Sheep Stuff Ewe Should Know

Ryan and Dan get the opportunity to visit with Kurt Portas of Palliser Ridge Farm in New Zealand.  Kurt provides some brilliant insight into how they run and manage successful farms in NZ.  Be sure to check his farm out at PalliserRidge.co.nz 

Sheep.  Ovines.  Lambs.  Wool.  Ram. These are key works that help us appear on more topic searches.  Ranching brings many challenges and even opportunities to overwork yourself.  Today Dan and Ryan talk about working smarter not harder and what they do to maintain their mental health.  Also in the discussion is a bit about building employee culture and how to en...

Dan and Ryan talk about the future of renewable fibers, mostly wool but we mentioned cotton, silk, and other renewables.  They also discussed the importance of a quality wool market is to a successful ranch.  Wool can be difficult to market these days, but with some creativity and inspiration it can be done!  Wool is an amazing fiber that checks all the demand boxes for the modern c...

Ryan gives an update on what's going on in the lambing barn during the peak of the busiest time of year, when the majority of his lambs will drop within a 3-4 week window. 

Sheep producers Dan Macon and Ryan Mahoney discuss animal handling techniques they've learned over the years. Differences between Temple Grandin and Bud Williams facilities designs, the use of dogs in herding, sorting lambs, and more.

Mastitis is the American Sheep Industry's leading cause of culling.  It effects anywhere from 10-60% of a given flock in the US.  To say it's an issue is quite the understatement.  Dan and Ryan sit down with Dr. Busch to better understand what this disease is, how it progresses through a herd, and what steps can be taken to mitigate it.  The ewe is the core of all our our sheep...

As Lambing season closes in on Ryan's operation, Dan grills Ryan as to how he prepares for a successful lambing.  How to prepare a lambing kit, what to do with the ewes, how to manage feed during the last trimester and the days before and after giving birth.  There are even a few tips on how to handle the animals when moving them.  Lambing season is where the years crop is made. &nb...

Its culling time!  well not really, its just talking about culling time!  Dan and Ryan share with each other their culling procedures and how to strategically keep or not keep sheep.  A lot of productivity and efficiencies can be gain or lost through the culling process.  It is also essential to herd health.  Dan shares his 'scorecard' method  to help him evaluate the...

Apologies for the reverb, we were unsuccessfully attempting to Instagram live and record at the same time.  Anywho, today's episode is all about the current wildfire situation in CA.  Dan and Ryan don't have all the answers; instead they have a honest discussion of how are we here? How do we begin to talk with non-agricultural interests about preventing these disasters and put everything...

Ryan sits down with Jon Kidwell to talk about the successful failures they've made by spending money on 'technology.'  Over the past 7 years, Emigh Livestock have invested heavily in new technology.  They've developed their own livestock/feedlot management software, implemented RFID eag tags, improved handling systems and yards, improved accounting software, began using drones, and even...

This week Dan and Ryan are joined by Dr. Tina Saitone, Cooroperative Extension Specialist in Agricultural and Resource Economics, to discuss the fall out from the MSR bankruptcy that is currently rocking the industry.  2020 has been a disrupter for the US Sheep industry and the bankruptcy of one of the largest packers has been a large part of this disruption.  This episode is not one of...

Dan and Ryan take a break from the seriousness of business planning, financial analysis, animal husbandry, pasture care, and other on farm work, to move into their kitchens to discuss the delicious side of the business.  Ryan prepares some rack chops while discussing how to buy, prepare and enjoy lamb.  Dan gets ready to make lamb burgers  Ryan's kids even crash the recording for a...

Dan and Ryan continue on last week's topic of basic financial tools and how to apply them to while evaluating a new opportunity for your sheep ranch.  Adding value is a hot topic in ranching these days and some advice is given to help define the lines between 'adding value' and creating a new enterprise.  Directly marketing your lambs of wool can provide some great opportunities to add r...

Dan and Ryan take a look at the basic tools to financially evaluate how the business side of the ranch is doing.  The purpose and difference between a balance sheet, income statement, & cash flow statement are discussed and then applied to both Dan & Ryan's ranching experiences.   Be it sheep, cattle or crops, agriculture is run on thin margins and has a huge cash demand. &n...

Dan & Ryan sat down with Dr. Bret Taylor and discussed some opportunities for improvement and how the USDA, ARS Sheep Station is filling that need.  Plus the importance of sheep on the western range landscape.     Dr. J. Bret Taylor is the Research Leader and Director of the USDA, ARS, U.S. Sheep Experiment Station near Dubois, ID. The focus of his program is keeping profit...

Apologies for the sound quality on this one, we had some issues with web connections.  the discussion is all about making better genetic decisions and the theories that are behind them.  The importance of information on your herd is crucial to successfully running sheep and the info packed into this marathon episode will help anyone better understand the tools that are available and how...

Dan interviews multi-generational Petaluma, CA ranching legend Fred Groverman  

Dan and Ryan talk about shepherding tools of the trade.   

This week guest host Joe Fischer, @bruin_ranch, joins Ryan to discuss family values and how the ranching lifestyle influences their family life.  

Dan and Ryan talk about traveling the country and world in search of sheep.  Also hidden among the travel discussions is a sub-conversation on the  logistics of buying, freighting livestock and the reasoning behind a 'fair weighing condition/payweight.  

Dan and Ryan get to sit down and interview Mr. Emigh.  Richard 'Dick" Emigh has run sheep his whole life and over his 91 years seen it all.  Such a blessing to listen in on the wisdom acquired over a lifetime of experience.  

Dan educates Ryan on LGD basics.  how to choose them, qualities they should express, and why they are such an essential part of so many ranches.

Dan and Ryan discuss some of the best available tools for collecting, storing, and using information about individual animals to inform operational decisions.  Then, most importantly, how investment in tech returns value back to a ranch.

In this episode Dan and Ryan talk about some of the basics of vaccines and antibiotic usage in sheep and the necessity of having a relationship with a veterinarian.

After a quick recap of the CFAP industry relief program Dan and Ryan talk about the roll of a feedlot in the sheep production system.