I discovered mylamb about five years ago and when it shut down I followed over here. Since this is my first substantial post on either site, just a little info about myself.
My father and I run 400 hd of reg angus cows along with some dry land and irrigated farming. Other than my wife who is a hair stylist; the cows and the operation around it is our main source of income. I run about 15 ewes as a hobby mainly, it keeps me in the loop with breeders and up to date on trends, and genetics. Started showing lambs roughly 15 years ago.
There are two main rules in our show lamb barn.
1. Feeding, working and exercising lambs take top priority over all other activities.(important family events, emergencies and school work excluded, of course). If you want to go to a movie on Friday night with friends, fine. But the lamb work is done first. We are going to devote the time, effort and energy required to be competitive or we aren't going to do it. Always understanding that even though you devote that time, effort and energy; you are never guaranteed to win. Which leads to rule number two.
2. If at any point it isn't fun for all parties involved we aren't doing it any more.
I get asked this exercise question several times a year from people in and around our county. Nothing I said above or will say below is new or ground breaking, just my two cents.
The first thing I tell people is to find a system that works for them and stick with it. Consistency is the key. You don't need a barn full of high dollar equipment to achieve good results.
We started using a dog and a track about four years ago and I agree with crystal the difference in results were very easy to see. We don't have a high dollar track dog, we use our red heeler that spends most of her time on cows. She obeys commands, is aggressive when needed, will bark and bite when the need arises and is fast enough to keep up with lambs. We also use a straight track instead of an oval one because it suits the dog better. The track routine varies greatly depending on each lamb and what they need in terms of finish ect. I would gladly expand on that.
We also utilize isometrics to a certain degree. The average class at our state fair is 22.5 minutes long, from the time the first lamb comes in. If you make it to the last two or three lambs sorted you've been in there for a while. We start slow at one minute per lamb on a 100% brace and increase by a minute each week until we reach 15 minutes. We don't worry a lot about feet placement during this exercise, as long as the lamb is pushing properly and the showman has his/her legs, hips and body in the correct position. This will build endurance and stamina for the lamb and showman. That way if you make it to the final two or three in a class you can still give the judge a good look and a good handle on a lamb and have a showman that isnt exhausted.
We have a treadmill and use it some depending on the lambs needs. It is not my favorite, however I know a family that has no dog and only a treadmill and walker. They do a really good job and have very competitive lambs so once again find what works for you and be consistent.
