Small Ruminant Consulting

If it felt like the surface of the sun at your farm during breeding season, it is money well spent to pregnancy scan your flock. We have seen very depressed scanning percentages (ewes bred/number of lambs predicted) and more failed BSEs in flocks from the Panhandle and Edwards Plateau of Texas to the Northern Flint Hills of Kansas as well as all across Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas as well. The heat really thumped ram fertility the last couple months which leads to less ewes being pregnant. Ewes are also at risk of losing early pregnancies during these high temperatures.

Why is scanning money well spent?
▪️For a few dollars a head, you’ll know who needs to be re-exposed to the rams or who should be culled.
▪️You’ll save on feed costs by not carrying open ewes another 2-3 months before realizing they didn’t lamb. Meaning those ewes now go a whole year without making you money, instead of only being a little late.
▪️In my personal flock, I sleep better knowing what to expect instead of hoping for the best.
▪️Finally, we can’t manage what we don’t measure. If we want to make meaningful strides to improve performance and profitability, we have to be measuring the things that matter and we have to have a starting number! ⬇️

Lambs predicted ➡️ lambs born ➡️ lambs weaned ➡️ lambs sold

Lot 54! Donate to help this family and get a box of EVO-911 for the showbox, or lambing/kidding season!

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Don’t just take my word for it…ask a vet! Improving water quality will take you from average to awesome in no time!