A detailed summary is shown as per the Calendar of Sheep Management practices. A monthly schedule for various sheep farm operations with twice a year lambing or shearing pattern under semi-arid conditions on an organized farm is given below.
January: Stock verification,ear-tagging or tattooing, protection against cold and chilly weather, care, management, and supplementary feeding of advanced pregnant ewes.
Preparation of lambing pens and their disinfection care at lambing, care, and management of lambs weighing of lambs and dams at lambing, docking, and identification of newborn lambs and supplementary feeding of breeding rams for spring mating.
Clostridial multi-component vaccination against struck and other clostridial infections to the pregnant ewes.
February: Lambing continues and so care and management of ewes and lambs at lambing also continue; care, management and supplementary feeding of lactating ewes; creep feeding, ear-tagging, tail docking and growth recording of lambs.
Flushing of breeding ewes for spring mating; breeding operation starts in later part of February, heat detection, natural breeding or artificial insemination; vaccination against sheep pox.
March: Lambing continues, and care and management of ewes and lambs at lambing also continues; care, management and supplementary feeding of lactating ewes continue.
Creep feeding, ear-tagging, and tail docking and growth recording of lambs continue; washing of sheep, wool sampling, shearing, recording of wool weights and dipping, vaccination against sheep-pox continues.
April: Wool sampling, shearing, and dipping continues, creep feeding, growth recording and weaning of lambs, culling of old, infertile, and weak animals.
Deworming with Nilworm and Sulmet, vaccination against Johne’s disease and foot-and-mouth disease.
May: Weaning and supplementary feeding of lambs with hay and- concentration; drenching of weaners.
Change in grazing schedule to allow grazing during cooler hours and resting the flock under tree shade during mid-day; tree lopping.
Vaccination against Jonhe’s disease and foot-and-mouth-disease continues; proper shelter’ and sufficient drinking water.
June: Care, management and supplementary feeding of advance pregnant ewes, supplementary feeding of all sheep on tree loppings, proper shelter, and plenty of drinking water.
Culling of undesired ram lambs, preparation of lambing pens and their disinfection, vaccination against tetanus, enterotoxaemia, and hemorrhagic septicemia.
July: Washing of sheep, shearing, recording of wool weights, wool sampling, dipping and drenching against gastrointestinal parasites, vaccination against hemorrhagic septicemia; continued care and management of advance pregnant ewes.
Autumn lambing starts, care at lambing and of the newborn lambs; antiseptic foot baths; grazing schedule changed to 8.00 AM to 5.OO PM.
Lamb identification and tail docking, flushing of ewes for autumn mating, care, and management of lactating ewes, drenching against gastrointestinal parasites.
August: Lambing continues; care and management of advance pregnant and lactating ewes and newborn lambs also continues; flushing of ewes for autumn mating continues; supplementary feeding of breeding rams; drenching.
September: Selectionofbreedingrams; autumn breeding starts; creep feeding and management of lambs; growth recording; drenching against gastrointestinal parasites.
October: Autumnbreedingcontinues; creep feeding of lambs and supplementary feeding; care of weaners; growth recording; culling of low – weight, deformed and off-color lambs.
Vaccination against enterotoxaemia and Johne’s disease and drenching against gastrointestinal parasites continue.
November: Wintergrazing; deworming continues depending upon worm load, vaccination against Johne’s disease if not done during October; penning during the night.
December: Protection against cold and chilly weather, checking of records, disposal of surplus lambs, supplementary feeding of advanced pregnant ewes.
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Hello, I am Siddartha Reddy . A fulltime farmer and blogger who love to share all his farming experiences. Also, a strong supporter of sustainable farming practices. Thanks for visiting our site, let’s make this world a better place to live. Say No to Chemicals and plastics.
