The Economics of Early Weaning and Early Breeding of Range Ewe Lambs

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Animal Production: feed management, livestock breeding
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns

This is a pilot study  for a larger proposal incorporating more producers and more lambs.  Commercial ewe lambs are difficult to get pregnant in their first year and are typically held a year before breeding.  Producers that put rams in with ewe lambs have little success (15 to 25%).  Other producers don't introduce rams and simply hold the lambs over to the following year.  Ewe lamb breeding issues include lamb weight relative to mature weight and the exposure to a ram prior to the actually breeding period.  Breeding in the first year increases productivity of the ewe by 20% or more.  The growth of the lambs were measured throughout the study. Twin white faced lambs were organized into two groups, one twin was put in the early weaned (EWL) group and the other remained with the mother (NWL) until normal weaning.  Another set of twins (CTRL) remained with their mother until normal weaning.  The EWL was weaned at three months of age when the flock was moved from the spring range to the summer range.  Once weaned the EWL group were fed a ration that is composed of alfalfa hay, corn/barley and soybean meal.  Feed intake and growth of the EWL was measured.  When the flock was moved from the summer range and the lambs were weaned, the NWL and one twin from the CTRL group was moved to the lots where the EWL were housed and fed the EWL ration for 30-days prior to the rams being introduced.  Rams were introduced 30-days prior to the actual breeding period and remain for two weeks.  The rams were removed for two weeks then returned for 30 days.  Pregnancy was determine by blood assay thirty-days after removal of the rams .  We will continue to monitor the growth of these ewes and their lambs until they wean their lambs in the fall.  We will track the cost and determine the economic benefit of early weaning. Increasing productivity of the ewe lambs will increase income for the producer.  Pamphlets and videos will be produced and disseminated to producers. 

The focus of this research is to determine if range ewe lambs can be bred at seven to eight months of age and is it economical.  Our objectives include:

1. Determine if early weaning commercial ewe lambs can result in increased pregnancies at 8 months of age.
2. Determine the percentage bred, lambed, and weaned of early weaned ewe lambs.
3. Determine if early weaning is economically beneficial.

Our hypothesis is that the early weaning of range ewe lambs is economically beneficial and will result in the ewes bred in their first year.