Sheep  project

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Teaching about Sheep at 4H meeting

Showing your Sheep

Showing  the fechers of your Sheep

 

Sheep project skills include: exploring the project; recognizing breeds; locating and using resources; identifying body parts of sheep; observing behavior; identifying uses of wool; exploring by-products; telling the age of sheep; fitting a sheep for show; showing; selecting a lamb; determining the health of a sheep; judging lambs; preparing a management plan; and caring for newborns.

The ideal market lamb

The ideal market lamb weighs approximately 110 to120 pounds. Fat covering, finish or condition is extremely important in a market lamb class. The amount of fat can be determined by feeling down the top, using the ends of your fingers. Ideally, you should be able to detect the lamb’s backbone by using light pressure with your fingers. If the backbone is extremely definite and sharp, the lamb may not be carrying enough finish. How ever, if you cannot feel the backbone, the lamb should be considered too fat. Ideally, a lamb should exhibit from .15 to .25 inches of back fat when correctly finished. This will ensure both acceptable carcass cut ability, as well as carcass quality with a minimum of cooler shrink. A firm, hard finish is desirable. Lambs with an abundance of muscling in the hind saddle are ideal. Heavy muscled leg and loin increase the carcass merit of the lamb. The ideal ewe or ram should possess an abundance of scale. The bigger, longer, heavy-boned sheep are in demand by most breeds.

 

	LEARNING IN THE 4H Learning to take care of a new born lamb as you can see there is work and the joy of helping the New born.

Black Butte 4H is in Shingletown, California