WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

Most of the sheep production in Manitoba and Canada is done to raise lamb for meat production. There are some producers, who raise registered breeding stock, have fiber flocks and raise sheep for dairy production.

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You need to learn as much as you can about the various production systems, sheep breeds that will or will not work within the systems, the management that is required to maintain that level of production and decide which works best with your resources and your goal of becoming a sheep producer.

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There is conventional production with lambing in the spring, pasture-based systems, intensive production, where animals are housed or confined, semi confined, out of season breed, lambing year round, accelerated lambing, Induced lambing.

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Each one of these production systems require an understanding of the management, the breed of sheep that will work within this system and the level of intensity, that is required to be successful and the expected economic returns.

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There are lots of markets available for sheep raised for meat production.  Although, Manitoba does not have a federally inspected processing plant for sheep, animals go to either Ontario or Alberta for processing. There are a number of provincially inspected plants in Manitoba that will process sheep and lamb, but the numbers are not significant.

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There are many management practices for raising sheep and getting them to market. Some systems will have lambs ready for market in 90 to 120 days, well others will take longer. There is no right way, only the system that works best for you and produces a lamb to industry specifics.

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There are many marketing opportunities, Canada only produces 40% of the lamb available to consumers, so there is lots of room to grow. The best prices for lamb is the Easter market for new crop lamb. Many lambs are marketed from September to December, coming off pasture. There are many producers that are bridging the gap to supply lamb year-round by intensively raising sheep and lambing year-round.

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The price of wool has been low for the last few years and wool production is not generally a great source of revenue. However, there is a growing fiber industry creating a value-added industry for wool products from specific breeds and creating some producers to raise fiber flocks.

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Try and find out as much as possible, talk to sheep specialists and sheep producers to get all the information.

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For further information, please contact the Manitoba Agriculture Sheep Team.