Messages

1

All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: LAI results

« on: October 03, 2016, 07:32:19 am »

Humm that is interesting.  I have had two commercial sheep breeders make the same comments about wheat.  It is enough that I talked to my hay guy and I would have bought some wheat hay this spring but here in California it all got rained on so he didn't have any.  This next year hopefully he will have some and I will order a block and feed that during the breeding season and see if it makes a difference.  Anything to get them to cycle early.  I have found that it seems easier to get them to cycle in May than it does in June and July. Lets face it, when its 110 no one wants to make babies lol.  In the past couple week we have had a couple of drops in the temperature where it has gone to the low 80's and right on target a couple of the last hold outs that have refused to come in even with repeated CIDRS both natural cover and LAI have marked. I guess these girls just don't like the heat.     

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: LAI results

« on: October 02, 2016, 09:26:24 pm »

It is not an article but a recommendation in on of the protocols.  It recommends to limit corn and alfalfa 30 days prior to the LAI.  I am not sure why. But I did it this May and with such a great take rate will continue to do this in the future.  I have also since had it recommended that wheat hay actually helps increase take rates.  Has anyone else heard this? 

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: Infertile ram

« on: September 08, 2016, 10:12:01 pm »

We also had a ram with an infection and used Nuflor. It took awhile but he came back with wheat germ therapy.

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: Rectal prolapse

« on: September 06, 2016, 01:48:30 pm »

Try a prolapse harness same as you would for a ewe. It will make him think about it and keep it in.

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: Infertile ram

« on: September 06, 2016, 01:46:07 pm »

Crystal, We were trying to get semen on my old Handcock ram and his semen was ok but not quite good enough to freeze. Glen had me feed wheat germ for a month, put him with a couple Cidered ewes and 30 days later he was perfect. He was eight years old. I swear by the stuff.

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: Infertile ram

« on: September 06, 2016, 01:27:54 pm »

I give a couple of table spoons morning and night over a little bit of grain. These are usually older Rams so not much grain. You can but the wheat germ oil at Tractor Supply. In the horse section.

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: Infertile ram

« on: September 05, 2016, 07:45:27 am »

It was very hot in June so perhaps the ram was heat stressed as Cindy mentioned happened to her ram above. With Glen coming in a couple weeks it may be that he is improving and since you don't have a benchmark perhaps that is the case. I am sure Glen has recommended that you feed him wheat germ oil to help improve his semen quality. I got a ram back that had a massive infection but it took over six months.

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: Electrolytes

« on: August 19, 2016, 10:03:01 am »

My vet recommends pedialite. You can buy it in little packets that you mix in water.

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: LAI protocol

« on: August 06, 2016, 07:44:57 pm »

That is really exciting regarding your febs Josh. I have been on the fence regarding my October Angry Dragon and Burn Notice keepers when we do MacClennans Bubbles September 1 but I think I am going to give it a try. If they don't take i will use Burny on the ADs and Pivotal on the Burnys for any remarks. I am also considering doing LAI next May using my own ram Burn Notice. Crazy I know but it would be so nice to get 30 or 40 ewes bred to him in the fall to lamb all at the same time and you just can't do that doing natural cover!! 

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: LAI protocol

« on: August 05, 2016, 07:03:39 am »

I forgot about the A,D&E. One protocol recommends 5 ccs when you insert the CiDR. Ranch vet says that is too late do it 30 days before. All say shear 25 to 60 days. It's interesting Ontract has a lot of AD&E. Some say if they are too fat the PG 600 is not as effective but I don't Think that because well conditioned ewes seem to have no problem. I argued with Logan over the estrumate and in the end figured he was a heck of a lot smarted and more experienced than I was and did it his way which was with out it. And am glad I did. In September we agreed you could drop the PG 600 to 3.5 but what the heck if you have paid for Semen out of a fancy buck I would rather have twins and a few triplets the singles or zero. So we are going to do about 50 to 60 Sept 1 and are doing 14 day no estrumate 5cc PG  two are feeding on tract. Will be using fresh chilled. Keeping fingers crossed for great take rate for all who are attending!

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: LAI protocol

« on: August 03, 2016, 05:13:00 pm »

Ok, here is what I know and please if I get this wrong please feel free to correct me and will do this trying not to share any proprietary information.  Most popular protocol is 14 day CIDR, 5 cc PG 600 IM on day of CIDR pull, LAI fresh semen 48 hours later. Modification of this is 12 day CIDR, 1 cc estrumate or lute day 10, 3.5 cc PG 600 at CIDR pull, LAI fresh semen 48 hours later.  Another modification is 14 day CIDR pull, 1 cc estrumate or lute day 7, 5 cc PG 600 at CIDR pull fresh semen at 48 hours.  Modification to all of these is I have heard that if using frozen semen CIDR pull and PG 600 should be timed so that LAI is done at 54th hour.  If anyone has heard of other modifications would love to know. The first one is the one I used at the end of May and got a 73% take rate.  This is now our 5th or 6th year of LAI but have been doing CIDRS with natural cover to try for those fall lambs back when we had to try to get the CIDRS from Australia and hope they weren't confiscated lol.  I believe the true key is the right condition, good minerals, and excellent semen.  If done right you should get a better take rate with LAI using fresh chilled semen than natural cover.     

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: LAI results

« on: July 31, 2016, 11:25:46 pm »

I'm not sure if it is paying attention to protocols or if we just know more than we did before.  Case in point, it wasn't until I read Tad Thompson's protocols that I knew that you should limit alfalfa and corn.  This was the first year I did that.  I also am a firm believer in semen quality.  When I asked Logan MacLennan about the outstanding quality of the Burn semen, he said that he performs an additional 10 extra steps to ensure the fresh semen he sends is that good as he wants the customer to be happy.  He also guarantees enough fresh semen to LAI 30 ewes but sends enough to do about 45 and recommends that you implant 45.  That way if of the straws are accidentally ruined or the tech uses to much you still have more than enough so he does not have to worry about a refund.  In my book this is called customer service.  So we implanted 42, unfortunately one ewe did not survive the process (this was a first) have 30 pregnant ewes which means I got exactly what I paid from a semen perspective and he has an extremely happy customer. Too bad all semen sales are not handled this way.  I am pretty spoiled at this point and plan on checking out MacLennan rams to purchase full fresh draws from now on!!!     

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: LAI results

« on: July 29, 2016, 01:04:46 am »

Congrats Josh!  Good luck with lambing!!

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: Appetite help

« on: July 19, 2016, 05:33:32 pm »

Makes perfect sense to me 

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All Sheep and Lamb Discussion / Re: Appetite help

« on: July 18, 2016, 09:35:38 pm »

The basic ingredients of gut candy are yeast cultures and a lot of probiotics. I am not a nutritionist like Tony Scott so I don't know if that translates to vitamin B .