Sheep producers, today, expect ewes to drop and raise two lambs annually. Producers using highly prolific breeds in crossbreeding systems may expect even more. As a result, the importance of ewe milk production has escalated.

Ewes typically work 7 to 9 months of the year (5 months gestation and 2 to 4 months lactation). The rest of the time is spent on vacation.

Attend the KSWPA Field Day August 15, 2026 to find out the answer! by: Harry Frederick, Winding Creek Farms Within the ever growing sheep industry, there is always the question of which management practice is most optimum- grass, confinement, or both. Each has pros and cons but a decision cannot be made without considering genetics. Some genetics allow for animals to be fed and pushed nutritionally in a feedlot and other genetics lend favor to more pasture based management. W

by Dr. Jerusha Lay, DVM Heat stress can have many negative effects on not only the health of livestock but also the production. The major production losses we see come in the form of decreased weight gain, lowered milk production, increased susceptibility to diseases and, most commonly, decreased fertility. During times of extreme heat, animals tend to spend more time laying around and less time up grazing; in combination, metabolic changes create less energy available for g

By Susan Schoenian Sheep & Goat Specialist, Retired University of Maryland Extension Flushing is a term known to most sheep/goat producers. It is the practice of providing extra nutrition (feed; mostly energy) to the ewe/doe prior to and during the early part of the breeding season. Nutrition has long been linked to reproductive performance in animals. Flushing increases weight gain and body condition of ewes/does, which may result in the birth of more offspring; i.e. mo

by Susan Schoenian, Sheep & Goat Specialist - University of Maryland Ext.* While dewormers are usually an essential part of internal parasite control in sheep/goats, they aren’t the only option, and their use should be limited to treatment of clinically parasitized animals. The goal of all sheep and goat producers should be to develop alternative strategies for controlling parasites so that dewormer use is minimized and dewormers remain effective. Alternative strategies are u

by Dr. Nicholas Ballaban Prather, D.V.M. Small ruminant producers need to be able to identify common ailments amongst their livestock. Your knowledge can not only help your animals, but it can help you get quicker and effective assistance from your veterinarian. In this article, we are going to discuss three ailments that I see regularly in our large animal practice. Internal Parasites COMMON SMALL RUMINANT PARASITES HOTC Complex Haemonchus, Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, an

by Dr. Jessie Lay, DVM Udder with mastitis Mastitis is very common in domestic livestock and can lead to many economic losses for producers. Losses may come through not only decreased production, but also loss of breeding stock, lower weaning weight of offspring or decreased milk quality for dairy animals. Mastitis is a term that refers to an inflammation or infection of the mammary glands (udder). It may be caused by many different types of bacteria or caused by certain viru

by The Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office The Kentucky Sheep and Goat Checkoff helped 54 producers across the state gain valuable knowledge and skills in parasite management in 2024. Through a new education initiative called Small Ruminant Boot Camp and Parasitology Clinics, the Checkoff Board expanded on the parasitology programs started in 2022. “We started parasitology clinics with Kentucky State University a couple of years ago, but kept getting requests for more

by Dr. Beth Johnson Cause: Mycobacteriosis (commonly referred to as Johne’s disease) is caused by a bacteria Mycobacteria avium subspecies paratuberculosis (often referred to as “MAP”). This disease is spread through ingestion of fecal material from an infected animal. This disease has been diagnosed in most species of ruminant animals, including sheep and goats. Infected animals shed fecal material contaminated with the bacterium and contaminate the environment then another

by Dr. Hannah Stokley, DVM Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP) and Caprine Arthritis and Encephalitis (CAE) are challenging lentiviruses affecting sheep and goats worldwide. These diseases can lead to chronic respiratory, mammary, joint, neurologic, and wasting conditions in infected animals. Infected flocks can cause significant economic losses for farmers. Fortunately, with a systematic approach and diligent management, it is possible to eradicate lentiviruses from a flock. T

Dr. Beth Johnson, DVM A Stevens County, Minnesota, goat kid (juvenile goat) residing on a farm with a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) positive poultry flock tested positive for the same virus. This is the first U.S. detection of HPAI in a domestic ruminant (cattle, sheep, goats, and their relatives). All poultry on the property were already quarantined from the February HPAI detection. Following the confirmation of HPAI in the goat, the MN Board of Animal Health quar

by Dr. Katie VanValin, Assistant Extension Professor, University of Kentucky 1) Come with a plan: Doing your research before ever getting to the feedstore can greatly assist you in selecting the best mineral for your operation. It can be over whelming trying to decipher a mineral tag in the store, but taking some time to look over products online before you go can allow you to come with an idea of what you are looking for. 2) Price doesn’t always equal quality: I spend a lo

By Donald G. Ely Department of Animal and Food Sciences University of Kentucky Creep feeding is a technique of providing feed to nursing lambs to supplement the milk they consume. Creep-fed lambs grow faster than noncreep-feds and are more aggressive in nursing ewes. This aggression stimulates greater ewe milk production which, in turn, increases creep feed intake because these lambs will be bigger at a given ages. Typically, the creep diet is a grain-protein supplement m

By Dr. Beth Johnson Lymph node locations where CL can become present. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection, also known as caseous lymphadenitis (CL) is a bacterial disease which infects sheep and goats. The bacteria prefers to set up shop in the lymph nodes of sheep and goats, resulting in a walled off abscess of caseous material within the lymph node. As we all know, lymph nodes are present throughout the body; therefore, this bacteria can infect both external and i

By Dr. Beth Johnson, DVM We all want to feel safe and secure in everything we do especially since the pandemic that affected everyone globally. But what about our animals? We can usually control their environment, shelter and somewhat their nutrition, but what about the debilitating diseases that infect them cause decreased performance? How can we minimize the risk to our livestock? Best practice is to institute practical biosecurity and quarantine protocols on your pre

By Dr. Beth Johnson, DVM Quality Assurance is defined as the process where you strive to provide a product that instills trust and confidence in the consumer to encourage continued or increased consumption of your product. The product in small ruminant production can be meat, milk, fiber, or seed stock to current and new producers. So how does your plan to accomplish this incredible feat on your farm stack up to others, and how do you plan to enact this plan to provide the

by Dr. Michelle Arnold, DVM Figure 1: Enlargement of the carpal joints in an advanced case of OPP; inset: arthritis in the carpal joint. From E. Minguijón et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 181 (2015) 75–89 Ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP) is one of the most economically important chronic diseases in sheep production worldwide. OPP is caused by a retrovirus of the genus Lentivirus known as Maedi-Visna virus (MVV), so named because ‘maedi’ means “breathlessness” and ‘visna’ mea

by Dr. Beth Johnson, DVM In June of 2023, FDA has mandated that all antibiotics (OTC, water soluble, included) will require a prescription. Obtaining these drugs under a veterinarian’s supervision can help guide the judicious use of antimicrobials and slow the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This will require a valid Veterinarian Client Patient Relationship (VCPR) for a veterinarian to write a prescription for these antibiotics. Also, there are many times y

by Dr. Michelle Arnold On June 11th, 2021, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized a Guidance for Industry (GFI) #263, which outlines the process for animal drug manufacturers to change all remaining antibiotic formulations used in animal health care from over-the-counter (OTC) to prescription status. Products commonly used by producers such as injectable penicillin and oxytetracycline (for example, LA-300) will no longer be available without a prescription from a ve