Sarto Sheep Farm - Manitoba Sheep Association

Manitoba Sheep Association
Sarto Sheep Farm
Patrick Smith
March 2, 2013
Some Personal History
• Computer Science and Wireless technologies
• Raising Sheep from 1974
– No previous farming experience
• Original flock -80 ewes pure Suffolk
• Manage by the Numbers & Experience
– Notebook, spreadsheet, Ovissey, Farmworks
Some Personal History
• Computer Science and Wireless technologies
• Raising Sheep from 1974
– No previous farming experience
• Original flock -80 ewes pure Suffolk
• Manage by the Numbers & Experience
– Notebook, spreadsheet, Ovissey, Farmworks
Sarto Sheep Farms
Photo
Jan 2013
“Our Ewes Grow Your Profit”
• Minimize Labor
– Competent people scarcer than “Gretsky Rams”
• Maximize Number of Lambs
– Target 3.4 lambs per ewe per year
• Minimize Mortality
– Target <7% birth to market, <5% pre-tagging
– Manage Feed Costs
• Single biggest cost
• Develop a brand
– Consistent Quality, Under Promise & Over Deliver
Sarto Sheep Farm Today
• 2900 Ewes Primarily Straight Rideau Arcott
– Performance selected
• 70 Unregistered farm grown Rideau Arcott Rams
– Broad genetics over 7 distinct lines
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Year round lambing every 2-3 weeks
8 months rebreeding…..
2012 Results:
286% Total Drop per year, ewes > 18 months age
18.8% ewes lambed twice…major focus in 2013, 900 ewes lambed
5.2% mortality, including stillborn 1-3 days
9.0% mortality entire flock drop thru shipping
– 3.8% mortality after tagging
• Closed flock, no new Rams since 2007
Management Groups
• Entire farm build around groups of 144 Ewes
– Re-created at lambing time
– Culls reduce lambing group to average of 135
• Ram Groups of 6
– Created at first breeding…same age
– Stay together for life
• Avoids fighting
• Allows performance testing
• Simplifies Problem Determination
• Single Most Important Decision
Sales & Marketing
• “Our Ewes Grow Your Profit”
– Our ongoing objectives
– Manage to objectives
• No compromises
– A Problem Ewe must be removed
• Don’t assume it is your fault
Markets
Cookstown Auction
• Sell as “Sarto Sheep Farm”
– Lambs Leave farm at 47-52kg
• Lose 10% weight for 3000km trip
– Cull ewes, rams
• Ensure fattened before sending
– Regular consistent supply
• Ship every 2 weeks year round
– Buyers demanded sale barn identify our lambs
• Separate from western lambs
– Always top of market average for class
• Premium for consistency
Markets
Replacements & Management System
– Nursery Lambs $100 per
• 3-4 days
• Typically triplet, quads
• Bottle trained, no scouring
– Weaned Lambs $250 per
• 3 months of age
• 35kg weighed average
• Should breed at 9 months Oct-Jan
– 2012 results 92% lambed at 145% in Mar/Apr
– Much lower results from later breeding
– Yearling Ewe Lambs $300 per
• Selected for our flock
– Breeding Rams $400 per
• Typically triplet, quads
• Ideal for startup using only our ewes
• Good for existing producer to diversity genetics
• Week long working together and email follow-up….adding website&Blog
Markets
Meat - Off Farm Sale
• Individual buyers $250
– 50kg lambs
– Resell to Retailer
• Pick up from farm
• Year round supply
– Home use
• Very few, no desire to expand
Research
• Disease tested unbred animals $300
– Year round but limited demand
– Pick up from farm
Wool
• Not a factor
– Necessary to shear and hope to cover costs
– Our use of chopped feed and lots of straw makes
wool dirty
– Begin shearing in mid Feb just before lambing
– In 2013 will start mid Jan
Canadian Lamb Co-op
• Original member – First President
– Long term profitable market opportunity
– Focus on quality, sell graded carcasses
• Looking for significant boost in profitability
Farm Labor
• Farm Owner – Part Time
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Non resident from 1983-2010
Managed by the numbers
Avg .25 hrs per day 1983-2010
Avg 6 hrs per day now
• Farm Manager – Full Time (some long days)
– Current manager from 1994
– Expert manager, Dairy farming background
• Farm Worker – Full Time
– Muscle
• Farm Owner’s wife – Part Time
– Avg 2 hrs per day, primarily nursery lambs, no background
Farm Labor
• Farm Owner – Part Time
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Non resident from 1983-2010
Managed by the numbers
Avg .25 hrs per day 1983-2010
Avg 6 hrs per day now
• Farm Manager – Full Time (some long days)
– Current manager from 1994
– Expert manager, Dairy farming background
• Farm Worker – Full Time
– Muscle
• Farm Owner’s wife – Part Time
– Avg 2 hrs per day, primarily nursery lambs, no background
Feed Sources
• 450 acres of hay land
– Sandy light soil, enriched with sheep manure
– 5 year rotation
– 75 acres, Alfalfa + 10% timothy, peas, oats year 1
• Harvest as green feed wrap as Haylage
• May get 2nd cut alfalfa, yes in 2012
– 375 acres of year 2 to year 5 hay
• Typically 3 cuts for years 2-4
• Typically 2 cuts for year 5
– Roundup, spread manure and disc before winter
Feed Sources
• OviRation software to balance.
• Screenings
– Pea screenings
• Typically 25% protein
• ME 2.56
– Barley or Corn
• Dependent upon price
• Timothy Straw or lower quality hay
– Supplement with additional grain/screenings
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/dairy/facts/03-005.htm
Liquid Mineral Premix
w Rumensin in all Rations
Rations
Breeding Ewes/Rams
• Minimize Number, all TMR
– Lactating & Flushing & Bred Ewes
• Begin feeding 30 days pre lambing and for 60 days
• 16% protein, Haylage & Dry Alfalfa Hay
• Flushing is automatic w high value ration after weaning
– Maintenance Ration
• No time for this
– Year round lambing means year round condition
– Drying Out Ration
• Feed for 3-5 days after weaning
• Dry timothy straw or poor hay
• No water for 2 days
PreWeaning Lambs
• Creep
– Prepared ration
– Local custom feed mill
• Our liquid mineral
• Rolled soya, corn, barley 17% protein
• 1.5% calcium bicarbonate buffer
• Ewe Ration
– Free fed
Weaned Lambs
• TMR
– 16% protein
– Haylage & Alfalfa
Vaccinations
• Pre Lambing 1 month
• Booster shots for ewe lambs few days before lambing
• Tasvax 8
– Clostridial diseases
• Case-Bac
– Caseous lymphadenitis
• Campylobacter Fetus-Jejuni from Hygieia
– Late term abortions
– CFIA approved vaccine Colorado is ineffective for us
• Ivomec
– worms
• Particularly effective when given at this time
• VetoLice
– Drench on back
Out of Season Lambing
• MGA
– Melengesterol acetate feed additive
• Free fed to keep blood levels constant
– Fed for 10-14 days to prevent ewes from cycling
– Keep Rams away from fence line
• PMSG
– Pregnant Mares Serum...chemical equivalent
– Inject 5 hours after removal from MGA feed
• Light Control
– We keep lights on in lambing and ewe lamb barn 24hrs
– Daylight is used when ewes move from drying pen
Worming
• Ivomec
– Primary worming done 1 month before lambing
• Safeguard
– Mixed with feed for animals after 1.5 month on
pasture
– Moved to corral for two weeks
– Fecal count before moving out
• So far no high counts
• Dry pastures helps
Minimize Labor
• Minimal pasturing 60 acres
• TMR
– Supreme 900T Mix mill
– Hay, grain (screenings), liquid mineral
– Always self feeding, never run out
• Insufficient feeder space for all ewes/lambs
• Cull Ewes that need Assistance
• Minimize Handling
– Standard movements…sheep learn
Coffee Break - Enjoy
Selection & Culling
• Ewes 15% per year, historically 20%
– Performance not age or appearance
• Miss lambing cycle
• Poor mother
– Rejects lambs, wild, low weaning weights
• Poor Lambing %
– Second single
• Poor udder
• Poor weaning weights
– Cull if both < 12kg, watch for extremes
• Thin after weaning
– Verify that she didn’t have quads that weaned at 20kg+
– May need extra month to recover
Tagging and Treatment
Newborns
• Ewes lamb with their group
– Remove ewe and newborn immediately to jug
• Don’t enter barn between 10pm-7am
– Spray navels thoroughly with 1% iodine solution
– Weigh lambs
– Record jug#, ewe tag, lamb sex and weight
• Tag, Farmworks Day 2-4
– ¼ cc Selon-E
– 1/2 cc Propen LA
– 1/2 cc Vitamin A&D
• Dock Tails w Burdizzo – 1% iodine tail
• Move to 8 pen on day 2-4
Selection & Culling
• Rams “Look for Gretsky”
– Chose Fall Born or in season Triplets, Quads
– Avoid quints +
– Chose from mothers with consistent out of season and low mortality & great
udders
– Min birth weight of 3.5kg
– Min 50 day adjusted weights of 21kg
– Min 100 day adjusted weights of 40kg
– Verify scrotum and feet at 100 days….min 30cm circumference
– Cull those with under or over bite
• Two Better Rams
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Weaned at 27.5kg and 28.5kg
100 day weights 42.5kg and 47.5kg
Born quads to mothers born quad
Zero mortality from mother and grandmother’s lambs
P0207 born March, P0210 born April
Ram P0207 @ 11 Months, 95kgs
Management Groups
• Entire farm built around groups of 144 ewes
– Re-Created at lambing time
– Culls reduce group size….typically lamb 135
– Determines size of all holding and handling facilities
• Ram Groups of 6
– Created at first breeding...same age
– Stay together for life
• Avoids fighting
• Allows performance testing
• Simplifies Problem Determination
• Single Most Important Decision
Selection & Culling
• Ewe Lambs
– Retain mostly fall born as replacements
– In season replacements triplets or quads
– Min birth weights of 3.0kgs or 2.5kgs for Quads
– Min 50 day adjusted weights of 18kg
– Min 100 day adjusted weights of 30kg
Facilities
• Lambing Barn
– 320’ x 48’, concrete floor with drainage
• Gas heaters, fans, roof ventilation
• Water bowls except in jugs
– 7 individual walled barns connected by 4.5’ alley
– West side of barn is open to outside feeders
• Opening is 9” beginning 12” from floor
• Sheep Eat Thru Conveyer Belting to stacked feed
– Concrete pad 3’ wide, roof extends over feed
– Built over several years
– Cleaned with Bobcat 3 times per year
Utility Barn
– 52’ x 48’
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Shearing, lambing, ewe/lambs
2 pens 26’ by 26’ with 30” run divider
Gating allows shearing setup and vaccinations
Feed bunk for Barn 1 jugs
Shearing, gathering area 12’ x 52’
Gathering corral outside on E 52’ x 12 ‘
– 4’ doorway into barn
– Barn cleaning door at S end for bobcat
Barn 1 - Jugs
– 55 Jugs 5’x5’
• 3 rows of pens separated by 4’ alleys
• 2 gal pails for feed and water
• Filled by hand daily from feed cart
– 60 minutes per day when full
• Eyeball ewes/lambs
– Bottle feed weak lambs and nursery candidates
– Look for bad udders, poor mothers
• 4 head gate pens, rejection or additional lamb
– Ewe held for 3 days
– Usually know within 4 hours if ewe will accept lamb
» Don’t fight ewe
• Gates open into alleyway to allow easy movement
Barn 1 - Nursery
– Nursery Pens….2 lambs max per mother
• 600+ Nursery lambs per year
– $30 milk replacer
– Wean at 30 days to creep & hay
• 4 pail feeders 4’ by 4’
– Maximum 10 lambs
» Cleaned between groups
– 2 gallon pails with 2 soft latex nipples
– Milk changed twice per day 5 minutes each
• 6 bar feeders 8’ by 5’
– Maximum 15 lambs
– Automatic milk machine MODEL
» Mixes ½ pint of milk as needed
» Feeds via hoses to pens
• Two types of rubber nipples younger, older
» Cleaned daily, 10 minutes.
– Creep Feed free fed
– Water Pails
– Pens kept dry with fresh straw every day***key to reduce scouring
– Nipples cleaned every morning with chlorine soap***key to reduce orf
– Pens cleaned & limed at weaning
Barn 1 – Weaned Nursery
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24’ by 9’
Maximum 75 lambs
Free access to creep
Day 31-60
Barn 2 – Lambing
72 Pen
• 48’ x 48’
• 2 Pens equal size
– Maximum 72 ewes each to lamb
• Wall mounted handling gate to corral ewes
– 2’ gate to select ewe out of pen into alley
• 5’ Alley
– 6’ gate to run ewes into alley/pen
Barn 2 – Lambing
72 Pen
• 42’ x 48’
• 2 Pens equal size
– Maximum 72 ewes to lamb
• Wall mounted handling gate to corral ewes
– 2’ gate to select ewe out of pen into alley
• 5’ alley
– 6’ gate to run ewes into alley/pen
Barn 3-6 Ewes & Lambs
24 Pen
• 28’ x 48’
• Divided into two 14’ pens
– Maximum 24 ewes and their lambs
• Free access to creep for lambs
– 17% protein, corn, barley, soya rolled
• Moved outside to 48 Pen after 30 days
• Or weaned from here in 60 days
Feeder Barn
• 380’ x 80’ pole barn
– Adjustable tarps to block wind, rain, snow
• 38 Pens
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26’ x 24’
2 Pens for 24 ewes w lambs
40 feeder lambs per pen
Feed bunks but similar head feeding to lamb barn
Lamb gates to allow lambs access to their feeding area
• Center alleyway
– 18’ x 380’
– to handle tractor and mix mill unloading
• Sorting, weighing, vaccination
– Every pen has a gate that covers half alley
– Farmworks integrated with scale, handheld speed recording
Winter Corral
Ewe Group Corrals
• 15 - 96’ x 100’ corrals
– Capacity of 1 group of 144 ewes
– 7 are connected to 1 of 7 pastures
– 68’ Fence line feeders as per lambing barn
• Roof to cover 6 ‘ concrete inside and outside
• Protect ewes and feed from rain
– 48 x 48 pole barn shelters
• 24 x 48 divided for two corrals along corral fence line
Ewe Lamb Feeders
• 32’ by 32’ pole barns with 3 sides covered
• Fence line feeder as per corrals
• Creep feeder for lambs
Thank You
• Questions
• www.sartosheep.com
• Facebook/sartosheep