Sheep Report
Clifford W. Spaeth
KSU Extension Specialist,
Sheep
Scrapie
National Scrapie Eradication Program
Goal
• Eliminate scrapie outbreaks by 2010
• United States be declared scrapie-free
in 2017 by the Office of International
des Epizooties (OIE)
Scrapie Confirmed Cases in FY 2006
• Total - 244
• Kansas – 5
Infected and Source Flocks
• Total – 77
• Kansas - 2
Differences between the scrapie
premises ID number (PIN)
and the NAIS (PIN)
NAIS Pin is based on the physical
location where animals are housed.
The scrapie Pin is based on whether
a group of sheep is managed as a
distinct unit with respect to disease
risk and/or facilities scrapie program
management.
National Scrapie Eradication
Program and the National Animal
Identification System (NAIS)
Utilize the existing national scrapie
ID plan as a starting point
Need to move from a visual ID
system to an electronic system to
achieve the NAIS tracking goal of 48
hours
Develop a group/lot ID system for
groups of sheep that stay together
Transition to NAIS
Register premise with NAIS and then
provide the NAIS Pin to APHIS
Provide your scrapie PIN to the NAIS
premises administration when
registering so that it can be
associated with your NAIS Pin
Continue ordering USDA provided
tags
Sheep Breeds
Hair Sheep Breeds – Dorper, St. Croix, Barbados
Blackbelly, Katahdin
Why?
• There is a shift in the sheep industry towards “easy-care”
sheep that perform well under forage-based systems with
limited managerial inputs, which are in line with the
production traits of many hair sheep breeds.
• The phase-out of wool subsidies has made the harvesting of
medium quality wools from typical form flock operations less
economically feasible and shearing, in many instances, has
become a major constraint.
• The proportion of lamb consumed by ethnic markets is
steadily increasing. These markets generally prefer the
leaner, lighter carcasses typical of hair sheep and their
crosses.
Wool Situation
Wool prices are at a four-year high
Result of strong fundamental demand and a
fear of a looming supply squeeze
• Australian wool production:
1988-1989 – Peak 2 billion pounds
2005-2006 – 1 billion pounds
2007 Forecast – 924 million pounds
• China, the world’s largest wool consumer, has
raised objections to Australia’s wool
contaminated by medulated and dark fibers.
• China accounts for 62 percent of Australia’s wool
exports.
Reproductive Management
Reducing Seasonality of Breeding in
Sheep
• Male introduction
• Breed differences
• MGA treatment - .25 mg/day in 2
feedings
Nutrition
How can we get around high feed
prices?
• Wet Milling and Dry Milling Products
Table 1. Composition of by-products and common feedstuffsa.
Ingredient %DM %CP %TDN %Ca %P
Corn 88 8.0 77 .02 .30
SBM 89 44 78 .30 .70
Alfalfa Hay 87 16-18 51-56 1.3 .31
Products from wet milling
Dry corn gluten feed 90 18 72 .05 1.0
Corn gluten meal 90 60 77 .07 .48
Condensed steep water solubles 50 17.5 45 .03 1.0
Products from dry milling
Distillers dried grains w/ solubles 90 26 78.8 .19 .72
Distillers dried grains 90 27 69.3 .09 .37
Condensed distillers solubles 30-50 8 29.4 .03 .41
aNutrient values are on an as fed basis.
*Taken from Iowa State University, Dan Morrical’s webpage:
http://www.ans.iastate.edu/faculty/morrical/acc/sheep/Co-ProductsCornMilling14.pdf
Table 2. Example daily rations for 175-pound ewes in various
stages of production.
Corn Corn Lime- Dicalcium
Stover Silage DDGS stone phosphate
Early gestation 2.0 .6
4 .5 .01
Late gestation (twins) 3.5 1.2
7 1.0 .03
Lactation (singles) 3.5 1.6 .02
5 1.5 .04
Lactation (twins) 4.0 2.5 .02
5 2.5 .05
*Taken from Iowa State University, Dan Morrical’s webpage:
http://www.ans.iastate.edu/faculty/morrical/acc/sheep/Co-ProductsCornMilling14.pdf
Table 3. Rations for finishing lambs using dried distillers grains
with solubles (DDGS)
50-70 pounds 80-100 pounds > 115 pounds
Growth rate Mod High Mod High Mod High
Corn 1765 1345 1720 1630 1800 1725
DDGS 200 300 80 160 75
Protein supplement 325 345 180 190 180 180
Limestone 10 10 20 20 20 20
Nutrient Density (DMB)
Crude protein % 15.4 16.7 11.9 12.9 11.1 11.9
TDNa % 84.1 84.3 84.6 85.0 84.2 84.6
Calcium % .74 .78 .68 .67 .69 .68
Phosphorous % .47 .50 .41 .43 .39 .41
aTDN is total digestible nutrients
*Taken from Iowa State University, Dan Morrical’s webpage:
http://www.ans.iastate.edu/faculty/morrical/acc/sheep/Co-ProductsCornMilling14.pdf
Efficacy of Dried Distiller’s Grains with Solubles as a
Replacement for Soybean Meal and a Portion of the
Corn in a Finishing Lamb Diet1
T. J. Huls, A. J. Bartosh, J. A. Daniel, R. D. Zelinsky, J. Held,
and A. E. Wertz-Lutz2
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, South Dakota State University,
Brookings
1 Publication No. 3553 South Dakota Agric. Exp. Station. Journal Series
2 Correspondence: 218 Animal Science Complex, Brookings (phone: (605)
688-5461; fax (605) 688-6170; e-mail aimee.wertz@sdstate.edu
Extension Activities
Sheep Schools
• February 27 – Jetmore
• February 28 – Seneca
• March 1 – Yates Center
KSU Sheep Day
• March 10 - KSU
Kansas State University
New AS&I Department Head
• Dr. Ken Odde
Sheep Unit
• KSU Foundation
Potential Retirement