Sheep Stuff Ewe Should Know

Dr Busch and Ryan talk about animal handling. Especially when things go wrong. Also discussed is how different animals react differently even breed to breed or ranch to ranch.

Dan and Ryan talk about many great things. Among them are common questions Dan receives as an adviser plus they explore what is often overlooked or misunderstood when someone jumps into sheep ranching.

Dan asks Dr. Busch about her road to becoming a livestock veterinarian from that initial spark to the people that keep the motor running everyday.

What a difference a year makes! Dan and Ryan reflect on the changes the past year has brought and the on going drought. End of the episode has a bit on favorite shepherding literature as well!

Ryan and Dr Busch invite a special guest, Dr Jason Bravos, to tell tails (tales) of preg scanning sheep in the Montezuma hills.

Dan and Dr Busch talk about things that sheep eat

Dan and Ryan banter about the drought....again. And then get into the current market conditions and what’s shaking and making lamb prices move.

In this episode, Ryan and Dr. Busch ruminate on a buffet of topics. From making the most of feed in a dry year, to challenges you might see with diet changes, and a little bit on what makes ruminants so cool... the rumen!

Dan talks with Dr. Busch about one of the most common causes of diarrhea in weaned lambs. Coccidia. Join us as we navigate questions, talk about different solutions, and come up with even more questions! If you have a question after this episode, let us know! @californiasheeprancher @flyingmule @ucce.sheepngoat

Dan and Ryan dig deep into the importance of paying attention to wool.  Sheep are a dual purpose animal, providing both fiber and meat for our society.  Unfortunatly, our US industry has focused on meat and often neglecting the value of the wool.  This episode provides a few simple tips to improve your clip and how to begin to realize the value of your wool by first understanding it...

Dr Busch and Ryan talk about what happens at Emigh Livestock prior to ram turnout.  This is really exciting stuff.  

Rams are true athletes. To make sure they have a successful season, shepherds and shepherdesses put their rams to the test with tryouts and spring training. This week, Dan and Dr. Busch talk about preparing rams for the big season, the breeding season that is.

Dan and Ryan tackle mentorship in the sheep industry.  Mentors play a huge roll in passing industry knowledge to new generations of shepherds & shepherdesses.  We hope you enjoy this reflection on the people who influenced our ranches and how they left an impression, often without even knowing they did.  

Today Dan and Ryan talk about the time in between lambing and weaning.  Though often overlooked, the time between having the lambs born and getting them weaning is critical to a successful ranch or farm.  Proper attention to nutrition, parasite control, and understanding when to wean, all either add value or costs your sheep ranch money.  We hope you enjoy and this conversation insp...

Dr Busch joins Ryan and Dan again to talk about some different diseases and try to begin to understand what ranch biosecurity means.  This year's American Sheep Industry's annual meeting included a talk about the foot and mouth epidemic that hit the UK in the early 2000s and what happened to ranchers as a result.   This presentation really opened our eyes to the reality of the real...

Dan give some insight on how to take that question you are having about your ranch and turning it into a research project, complete with grant funding and university help.  We also discuss how to conduct farm research without breaking the bank.  

Dan attempts to ask a handful of questions from listeners and Ryan successfully runs down tangents and ends up talking about sheep things completely unrelated to the original question!

Ryan quizzes Dan about the challenge of navigating the USDA regs around custom processing and selling the wonderful lamb you grow to you neighbors.  We touch on the background as to why the regulations are in place and hope that some regulators are listening to our podcast, especially when we discuss some of the exemptions other proteins have.  We hope you enjoy listening as much as we e...

Dan quizzes Ryan about his lamb weaning practices and challenges him to explain why he does what he does.  When deciding best practices for your sheep ranch, it is always important to know all the assets you have and use your pastures and feed the best way possible.  Throw a drought into the mix and a successful rancher needs to get creative.  We hope you enjoy this episode and as a...

Dan details his pasture lambing system and how he sets it up to complement the genetic disposition of his sheep.  Ryan and Dan also discuss how things might or might not change if his system is scaled up or down.  Also, be sure to contact Dan @flyingmule on instagram to sign up for his upcoming pasture lambing school.

2021 is starting off with a substantial drought developing in CA.   Dan and Ryan both talk about how their different operations are being effected and how they cope with stress.  Ranching means being all things everyday and the mental stress of a drought added on top can be a breaking point for some people.  We hope listeners realize there are many of us out there going through...

Dan and Ryan discuss their different approaches to managing this livestock during a drought and some of the different ways to view a drought as an opportunity.  All sheep ranches face the risk of a drought and Northern California is driving straight into one.  But there are ways to manage drought risks, and owning and running a flock of ovines is one of them.  This episode also wrap...

Dan shares his wisdom on using targeted supplements to efficiently utilize your natural resources.  Supplementation is essential to any successful livestock system's sustainability.  Hopefully after listening to this episode you'll walk away with a few questions and a better idea of how best to manage your ewe flock within your farm's natural resources.  

Fresh off his trip to Imperial Valley, Ryan explains how and why it is such an important part of the American Sheep Industry.  Especially for winter feeding.  It is the heartbeat of our national grass based feeding system and also helps extend the traditional fall oversupply of lambs into the spring, helping to provide year round quality product to American Consumers.  

Dan & Ryan get into the question that all ranchers get, 'How many sheep do you have?'  Mostly this episode explores why size doesn't really matter when it comes to defining if your a sheepman/woman.  what matters is you understanding of what your doing and a willingness to listen.  the value small flocks bring to an industry and how starting a small flock might be an underestima...