Spring Lamb Production

Sheep are well suited to a small-scale or part-time farming operation due to their nutritional versatility and adaptability. Sheep can be fed a very high concentrate diet (similar to swine), solely a forage diet, or any combination. Spring lambing uses the ewe's natural breeding cycle (breeding October through December and lambing March to May), which improves breeding efficiency and potential pasture utilization. Compared to most other livestock enterprises, spring lamb production has lower investment costs and labor requirements, and quicker returns on investment. Spring lambing programs also have lower housing, feeding, and labor costs compared to more intensive lambing enterprises.

Marketing

Marketing opportunities are plentiful for lamb in the northeastern United States. Lambs can be marketed at any age and often vary in weight from 20 to 160 pounds depending on the time of year and market conditions. Although the vast majority of ewes lamb in the spring, lambs can be born from September through May.

Most lambs marketed in Pennsylvania are spring lambs. These lambs are usually sold at around 110 pounds and marketed through local auctions, slaughterhouses, brokers, and individuals. In recent years, direct markets, niche markets, and cooperatives have become popular for selling lambs. In the northeastern United States, much of the market for lamb and mutton is driven by the ethnic trade with people who consume meat from sheep for religious or cultural reasons. Wool is sold through local and national markets, brokers, and wool cooperatives. About 3,700 sheep producers in Pennsylvania maintain 94,300 ewes and produce about 56,000 lambs worth an estimated $9.4 million annually.

Although prices for lambs marketed in late summer and early fall are generally lower, you may be able to obtain higher prices by marketing lambs directly to consumers. Spring lambs are generally marketed in a period of low demand and high supply, so prices received are the lowest of all sheep enterprises. In Pennsylvania, a four-year average price for 110- pound lambs during August through October would yield less than the same lamb marketed at other times of the year.

Beginning Production

A variety of production and management strategies can be used in a sheep enterprise. But before starting to raise sheep and lambs, you should consider your situation relative to your land, labor, and capital availability, potential production costs, and access to markets. Then you can decide on the flock size that best matches your marketing plan. Be sure to purchase good breeding stock from a reputable breeder or producer.

The smallest production unit to consider for spring lambing is a flock of up to 30 to 35 ewes serviced by one ram. Breeding ewes usually cost $250 to $400 per head and a good ram will probably cost at least $500. Ewes are generally bred in October through December and produce one to three lambs annually (gestation period of five months). Lambs are typically ready for market four to six months after birth, so it is possible to receive a return on your initial investment fairly quickly. Furthermore, ewe lambs can often be bred to lamb as yearlings, which also speeds the return on investment.

If you have little or no previous experience with sheep, starting with only a few bred ewes and going through a lambing season is recommended. It may help you decide whether you want to be in the sheep business, while you develop husbandry skills, investigate markets, and test profitability. For more information, visit Penn State Extension's Sheep website.

Sheep Breeds

Developing a marketing plan for your lambs before you buy any sheep will help you narrow your breed choices and implement your long-term breeding strategy. The most significant factor affecting income potential in spring lambing enterprises is the number of lambs produced per ewe per year. Crossbred ewes that are derived from more prolific breeds like Dorset and Polypay can help increase the number of lambs produced. See Table 1 for recommended sheep breeds for a spring lambing enterprise.

*This weight is for ewes. Ram body weight is approximately 1.65 times ewe body weight.

Housing and Fencing

Housing and equipment for sheep do not have to be expensive and may be very minimal. Ideally, existing barns and sheds can be adapted for sheep; otherwise, adequate shelter can be obtained for an initial cost of about $50 to $75 per ewe. Adequate shelter for sheep can be provided by small, open sheds located on a well-drained site, preferably on a south-facing slope away from prevailing winds (Figure 1). This type of site helps the lot dry faster and makes it easier to maintain. Sheep do not tolerate mud, so consider grading and filling low spots with shale-like material to achieve desired slopes. Locate your handling facilities so your sheep can be easily sorted and provided routine care with minimal effort.

Fencing for sheep needs to serve two primary purposes: (1) keep the sheep in, and (2) keep potential predators out. Perimeter fencing should be designed with these two factors in mind. Selecting the best fencing option for your situation depends on a variety of factors, including price, longevity, maintenance, vegetation, animal pressure, and climate. Costs may vary considerably for perimeter fencing due to curves and land contours that will require additional posts. In general, a good perimeter fence for sheep varies from about $2 to $6 per linear foot. High-tensile fence is commonly used for sheep production, but woven wire and wooden fences are other alternatives.

Labor

Labor requirements for producing spring lambs are generally low, especially if the flock has sufficient pasture. Little labor is required during spring lambing and winter feeding. Six hours of labor per ewe per year should be sufficient. Approximately 10 acres of fair to good pasture should supply 80 to 90 percent of the nutritional needs of 30 to 35 ewes. Pasture management can be divided into two categories: continuous stocking and rotational grazing.

Continuous stocking means the animals are present on the same pasture for several weeks or even the entire grazing season. Although this method is simple, it is not recommended for sheep production due to the potential for health issues related to internal parasites and because it results in the overgrazing of pastures. Rotational grazing occurs when an area of pasture is grazed quickly and the animals are moved to a new pasture, allowing recently grazed pastures to recover.

Nutrition

Productivity and profit can be seriously handicapped by nutritional deficiencies. Sheep should be given good-quality feeds and forages. Fine, leafy roughages with low crude-fiber content are used most efficiently. Although most sheep producers feed dry hay as the main source of roughage, corn silage and haylage are also excellent roughages for sheep. Grains may also be added to the ration to balance nutritional needs.

The grazing season can be extended into winter by using stockpiled perennial grasses, annual crops such as small grains and brassicas, and corn fodder. This works especially well with a spring lambing operation because the ewes' nutritional needs are low during the time when the grazing season is being extended. Extending the grazing season may have a very positive impact on the profitability of the enterprise.

Nutritional needs for ewes vary according to weight and stage in the breeding cycle (Figure 2). About three weeks before the start of the breeding season, ewes should consume a more energy-dense diet to increase ovulation and improve the chances of multiple births. Feed intake of bred ewes may be reduced to avoid excessive fatness, but it must remain high enough to maintain body weight and condition.

Source: The Sheep Raiser's Manual. Note: Weight changes expected in the same ewe giving birth to and rearing a single lamb would be approximately two-thirds of the above changes.

Health Program

A healthy flock is essential to the profitability of your spring lamb enterprise. It is critical that your flock health program include the following considerations:

• Check animals for signs of illness, external and internal parasites, and contagious diseases before buying them.
• Quarantine newly purchased animals for at least 21 days in a dry, well-ventilated area.
• Provide clean, fresh water at all times.
• Provide uncontaminated feeding areas.
• Trim hooves when necessary to avoid lameness.
• Provide a high-quality mineral mix or block formulated for sheep.
• Consult with a veterinarian to develop a vaccination program and prescribe antibiotics as needed.
• Identify ewes previously vaccinated for clostridium types C and D and give them a booster shot four to six weeks before lambing season begins.
• Identify ewes not vaccinated for clostridium types C and D before lambing. Vaccinate their lambs when they are 10 to 20 days old and give them a booster injection three weeks later.
• Consult with a veterinarian or experienced shepherd to develop a parasite management program. Regularly monitor the sheep flock to assess parasite load status or fecal egg counts, and implement control using an anthelmintic when necessary.

Environmental Regulations

All agricultural operations in Pennsylvania, including small-scale and part-time farming enterprises, operate under the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law. A specific part of this law is the Nutrient Management Act. Portions of the act may or may not pertain to your operation, depending on whether you have livestock on your farm. However, all operations may be a source of surface water or groundwater pollution. Because of this possibility, you should contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District to determine what regulations may pertain to your operation. All farms with any livestock in Pennsylvania are required to have an approved manure management plan in place.

Risk Management

You should carefully consider how to manage risk on your farm. First, you should insure your facilities and equipment. This may be accomplished by consulting your insurance agent or broker. It is especially important to have adequate levels of property, vehicle, and liability insurance. You will also need workers' compensation insurance if you have any employees. You may also want to consider your needs for life and health insurance, and if you need coverage for business interruption or employee dishonesty. For more on agricultural business insurance, see "Agricultural Alternatives: Agricultural Business Insurance."

Second, check to see if there are multi-peril crop insurance programs available for your crop or livestock enterprises. There are crop insurance programs designed to help farmers manage both yield risk and revenue shortfalls. However, individual crop insurance coverage is not available for all crops. If individual coverage is not available for what you grow, you may be able to use the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program to insure the revenue of your entire farm operation. Information from your Schedule F tax records (or a "Substitute Schedule F for WFRP Purposes" if you do not file a Schedule F) from the past five consecutive years is used to calculate the WFRP policy's approved revenue guarantee. Operations that have expanded over time may be allowed to increase the approved revenue amount based on an indexing procedure. Depending on the number of commodities grown, you have the choice of coverage of 50 to 85 percent of your approved revenue. Coverage and premium costs depend on the level of diversification in your operation; the maximum level of insured revenue is $8.5 million (based on maximum adjusted gross revenues of $17 million and the 50 percent coverage level). WFRP also provides replant coverage if it is not already covered under an underlying individual crop policy. More information on WFRP can be found online. Finally, the USDA Farm Service Agency has a program called the Noninsured Assistance Program (NAP) that is designed to provide a minimal level of yield risk protection for producers of commercial agricultural products that don't have multi-peril crop insurance coverage. NAP is designed to reduce financial losses when natural disasters cause a catastrophic reduction in production. A basic level of coverage (50 percent of expected production at 55 percent of the average market price) is available for a fee of $325 per crop per county (fees are capped at $825 per producer per county, but not to exceed a total of $1,950 for producers growing crops in multiple counties). Higher levels of protection at the 50, 55, 60, and 65 percent levels at 100 percent of the average market price are available for an additional premium. NAP coverage is available through your local USDA Farm Service Agency office. The application fee for this program may be waived for eligible limited-resource farmers.

Sample Budget

The sample budget included in this publication provides examples of costs and returns of spring lamb production and guidelines for initial resource requirements. These initial resource requirements may vary if you have existing equipment or structures that may be adapted for use in your enterprise. This sample budget should help ensure that all costs and receipts are included in your calculations. Costs and returns are often difficult to estimate in budget preparation because they are numerous and variable. Therefore, think of the data in these budgets as approximations and make the appropriate adjustments using the "Your Estimate" column to reflect specific situations. These budgets are developed for a flock size of 35 ewes; however, your scale of production should be based on your market considerations. More information on the use of crop budgets can be found in "Agricultural Alternatives: Enterprise Budget Analysis."

You can make changes to the interactive PDF budget files for this publication by inputting your own prices and quantities in the green outlined cells for any item. The cells outlined in red automatically calculate your revised totals based on the changes you made to the cells outlined in green. You will need to click on and add your own estimated price and quantity information to all of the green outlined cells to complete your customized budget. When you are done, you can print the budget using the green Print Form button at the bottom of the form. You can use the red Clear Form button to clear all the information from your budget when you are finished.

Sample Budget Worksheets

Initial Resource Requirements

Land

25 acres

Labor

5-10 hours x 36 head (1 ram and 35 ewes) = 180-360 hours per year

Capital

• Ewes: $325 x 35 ewes = $11,375
• Ram: $400-$500
• Fencing: $2-$6 per linear foot
• Hoof-trimming equipment
• Handling facilities (gates or chutes)
• Feeding and watering equipment
• Truck or trailer to haul lambs to market

For More Information

A variety of publications, websites, and associations are available to answer questions you may have. The listing below provides a brief overview of potentially helpful resources.

• American Sheep Industry Association
  9785 Maroon Circle, Suite 360, Centennial, CO 80112
• Harper, J. K., S. Cornelisse, L. F. Kime, and J. Hyde. "Agricultural Alternatives: Budgeting for Agricultural Decision Making." University Park: Penn State Extension, 2019.
• Kime, L. F., J. A. Adamik, J. K. Harper, and C. Dice. "Agricultural Alternatives: Agricultural Business Insurance." University Park: Penn State Extension, 2019.
• Maryland Small Ruminant Page
• Northeast Sheep and Goat Marketing Program
• The Penn State Agronomy Guide.  University Park: Penn State Extension.
• Penn State Extension's sheep information.
• Pennsylvania Forage Handbook. University Park: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.
• Sheep Housing and Equipment Handbook. Ames, Iowa: Midwest Plan Service.
• Virtual Livestock Library.

Authors

Prepared by Melanie E. Barkley, extension educator in Bedford County; David W. Hartman, extension educator in Columbia County; Lynn F. Kime, senior extension associate in agricultural economics; and Jayson K. Harper, professor of agricultural economics.

This publication was developed by the Small-scale and Part-time Farming Project at Penn State with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture–Extension Service.