| Question: | My lamb weighs 76 pounds right now and are fair is in may and he has to weigh up to 100 pounds how much do you think he will be by then? |
| Answer: | You can tract your weight by weighing your lamb every Sunday- same time of the day and under the same feeding conditions. This will give you an accurate average daily gain. Multiply the average daily gain by the number of days until the show to get an idea of what he will weigh. If you feed 4% of his bodyweight per day ( 3 lbs per day) the lamb should gain about 3 lbs per week. |
| |
| Question: | how much fat cover should your lamb have? What is the average loin eye for a lamb? What is the dressing percent for a lamb? |
| Answer: | Fat cover should be from .15" to .25" at the 12th rib. Judges vary on the amount of fat cover they like when judging. LEA ranges from 2.5" up to 3.75" on most major show carcass results. Dressing percentage is around 55%. Major show DP will be higher because the lambs have been pulled back on weigh in weight. |
| |
| Question: | This is going to be my first time showing a lamb and I was wondering once I get him to our farm what feed should I be on, how much and to what point? After that what feed should I move on to and for how long and how much? As finishing feed what do you recommend for before the terminal show? Thanks. |
| Answer: | Go to the home page and read the "Goat Guide" |
| |
| Question: | Is there anything you can feed or do in order to improve eye muscle depth scans at shows? Thanks |
| Answer: | Exercise and genetics. |
| |
| Question: | I was wondering if there is anything i should do prior to judging, i.e. 24 hours before that would improve the handle of the lamb/ make him rock hard over the loin? Water additive or feed ingredient? Thanks |
| Answer: | You might try electrolytes to replenish any vitamins and minerals deleted when pulling. I usually start the lambs on electrolytes 5 days before going to the show. |
| |
| Question: | I was at a show one day ago, the judge told me that she didnt have enough power. she is kinda skinny but really long and tall . She is 10months . any suggestions on what i should do to help her gain weight? |
| Answer: | Feed multiple times per day and add a fat additive. I like Honor Showchow powerfuel. |
| |
| Question: | What is the best time of year to buy a market show lamb? |
| Answer: | Depends on what time of the year your show is. |
| |
| Question: | How do you make a lamb\'s back level and firm? Just through exercising??? If so, how should I exercise it? The lamb is my show lamb and it has a small place on its back where its not level.
Thanks! |
| Answer: | Lamb might need a little extra fat to smooth out the top. Some have a high loin or other features that cannot be changed. Not sure what your situation is. When driving, they should be level if driving correctly. Ask you adult advisor to look at your lamb and advise. |
| |
| Question: | Would you be able to provide any advice on exercises and feed ingredients to firm the loin and express the butterfly look along the loin? Thanks |
| Answer: | To firm the loin and get the butterfly look, the goat has to be "cut". To do this you have to pull off fat. Increasing protein and exercising is usually the answer. There is a product called Final cut that works. Beware. Most judges want a fresh handle and top, which means extra fat over the top, loin and ribs (.20-.25"of fat over the ribs). Know what your judge wants. Old style Texas judges like the ripped look. Few else do. |
| |
| Question: | 1-10-12 We have a finewool cross weighs 135lb weigh limit is 140lb our show is in march 1-2012 I\'m feeding 3lb feed 18% including 8oz of corn I split The feed 1 1/2 inthe morning the other at night it needs alittle fat on top you can feel the top bone I do sprints every other day tradmill the other days what do you suggest I should do. |
| Answer: | Stop exercising until you get the fat cover you want. Cut feed to 2% of his bodyweight per day to stop the gain. Feed a high fat diet by feeding half feed and half fat additive. I like Honor Showchow Powerfuel |
| |
| Question: | What\'s your opinion on the dimensions and shape of an exercise track? I realize there are many differing opinions. What is yours? |
| Answer: | The longer the better. Oval with an open area in middle. Narrow if you are using a dog, wider if a 4 wheeler. Ask around your area and try to go look at some already built and ask for suggestions from those that are using them. |
| |
| Question: | How do i gain muscle in my show lamb and make my lamb a good show lamb? |
| Answer: | Get him a little fat and then start an exercise program. |
| |
| Question: | what is a good weight for a suffex at fair |
| Answer: | You need to check the rules for the show and see what the weight limits are from least to most. Anything in between should work. |
| |
| Question: | We have 8 days for are show and I would like to know what we could use to put a firmer touch on are lambs.they weight around 150lbs and are weight limit is 150lbs so if U could help here I would apprichate it.Thxs. |
| Answer: | There is no magic. I like to get the lambs a little fat and them pull them back. I always perform a trial "pull" about 6 weeks before the show to see how they will react. Their handle changes with the amount of water in their bodies.
Other than that, a hard finish comes from proper nutrition and exercise. |
| |
| Question: | HI IM 15 AND IM TRYIN TO FIND A FEED IA HONOR SHOW CHOW THAN SHOW MASTER |
| Answer: | Honor SHow Chow lamb feed |
| |
| Question: | what if u have a lamb thats not leading well |
| Answer: | Repetition. Take him away from the barn and lead him back daily. |
| |
| Question: | What is a good exercise to muscle up a lamb\'s shoulder? |
| Answer: | Any type of exercise is positive. People use exercise tracks, treadmills, walk/run by hand.
Use your imagination. |
| |
| Question: | My daughters mw show lamb weighs 137 lbs w she was told by judge at a prospect show that the lamb is skinny and needs muscle. We have 6 weeks till our show date, what can we do to correct problems |
| Answer: | Need to add fat to the diet to freshen the lamb (more fat). Genetic potential dictates muscle. Exercise will help develop to some degree. I would feed 3% body weight in a major brand of Lamb feed ( Honor Show Chow is my choice). I would add 8 ounces of fat per day (show chow power fuel) and exercise 3 times per week. |
| |
| Question: | is it better to show a male or a female? |
| Answer: | Depends on your goals, show rules, breeding or market classes. A lot of factors to consider. You would need to be more specific for me to give you a logical answer.
|
| |
| Question: | how can i make my show sheep weigh mora fast? what can i feed him? |
| Answer: | Feed multiple times per day. A high quality feed and add a fat supplement. I like Honor Show Chow Power Fuel |
| |
| Question: | Is 116 a bad weight for my lamb? |
| Answer: | Not enough information to answer this question. |
| |
| Question: | i am feeding my lamb steer feed i was told that since they are both rumens that it is ok and that they will get fat faster |
| Answer: | Steers and lambs have different vitamin, mineral, protein, fat and fiber requirements. That is why they make feeds for each species. Common sense equals feed the type of feed that was formulated correctly for the species you are feeding. |
| |
| Question: | what is a good lamb feed starting out to show |
| Answer: | Honor SHow Chow |
| |
| Question: | Any idea where I can find prospect shows? I have looked at the Showbox but I don\'t run points and would like to find more. |
| Answer: | Check with your local County Extension Agent and the Ag Teacher.
|
| |
| Question: | I have a lamb about 6 months old he is shallow in the loin what supplement would be best to fill in that area?
Thank You |
| Answer: | He needs a fat additive. Try Honor Show Chow Power fuel. Follow the directions. |
| |
| Question: | How do you exercise the lamb without a dog but an intense workout |
| Answer: | Go to the home page and read the lamb guide. |
| |
| Question: | just clipped a lamb she feels really good but has thicker hide than i thought she had clipped her the next day she was sooo wrinkled Help this is our county fair sheep and is coming up in about a month |
| Answer: | Not much you can do. Do not shear again until the day prior to the show. You can rinse the hide and add a conditioner like Mane and Tail. Keep a blanket on her now and after you shear. |
| |
| Question: | What special conditions do goats need in order to thrive |
| Answer: | Go to the internet and google this one. |
| |
| Question: | we are 2 weeks to show... what should i do for fitting for show??? drench how much? etc |
| Answer: | Not enough information to answer. If you are going to use drenches prior to a show, always try it at home weeks before the show. |
| |
| Question: | What can I give my lamb for a pulled muscle? Is there anything I can give him since he is going to be used as food? |
| Answer: | Check with you local veterinarian for advise on type of medicine to use and withdrawal time. |
| |
| Question: | Hi, Our weigh in is exactly 12 days away. Lamb weighs about 148 lbs. Our weight limit is 145. He is currently eating 3 lbs. of feed daily(3/4 lbs. of showrite 17% texturized feed mixed with 3/4 lbs. of oats per feeding 2x daily.)Are the oats the wrong thing to do? We thought it might help hold him. What would be better to feed him and keep him fresh and hard handling? He is an Oxford and very large framed. Thanks |
| Answer: | Purina makes a high protein product that allows you to feed a small amount and provide adequate nutritionn for holding. Go to Honor Show Chow website and look at the High Octane additives and directions for feeding. Oats is more of a fiber. Not high in nutritional value, but fills them up. |
| |
| Question: | how much do ewe lambs have to weigh for the show? |
| Answer: | Depends on the show. Secure a rule book and look it up. |
| |
| Question: | We were told that our lamb needs more fat. Our show is in two weeks. Is there a quick way to put on fat ?
Thank you for your help. |
| Answer: | Yes, Increase the fat in the ration. Not going to change drastically in 2 weeks, but wont hurt.
I use Honor Show Chow Power Fuel |
| |
| Question: | My lamb will not lead with or without the halter on. Fair is in 1 week and he braces ok and is not skiddish, i can set up his legs and he doesnt normaly move but he doesnt lead. |
| Answer: | Scroll down the list of questions and answers.
Leading has been answered several times. |
| |
| Question: | We have 2 lambs to show at our fair on Aug 18, 2011. They are 110 and 114 lbs now having been born in March. We feed them 32% protien with a 12% show feed with soy meal mixed in. How do we get them to 130 by fair time. |
| Answer: | I would first move to a complete lamb ration from a reputable feed dealer unless you know how to adjust the feed you are mixing. Sounds High in Protein. Range for protein should be 12-18%.
Fastest gain is created by feeding them all they want- Full feed. |
| |
| Question: | How do you teach your lamb to walk on a harness? |
| Answer: | We put the harness on the lamb and walk them by halter to teach them to walk with the harness on. |
| |
| Question: | So my lamb is 130 and the maximum weight for the county fair is 135. There are over 4 weeks until weigh-in. He\'s ran a mile everyday and jumped about 100 times every few days. His food has been cut back but what more can I do? |
| Answer: | You should be fine. You can take him up to 140 and pull 5-6 lbs off for weigh in with no problems.
I would feed about 2% of his body weight in feed and keep up the exercise. Should not gain more than 10 lbs in a month. |
| |
| Question: | My lambs docked tail is about half an inch past his rump, I dint know if it\'s best to get it surgically shortened to help him look better in the ring or if it\'s not even worth the hassle to fix. |
| Answer: | Usually, I would not go to the expense to have the surgery. Get a second opinion- have someone analyze the lamb while you are driving the lamb from the profile view to determine if it is needed or not. |
| |
| Question: | I found a lamb that was born April 4th. Would he be good for a mid March 2012 show? |
| Answer: | You should be OK. At 11 months, the lamb should reach his genetic potential, which is good. He could get heavier than is desirable depending on breed and genetics. Look at your goals as far as size of the lamb at the show and ask the breeder for his input.
|
| |
| Question: | My daughters lamb weighed 163 lbs today and the max for fair is 160 lbs. Our fair weigh in is July 28th. He looks great though with hardly any fat. We are currentl feeding 4 quarts of Show Tec twice a day and a handful of grass hay. Any advice to get him to be under wieght for fair? |
| Answer: | A few thoughts. At 160 lbs, you can pull water weight off quickly to reduce weight for weigh in. You can then re-hydrate the lamb. Only concern here is if you have a weigh back. A 5% pull on this lamb equals 8 lbs and is very easy to do.
As far as feeding him for the next few weeks, I would feed a limited amount of feed using a product that is high in protein and fat. I like to use Honor Show Chow top dress- 32% protein/ 5% fat. The protein feeds the muscle and the fat provides energy and keeps his fat cover consistent. A handfull of hay is OK unless he has a big belly.
I would determine the amount of feed to give him based on % of his body weight. I would feed 2% daily= 3.2 lbs per day. This should maintain his weight. I would also perform a trial "pull" at home this week. Weigh him, record weight and pull him off of feed and water for 24 hours. Weigh him again to see how much weight he losses. If he comes down 5% in 24 hours, you know what do to prior to weighing in at the show. If he loses to much weight in 24 hours, you would pull less. If he did not lose enough in 24 hours, you would pull more. A good rule of thumb to use to pull a lamb back over several days is to feed 1% of their body weight in feed and 2% in water (daily) over a period of 3-4 days. Just a few thoughts that might help. Good Luck. |
| |
| Question: | lamb blanket directions |
| Answer: | I buy my blankets from Judy's western wares.
Best ones that I have found.
http://judyswesternwares.com/ |
| |
| Question: | i have a very stubborn lamb this year and will not walk. it did for a while but all of a sudden won\'t. i have tried getting it to follow feed, follow other lambs, everything. nothing works. |
| Answer: | Sounds like you have tried several methods to get your lamb walking. Only thing that comes to mind is to take the lamb away from his pen and train him to walk back to the other lambs. I know- it is very difficult to get him away from the barn. If you have multiple lambs, take one lamb with him- in front- as you leave the pen and then walk them back side by side.
Many other methods may work- repetition is the key. |
| |
| Question: | What is the easiest way to teach a lamb how to brace? |
| Answer: | Lambs will naturally brace if they are handled correctly. Bracing involves pushing your leg into the front of the lamb to make the lamb drive back into your leg. It does not involve pulling the lambs head or neck. It does not involve picking up the lamb off of the ground. You must use soft hands on the head.
If you perform the task correctly and he still does not drive, you might try putting the lamb on an elevated surface, placing his rear legs on the edge and pushing the lamb to drive. If he backs up, he will fall off of the platform.
Read the lamb guide on the home page for more information. |
| |
| Question: | We are walking our lambs one mile every other day. And the other days we walk about ahalf a mile. The other lambs in the valley are being walked on a front leg lift pulled be hind a four wheeler. We would like to know if whatr we are doing is enough. The lambs are starting to fill out. Is ther somethings else we should be doing Our show is in August. Plese give us some information that could us inprove our program. Thanks |
| Answer: | Any exercise is positive. Typically, fast and short is better than long distance. (compare humans that sprint versus those that run long distance) Sounds like your competition is using a "chariot" method to exercise there lambs where the front feet are off of the ground. I have seen success using this method as well.
One quick way to increase the physical demands of walking the lambs is to add weight. (similar to football players pulling tires.) You can fit the lambs with a dog harness and attach 5-10 lbs of weight for the lambs to pull when they walk.
Just a suggestion that I have seen work for others. Good luck. |
| |
| Question: | fastrack supplement |
| Answer: | Contains a source of live (viable) naturally occurring microorganisms; a source of protease which can hydrolyze proteins and a source of amylase which can hydrolyze starch for ruminants hogs, all classes of horses, and poultry.
Used to enhance digestion.
I do not personally use the product, but know of folks that use it.
I would try it on lambs that are "hard doers". |
| |
| Question: | Feedin Honor feed (18%) and was doing ok untill last 2 weeks, Now tops and loins are gone! solutions? |
| Answer: | Sounds like lambs have lost finish. Might want to decrease protein to 15% and add Power fuel to increase the fat in the feed.
Not enough information to make a decision. Factors invovled may include, breed, weight, feed intake, exercise, heat index, daily nutrition, etc. |
| |
| Question: | I currently have four sheep I am training for my county fair. All four sheep are in one pen living together. When I take one sheep out to work with it, it goes crazy trying to get back to the other three sheep. Is there anything I can do to make them less attached to each other? |
| Answer: | Very common reaction for the lambs to want to be together. Repetition of taking the lambs away from the group is the answer to teaching them that they are safe and do not need the others to feel secure. It will take time.
|
| |
| Question: | my lamb rears and umps while i shear them is there anything i can do |
| Answer: | Yes- train them to stand on the shearing table and train them to have "hands on" without jumping prior to shearing.
You can accomplish this by putting the lamb on the table every day and brushing the lamb with a soft brush while handling the lamb.
Eventually, they will trust you and stand still. |
| |
