Management

Assessment of Stress During Handling and Transport - Paper covering some of the factors that influence how an animal may react during handling.
www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/livestock/lvstgran.htm

Behavioral Principles of Livestock Handling - This site contains information regarding livestock handling and stress reduction.
www.grandin.com/references/new.corral.html

Building a Creep Panel - Provides pictures and instructions for building a simple creep panel out of rough cut lumber using simple tools.
www.geocities.com/black_dog_farm/Equipment.html

Condition Scoring of Sheep - Describes method of classifying ewes into groups according to fullness of muscling and amount of fat cover and how to adjust feed regimine according to the condition score and stage of the production cycle.
www.case-agworld.com/cAw.IU.framescore.html

Controlling Leafy Spurge Using Goats and Sheep - Sheep and goats can be effective tools to complement herbicides for control of leafy spurge. In addition, their control efforts can generate an economic return from land that other livestock won't graze.
www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/hay/r1093w.htm

Cornell Sheep Program - Information about sheep production and management from Cornell University.
www.sheep.cornell.edu/sheep/index.html

Dead Animal Disposal Laws in Missouri - Summary of contents of the Missouri Dead Animal Disposal Statute, which was passed by the 86th General Assembly and became law on August 28, 1992.
extension.missouri.edu/xplor/envqual/wq0216.htm

Department of Animal Science - ISU - Dr. Morrical's area of research is sheep nutrition, forages and fetal and baby lamb survival. Iowa State University, USA.
www.ans.iastate.edu/faculty/index.php?id=morrical

Early vs Late Lambing - Which is best? - This article examines the pros and cons of early and late lambing systems and how they can fit individual producer's goals and operations.
ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/articles/earlylmb.html

Evaluate The Economics Of Your Flock - In spite of price volatility, it is important that we know our costs and determine how we can cut costs, improve management, and improve productivity, so our operation remains profitable.
www.ansci.uiuc.edu/sheepnet/fulltext.cfm?section=2&documentID=10

Evaluating Farm Resources and Sheep Production Systems - Article helps the shepherd identify and evaluate resources that are available on the farm and to match these assets to an appropriate production system.
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/evaluate.htm

Ewe Byte - Offering a system for managing sheep production and health.
www.ewebyte.com/

FlockFiler: Complete Software for Sheep Records - FlockFiler is a computer database for keeping health, management, and breeding records of sheep. For Windows and Macintosh, FlockFiler is suitable for any shepherd and for flocks of any size.
www.flockfiler.com/

Fred's Micro, Inc. Sheep Program - Keeps records on entire flock of sheep. Allows producer to keep track of ewes in relation to other ewes in flock. Printouts show entire history of ewes, including lambs produced.
www.fredsmicro.com/

Guard Dogs - Introduction to using guard dogs to control predation of sheep.
www.case-agworld.com/cAw.LUgdogs.html

Guidelines for Using Donkeys as Guard Animals with Sheep - This paper summarizes some of the management guidelines and other factors which may improve the likelihood of a donkey becoming a successful livestock guard animal.
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/donkey2.htm

Have You Prepared Your Barn for Lambing? - Having the barn ready before the first lambs arrive is one way to get the lambing season off to a good start.
www.ansci.uiuc.edu/sheepnet/fulltext.cfm?section=2&documentID=17

The Herding Page - Links to herding-related sites.
www.dogpatch.org/dogs/herding.cfm

Herding with German Shepherds - Nickelsberg's Farm - Information about boundary style herding.
www.german-shepherdherding.com/

Humane Sheep Handling and Transport Resources - Bibliography and audiovisuals.
www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/livestock/lvstshee.htm

The Ideal Lambing Season - Realistically, an ideal lambing season is not likely, however, we can manage the ewes to approach the ideal as close as possible.
ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/articles/ideal.html

Increasing Lamb Survival - Proper management of the flock at key times of the production cycle can reduce young lamb mortality. A realistic goal of 10% lamb mortality is attainable by most producers.
ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/articles/incrlamb.html

Introduction to Sheep Farming - Training book and courses on all aspects of sheep farming. Advice on breeding a predigree flock
www.sheepforbeginners.co.uk

J & K's Sheep Page - Features links to sheep care education and information, breeds and wool information, sheep jokes, and foot and mouth information.
home.planet.nl/~jhut/sheep/sheep.htm

Livestock Handler's Safety - Cattle, horses, sheep and pigs are common livestock species in Colorado. Accidents caused by livestock every year account for a significant number of the deaths and injuries to people.
www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/LIVESTK/01813.html

Living with Sheep - Web site offering book for sale, entitled: Living with Sheep: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Flock" by Chuck Wooster and Geoff Hansen.
livingwithsheep.com

Management of Ewes and Lambs at Weaning - Separation at weaning can be stressful for both lambs and the ewe. Management goals should be to keep this stress as low as possible, thereby reducing incidence of disease and health problems in ewes and lambs and allowing the lambs to grow at a normal rate.
ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/articles/manewes.html

Management Practices Can Influence Predation - Predisposing factors.
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/info_mgmtpredinf.htm

Management Strategies for Improved Fall-Lambing - Boost your fall lambing percentages. Here's how.
www.ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/livestock/aps-97_04/aps-772.html

National Sheep Improvement Program - NSIP offers a computerized genetic performance evaluation program,designed to help identify high-producing replacements, cull poor-producing animals, and assess overall management strengths and weaknesses.
www.nsip.org

National Sheep Industry Improvement Center - An independent agency that assists the U.S. sheep and goat industries through loans and other financial assistance means.
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/cssheep.htm#backtable

Newborn Lamb Management - Care of the newborn lamb from VA Cooperative Extension.
www.ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/livestock/aps-01_01/aps-0309.html

Nutrition of the Ewe Flock - Steps to prevent "empty gut disease" caused by the inadequate supply of nutrients.
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/eweflock.htm

A Post Lambing Interview - While lambing season is fresh in your mind, take a few minutes to reflect on what happened, how it happened, and why it happened as it did.
www.ansci.uiuc.edu/sheepnet/fulltext.cfm?section=2&documentID=9

Replacement Ewe Lamb Production - Ewe lambs born in March and April are excellent candidates to be used as replacement ewes in spring-lambing flocks. With proper feeding and breeding management, spring-born ewe lambs should be in production by the time they are 12 to 14 months of age.
www.ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/livestock/aps-97_06/aps-797b.html

Sheep - This is a delightful, general information site on sheep designed by a youngster as a 4H project.
www.goats4h.com/Sheep.html

Sheep Coats - Instructions for making Sheep Coats to protect wool fleeces.
www.gfwsheep.com/sheepcoats/sheep.coats.html

The Sheep Flock Improvement Program - SFIP is a home testing genetic improvement program designed to assist Ontario purebred and commercial sheep producers in the evaluation of potential breeding stock and to provide a measure of the comparative productivity of ewes in the flock. Enrollment information and data available.
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/info_sfip.htm

Sheep Flock Improvement Program EPDs - Using Estimated Progeny Difference to make genetic improvements and increase flock performance.
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/sfipepds.htm

Sheep Housing and Equipment Handbook (abstract) - Classic reference containing information about how to build an efficient sheep system. Provides detailed layouts so the shepherd can construct his/her own equipment.
extension.missouri.edu/xplor/mwps/MW0003.htm

Sheep Pocket Guide - An aid to basic sheep management practices in today's sheep business.
www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/sheep/as989-1.htm

Sheep Training Tips - Some people are interested in taming older sheep, some people are interested in the halter training. There are some points common to both activities. Brief summary of the process that we used at Fibre Works Farm over a three week period this summer.
www.fibreworksfarm.com/shetland/sheep.htm

Sheep Transport References - List of references regarding the effect of transport upon sheep.
lamar.colostate.edu/~grandin/behaviour/sheep.trans.html

Skirting Table Instructions - Instructions to help you build your own portable skirting table.
www.hawksmountainranch.com/skirtingtable.html

Something's Been Killing My Sheep - But What? - The purpose of this factsheet is to aid producers and livestock evaluators in distinguishing between losses caused by predators and non-predator causes. If predation is the cause of death then it is particularly important to identify the species responsible so additional control measures can be implemented to minimize future losses. Heavy emphasis is placed on distinguishing between coyote predation and dog predation, since they collectively account for almost all predator related losses in Ontario flocks.
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/coydog2.htm

Starting or Expanding Your Sheep Flock - Discusses the various costs involved in starting or expanding a flock of ewes. For sheep producers and those needing information on sheep production.
www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/DI0730.html

Stone Brook - List of resources for small flock owners located in Central Maine; and for people thinking of becoming small flock owners anywhere in the US. Has links including everything from mills for processing fiber, to books and periodicals, to husbandry tips.
www.stonebrookfarm.com

Temple Grandin's Web Page - One of the leaders in livestock behavior and welfare; lots of good information.
www.grandin.com/

United States Border Collie Handlers Association - Information about Border Collies and herding. Contains articles on general information, activities, veterinary information, breeding, culture, books and magazines, and products.
www.usbcha.com/

Weaning Management of Lambs and Ewes - Weaning lambs should not be done on impulse, but should be a well-planned activity.
www.ansci.uiuc.edu/sheepnet/fulltext.cfm?section=2&documentID=22

Welfare of Sheep and Goats - A number of the procedures necessary to sheep and goat production are stressful, but benefit the animals overall. Alternative methods of restraint, castration, tail-docking, and fostering are available and should be compared to determine relative stressfulness.
ars.sdstate.edu/animaliss/shepgoat.html

Wintering the Ewe Flock - With the cessation of pasture growth, more inputs of labor, management and harvested feedstuffs are required for the ewe flock. Actually, the winter period and nutrient needs of the flock may be as much a function of when a producer lambs as what the weather is.
ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/articles/eweflock.html

ZooEasy Record- keeping Software for Sheep Breeders - ZooEasy offers complete and user-friendly sheep breeding software for pedigree record keeping.
sheep.zooeasy.com