Small Ruminant Production: An OverviewLinda Coffey, NCAT

www.attra.ncat.org

1-800-346-9140

• A strong demand for lamb and goat meat has led to a resurgence of interest in sheep and goat production

• Small ruminants (sheep and goats) work well for small acreages or as a supplementary enterprise with cattle

• Sheep and goats offer many advantages to livestock farms

• Goal: to learn at least five advantages of small ruminants and five challenges, and be able to decide which species to raise in a given situation

Small ruminant production

• Ruminants• Similar size • Gestation length• Similar diets• Fencing

requirements• Facilities• Multiple births

Sheep and goats

• Small size• Requires little feed or land• Prolific and productive• Strong market demand: good prices• Useful in vegetation control

– weeds, brush, multiflora rose, invasive weeds, including sericea lespedeza, kudzu, others

– good companion grazers with cattle; pasture improvers

Similar advantages

• Meat (many ethnic groups prefer goat or lamb, especially for holidays and festivals)

• Milk• Fiber (wool, mohair, cashmere)• Weed and brush control• Skins/pelts/leather• Pets and hobbies (we might as well

admit it!)

Uses of sheep and goats

• Internal parasites• May be difficult to contain• Markets MAY be harder to locate• Predator problems

• Prejudice from cowboys

Similar problems

But sheep and goats are not the same

Sheep Goat• ram = buck (or billy)• ewe = doe (or nanny)• lamb = kid• wether = wether

• lamb meat, mutton = cabrito, chevon

Terminology

• Sheep– Prefer short, tender vegetation; graze very

close– Eat a variety of weeds

• Goats– Selective– Prefer to graze taller plants and browse– Intake drops quickly if forage is too short– Opportunistic (think of deer)

Grazing behavior

Pigweed

Chickweed

Sh

ep

herd

’s

pu

rse

Wild lettuce

Multiflora rose

Black locust

Green briar

Black locust

Mulberry Mimosa

Paulownia

Question:

What is one advantage of the goat’s behavior in

grazing?

BehaviorSpecies Sheep Goats

Preference Grass Browse

Food Variety Monotonous Need Variety

Antagonistic Butt head on Sideways hooking

Fighting Butt Rear on hind legs

Dominance Leader sheep; not strongly dominant

Queen doe; clear heirarchy

ObservationsSpecies Sheep Goats

Newborn young

Remain by mother

Freezing some distance away

Alarm signal Snort; stamp one forefoot

“Sneeze”

Alarm response

Bunch up Thin line

Tail Hangs down Stands up

Beard Absent Present in bucks and some does

Separate the sheep from the goats...

Grazing PreferencesRationale for multispecies

grazing

Browse Forb

Grass

GoatsSheep

Cattle

• Complementary to cattle

• Can add one ewe per cow with no additional feed costs and no detrimental effects

• May improve profitability per acre by 25% over cattle alone

Small ruminants in combination with cattle

• Maximize the use of resources (forage, labor, facilities)

• Improve pastures by– encouraging diversity of plants– reducing clumps– controlling weeds and brush– reducing parasite infestations on

pastures

Multispecies grazing – benefits to sustainability

• Meat production per species and per acre is higher

• Increases flexibility and options–marketing–managing forages

• Diversified income sources –reduce risk– improve cash flow

Multispecies grazing – benefits to sustainability

• Mob grazing--all run as one group• Leader/follower--matching animal

with highest requirements to forages of highest quality

• Alternate grazing--one portion of farm used for one species; switch later (or, stocker steers one year, stocker sheep the next)

Multispecies grazing – methods

• Knowledge• Fences--adapt cattle fences; 3 to 5

strands electric, 4,500 volts minimum• Minerals--avoid excess copper for

sheep (goats can use cattle mineral)• Facilities--sheep will need some

shelter if lambing in cold weather, goats like shelter in wet weather (not fancy)

• Labor--availability and timing

Multispecies grazing – management concerns

• Ratios–dependent on type of forages available

–1:1 to use extra weeds–6:1 (ewes to cows) to maximize pounds of meat per acre

Multispecies grazing – management concerns

Stocking ratePasture

typeCows Sheep Goats Cows +

goats

Excellent Pasture

1 5-6 6-8 1 + 1-2

Brushy Pasture

1 6-7 9-11 1 + 2-4

Brush eradicatio

n

8-12/acre .5 + 6-8

Brush maintenan

ce

1-3/acre

•Order–Graze in a mob, or–Cattle first to use taller, coarser growth, sheep or goats to harvest weeds cattle rejected; or

–Lambs, kids and calves to select the best, ewes, does and cows to clean up; or

–Lambs and ewes followed by dry cows to utilize rejected forage

Must match nutrition to production stage

Recommendation: 1 to 2 goats per head of cattle

• Grazing height preferred for sheep: begin at 6-8 inches and move when grazed down to 2.5 to 4 inches

Caution!Avoid over-grazing. Sheep can

graze very close to the ground. Management is crucial.

Multispecies grazing – management concerns

• Question: what are two reasons to avoid grazing close to the ground?

• How could you prevent close grazing?

Grazing management

Grazing Management

Sheep and goats should have 4 to 5% of body weight in dry matter (DM) available daily. (Requirements vary with production stage and size of animal; dairy goats have higher needs.)

Daily intake is most critical!

• Low intakes, excellent rations: average performance

• High intakes, moderate rations: above expected performance

Major considerations for grazing sheep and goats

Grazing management

AVAILABLE FORAGEExcellent forage management will pay dividends in lowered production costs and increased gains and improved health. Daily intake is most critical!

• To lower costs, try to match needs of the animal to the production of the forage.

• Over-feeding is expensive and counter-productive; fat ewes and does do not do well at breeding or lambing time.

• Under-feeding leads to low birth weights and poor milk supplies.

Production stage:

Major considerations for grazing sheep

Must match nutrition to production stage.

Production stage:Breeding--flush with better nutrition

prior to turning in ram or buck and for several weeks afterward

Major considerations

Production stage:

Early gestation--low requirements; fair to good pasture (15 weeks from breeding)

Late gestation (last 6 weeks)--good pasture, 1/4 pound grain (assuming average condition) Caution: avoid pure stands of infected fescue for late gestation grazing

Major considerations

Production stage:

Lactation--first 6 or 8 weeks, high requirements; excellent pasture, or 4 to 5 pounds hay and 1-2 pounds grain. Taper off near weaning.

Ideally, feed ewes with twins on the best forage. Yearling ewes and does also need excellent forage as they are growing as well as lactating.

Major considerations

Production stage:

Dry--very low requirements; may use the ewes and does to clean up pastures at this point. Ewes and does may be dry for 3 or 4 months before breeding.

This allows ewes and does to easily gain weight; do not allow them to become fat!

Major considerations

• Lambs should graze clean pasture• Have salt/mineral mix, fresh water,

shade available• Shear wooly lambs before hot weather• Use low stocking rates and clean up

with cattle or dry ewes or does• Monitor for parasites and treat as

needed (FAMACHA™)

Recommendations for lambs and kids on grass

• Tell three benefits of small ruminants• What are three problems of small

ruminants?• Explain the nutritional needs of a

ewe and doe and how they vary through a year

• What are three advantages of multispecies grazing?

Review

“It depends!”

On. . .

1)Price per pound

2)Production costs

3)Price per pound of wool

4)Days to market

5)Weaning percentage

But, will they pay??

1) Price per pound of meat• Seasonal changes• Direct marketing• Auctions/buyers• Size and finish

Factors affecting profitability

2) Production costs• Keep feed costs low by

using forages• Reduce vet costs through

preventive care; have a good working relationship with a veterinarian

• Need good nutrition for productive animals; over-feeding is wasteful and expensive

Factors affecting profitability

Cost of production, reproductive performance,

and profitability Kidding percentage Doe cost ($/head/year)

80% 90% 100% 125% 150% 200%

30 0.83 0.74 0.67 0.53 0.44 0.30

35 0.97 0.86 0.78 0.62 0.52 0.39

40 1.11 0.99 0.89 0.71 0.59 0.44

45 1.25 1.11 1.00 0.80 0.67 0.50

50 1.39 1.23 1.11 0.89 0.74 0.56

60 1.67 1.48 1.33 1.07 0.89 0.67

Assumed market weight: 45 lbs.

3) Price per pound of wool• Quality counts!• Niche marketing is likely to

result in best price• Wool pool/cooperatives• Value-added options

Factors affecting profitability

4) Days to market• Affects feed costs and

efficiency• Labor costs• Depends on genetic capability

and nutritional resources• Weather influences• Target weights depend on

buyer

Factors affecting profitability

• No transport cost• No shrink• Less stress for animals• Seller sets price• No commission, yardage, etc.• Makes connections with buyers• May be more convenient• Buyer pays with cash on the spot

Advantages of direct marketing

• May be inconvenient (drop-ins)• May be time-consuming• Seller must be able to bargain• Buyer may not be prepared to haul• Buyer may want to slaughter at

farm

Disadvantages of direct marketing

5) WEANING PERCENTAGE• Influenced by lambing percentage

• fertility season flushing

• newborn lamb survivability• Influenced by flock health

• nutrition• predator control• preventative health care

Factors affecting profitability

Effect of Weaning Percentage on Potential Income*

Pounds lamb sold per ewe1

Price/ Pound 100 140 160 180

.90 $90 $126 $144 $162 1.00 100 140 160 180 1.10 110 154 176 198

1.20 120 168 192 216 1.30 130 182 208 234

1Assumes 100 pound average selling weight*From <http://www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/b879-w.htm> page 10.

Cost of production, reproductive performance, and

profitabilityDoe cost ($/head/year) 80% 90% 100% 125% 150% 200% 30 0.83 0.74 0.67 0.53 0.44 0.30 35 0.97 0.86 0.78 0.62 0.52 0.39 40 1.11 0.99 0.89 0.71 0.59 0.44 45 1.25 1.11 1.00 0.80 0.67 0.50 50 1.39 1.23 1.11 0.89 0.74 0.56 60 1.67 1.48 1.33 1.07 0.89 0.67

Assumed market weight: 45 lbs.

Production stage:To lower costs, try to match needs of the

animal to the production of the forage.Challenge: when should you be

lambing the ewes?

Major considerations

It depends!• How and when are you marketing

lambs?• How do you intend to protect lambs

from parasite infestation? • What is your climate like?• What forages can you provide for

lambs?• Do you have shelter and labor

available to lamb in a barn (early?)• Are purchased feeds cheap in your

area?

1) AVAILABLE FEED

2) Markets

Auctions or buyers

Direct market

Pooled sale

3) Parasites

4) Climate/weather influences

5) Predators

Major considerations

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecGrain Prices - (low price)Forage AvailabilityHigh TemperaturesLabor AvailabilityParasites (high load)Lamb PricesFeeder Calf PricesStocker PricesCull Cows

Highest or Best periodsTransition periodLowest or Worst periods

Annual Summary of Productivity and Price

• Goats or sheep?• Is there a difference?

Choosing which small ruminant

Do you like sheep?

Major consideration

• Meat: growth potential– Lambs on pasture with mothers gained

about .5 pounds/day from birth to weaning (Schwulst, 1995, KS data; Rambouillet, Tunis, Romanov, and Katahdin rams used on crossbred ewes)

– Lambs fed 16% protein ration in drylot gained .72 pounds per day for 45-day trial. Another trial later in the summer, .67 pounds per day. (Katahdin-sired lambs, North Dakota data, Moore, 2001)

Differences in productivity

• Lambs grazing alfalfa gained .43 pounds per day, while lambs confined and fed hay and grain gained .46 pounds per day. (feed cost lower for alfalfa-grazed group, Poore and Green, NCSU, 1995)

• Lambs grazing fescue and eating a small amount of creep feed gained .57 pounds per day (Coffey, 2003, Feb. through March)

More lamb gains

• Ross (1972, MU) studied summer gains in drylot; unsheared lambs gained .33 pounds per day, shorn gained .48.

• Lambs in KSU study (Rambouillet, Tunis, Romanov, Katahdin sires) gained .6 pounds from weaning to market; feed/gain about 5.2 pounds/pound of gain; feed intake about 4 pounds a day

More lamb gains

• Brief review of literature found a range of– .33 pound/day to .86

pound/day

– with .5 pound/day being reasonable• reductions in gain during summer heat,

higher gains when supplemented with grain (also higher cost)

So how much can a lamb gain?

• Depends greatly on breeding and on management

• In North Carolina, TN Stiffleg-sired goats were fed hay or hay plus .25 pound/head of 16% supplement. Gains averaged .065 or .091 pounds per day; pounds of feed per pound of gain, 25.6 or 19.3. (Poore and Green, 1995)

• Does it make sense to feed this type of goat?

Goat gains

• Boer influence increases feed efficiency and gains.

• During a 66-day trial where goats were self-fed a 14% protein pellet, ADG;

• Spanish .25 pounds, 10.8 pounds feed/gain

• 1/4 Boer .33 pounds, 8.2 pounds feed/gain• 1/2 Boer .49 pounds, 8.3 pounds feed/gain

(Machen, Texas A&M, 1995)

More goat gains

• In North Carolina, Boer and Boer-cross does averaging 62 pounds grazed small-grain rye, ryegrass, or triticale pastures. Gain approximately .3 pound/day (Luginbuhl, 1998)

• In Texas, Boer and Boer-cross kids nursing mothers who were generously fed gained– .59 pounds and .43 pounds per day– several does weaned more than 100 pounds

of kids at 100 days; that’s 600 pounds of marketable product per animal unit at 100 days post-partum! (Machen, 1995)

More goat gains

• Boer bucks on test at Langston University gained an average of .6 pounds per day.

Range • ADG, .29 to .89 pounds per day• Feed Efficiency 3.98 to 25.6 pounds

feed/gain• Why might you want to know the

gaining ability of the buck you use?

More goat gains

• Very wide variation• Affected by genetics and by feed supply• Unimproved Spanish on range: .025

lbs/day• Fullblood Boer on ample feed: .86

lbs/day• Feed efficiency range for Boers on test:

3.98 to 11.7 pounds feed to pound of gain

So, how much can a goat gain?

• What do the studies mentioned tell you?

• Which animal (sheep or goat) seems better suited to feedlot production?

• What other considerations (besides feed efficiency and rate of gain) are economically important?

Questions:

• Maintenance cost of doe/ewe• Market price of kids/lambs• Prolificacy• Ease of handling• Personal preference• Type of forage available

Other factors to consider

Why raise goats?

• For weed and brush control• As a complementary enterprise to

cattle to improve resource utilization

• For land reclamation• For increased profit potential• More economically efficient on

smaller operations (than cattle)

Why goats?

• In a NC State study, after 4 years of goat grazing pastures containing herbaceous weeds, vines, multiflora rose, blackberry and hardwood sprouts, pastures became dominated with grass and clover.

• In a West Virginia study, goats reduced brush cover from 45% to less than 15% in one season.

Goats in land and forage management

• Sumac• Persimmon/

sassafras• Buckbrush• Most young

hardwoods• Cedar

Preferred browse

• Multiflora rose• Blackberry• Willow• Locust• Walnut• Oak/hickory

• Chicory (at bloom)• Ironweed (at

bloom)• Ox eye daisy• Queen Anne’s lace• Yarrow

• Pigweed• Curly dock• Ragweed• Crown vetch• Sericea

lespedeza

Preferred weeds

• Tall fescue (vegetative and fall stockpile)

• Cheat-spring preference

• Orchardgrass

• Crabgrass

• Foxtail, purpletop, barnyardgrass; pre-head

• Annual lespedeza

• Hop clover (full bloom)

• White clover and red clover (light use, bloom and later)

Preferred forages (observed by Mark Kennedy, MO)

Stocking ratePasture

typeCows Sheep Goats Cows +

goats

Excellent Pasture

1 5-6 6-8 1 + 1-2

Brushy Pasture

1 6-7 9-11 1 + 2-4

Brush eradication

8-12/acre .5 + 6-8

Brush maintenanc

e

1-3/acre

• Cattle– 1 cow/calf unit/3

acres– 95% calf crop– 500 lb. weaning

weight– 475 lb. weaned/3

acres– 158.3 lbs./acre

• Goats– 8 goat/kid units/3

acres– 150% kid crop– 60 lb. weaning

weight– 720 lbs. weaned/3

acre– 240 lbs./acre

Economic comparison

What is the price per pound?

• 1 cow/calf unit + 2 goats/3 acres• 475 lbs. weaned + 180 lbs. weaned =

655 lb.• “free” brush control• In several studies the addition of

goats to a cattle operation added 25% net return

• (also true of adding sheep to cattle operation)

Cattle + Goats =

• Cattle– start with 1 cow– save all females

for 5 years--sell all males

– 95% calf crop– 50/50 heifer/bull

calves– At the end of 5

years:• 5 females in herd• 5 bulls sold

• Goats– start with one doe– save all females for

5 years--sell all males

– 150% kid crop– 50/50 doe/buck kids– At the end of 5

years:•24 females in herd•24 males sold

Increasing inventory/equity

Recommendation: 1 to 2 goats per head of cattle

Goats:• Are similar to sheep in many ways• Offer pasture improvement services• Are a good companion enterprise to

cattle, increasing profits by increasing pounds of meat produced per acre

• Can be profitable if costs are kept low and animals are prolific

Review

Questions?

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