An abundance of forage is one key to profitable sheep production. The successful producer also must have a genuine interest in business, management skills, and labor to care for the sheep. State University Short article lists various pests and treatments, including insecticides, dosage, and precautions in usage. The groundsels are woody-stemmed, native, perennial plants that often cause livestock poisoning in winter and early spring. Poisoning of cattle and horses is reported most often, with sheep and goats being poisoned less frequently.
Poisoning is most common in late fall and winter.
Small sheep producers often finish lambs for sale on local niche markets, as this provides a premium price per carcass, and shipping expenses are reduced. Finishing programs for these lambs should provide a predictable carcass quality, and should minimize feeding cost. In an attempt to decrease costs, there has been recent interest in finishing lambs on home grown forages, rather than on purchased grains. This article will discuss the results of the second year of a trial conducted to investigate finishing lambs by grazing on alfalfa. Before you put down your hard-earned money for a trio of auction ewes, you must have a clear picture of what you intend to do with sheep.