Intensive Management Can Double Lamb Production MINNEAPOLIS, -MN. Intensive management practices and innovative veterinary tech niques can enable sheep producers to double or even triple lamb pro duction per ewe, Robert Ashley Robinson, BVSc, Ph.D., of St. Paul, MN, told editors at the annu al meeting of the American Asso ciation of Agricultural Editors. Dr. Robinson, Vice President of the American Association of Sheep and Goat Practitioners (AASGP), described opportunities to increase reproductive efficiency at a Livestock Health News Con ference co-sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and three other national veterinary organizations. “Some fanners now produce well in excess of 200 lambs weaned per 100 ewes mated, and the more ambitious are aiming to produce one pound of lamb per ewe per day over a 365 day per iod,’’ Dr. Robinson said. Sheep have a gestation period of only five months, but unlike cattle or swine, they tend to be seasonal breeders, and most ewes lamb only once a year. Dr. Robinson explained. Some ewes will lamb twice yearly or at least three times Where We Treat You Riaht PHILLIPS 66 ANTI-FREEZE $3! I‘9/g>i. IN CASE LOTS $2.99/01. 25 Gal Or More I~> BROODER \ \ v ~—' | / REFLECTOR £| J 53.99 ±JL BlMHili pi rjJJ HEAT LAMPS _ WD-40 <, v r~r [ siffSimki 9l>«9Ei. y 9 oz. Gillon $1.99 $11.99 125 W &. 2SOW Clear 'High Test 3/8” « $17.99 TRACTOR CHAINS STOP IN FOR PRICING 0 ** f * r won when overlapped lj*9 use on any pipe even " ,<•«*’ n.w FROSTEX II Heating Cable FUSE PLUG KIT $2.99 every two years. Another strategy is to induce multiple births, he said. Cross-breeding with certain breeds can have dramatic effects on flock reproductive performance by extending the breeding season (e.g. Dorsets) or by stimulating earlier onset of puberty and increased ovulation rates (e.g. Fin nish Landrace). Breeding soundness evaluations of rams should be conducted on a regular basis. Dr. Robinson said, because even temporary infertility can have a dramatic negative effect on reproductive efficiency. These evaluations also assure the timely culling of rams affected with vari ous infectious diseases that influ ence semen production. New techniques now available through veterinarians include a pregnancy diagnosis that tells far mers which ewes are pregnant and how many fetuses each is carrying to facilitate extra feeding of ewes carrying multiple fetuses. Embryo transfer and artificial insemination are techniques with great potential for improvement of reproductive efficiency, but the sheep industry has been slow to adopt them, often because of technical problems, Dr. Robinson said. Custom Made To Your Specifications more reliable new design lor long life rog«j'M*s 'is own heal output without a cut it to any length 89$ m. LONG LIFE LIGHT BULBS 25 Watt 130 V 40 Watt 5000 Hr 60 watt Case Lot 75 Watt (120 Bulbs) 100 Watt .37/Bulb Pc Dels ] lb Lim N 8 10/1 5 oz SAVE NOWnj POLY TANKS WORKSAVER “EB” SERIES REAR BLADES r Width For Category I Tractors Up Tcf 35 H.P. • Grading • Pack Filling • Scraping • Snow Removal • Landscaping EH 7-3 #322007 3 Pt Mount Reg $205 NOW $179 K3FARMASTER m\ GATES Hot Dip Galvanized 6> $27.99 8’ $34.99 10’ $37.99 I"- 1112’ $42.99 ~”1F IZ-I—i 14’ $49.99 16’ $54.99 ENGINE HEATER $17.99 jjL $20.99 JKOL $12.99 MWW DON’T FORGE TTO ASK FOR YOUR • 550 Gal. Poly Tank • 1050 Gal. Poly Tank • 1550 Gal. Poly Tank Other Sizes Available feed DOUBLE DIPPED GALVANIZED '/« " Galv. Wire, 16’ Length 34” High Hog Panel 52” High Cattle $14.99 ea. $16.99 ea. Panel 2"x6” Mesh Nunay Panels 34“ High x 16' Length $2459 ca. FREE FARMERS ALMANAC WITH Id 00 PURCHASE Exposing ewes to vasectomized rams can also improve reproduc tive efficiency by inducing ovula tion before mating with a fertile ram. Vasectomized rams are also being used to identify ewes that are not pregnant for culling. Other new techniques sheep practitioners are now able to offer producers include estrous induc tion (bringing ewes into heat), sychronization of cycles to get all ewes in a flock lambing at the same time, and induction of parturition to control the timing of deliveries. Two promising new techniques now being used successfully over seas have yet to be approved in the U.S.: use of androsetenedione as a vaccine to increase the ovulation rate and melatonin, a hormone that advances the breeding season. Dr. Robinson highly recom mended veterinary investigation of abortion outbreaks in sheep flocks, noting that several effective vac cines or management changes are now available to prevent recurrences. “Upwards of 15 to 20 percent of all lambs bom die before weaning. Once a veterinarian determines the cause of these losses, it is possible to reduce mortality significantly by implementing preventive mea- ReoDY Heareß D-CON READY MIX R 35 35 000 BTU Kerosene R5O 50 000 BTU Kerosene $2.99 $7.99 $10.99 $2.99 R7I) 70 000 1) I U Kerosene RIOO I00IXX) mu Kerosene $249.99 Rl5O 150 000 uru Kerosene $319.99 IVo Sell Kerosene ■ Only SV« Per Gal. $3.89 $249 $369 $449 1000 Watt. 1500 Watt. Magnetic = n : Lancaster Farming, Thuraday, December 24, 1987-A3l sures,” Dr. Robinson said. “By implementing an accurate, computerized recordkeeping sys tem and having a veterinarian exa mine the flock at three or four times during the year, sheep far mers can institute changes in nutri tion and management based on data instead of seat-of-the-pants intuition. The result will be signif- USDA Issues 1987 Grade Loan Rates For Virginia Fire And Sun-Cured Tobaccos WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation today issued grade loan rates for 1987 crop Kentucky and Tennes see dark air-cured tobacco (types 3S and 36) and fire-cured tobacco (types 22 and 23). Loan rates reflect the average support level of $1,054 per pound for dark air-cured tobacco and $1,238 for fire-cured tobacco. These support levels are approxi mately 0.3 percent less than the 1986 average support levels. Adjustments were made in all grades to reflect the overall grade distribution change. Tobacco asso ciations through which price sup port is made available to producers $135.99 $169.99 $209.99 5 Gal Pail $17.99 I Gal $3.89 ROVENDALE SUPPLY* Exit 31, Rt. I-*0 to I*o (Old Rt. 147) ■ f/ f9F / to Watsontown Exit (You Are There') M-FM; | J WJ Ph. 717-MWMI or 7U-7KI S«t M . Tgll Free PA IJM-Z32-DALE I m icant increases in reproductive efficiency,” Dr. Robinson said. Joining Dr. Robinson at the news conference were George E. Washington, D.V.M., President of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, and Wayne R. Freese, D.V.M., President of the American Association of Swine Practitioners. will deduct one cent per pound to help cover overhead costs. Rates for dark air-cured tobacco will range from 24 cents to $1.72 per pound. Rates for fire-cured will range from 23 cents to $l.BB per pound. The 1987 individual grade loan rates are based on historical pro duction records which serve as a basis for projecting average grade distribution, assuming normal pro duction and weather conditions. Dark air-cured tobacco graded NIL, NIR, NIG, N2L, N2R, N2G, “No-G” (no grade), “U” (unsound), “W” (doubtful keeping order), “BH” (big heads), or scrap will not be accepted for price support. Fire-cured tobacco will not be accepted for price support when graded “No-G” (no grade), “U” (unsound), “W” (doubtful keeping order), or scrap. Contact; Bruce Merkle (202) 447-6787. 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