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Shortcourses and Tours

 

Lambing Time Shortcourse and Bus Tour Click here for registration form The purpose of this shortcourse and bus tour is to help producers recognize and effectively deal with common lambing time problems. The shortcourse focuses on the management prior to, during and after lambing and the affect it has on lamb losses, pounds of lamb marketed and input costs and labor requirements. The tour will provide producers the opportunity to see firsthand how other producers recognize, manage, and deal with lambing time challenges. 2010 Course Details Dates: February 5 and 6, 2010 Location: Minnesota West Community & Technical College,                 Pipestone, MN

SCHEDULE Friday, February 5, 2010 6:30 pm Registration 7:00 pm Welcome/Opening Remarks Mike Caskey 7:15 pm Dealing with light test weight and mold in the 2009 corn crop – P. Berg 8:00 pm Current sheep health issues/Ask a Vet – Dr. Goelz 8:45 pm Sheep Care – Why do we do the things we do? – Mike Caskey 9:30 pm End of Evening Program Saturday, February 6, 2010 8:00 am Registration 8:20 am Opening Remarks – Mike Caskey 8:30 am Low Labor Feeding Systems – Mike Caskey 9:15 am Economics & production challenges of the sheep industry – Mike Caskey 10:00 am Break 10:15 am What four years of feeding soybean hulls and DDGS has taught us. – P. Berg 11:00 am. The critical first three weeks of a lamb’s life. – Dr. Bobb 11:45 am Lunch     Farm Tours 12:30 pm Board Buses 1:30 pm Board Buses 1:50 pm Farm Tour Russell Gundermann Farm Topics Discussed/Demonstrated: Lambing barn layout Lamb management philosophies Low labor management concepts TMR ewe rations In lot ewe feeding system Creep setup and design 3:30 pm Farm tour Bruce and Karla Gundermann Farm Topics Discussed/Demonstrated: New born lamb care Tubing lambs Fixing inverted eyelids Docking and castrating methods Raising lambs on milk replacer Production record keeping Hoop barns for sheep Self feeding SBHP & DDGS to ewes 5:00 pm Arrive back at Minnesota West College - Head for home Minimum enrollment will be 20 people to offer this shortcourse/bus tour. Maximum enrollment will be limited to 100 paid registrants, so we encourage you to send your registration in early. Russell Gundermann Farm Visit Russ is one of the progressive producers in the sheep business. He and his family run about 550 commercial ewes. They use a multiple lambing period system to most efficiently utilize their facilities and labor. They have done an excellent job of combining older barns with newer buildings to make their sheep operation effectively use all the buildings available to them. Russ pays very close attention to the little things that make the difference in a successful operation. The Gundermann operation includes many labor saving concepts to enable them to handle a large number of sheep with minimal effort. Russ has very practical ideas on sheep management that make this a stop everyone will learn from. Russ was the recipient of the 2008 Pipestone Outstanding Producers Award. Bruce and Karla Gunderamnn Farm Visit Bruce and Karla started in the sheep business several years ago when they decided to discontinue raising hogs and converted their facilities to sheep production. Since that time, they have steadily grown their ewe flock to about 600 commercial ewes. They have done a nice job of utilizing existing buildings along with a new addition onto the lambing barn and have added three “hoop” barns to improve labor efficiency and management of their various lambing groups. They market a high lambing percentage because of the attention they pay to detail and the tremendous job they do of keeping their lamb death loss low. Their ability to save, manage and care for a large number of newborn lambs is outstanding. This operation has many lambing management ideas to share.

SHEEP FOR PROFIT

Click here for registration form

Before the School Activities:
1) Submit information for Sheep Enterprise Analysis
2) Review Home Study Course Lessons

After the School Activities:
1) Receive Lamb and Wool Newsletter
2) Instructors Available for Phone Consulting

Cost: Approximately $400 (dependant on Summer Tuition Rates)
(including tuition, noon & evening meals and breaks)

Lodging:
Calumet Inn (507) 825-5871.
Super 8 (507) 825-4217.
Pipestone RV Campground (507) 828-2455
Split Rock Creek State Park (507) 348-7908

Wednesday (6:00 pm to 9:30 pm)
                 Registration
                 Welcome & Introductions
                 What to Expect
                 Get Acquainted Dinner
                 Overview of US Sheep Industry

Thursday (8 am to 9:30 pm)
     Topics: Economics and finance
                 Philosophy of Sheep Management
                 Five Keys to Profit
                 Record Keeping
                 Goal Setting
                 Develop Personal & Enterprise Goals
                 Sheep Breeds and Their Use
                 Genetic Selection
                 Develop Genetic Plan
                 Farm Tour
                      - Sheep Facilities
                      - Genetic Selection
                      - Seedstock Production
                      - Pasture Management


Friday (8 am to 9:30 pm)
     Topics: Identifying & Treating Common Ewe Diseases
                 Identifying & Treating Common Lamb Diseases
                 Preventive Health Programs
                 Flock Bio-security
                 Develop a Flock Preventive Health Plan
                 Reproductive Cycle of Sheep
                 Breeding Time Management
                 Manipulation of the Breeding Cycle
                 Develop a Flock Breeding Plan
                 Facility Requirements
                 Farm Tour
                     - Sheep Facilities
                     - Record Keeping
                     - Lambing Time Management
                     - Management Philosophy


Saturday (8 am - 5 pm)
     Topics: Sheep Nutrient Requirements
                 Feed Nutrient Values
                 Lamb Feed Rations
                 Ewe Feed Rations
                 Develop a Feeding Plan
                 Year Around Flock Management
                 Lamb Marketing
                 Wool Marketing
                 Develop a Flock Management Plan
                 Business Arrangements for the Future

Click here for registration form

Facility Tour
 

For more information on these Shortcourses and Bus Tours
contact us at:
Phone: 507-825-6806
Email: philip.berg@mnwest.edu or mike.caskey@mnwest.edu