Production Records

Maintaining organised pocket diary records is essential to facilitate effective flock management. These records are a handy tool for the stockman on duty, allowing for real-time data collection and monitoring of flock performance.

The core records you should maintain in your pocket diary include:

• Sire and dam: Track the lineage of each lamb to assess genetic traits and breeding success.
• Lambing date: Note the date of birth for monitoring growth rates and scheduling future management activities.
• Sex of lambs: Record the sex of each newborn to aid in managing separate housing or feeding strategies.
• ID of lambs: Assign and record a unique identifier for each lamb to track individual health and performance.

Beyond the primary data, consider recording the following observations to gain deeper insights into flock health and productivity:

• Lambing ease: Document any difficulties encountered during lambing to identify ewes that require intervention in future pregnancies.
• Ewe’s mothering ability: Observe and note the mothering skills of the ewe, such as nurturing behaviour and milk production, which are crucial for lamb survival and growth.
• The vigour of lambs: Assess and record the initial activity levels and health vigour of newborn lambs to identify those needing extra care.
• Birth weights: Many producers find it beneficial to record the birth weights of lambs as it correlates strongly with early vitality and long-term growth potential.

Keeping these detailed records in your pocket diary ensures a comprehensive overview of your flock’s health and productivity, enabling more informed decision-making and efficient management practices.

 

Sheep Birthing Records

A. Example One

Sheep birth record.

Date lambed	4/6/2023	6/6/2023	6/6/2023	10/6/2023	10/6/2023	10/6/2023
Sire	Patch	Champion	Champion	Lincoln	Lincoln	Lincoln
Dam	121	235	235	423	423	423
Sex of lambs	R	E	R	E	E	R
Birth type	1	2	2	3	3	3
Birth weight	4.2	3.9	4.1	3.9	3.8	3.5
Lamb ID	2301	3202	2303	2304	2305	2306
Comments	Normal	Normal	Normal	Assist	Assist	Assist

B. Example Two

Sheep birthing records.

Birth date	Wean date	Sire	Dam	Sex	Breed	Lamb ID	Weight	Comments
							Birth	Weaning

 

Below are more relevant records that could be kept. The value and relevance of the different types of records will vary with differing sheep production systems.

 

Sheep Health Records

The health records of the flock should include morbidity, mortality, signs, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and vaccinations. The Table below illustrates an example of a medical record, and the following Table is an example of vaccination records that are kept. The last Table in this section illustrates an example of how a mortality record is kept.

Examples of medical records include the following:

Medical records.

Owner’s name
Farm or camp
Stockman’s name
Treatment given
No.	ID or name	Observation date		Major signs observed	Suspected disease	Medication	Duration	Dosage	Response	Remarks

 

Vaccination records.

Owner’s name
Farm or camp
Stockman’s name
No.	ID or name	Vaccination date	Type of vaccine used	Remarks

 

Mortality records.

Owner’s name
Farm or camp
Stockman’s name
No.	ID or name	Breed	Age (months)	Sex	Date animal died	Value of animal

 

Other Important Records to Keep

Individual ewe records.

				EWE
Sire no.			Birth date:			Weight
Dam no.			Triplet	Birth weight			ID no.
			Twin	Weaning weight
			Single
Shearing date
Fleece weight
Year	Date	Sex	Flock no.	Birth weight	Pregnancy (days)	Weaning		Remarks
						Weight	Date

 

Explanation of the above ewe record form:

1. Flock number of the ewe. Birth date of the ewe (month, day, year). Indicate if ewe was born a twin or single by checking the proper square. Birth weight of ewe (record weights in kilograms). Ewe’s weight at the time she was weaned. Record in this space the name or number of the sire and dam of the ewe. Shearing date and fleece weight records.
2. The year of lambing. Month and date of lambing. Sex of lamb (if twins, use a line for each lamb). Flock number of lamb. Birth weight. Sire of lamb. (May not be practical in some commercial flocks). Pregnancy days are the number of days from the time ram turned in until lamb dropped. Weaning weight and weaning date of lamb. Spaces for remarks on ewe and lamb (lamb grade, etc.). It is felt that these cards will provide a concise and readily available record of the performance of each animal in the flock. Such records will not only act as valuable aids during the culling time but can be used to advantage during both private and public sales.

 

Individual ram records.

				RAM
Sire no.			Birth date:			Weight
Dam no.			Triplet	Birth weight			ID no.
			Twin	Weaning weight
			Single
Shearing date
Fleece weight
	Ewe’s breed		Ram days to lambing			Average weaning weight		Average yearling fleece weight
Year	Breeding dates	No. of ewes Bred	165 days or less	166-182 Days	183-200 Days	Average of the flock	The average of this Ram	Average of the flock	The average of this Ram	General remarks of lambs (e.g., Twins)

Explanation of the above ram record form:

1. Flock number or ID of ram. Birth date of the ram (month, day, year). Indicate if ram was born a twin or single by checking the proper square. Birth weight of ram (record weights in kg). Ram’s weight at the time he was weaned. Record the number of the sire and dam of the ram. Shearing date. Weight of fleece. Record each year that this ram is used for breeding.
2. Breeding dates for each year, such as 9/1/23 to 10/15/23. The total number of ewes bred each year. Record in the proper column the total number of ewes which lambed in the specified number of days. For example, suppose a ram was turned in with thirty ewes on January 9^th. 16 Ewes lambed by July 22, which is 165 days from January 9^th. Another 12 ewes lambed by August 15, which is 182 days from January the 9^th, and the remaining two ewes lambed by August 23, which is 196 days from January 9^th. From these lambing results, we would record 16 under the column “165 or less,” 12 under the column “166 to 182” and 2 under the column “183 to 200.”

By enhancing the structure and detail of the following records, the data becomes more actionable, supporting informed decision-making and improving the overall productivity and profitability of the farm:

• Feed consumption records: Estimating feed consumption on farms where animals graze can be challenging. However, for capital-intensive operations like finishing or fattening, recording the quantity of concentrate feed consumed is essential. This data helps calculate profitability and manage feed efficiency.
• Mating and reproductive records: Accurate records of sire, dam, and progeny are crucial for effective breeding, sales, and culling decisions. Include details such as:
• Sire and dam identification: Track lineage for genetic management.
• Lambing or kidding records: Document progeny ID, dam ID, birth weight, date of birth, type of birth (e.g., single, twin), and sex.
• Milk production records: For dual-purpose or even meat-type sheep and goats, weekly recording of milk production from a random sample of lactating females provides sufficient data to gauge overall milk yield.
• Growth and weight records: Periodic monitoring, ideally monthly, of animal body weights helps in assessing growth rates and health. Maintaining an inventory of animals and other assets on the farm is also recommended.
• Carcass yield and dressing percentage: Recording carcass yield or dressing percentage is crucial, especially in community-based breeding programs. This data, often available from slaughterhouses, is vital for evaluating economic return and meat quality.

 

A. Contemporary Groups

When evaluating animal performance, compare only those within the same contemporary group – animals of similar age raised under identical conditions. If managed identically, adjustments for sex allow for males and females to be grouped.

 

B. Computerised Recordkeeping

Utilise tools like spreadsheets (such as Excel) and databases (such as Access) to manage and analyse performance data efficiently. Numerous commercial software packages and mobile apps, many tailored to sheep farming, provide functionalities for detailed record keeping. These often include free demo versions and facilitating a trial before commitment.