." In other 
 words, the ewes that have a w T ell-devel- 
 oped udder are judged to be those that 
 will lamb within a few days. The develop- 
 ment of the udder is not always an accu- 
 rate means of predicting lambing date, 
 however; hence the main flock should 
 always be watched for unexpected ar- 
 rivals. 
 
 Care of the drop band. The ewes 
 expected to lamb soon are run in a sepa- 
 rate group referred to as the "drop 
 band." These ewes should be kept in a 
 convenient field or pasture during the 
 daytime and in a corral near the barn at 
 night. An open shed to provide some 
 shelter is desirable in this corral. It is 
 best not to confine the ewes in an en- 
 closed barn except in bad weather. 
 
 Care of the ewe 
 at lambing time 
 
 Lambing is the harvest time for the 
 sheepman. All the other care, feeding, 
 and breeding are largely wasted if the 
 ewe loses her lamb or lambs. The per- 
 centage of lambs saved will largely deter- 
 
 [45] 
 
Breeding ewes on irrigated pasture (left). Center ewe has recently been tagged to reduce danger 
 of fly strike. Photo at right shows a good type of lambing shed for use in California. 
 
 mine the success or failure of a sheep 
 operation. 
 
 Ewes are lambed with all degrees of 
 care depending on the type of operation. 
 Some ewes are pasture- or range-lambed 
 without any help from man. Others are 
 watched by men night and day through 
 the lambing season. Usually the percent- 
 age of lambs saved will be directly pro- 
 portional to the time, effort, and skill of 
 a shepherd at lambing time. This section 
 covers some of the basic operations car- 
 ried out where ewes are lambed through 
 a barn. 
 
 Just before lambing, the ewe seems 
 restless and appears sunken in front of 
 the hips. She should be given every op- 
 portunity to deliver the lamb unassisted; 
 but if she has been straining for one hour 
 or more, the shepherd should then assist. 
 
 The normal presentation of a lamb at 
 birth is with the forelegs extended, the 
 head resting between them. Usually a 
 lamb in this position will be born without 
 assistance. If the lamb is not in proper 
 position, the shepherd must correct it by 
 inserting his hand and arm into the birth 
 canal and straightening out the lamb. Be- 
 fore entering the ewe, however, the shep- 
 herd should thoroughly cleanse his hands 
 with soap and water, then lubricate his 
 hand and arm with mineral oil or vase- 
 line. In delivering the lamb a gentle pull 
 
 should be exerted on both the front legs. 
 
 After the lamb is delivered, make sure 
 that it starts breathing immediately. The 
 membrane should be wiped from the nos- 
 tril. If the lamb does not start to breathe, 
 pat the ribs gently for artificial respira- 
 tion. Rubbing the lamb vigorously, blow- 
 ing into the mouth, and swinging the 
 lamb like a pendulum by the hind legs 
 (to clear fluid from the throat) are other 
 treatments that sometimes help to start 
 breathing. After the lamb is breathing, 
 place it near the ewe's head so that she 
 will begin licking it. 
 
 A strong, vigorous lamb will usually 
 stand up and nurse in 15 or 20 minutes. 
 Weak lambs must sometimes be helped to 
 nurse the first time. The seal on the teats 
 should be broken for these weak lambs 
 by milking a few drops from each teat. 
 This also serves as a check on the milk 
 available for the lamb. Watch the udder 
 carefully for a few days to make sure that 
 the lamb is nursing from both sides. If 
 one side becomes swollen, it should be 
 milked out until the lamb starts nursing 
 from that side also. 
 
 An occasional ewe will have such ab- 
 normally large teats that the lamb has 
 trouble nursing. A ewe unable to nurse 
 her lanib for any reason should be 
 marked at lambing time so that she can 
 be culled from the flock. 
 
 [46] 
 
Care of ewes after lambing 
 
 Udder troubles. Occasionally a ewe 
 will develop mastitis, with a resulting 
 swollen udder, and the milk may become 
 stringy or bloody. In severe cases the 
 udder will become caked and hard and 
 turn blue. This condition is commonly 
 spoken of as "bluebag." Injury to the 
 teat by the lamb or some mechanical in- 
 jury may be responsible. Mastitis is pre- 
 sumably caused by a bacterial infection. 
 A variety of organisms have been found 
 to be present in affected udders. 
 
 If this infection is caught in the early 
 stages, some of the antibiotics have 
 proved effective in clearing it up. A vet- 
 erinarian should be called to treat the 
 ewes, as mortality is otherwise likely to 
 be high. Ewes that recover from severe 
 infections should be culled because it is 
 unlikely the affected portion of the udder 
 will ever become functional again. 
 
 Feeding ewes after lambing. Lar- 
 iating ewes should be liberally fed, but 
 feed grain sparingly for a few days after 
 lambing. In addition to a generous feed- 
 ing of good alfalfa hay, the ewe may be 
 fed up to one pound of grain per day 
 during the suckling period. If possible, 
 separate the ewes raising twins and feed 
 them more grain than the ewes raising 
 single lambs. Pasture or other succulent 
 feed such as silage are excellent for milk- 
 ing ewes. 
 
 Care of lambs 
 
 The ewe and her newborn lamb or 
 lambs are placed in a small pen often 
 called a "jail" or a "jug." Pens may be 
 of a permanent nature or may be made 
 by placing hinged panels along the walls 
 of a barn (See illustration on page 22 in 
 Section 3). The ewe should have water 
 available and should be fed hay. 
 
 Ewes with strong single lambs do not 
 need to stay in these small pens more 
 than a few hours to insure that the ewe 
 has claimed the lamb. In the case of 
 twins, it is well to keep the ewe penned 
 for a day or two until the shepherd is 
 
 sure that both lambs are strong enough 
 to keep up with the ewe. 
 
 When lambing through a barn, there 
 is always some danger of navel ill — that 
 is, an infection getting in through the 
 navel cord of the newborn lamb. Disin- 
 fect the navel soon after birth by dipping 
 the cord into a bottle of tincture of iodine 
 and then tipping the bottle against the 
 abdomen. 
 
 Weak and chilled lambs. Newborn 
 lambs are easily chilled, and weak lambs 
 will often die unless artificially warmed. 
 They may be warmed near a stove, put in 
 hot water for a short time and then dried, 
 or placed on a covered hot-water bottle. 
 The most effective warmer, however, is a 
 lamb brooder in the corner of the jail. 
 The light bulb provides a constant source 
 of heat, and the lamb will be able to re- 
 turn and nurse the ewe at will. 
 
 Pair branding. A very helpful device 
 for the shepherd is to brand both the ewe 
 and the lamb with the same number. The 
 ewes with single lambs may be branded 
 with black paint or on the left side, and 
 the ewes with twins with red paint or on 
 the right side. This makes it easy to 
 identify the ewe with her lamb or lambs 
 after they are turned out of the small 
 pens. 
 
 Colostrum milk. The colostrum, the 
 first milk of the ewe, contains antibodies, 
 large quantities of vitamin A, and other 
 substances that help the newborn lamb to 
 get a good start. Consequently, every 
 lamb should be given at least one feeding 
 of colostrum milk. This may be accom- 
 plished by milking a few ewes with large 
 quantities of milk and freezing the ex- 
 cess. The milk can be obtained by milk- 
 ing one teat of ewes that have large ud- 
 ders and only single lambs. Excess milk 
 may be frozen, then thawed and used as 
 needed for lambs born to ewes that do 
 not have milk at lambing or for orphan 
 lambs. If the colostrum is in short sup- 
 ply, as little as a tablespoon per lamb 
 mixed with cows' milk or canned milk 
 
 [47] 
 
A portable lamb brooder (shown above) may be placed in the pen with the lamb and ewe to pro- 
 vide a protected corner for the lamb. Heat is provided by an electric light bulb. 
 
 will furnish the lamb with the necessary 
 antibodies. 
 
 Inverted eyelids — Entropion. The 
 
 eyes of young lambs should be checked 
 for inverted eyelids (where the eyelid 
 turns in so that the eyelash irritates the 
 eyeball). If this condition is neglected, 
 the cornea will turn white, and perma- 
 nent blindness may result. It may be 
 treated by removing an elliptical piece of 
 
 skin from the eyelid with clean scissors 
 or sheep shears. In healing, the lid con- 
 tracts and the eyelid becomes normal. 
 
 Orphans. Ewes will occasionally re- 
 fuse to claim their lambs. In some cases 
 simply drawing a little of the ewe's milk 
 and sprinkling it over the lamb, particu- 
 larly over the rump, will be sufficient. If 
 the ewe still refuses, tie her up reason- 
 ably short in the small pen for a few 
 
 Ewe and lamb with the same number. Such branding aids in checking progress of lambs. 
 
 [48] 
 
days, and hold her while the lamb 
 nurses; then she will usually accept it. 
 Ewes that continue to fight their lambs 
 should be marked for culling. 
 
 Transferring lambs. Most shepherds 
 try to have every ewe leave the barns 
 with at least one lamb. When a ewe loses 
 her lamb, she is given an orphan lamb or 
 a twin from another ewe (this is called 
 grafting the lamb). If she refuses to 
 adopt it, her own dead lamb should be 
 skinned and the skin fastened on the 
 lamb to be adopted. The ewe will usually 
 accept the new lamb from the scent of the 
 skin. In a day or two the skin may be 
 taken off. If the ewe does not claim the 
 lamb, she may be treated as described 
 above for the disowned lamb. 
 
 Raising orphan lambs. Lambs for 
 which no ewe is available may be fed on 
 cows' milk or a milk substitute. They are 
 easily taught to drink from a nursing 
 bottle with a lamb nipple, or they may 
 be taught to drink from a pan. Warm the 
 milk to body temperature while the lamb 
 is small. Milk should be clean and all 
 utensils carefully cleaned and sterilized 
 to prevent digestive upsets. 
 
 Ewes' milk is more concentrated than 
 cow's milk. It contains about 19.2 per 
 cent dry matter, as compared to about 
 12.8 per cent dry matter in cows' milk. 
 While lambs will grow on cows' milk, 
 they grow faster if the milk is fortified 
 with 5 per cent sugar to give the lamb 
 a more concentrated feed. If cows' milk 
 is not available, dilute ordinary canned 
 milk and use it to feed orphan lambs. 
 Powdered milk may be reconstituted for 
 this purpose. 
 
 Keep orphan lambs in a dry, clean 
 place. A lamb brooder (described above 
 for chilled lambs) will help get such 
 lambs started during cold weather. They 
 should be given an opportunity to get 
 exercise and sunshine as they grow older. 
 
 One of the commonest difficulties in 
 rearing orphan lambs is death due to 
 overfeeding. Young lambs should be kept 
 hungry for the first few days. Although 
 
 it is difficult to suggest definite amounts 
 of milk because of variation in size and 
 vigor, the following schedule is generally 
 satisfactory. 
 
 The first two days, feed 2 to 3 
 ounces at least four times a day. 
 
 The second two days, increase the 
 feeding by 1 or 2 ounces, fed four times 
 a day. 
 
 The nexf week, feed 4 to 6 ounces 
 four times a day. 
 
 The week after that, feed 6 to 8 
 ounces four times a day. 
 
 Then gradually change the lamb 
 over to three feedings a day, of one pint 
 per feeding. As it grows older, it may 
 safely take two quarts a day given in two 
 or three feedings. Lambs will vary in 
 their milk consumption, and the attend- 
 ant must be the judge. 
 
 After six weeks, skim milk may, if 
 necessary, be substituted for the whole 
 milk, but the lambs will gain better on 
 the whole milk. They should be fed milk 
 until they are at least three months old. 
 
 Lambs will soon begin to eat hay and 
 grain (at two to three weeks of age). A 
 small amount of bright alfalfa hay should 
 be kept before them at all times. The 
 grain mixture may consist of any of the 
 common farm grains. Calf meals are 
 often used with very good results. 
 
 Give the lambs free access to pasture 
 at an early age. 
 
 Docking and castrating lambs. 
 Tails and testicles may be removed from 
 the ram lambs by any one of several 
 methods. Dock and castrate lambs on a 
 bright, sunny day, after the lambs are 
 old enough and strong enough to with- 
 stand the shock. In general, the older a 
 lamb is at marking time, the more seri- 
 ously the operation will affect him. If it is 
 available, place the lambs on clean pas- 
 ture after marking. 
 
 As in all surgery, sanitation is essen- 
 tial. Clean all instruments at the begin- 
 ning and dip them in disinfectant ( 1 
 tablespoon lysol to 1 pint of water) after 
 each use. 
 
 [49] 
 
1 . Prepare dead lamb for skinning by cutting off 
 
 legs at knees and hocks. Cut off head near the 
 
 ears. 
 
 4. Hold neck with foot; pull skin off the carcass. 
 
 Sometimes skin at the brisket must be loosened 
 
 with a knife. 
 
 2. Open the skin across the inside of front legs; 
 across brisket, and down the inside of the other 
 
 leg. 
 
 TRANSFERRING THE PELT FROM A DEAD 
 
 5. Slip pelt over hind legs of orphan. Cut open- 
 ing for tail and for fecal outlet. For a ram, cut 
 hole for urine elimination. 
 
3. Starting at knife cut, loosen skin on forward 
 
 portion of brisket; peel neck out of collar. Collar 
 
 must remain intact. 
 
 .AMB TO AN ORPHAN 
 
 6. When pelt is adjusted to rear quarters, turn 
 
 head sharply and slip collar of pelt over head 
 
 of the orphan. 
 
 Docking. Cut off the tail about one 
 inch from the body or between the second 
 and third joints from the root of the tail. 
 A convenient index is where the two folds 
 of skin on either side of the anus leave 
 the tail. Four methods of docking are in 
 use. 
 
 The tail may be removed by simply 
 cutting it off with a sharp knife. This 
 method is quick and simple, and no spe- 
 cial equipment is needed. The wound will 
 heal rather quickly. The main disadvan- 
 tage is that the lamb will lose a con- 
 siderable amount of blood from the main 
 artery of the tail. Occasionally a lamb 
 will bleed to death. The older and heavier 
 the lamb the greater is this danger. 
 
 Another method of removing the tail 
 is to cut it with a dull, hot iron. The 
 lamb's tail should be slipped under a 
 board covered with tin so that the lamb 
 will not be burned by the hot iron. Heat 
 the iron to a dark red color. If too hot, it 
 will cut through too quickly to sear the 
 artery. The reason for the hot iron is 
 that searing the tail will stop most of the 
 blood loss. The disadvantages of this 
 method are the facts that ( 1 ) it is neces- 
 sary to provide a means of heating the 
 iron at docking time, and (2) a burn 
 heals slowly. 
 
 A third method of docking is to crush 
 the tail with a burdizzo. The tail is then 
 cut off by passing a knife inside the 
 closed blades. The crushing effect of the 
 burdizzo will stop some of the blood loss 
 sustained when the tail is cut off with a 
 knife. 
 
 A comparatively new method is to 
 place on the tail a special rubber band, 
 which shuts off the circulation. As a 
 result, the tail will drop off within a 
 couple of weeks. The advantages of this 
 method are that there is no blood loss to 
 the lamb, and it can be handled as a 
 one-man operation. On the other hand, 
 tetanus infection has been encountered 
 on several farms where sheep are kept 
 around corrals after the rings are ap- 
 plied. 
 
DOCKING. Upper left: Docking with a knife— note method of holding lamb. Upper right: Docking 
 with a hot iron. Lower left to right: Docking with a burdizzo; rubber band being placed on tail. 
 
 CASTRATING. Left: Using a burdizzo. Special care is needed to make sure cords are severed, 
 clamping off one cord at a time. Right: Placing rubber band on scrotum of lamb. 
 
Castrating. The ram lambs may be 
 emasculated by several methods, includ- 
 ing surgery, whereby the lower half of 
 the scrotum is cut off and the testicles 
 pulled out without cutting the cords. The 
 testicles may be pulled out by the shep- 
 herd's gripping them with his teeth, by 
 grasping them with his thumb and fore- 
 finger, or by the use of special castrating 
 shears, which have a serrated edge for 
 grasping the testicles. When a tool or 
 the fingers are used, they should be dis- 
 infected frequently. The main disadvan- 
 tage of the surgical method is that lambs 
 will occasionally die from hemorrhage or 
 infection. 
 
 Two types of bloodless castration may 
 be used. In the first type, rubber bands 
 are applied with a special instrument. Be 
 careful that both testicles are below the 
 band. In this case the scrotum and testi- 
 cles both atrophy and drop ofT. 
 
 The second bloodless method is the use 
 of the burdizzo to crush the cord above 
 the testicle without cutting into the 
 scrotum. If properly crushed, the testicle 
 will resorb but the scrotum is intact. The 
 main objection to this method is that 
 occasionally the shepherd will miss one 
 of the cords and the testicle will con- 
 tinue to develop. There is also danger of 
 crushing too low, leaving testicular tissue 
 that will continue to develop. When the 
 
 burdizzo is used too high, the urethra 
 may be crushed and the lamb will die. 
 
 If flies are a problem when lambs are 
 docked or castrated, a fly repellent should 
 be placed on and around the wound and 
 the lambs closely watched for fly strike. 
 
 Creep-feeding the lambs. Lambs 
 will start eating hay and grain at two to 
 three weeks of age. Their gain will be 
 increased if they have an opportunity to 
 obtain grain in addition to the ewe's 
 milk. A "creep" is an area fenced so that 
 the lambs can enter but the ewes cannot. 
 The openings in a creep panel are usually 
 about 8 inches wide and about 15 to 18 
 inches high. It is well to place hay as 
 well as grain in the creep as the lambs 
 will be attracted to the hay at an early 
 age. Once the lambs have learned to eat 
 from the creep they will make regular 
 visits to get the grain. Older lambs are 
 harder to start on a creep than lambs less 
 than one month of age. 
 
 Creep-feeding is desirable for maxi- 
 mum gains. Under range conditions it is 
 especially good when pasture feed is 
 short. Where twins are operated as a 
 separate band, creep-feeding will aid in 
 producing a uniform group of lambs. 
 
 A portable creep that will load on a 
 truck or trailer may be used on the 
 range — being moved as the sheep are 
 moved to fresh range. 
 
 An ideal arrangement for creep feeders. 
 
A foxtail in the eye of a lamb. 
 
 Any of the common grains is satis- 
 factory for feeding in the creep. Whole 
 milo grain is popular as a creep feed be- 
 cause the lambs relish it and start eating 
 it sooner than other feeds. 
 
 Eye trouble from foxtails. As the 
 native feed begins to dry, lambs are 
 likely to pick up the awns of grasses 
 (particularly foxtails) in their eyes. 
 Lambs having wool around their eyes are 
 especially bad in this respect. The awn 
 must be removed by rolling back the eye- 
 lid and plucking out the beard; otherwise 
 the lamb will become blind. Any lamb 
 with a draining eye should be caught and 
 the eye examined for foreign material. 
 Injured eyes may be treated with medi- 
 cine obtained from a veterinarian. 
 
 Weaning. Many lambs are sold at the 
 time they are taken from the ewes. Others 
 such as ewe lambs kept for replacements, 
 purebred lambs, and feeder lambs should 
 be weaned at 4% to 5 months. Ram 
 lambs, particularly of the whiteface 
 breeds, may have to be weaned earlier to 
 avoid some of the ewes' being bred out 
 of season. Ewe lambs and ram lambs 
 should be separated at 4 to 5 months. 
 
 After weaning, give the lambs the best 
 feed available to keep them growing. If 
 the ewes are placed on scant feed for a 
 
 short period, the milk flow will cease in a 
 few days without any other treatment. 
 
 Culling the breeding ewes 
 
 Soon after weaning time, the sheepman 
 should carefully go through the ewes and 
 cull out those that have previously been 
 marked as having a spoiled udder or as 
 being unable for any other reason to 
 raise a lamb. It is also desirable to cull 
 the ewes that did not lamb; those that 
 have not raised a lamb for two seasons 
 should certainly be sold. 
 
 Check the mouth and teeth of each 
 ewe. Ewes with undershot or overshot 
 jaws or with broken mouths should be 
 sold. Where possible, it is desirable to 
 notch the ear of each crop of ewe lambs 
 with a different notch. In this way the 
 age of each ewe is known. An ideal 
 program is to sell all ewes by the time 
 they have produced five crops of lambs 
 and are approximately 6% years of age. 
 Although some ewes will show little effect 
 of age up to 10 years, most ewes will 
 begin to decline in wool production and 
 vigor after 6 to 7 years. Sheep of the 
 mutton breeds will show the effect of age 
 earlier than will sheep of the fine-wool 
 breeds. 
 
 Water 
 
 Under most California conditions 
 sheep should have access to fresh, clean 
 water daily. During cool, moist weather, 
 when there is dew on the feed in the 
 mornings, the sheep need to be watered 
 less often — depending on the amount of 
 dew. Daily water consumption per sheep 
 varies from one quart to over a gallon. 
 
 Shade 
 
 Sheep will use shade during warm 
 weather wherever it is available. Most 
 sheepmen attempt to provide adequate 
 shade for breeding stock during the 
 warm season. Shade is usually not pro- 
 vided, however, for lambs being fattened 
 on irrigated pasture. Most pasture feeders 
 
 [54] 
 
believe that the lambs eat more and there 
 is less trouble with bloat and fly strike 
 when shade is not available. 
 
 Marketing 
 
 Most sheep producers in California sell 
 or wean their lambs when the majority 
 weigh 90 pounds or more and are ready 
 for slaughter, or when the feed available 
 becomes too dry for them to continue 
 putting on good gains. Which of these 
 two situations arises first will depend on 
 the locality and the weather during the 
 particular season. Lambs that are not 
 fat "off the ewe" may be sold as feeders, 
 or the owner may place them on irrigated 
 pasture if he has it. 
 
 The bulk of the California spring 
 lambs are marketed in April and May. 
 Fat lambs may be disposed of in several 
 ways: 1) sold, direct to local butchers, 
 2) sold to country buyers representing 
 packers and livestock-marketing organi- 
 
 zations, 3) shipped to stockyards such as 
 South San Francisco, Los Angeles, and 
 Stockton, to be sold by a marketing or- 
 ganization or a commission firm, or 4) 
 sold through livestock auctions located 
 throughout the state. For a more detailed 
 discussion, see "Trade in Western Live- 
 stock at Auctions," 1954, by Edwin C. 
 Voorhies, listed in the Source Books on 
 page 59. 
 
 Many lambs are contracted for in ad- 
 vance of delivery by the buyers. Such 
 contracts specify the conditions of pur- 
 chase : that is, a "fat contract" means that 
 the buyer takes only lambs he considers 
 ready for immediate slaughter. Other 
 contracts agree to take all lambs over a 
 certain weight (for example, 60 pounds) 
 on a certain date, or to take so many 
 head of lambs on a certain date. 
 
 When only part of the lambs are fat, 
 the seller may sell only the "fats" and 
 keep the feeders to sell separately, but 
 
 
 Water, salt, and shade should be provided for breeding ewes on dry, summer pasture. This wind- 
 mill has a storage tank to take care of windless days. 
 
 [55] 
 
more commonly he will sell all the lambs 
 to a buyer or dealer. Then the buyer sorts 
 the lambs, sending the "fats" to market, 
 and places the feeders on irrigated pas- 
 ture or in a feedlot until they are fat 
 enough to kill. 
 
 When the sheepman has quite a num- 
 ber of feeder lambs, he may either sell 
 them to a sheep feeder or place them on 
 irrigated pasture on a "gain basis." By 
 this is meant that the sheepman retains 
 ownership of the sheep, and the pasture 
 owner gets a variable percentage of the 
 gain. 
 
 Fattening feeder lambs 
 
 Feed-lot fattening. Feeder lambs are 
 fattened either in a feed lot or on irri- 
 gated pasture. Those to be fattened in a 
 feed lot should be started on feed with a 
 ration consisting mainly of good hay. 
 The grain mixture is gradually increased 
 until the lambs are on full feed. Lamb- 
 fattening rations are usually about half 
 grain and half hay (See page 35 in sec- 
 tion on Feeding Sheep). A series of 
 tests at Kansas State College showed that 
 the gains were largest and the feed was 
 utilized most efficiently when the ration 
 was 45 per cent concentrates and 55 per 
 cent roughage. When rapid gains are de- 
 sired, the concentrates may be fed up to 
 as much as 60 per cent of the ration. You 
 must use care in giving such highly con- 
 centrated feeds. 
 
 Lambs fed large amounts of grain in 
 the feed lot are subject to overeating dis- 
 ease, also known an enterotoxemia. Al- 
 though this may be prevented by limiting 
 the amount of concentrated feed, the 
 gains are thereby also lessened. A vaccine 
 against this disorder is available. The 
 bacterin should be used as a preventive, 
 and the antisera employed to stop an out- 
 break in a group of lambs on feed. These 
 should be used only under the supervi- 
 sion of a veterinarian. Enterotoxemia 
 may also be encountered in lambs and 
 even in ewes on excellent pastures. 
 
 Both hand-feeding and self-feeding 
 
 methods are used in feeding lambs. Hand 
 feeding — where the hay and grain are 
 fed separately at each feeding — has the 
 advantage because the feeder can vary 
 the amount and proportion of hay and 
 grain according to the appetite and ap- 
 pearance of the lambs. However, the 
 feeder must exercise considerable skill in 
 feeding the lambs; also with handfeed- 
 ing, labor costs are higher. It is wise, 
 therefore, to adopt a program of self- 
 feeding — where the grain and hay are 
 mixed and the lambs eat all of the mix- 
 ture they will consume — and a standard 
 mix can be fed once the lambs are on 
 full feed. Sample feed-lot rations for 
 lambs are shown on pages 35 and 36. 
 
 Depending on the feeds used and the 
 relative proportion of grain and hay fed, 
 lambs will require from 8 to 12 pounds 
 of feed to produce a pound of gain. The 
 average daily gain is usually about one 
 third of a pound per day but may vary 
 from .2 to .4 pound per lamb per day. 
 
 The feeds most commonly used for 
 fattening lambs in the feed lot in Cali- 
 fornia are barley, molasses, dried beet 
 pulp, oats, corn, cottonseed meal, and 
 alfalfa hay. Barley as the only concen- 
 trate is not entirely satisfactory for lambs 
 in that they have a tendency to "go off 
 feed." A mixture containing about one 
 third beet pulp or oats is easier to feed. 
 
 Wooled lambs are generally shorn 
 when placed in the feed lot, especially in 
 warm weather, and when the lambs will 
 be on feed for any length of time. 
 
 Fattening on pasture. Although 
 some feeder lambs are fattened on beet 
 tops and other types of pasture, most 
 feeder lambs in California are fattened 
 on irrigated pastures. The principal pas- 
 ture plants are ladino clover and birds- 
 foot trefoil. Alfalfa, Sudan grass, straw- 
 berry clover, and various grass mixtures 
 are also used for irrigated pastures. 
 Sheep prefer legumes to grass as feed; 
 and since bloat is not so serious a prob- 
 lem with sheep as with cattle, it is not 
 
 [56] 
 
Feeder lambs ready to go on pasture for fattening. 
 
 Feeder lambs being fattened on sugar beet tops. Even though fields look bare after beets are dug, 
 leaves and some beet crowns furnish excellent fattening feed. 
 
 [57] 
 
recommended that any grass be included 
 in pasture mixes planted for fattening 
 lambs. 
 
 Feeder lambs shipped in, either by 
 truck or train, should be watered, given 
 a feed of dry hay, and allowed to rest 
 before being turned in to irrigated pas- 
 ture. If there is any possibility that the 
 lambs may be carrying many internal 
 parasites, they should be drenched be- 
 fore being turned into the fresh pasture 
 (See page 39). A salt and phenothiazine 
 mixture — 9 parts salt to one part pheno- 
 thiazine — should be available to the 
 lambs while on irrigated pasture. This 
 mixture will aid in reducing the parasite 
 problem. 
 
 The irrigated pastures should be sub- 
 divided into small fields so that the 
 lambs may be moved to fresh feed every 
 few days. Lambs will make faster gains 
 and pastures will produce more feed if 
 each pasture is given a minimum of three 
 weeks' growing period between grazings. 
 For more details on the use of irrigated 
 pastures, see "Irrigated Pastures in Cali- 
 fornia," by Jones and Brown, revised by 
 Miller and Booher (listed among Source 
 Books on page 59). 
 
 The average daily gain of lambs on 
 irrigated pasture will vary from 0.2 to 
 .45 pound per lamb per day. Good 
 feeder lambs on desirable irrigated pas- 
 ture will usually gain at least 0.3 pound 
 per day. The carrying capacity of the 
 pastures will vary widely with the season. 
 During the growing season a good pas- 
 ture should carry at least ten lambs to 
 the acre. 
 
 Supplementing on pasture. Lambs 
 will reach choice slaughter grade when 
 grazing on good irrigated pasture with- 
 out receiving any supplemental feed. 
 Hay as a supplement to pasture will 
 reduce the incidence of scouring, par- 
 ticularly early in the season, when the 
 pasture forage is watery and low in dry 
 matter. Trials conducted on the use of 
 grain to supplement good irrigated pas- 
 ture have shown that, while the gains may 
 be increased slightly, it is generally not 
 economical to supplement lambs on pas- 
 ture. Later in the season it may be 
 profitable to supplement them in order 
 to get them to the desired slaughter 
 weight before the pasture is exhausted. 
 
 Feeding lambs on pasture 
 as a soiling crop 
 
 Some interest is developing in cutting 
 the pasture crop with a forage harvester 
 and hauling it green to lambs in a dry lot. 
 This practice is still in the experimental 
 stage and has not been sufficiently tested 
 to be recommended at this time. 
 
 Stilbestrol implants for lambs 
 on irrigated pasture 
 
 Two recently conducted trials have 
 shown that the gains of lambs can be 
 increased by implanting a pellet of stil- 
 bestrol — a female sex hormone — in the 
 ear of each lamb. In both trials, however, 
 the treated lambs did not produce such 
 desirable carcasses as the untreated 
 lambs. Until this practice is approved by 
 the Pure Food and Drug Administration 
 it cannot be recommended for general 
 use. 
 
 [58 1 
 
SOURCE BOOKS REFERRED TO IN THIS MANUAL 
 
 Belsghner, H. S., Sheep Management and Diseases, Second Edition Revised, The Blakiston Com- 
 pany, Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Cameron, H. S., Sheep Diseases, Calif. Agr. Ext. Service Circ. 130, July, 1945 (out of prints . 
 
 Ensminger, M. E., Sheep Husbandry, Washington State College, The Interstate Printers and 
 Publishers, Danville, 111., 1952. $4.00. 
 
 Jones & Brown, Irrigated Pastures in California, Calif. Agr. Ext. Circ. 125, 1949. 
 
 Kammlade, W. G., Sheep Science, University of Illinois, J. B. Lippincott Co., Chicago, Illinois, 
 1947. $6.00. 
 
 Miller, R. F., Crossbreeding Investigation in the Production of California Spring Lambs, Calif. 
 
 Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 598, 1935 (out of print). 
 Newsome, I. E., Sheep Diseases, Colorado A & M, Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, 1952. 
 
 Shultis, Arthur, The Relative Economy of Meat Production in California by Several Types of 
 Farm Animals, Calif. Agr. Ext. Service, 1949. 
 
 Voorhies, E. C, Trade in Western Livestock at Auctions, Calif. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 740, April, 
 1954. 
 
 Voorhies, E. C. & R. W. Rudd, Sheep and Wool Situation in California, 1950, Calif. Agr. Exp. Sta. 
 Circ. 399, Oct., 1950 (out of print). 
 
 Weir, W. C. & Reuben Albaugh, A Guide for Sheep-Improvement Programs, Agr. Ext. Service 
 Multilith, Feb., 1952. 
 
 Wilson, J. F., California Wool Production, Calif. Agr. Ext. Circ. 171, April, 1951. 
 
 BOOKS ON SHEEP DOGS 
 
 American Kennel Club, The Complete Dog Book, Garden City Publishing Co., Garden City, 
 New York, 1949. 
 
 Hartley, C. W. G., The Shepherd's Dog, Whitcombe and Tombs, Christchurch, New Zealand. 
 
 Kelley, Ralph B., Sheep Dogs, 3rd Edition, Australian Agricultural and Livestock Series, Sidney, 
 Angus and Robertson, 1949. 
 
 REFERENCE PERIODICALS 
 
 California Livestock News, published by California Wool Growers Association, 151 Mission Street, 
 San Francisco 5, Calif. 
 
 National Woolgrowers, The, 414 Pacific National Life Building, Salt Lake City 1, Utah. Monthly 
 ($5.00). 
 
 Sheep and Goat Raiser, San Angelo, Texas. Monthly ($1.00) . 
 
 Sheep Breeder, 801 Elm Street, Columbia, Missouri. Monthly ($2.00). 
 
 Sheepmans Magazine, 125 West 3rd Street, Lexington, Kentucky. Monthly ($2.00). 
 
 [59] 
 
THIS MANUAL is one of a series published by the University of California College of Agri- 
 culture and sold for a charge which is based on returning only a portion of the production 
 cost. By this means it is possible to make available publications which due to relatively 
 high cost of production or limited audience would otherwise be beyond the scope of the 
 College publishing program.. 
 
 ' >. .i|,it«iivp Extension «oil< In Agriculture and Horn* Economic!, College <>f Agriculture, University "f California, and United stairs Department <>f Agriculture 
 co-operating Dl frlbuted "i furtherance of the Acts ol Congress «l May n, and June 80, 1014 ■> Karl Coke, Director, California Agricultural Extension Service. 
 
 LOwi L0, , 54< 1972 I \ \ 
 
 ^canis* 1 ^ 
 
> »»/••» 
 
 Here is a complete handbook on the raising of sh 
 under California conditions — as valuable to sheepmei 
 Manual 2, "California Beef Production/ 7 is for cattlei 
 
 Net price 50c