Sheep Stuff Ewe Should Know: Recent Episodes
Ryan Mahoney/Dan Macon/Dr. Roselle Busch
"Wool is the greatest thing ever and it's a miracle what it can do." Ryan and Rosie dedicate another episode to celebrate the craftsmanship and artistry that allows us to use wool for so many of it's miraculous qualities. It's not all about knitting, I promise!
Dr. Rosie Busch and Dan Macon have there minds blown by this fun conversation with Dr. Payam Vahmani. Did you ever wonder how what our livestock eat changes the flavor or health of the meat or milk they produce? Then this is your episode...
Dan Macon talks with special guest, Danielle Duni, from the Climate Beneficial Fiber Partnership about the benefits of sheep on our incredibly diverse landscapes. After listening if you’d like to learn more about how you can enjoy a premium for your wool for land stewardship practices you are doing go to https://fiberpartnership.ncat.org
Dan and Ryan talk about financing and the importance of cash management, especially in a high interest rate environment. Don’t take a loan you can pay back and when in doubt stick with cash.
Did you ever watch Bones and think, “I could do that!” Dan and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about the importance of an investigation of what type of predator may be impacting your flock and how those impacts may be measured.
Dan talks with UC Davis range management specialist Dr. Leslie Roche about restoring native plants using sheep! And about the flexibility small ruminants can provide for modern ranching operations.
Dr. Rosie Busch catches up with Dr. Natalie Urie, the Sheep and Goat Study Lead for the National Animal Health Monitoring System at USDA. The 2024 National Sheep Study is underway. How are these studies developed and what are they used for? Join us for this short chat.
Dan and Ryan chat about the long absence and how to deal with change. We appreciate all the listeners
Ryan Mahoney and Dr. Rosie Busch catch up after a busy lambing season. How is success measured? Any noticeable difference? [Dr. Busch mentions at one point that she thinks of thiamine deficiency with animals that have a rumen since the thiamine is produced by rumen microbes. While that is true, pre-ruminants (young calves, lambs, and kids) need thiamine from their milk diet. If lambs aren’t eating enough they can absolutely show signs of thiamine deficiency!] Always learning something…
Rosie makes a visit to Ryan’s lambing camp and record a podcast. We cover how lambing’s going and Dr Busch has some advice for helping sick young lambs
Dan and Ryan catch up in person the th Bruin ranch bull sale and talk bull buying strategy and how it relates to sourcing rams. Fresno State alum and expert herdsman Justin Davis makes a guest appearance too
Ryan and Dan banter about covering all the time that’s past since we last recorded! Great to be back
Two in one week!! Dr. Rosie Busch had the great opportunity to guest host for the ASI Research Update podcast. Don’t miss it! We talk with Dr. Christie Mayo and Dr. Molly Carpenter about their works and incredible collaborations to help us better understand the complexities of the virus-vector-host interface!! So wild.
A lot of life, travels, business, and discovery has happened in these many months in between. Ryan and Rosie catch up. It’s been a while. We talk about a little of it and lots about sheep stuff! We’ve missed you all.
Ryan and his son Connor visit with 2023 shearing champ Chad Furlong about shearing and farming in Roseburg, OR where the sheep industry is thriving.
Cat Urbigkit is an author and photographer based in Wyoming. In addition to her career as a newspaper reporter, Urbigkit became a full-time book author in 2005. She’s been a devoted reader, writer, and library user since she was in third grade. Cat continues to write books and report for various news outlets. The author lives on a working sheep ranch in western Wyoming with her family and her livestock guardian animals, including guardian dogs and burros. Urbigkit shares the beauty of rural life through her nonfiction books for children. Her books have received honors from the International Reading Association, Junior Library Guild, National Science Teachers Association, Society of School Librarians International, and numerous state reading associations. In her nonfiction books for adults, Urbigkit often writes about big predators, and life on western rangelands shared by these species.
http://paradisesheep.com/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/cat.urbigkit
Didn’t Ryan say his grandpa always said to “plan for the unexpected”? Dan Macon and Dr. Rosie Busch catch up about life and how communities respond and step up when the unexpected happens.
Dr. Rosie Busch has sooooo many questions when it comes to the topic of sustainability. We’ve touched on this topic before, but in this episode Rosie gets to ask all of her burning questions to Dr. Sara Place with CSU and AgNext, one of the top researchers in her field.
Rosie and Ryan sit down with Dr Allen Pettey of UC Davis and walk through nutrition basics and then walk into the great unknown of attempting to balance vitamins and minerals in an ever changing grass systems. So much information packed into this hour chat. Happy Ash Wednesday
If you have a structure for lambing all ewes, just ewes and lambs that need some TLC, or you’re in the dreaming/planning stage, this is a great episode for you. Ryan Mahoney and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about their favorite features of lambing facilities.
Ryan catches up with Angus Underground podcast star and SSESK friend Joe Fischer. Joe quiz’s Ryan about weaning and where is seasonal grasses are and Ryan learns how to read and graze in trees. The conversation then jumps into an excellently inspiring bit about working with people and building relationships. Enjoy
It’s still raining in California! Wow! This is amazing. Dan and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about how it impacts our animals and the difficult conversations we may need to have with our peers.
The first episode of 2023. It’s amazing. It’s raining in California! Ryan Mahoney and Dr. Rosie Busch talk all things weather and water especially. 😁 Thanks for being a listener. Let us know what you want to hear.
Dan joins UC Cooperative Extension wildlife experts Dr. Carolyn Whitesell and Breanna Martinico to talk about all things critters - predators, beneficial (and potentially problematic) birds, and livestock protection tools.
Dan and Dr. Busch reminisce over various feasts they’ve prepared. Discussing different cooking methods and favorite cuts of lamb. Then they talk briefly about difficult but very real impacts of predators on flock behavior and performance. New research idea? I think so!!
Don’t they say the one thing that is constant is that everything is always changing? Today Ryan and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about how this year looks different from last year. How does that impact our ability to measure environmental impacts on a large scale?
All you would ever want to know about foot rot and foot health in your sheep. Dr Busch helps Ryan understand footrot through this episode. We hope it helps you too.
Dan Macon and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about how important and challenging it can be to balance such a small part of a ruminant diet… trace minerals.
Ryan Mahoney and Dr. Rosie Busch have a casual conversation about conspiracy theories, cultural norms, and lots of random stuff. Rosie has had way too much time traveling alone and has been thinking a lot about the incredible unique qualities of the places and people she gets to work with. What did you take away from this conversation?
Ryan and Dan talk about flushing ewes and what affects it has on a lamb crop. Then they discuss what we’re the causes of Ryan’s early lamp crop and when/if he should make changes to the breeding program.
Dr Busch and Ryan sit down in the lambing barn and discuss a variety of things Ryan has seen over his lambing season. We were planning on posting this next week but due to popular demand(Mr Blakeman) here you go!
Dan and Ryan get caught up about all sorts of ranch and farm things. Even some important sheep things ewe should know. Ryan’s starting lambing so he talks about it a lot. And Dan makes obscure rock-n-roll references…
In todays world less than 2% of the population are involved with agriculture. So just imagine the fraction of a percent involved with raising sheep lamb or wool. Many large commodities connect with the consumer and tell their story with the help of marketing programs. Ryan and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about the benefits of these program and ways to ease the burden on small producers considering certification of their flock.
Dan Macon (much like Alice) daringly and inquisitively follows Dr. Busch (like the white rabbit always running late) down the chaotic rabbit hole of vaccine technology, immune responses, and availability in the US. It’s quite a tale.
After a lively herd check of the Emigh Livestock ewes and super speedy OPP sampling (seriously) Ryan decides it would be a great idea to be outnumbered by UC Davis SVM alumni. Meet the new Mill Station Vet associate, Dr. Katie McFarren, and enjoy the stories of Dr. Jason Bravos.
Dan and Ryan discuss the current negative market conditions. During last years markets record highs, we all knew they would come down. Now that they have, we are wondering why. They could have gone deeper and left a lot unsaid, but they discussed some key points we all should consider.
Rosie and Dan catch up on the California Wool Growers annual meeting and take a deep dive into EID technology
Ryan and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about what Ryan learned at the wool mill in North Carolina! Then we go down a major rabbit hole of the value of American wool to the infrastructure and the hard working people that make it happen. Enjoy
Ryan visits with Sam Kennedy of Columbia TN, and they talk about Sam’s family legacy and how he’s using sheep to rejuvenate and rebuild his family’s farm.
Dr. Rosie Busch and Dan Macon talk about ways to learn from your experiences, both successes and failures, and build a full story for what may have happened. Feild necropsies, the ultimate diagnostic test, may be a useful tool to add to your strategies for capturing information.
Dan and Ryan discuss multi species grazing and get a little detailed on how and why it works in Ryan’s ranch. Could it work for Dan? Listen and find out.
Dr. Rosie Busch talks with special guest, Dr. Holly Neaton, about the impacts and opportunities for controlling Ovine Progressive Pneumonia or maedi-visna virus in your flock.
Dan and Ryan talk about the different associations they belong too and work with. They discussed what and how they should work and why it’s important for growers to get involved and give their time to ensure good decisions are made.
Travis Kropf from Ozan Creek Farms joins Ryan for a discussion about livestock production in Arkansas. Travis is a multigenerational rancher with a passion for grass management. Follow Travis on Instagram @ozancreekfarms to see more about his farm
Dan and Dr. Rosie Busch discuss preparing for various disasters, the importance of early communication, and having not just a plan, but contingencies, too!
Ryan and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about the different sheep operations they’ve seen and what makes them so unique. It’s very clear more sheep vacations are needed for Dr. Busch.
Dan and Ryan discuss two issues that American Lamb producers have been dealing with for years. Aged out heavy lambs (known as old crop lambs) and imported lamb. We hope this inspires some thoughtful industry debate on these challenges.
Dr Busch and Ryan sit down with Dr Ehrhardt from Michigan State University to discuss the basics of accelerated lambing. We dive into the basics of how and why it can work. Even if you’re not utilizing accelerated lambing, many of the principles discussed work in any production system. To learn more about Dr Ehrhardt and his work check out his site at https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/richard_ehrhardt
This week we are so fortunate to get to speak with Dr. Andrea Mongini. She is a highly respected veterinarian, owner of an incredible sheep dairy, manager of a large goat dairy, and mother of three boys. We are so grateful to Dr. Mongini for sharing her time and expertise with us. Enjoy!
Ryan and Dr Busch talk about feeding lambs and feedlots and how they fit into the larger lamb production system
Where do sheep get their wool cut? At the baa-baa! 😂 Ok, but in all seriousness. Dan Macon and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about one of the most important events in the sheep production year… shearing! Shearing is an art, a science, and a sport. It can be noisy in a shearing shed and feel a bit chaotic, but settle in and watch the incredible craftsmanship of harvesting wool and caring for the animal. It is truly mesmerizing. We hope this episode inspires thought and appreciation.
Dan visits with Davy McCracken, director of the Scotland’s Rural College Hill & Mountain Research Centre, about opportunities for using technology to increase efficiency in extensive sheep and cattle operations.
Dr. Busch shared her knowledge on some of the basics about goat or sheep dairies. Ryan proves that he literally knows nothing about goats and less about dairy. Make sure to message him on Instagram @californiasheeprancher plenty of questions on this topic. He learned a lot and hopefully you will too. Enjoy!
Dr Busch and Dan make the drive down to Emigh Livestock’s shearing and pull up a couple wool bales and shoot the breeze. A lot time is spent on animal handling and the differences between cows sheep and goats.
Dan Macon and Dr. Rosie Busch catch up on recent events, which always leads to great conversations about sheep! From schools, to shearing, to external parasites, and dogs…
Dan and Ryan chat about planning for perfection but ultimately conclude that the best way is to get your hands dirty and learn from doing.
Ryan Mahoney and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about the important considerations that are made when it comes to preventing disease and protecting flock health. Tail docking is an important topic, and today we hope to add to that conversation.
Dan Macon and Dr. Rosie Busch had a great time catching up on lambing events at Flying Mule Sheep, pondering why their breed up was so great this year, talking bits of nutrition and metabolic disease, and sharing “what not to do” stories from their past.
We discuss the importance and philosophy of work, especially as it relates to labor intensive endeavor like production agriculture. There seems to be a growing trend toward less work and while efficiency is important, we reflect on how important the day-to-day physical and mental challenge is toward lifetime fulfillment and actually contributes to overall success in farming and ranching.
Loads of banter. Then, Dr. Rosie Busch and Ryan talk about the mental preparation or mindset that comes with being in agriculture. The rollercoaster, the amazing opportunity, and the constant learning.
Dr. Danelle Bickett-Weddleis the associate director for the Center for Food Security and Public Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. We were lucky enough to have Dr Bickett-Weddle answer all of our questions related to this important topic that is often overlooked or not understood. What would happen if there is a sudden outbreak of Foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease within the US?
Integrity, compassion, dedication. The values that veterinarians uphold. Empathy, resilience, local economies. The values that your local veterinarian brings to your community. Ryan Mahoney and Dr. Rosie Busch discuss the antibiotic rule changes that will sweep the nation in 2023 and really get into the value that your veterinarian-client-patient relationship can bring to your operation. Connect with us on Instagram @californiasheeprancher @ucce.sheepngoat @flyingmule
Ryan and Dr Busch are joined by Brad Peek from Western Video Market and discuss the recent changes to the ways and options of marketing your lambs. Price discovery is the subject of years of study and its pretty much solved in today's episode. Apologies for the below the highest quality standard we normally have, Ryan set up the mics wrong and deserves all the blame. please send complaints to @californiasheeprancher on IG
Dan and Rosie take a “deep dive” into the nuances of just about every sheep man or woman’s inevitable nightmare: Foot Rot. What is it? What causes it? How to treat it? How often to trim feet? How does it vary regionally? What percentage of my flock should I expect to be affected my this?
Dan and Ryan catch up and talk about evaluating risks of loosing leases and planning for things ewe may knot want
Dan and Ryan banter about sheep and how we could start thinking about adjusting our sheep to fit the evolving markets.
Dr. Rosie Busch talks with LaDonna Foley about the joys of dairy goats during a rare moment of downtime between speakers and events at the ADGA annual meeting in Arizona. Enjoy!
Not trucks keys… this time! ;) Dan and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about how they approach the world of research and finding the keys to make forward motion in of sheep ranching, environmental stewardship, and veterinary medicine.
Ryan sits down with California sheepman, Duncan McCormack. They discuss his history and the industry in general and shares insight into the connection between a shepherd and their sheep.
Dr Busch and Ryan talk about grazing alfalfa and why it’s so important to the California Sheep production system. The benefits and some of the challenges it brings and how grazing alfalfa is not the same in every area
Dan and Ryan have a delightful conversation about landlord/lessee relationships and how they both approach them. This episode is as much a good listen for landowners as it is lessees.
Coming through a recent record setting rainstorm Dr Busch and Ryan talk about dealing with losses, treatment of livestock during a weather event, and how to move forward after a loss
Dan and Rosie talk about flock behavior, moving sheep (and their dogs), and preparations that go into a move! And bonus: no technical problems this week!!
Dan and Ryan talk through the process of planting an irrigated pasture for their sheep ranches. Lots of great nuggets of information from Dan in this one.
Dr Busch and Ryan reflect on people who have helped inspired them and what/how they did. Also how sometimes they don’t even know they influenced ewe……
What is a breed? Why would you choose certain breeds over others? Whats the deal with that weird longhorn sheep from Hungary or someplace? Wool breeds, hair breeds, domestic, wild…Dan and Rosie NAIL these questions and more on today’s episode.
Some buzz in CA is buzzing about the need for more small processing facilities to support local farm to fork movement. Dr Busch, Dan, and Ryan sit down to talk about the issue and end up going on a plethora of tangents. Please enjoy
Ryan and Dr. Busch talk about the value of longevity. With a smattering of economics, disease control, goal setting… Let us know your thoughts. @sheepstuffeweshouldknow
Yes. That was a pun. During this episode, Dan Macon and Dr. Rosie Busch talk about how we deal with stress and the importance of taking care of your mental health. Dan and Rosie are not psychiatrists, but they mention some good resources by authors who are! Reach out. Let us know what you think.
Dan and Ryan talk about managing through the drought and staying resilient. How to keep resilient throughout the challenges of an unpredictable climate.
Dr Busch gets into the details of herd health during lambing. From understand basics of what is needed for a clear diagnosis of diseases and how to start a conversation with your veterinarian. Handling milk problems and how to assist in lamb deliveries are all discussed. Hopefully today’s conversation helps you have a successful lambing this year
Dr Busch and Ryan discuss what Emigh Livestock does with their rams in the off season and how important recovery is after a season of working.
Dan visits with Northern England shepherd and best-selling author James Rebanks about farming, family and writing. Rebanks' newest book, Pastoral Song, hits U.S. bookstores this week!
Richard Hamilton and Ryan sit down and discuss Hamilton Bros ranch and how they developed their ideal sheep and cattle for their environment over the course of 60 years. If you are interested in genetics at all, give this unique interview a listen from a man who’s family has done it for generations!
Ryan Mahoney and Dr. Rosie Busch discuss sheep terminology, including Rosies list of words that sometimes feel undefined for many. They also talk about sheep and husbandry related books.
Dan and Ryan explore the financial impact of drought combined with high markets and how to manage increased cash flow. Missteps in a good market, plus an unfortunate market swing could leave your ranch in trouble. Hopefully their discussion sparks some quality questions ewe can ask your account.
All livestock producers have to deal with parasites in some form or another...Dan and Rosie discuss all things parasites in the context of a sheep breeding operation.
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 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 inspires discussions about how to improve your ranch.
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 possibilities of a pandemic hitting the sheep industry and why its important to understand our risks and what the plans that are in place will do to our ranches if something like foot and mouth hit the US. Beware, this episode is full of tangents. Enjoy!
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 enjoyed recording!
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 always, leave a review and message Dan (@flyingmule) or Ryan (@californiasheeprancher) any topic ideas, questions or concerns
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 the same struggles and be intentional about being attentive to those farmers and ranchers around them. Looking forward to another great season of Sheep Stuff Ewe Should Know!
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 wraps up our 1st season. Big thank you to all our guests and thanks to Mr Kidwell for professionalizing our audio. Season 2 will start in February! DM Ryan(@californiasheeprancher) or Dan(@flyingmule) on Instagram with ideas and ways to improve and THANK YOU LISTENERS!
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 underestimated side business for anyone looking for a little extra money.
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 encourage co workers to become the best selves. Enjoy
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 consumer. Hopefully their discussion will spark some ideas and begin some discussions that are the seeds of change for product that has allowed humanity to live in luxury for thousands of years!
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 ranches and udder health is essential to the ewe's longevity and the lamb(s) health. Ryan and Dan both left the discussions with changes to their operations. We hope you do to!
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. Only once the lambs are born do you have something to sell. Its a busy critical time, but probably the most rewarding for every sheep woman or man. If something in this episode inspires a question or comment, please reach out to Ryan(@californiasheeprancher) or Dan(@flyingmule) on Instagram or leave a review. Thanks for listening!!
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 whole ewe and avoid single trait selection, and Ryan shares his method of evaluating rams. What makes a ewe a cull at lambing, weening, preg-scanning? are all discussed.
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 on the table? Climate change, custom grazing, timbering, firebreaks, urbanization of the forest, proper staffing, the importance of local response, volunteer crews, access to livestock during an event, they touched on everything. We hope this discussion helps people to forward plan and start to respectfully engage our representatives. Sheep, goats, cattle and other ruminants should play and important role in future fire mitigation measures.
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 tried to buy gps ear tags for their cows. This is an honest discussion of the thought process leading up to investing and how they recognized failures or successes in their sheep and cattle business.
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 sadness and blaming, it is instead an attempt to understand the implications of what has happened. Dr Saitone offers a valuable, outside the industry, perspective based on her experience working in other agricultural commodities. The world is not ending, it is changing and if we are to successfully change with it, we need to understand our situation to make informed decisions forward vs. reacting emotionally, potentially causing more collateral damage. Enjoy, and reach out to Dan(@flyingmule) or Ryan(@californiasheeprancher) on Instagram with any feedback.
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 while. This episode is best enjoyed with a fine beer, whiskey, or lemonade and your favorite lamb dish. Don't forget to rate us 5 stars and even leave a glowing review as it helps keep us going.
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 revenue to your farm but one must be careful to not hide costs associated with taking your products to another level of the production. Sheep, Lamb, wool, custom grazing all can add to your existing ranch. Just be sure to budget and plan best you can and prepare for the unknown, because the unknown will always happen.
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. We also explore the importance of building a team of people to give advice and help guide a ranch top success. Most importantly, how to relate to and interact with a banker. We hope you enjoy and please leave a review or DM us on either of our Instagram @flyingmule @californiasheeprancher
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 profitable and responsible sheep enterprises on the range. Specifically, his research addresses the livestock production-wildlife interface, alternatives to antibiotics, selenium metabolism in ruminants, improving lifetime production yield of range sheep, managing shrublands and sage grouse habitat, and improving sheep breeds for range-based systems. Bret’s degrees are in biochemistry and animal science, with emphases in toxicology, nutrition, and molecular biology, which were obtained from the Texas A&M University System and New Mexico State University. He is a member of the Society for Range Management, American Society of Animal Science, and International Society for Selenium Research; a former division and associate editor for the Journal of Animal Science and guest editor for the Animal Frontiers journal; and former President of the American Society of Animal Science Western Section.
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 to use or not use them.
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.
This week Dan and Ryan discuss pasture management. Grazing rotations, nutrient supplementation, noxious weeds, and the difference between sheep and chickens are explored.
This week we dive into the reason behind the collapse of market lamb prices and some of the uncertainties that have turned bulls into bears.
Ways to measure your efficiencies as a Sheep Rancher are discussed. There are plenty more ways and things to measure then what was discussed on this episode but hopefully a few of the ideas aren't a measure you would think of.
Ryan and Dan discuss the diversity of sheep and some of the steps you should consider when evaluating what breeds may be the best for your ranch.