SDSU Sheep Unit hosts lambing time open house Feb. 21

BROOKINGS — The SDSU Sheep Unit hosts a lambing time open house Feb. 21 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The SDSU Sheep Unit is located 1.5 miles north of the South Dakota State University campus on Medary Avenue (3729 Medary Ave).

There is no fee to attend the open house which includes educational programming, refreshments and SDSU ice cream. The open house is co-hosted by SDSU Extension, the SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Department of Animal Science and the South Dakota Sheep Growers Assn.

“Whether you are a beginner or a sheep producer with many years invested in sheep production, we expect all producers will find value in this educational experience,” said Jeff Held, professor and SDSU Extension sheep specialist.

Many important lambing time management and health topics will be addressed by leading industry experts. Some topic areas include:

• Flock management basics.
• Advice on lambing barn concepts.
• Newborn lamb care practices.
• Health management concerns and recommendations.
• Rearing options for orphan lambs, including the use of automated feeding systems.
• Nutritional management of ewes and lambs.

Featured speakers include: Philip Berg, senior instructor with the Pipestone Lamb and Wool Program; Larry Holler, veterinarian and pathologist in the SDSU Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory; Dave Ollila, SDSU Extension sheep field specialist; Jeff Held, professor and SDSU Extension sheep specialist and Karolynn Marsan, SDSU Sheep Unit manager.

Lambing care in real time

With more than 250 ewes lambing at the SDSU Sheep Unit throughout the month of February, during the open house, sheep experts will demonstrate lamb care skills and discuss management practice recommendations covering the full scope of a lambing season.

Sheep producers are encouraged to ask questions and seek answers from the experts during the educational sessions.

In addition to program hosts, event sponsors include: Big Gain, Inc., D&D Crop Insurance, AgFirst Farmers Cooperative, Agri Tech, Hubbard Feeds, Volga Ag Center, Sydell, Inc., Sinai Cooperative Elevator, Premier 1, Pipestone Vet Clinic, Purina Animal Nutrition, Volga Veterinary Clinic, Coplan Buying Station, Sioux Falls Regional Livestock, Superior Farms, Strauss Brands and Van Well Sheep Buying.

For more information on the program, contact Held at Jeffrey.Held@sdstate.edu or Marsan at Karolynn.Marsan@sdstate.edu.

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