Best Practices Resources
The Best Practices to Increase Your Lamb Crop are designed to help producers increase productivity, reduce costs and gain more control over price volatility. These materials have been developed by a group of sheep specialists across the country. Click here for an overview of the tools.
The Best Practices Resource Database is a searchable listing of existing resources that address topics of importance, such as animal handling, environmental stewardship, genetics and selection, meat quality, reproduction management and more. It also includes a User’s Guide.
Sheep Production Handbook
This reference handbook, covering the basics of sheep production, is for beginner and experienced sheep producers alike. Topics include Sheep Breeding, Forages, Handling, Health, Management, Marketing, Nutrition, Predator Control, Quality Assurance, Reproduction, Sheep Care, Wool, and Contact Lists for State Extension Personnel, State Extension Veterinarians and State Animal Health Officers.
Sheep Care Guide
The well-being of their sheep is an important consideration for all sheep producers. This Sheep Care Guide was developed to serve as a reference for the sheep producer using a variety of management and production systems and has been written in recognition of an ethical responsibility for the humane care of animals. It is not intended to be an exhaustive review of all aspects of animal care; supplemental information on such topics as breeding, feeding, housing, predation, health, and management is available in other publications including those listed in the References section. An attempt has been made to provide information about sheep care practices which are based on research findings and which are consistent with a program of quality assurance.
U.S. Baseline Lamb Cost of Production Model
The Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) worked with the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) to provide baseline estimates regarding the on-farm/ranch costs of producing lambs. Best-estimate industry parameters were used to generate regionally representative budgets.
Lamb production occurs across the U.S. and in a variety of ecological zones; economic costs of production reflect that diversity. Farm level production costs and risk have increased in the last decade and needs to be described and evaluated including feedstuff costs, management practices, labor costs, predator losses, etc. The lamb industry includes several sectors, but this sector is the foundation and economic aspects require careful documentation and estimation. Input and output data will be easy to depict graphically and summarize trends.
Sheep & Goat Research Journal
A peer-reviewed journal, published by The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI). The Sheep & Goat Research Journal began in the 1980s because sheep producers, extension professionals, researchers and others saw the need for a vehicle where practical, adaptive sheep research could be published. The Journal provides authors an avenue to publish peer-reviewed research
