Farm & Ranch
Orphan Lambs
By Barry Whitworth, DVM
Sheep producers’ profits depend on many things, but the more lambs that can be marketed, the better the opportunity to make a profit. To increase the number of lambs produced, prolific breeds such as Finnsheep and Romanov are being incorporated into some sheep breeding programs.
One of the outcomes of this breeding program is too many lambs for some ewes to support. This leads to orphan lambs that will have to be bottle fed. Even without using prolific breeds, unfortunate circumstance such as a ewe’s death, mastitis and abandonment result in lambs without mothers. Whatever the cause, producers may have to become the mothers to these lambs.
In ewes that have large numbers of offspring, a decision has to be made as to which lambs need to be removed. In the past, experts recommended removing the stronger lambs and leaving the weaker with the ewe. More recent information suggest that the stronger do better on the ewe and the weaker will gain more weight if artificially reared.
If at all possible, producers should try to foster the lamb on to another ewe. Several “tricks” may be used to fool the ewe to accept the baby. Practices such as rubbing the fetal membranes or fetal fluids on the orphan lamb might fool the ewe.
To read more pick up a copy of the May 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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