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Feeding and Management of Ewes in Confinement^{1, 2,}

University of Minnesota, St. Paul

Abstract

In recent years the number of sheep maintained in the United States has declined appreciably but there has been an expansion in world sheep numbers and in number of cattle kept for beef in the United States. Apparently sheep producers have concluded that: (1) sheep are not a profitable livestock venture for their feed and labor expenditures; (2) production problems (parasites and predators) are greater with sheep; and (3) small sheep enterprises do not contribute sufficient income to warrant attention necessary for adequate returns.

A confinement method of raising sheep appears to offer considerable promise towards alleviating the greatest shortcoming of farm flock sheep production—the lack of size of sheep operations and the poor management that usually accompanies small flocks.

The literature cited indicates that: (1) efficiency of feed utilization may be enhanced by feeding in confinement;(2) the amount fed per ewe during certain stages of production can be more easily regulated so as to result in no greater yearly feed costs than pasturing; (3) production is not affected;(4) parasite problems are reduced; and (5) barn space is not necessarily increased.

¹ Invited paper presented at the Sheep Session, 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science, New Brunswick, New Jersey. 1966.

² Paper No. 6007, Scientific Journal Series of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, St.Paul.