Accelerated Lambing

Accelerated lambing is managing the flock in order to lamb more often than once per year. Typically three times in a two year period.

This system only works with particular breeds of sheep which are capable of breeding out of season. Not all breeds will do so.

Birthing in a barn will be required at some point in the time-line so the requirements for shed lambing apply here as well. Even more so than shed lambing, accelerated lambing is an high labour and cost intensive program.

In pushing for greater production producers are hoping to offset infrastructure and maintenance costs via the greater number of lambs per ewe.

While the number of young born per ewe might be higher the pregnancy rate will drop due to out of season breeding.

In order to lamb three times in 24 months there is a faster turn around time from birthing to pregnancy again so ewes do not have a lot of maintenance time to recoup in between raising a lamb and the next breeding. Accelerated programs are harder on the ewes and ewes will be replaced on a more frequent basis.

To keep ewes in good condition for an accelerated program requires more planning, monitoring of feed intake and high quality feed. Additional feed supplements will be required at some point in the year.

Early weaning of lambs will be a must so that ewes can be regaining condition and cycling again in time for next breeding. Feed intake for the ewes is greater and supplemental feed for the offspring is needed.

Supplemental feeding will require a creep feed set up allowing the lambs to access the supplemental feed but not the ewes. This is another cost factored into accelerated programs.

By seperating ewes into breeding groups the producer can lamb on a continual basis. The upside being that lambs would be available for sale year round. This does require careful planning and management and is best suited to experienced sheep producers.

While accelerated lambing programs do not receive as much negative attention as factory farmed or intensively raised poultry or hogs it should be realized that accelerated programs are intensive systems.

With daylight control systems (results in ewes always being indoors), vaginal sponges and hormones being used to assist ewes in becoming pregnant out of season, this lambing program is not for those who prefer a more natural and simplistic approach to sheep raising.

Read about shed and pasture lambing.

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