Eastern Iowa Farmer Spring 2021

nursed, Goedken puts the ewe in a headgate
and will assist the lamb in getting
started on its mother’s udder and becoming
more confident in how to nurse.
When lambs are born they weigh an
average of seven pounds, similar to the
size of a human baby.
As he continues to lamb, he has to
keep track of the ones born five to seven
days prior. When the lambs are about a
week old, Goedken gives them a series
of shots, including Penicillin, BO-SE and
CD-T. They also are castrated and have
their tails banded, the latter step being an
important part of hygiene for lambs. If
their tails aren’t banded it brings a large
risk of the animals getting certain diseases
and infections.
After 60 days, the lambs are weaned.
They are given another CD-T shot and
are sheared for the first time. The lambs
that Goedken decides not to keep for
showing are sold as feeders.
The next big job aside from daily care
is in October, when all the ewes and
bucks are sheared.
“We shear the ewes and bucks in
woolly endeavor
October, after it cools off, to get bugs
and other dirty things off the animals.
This also makes it easier, when the ewes
are lambing in January, for the lambs
to nurse. Plus, since they’re in a heated
barn, they don’t need the extra cover to
stay as warm,” Goedken said. n
Sheep Facts
Iowa is known for having more
sheep producers than any other state,
second to Texas, according to Iowa
State University’s sheep extension.
It also has the highest lamb-to-ewe
ratio, 1.67 lambs per ewe compared
to the national average of 1.11.
The latest U.S. Department of
Agriculture Census released last year
lumps sheep, goats, wool, mohair and
milk together, showing that category
generates more than $61.7 million in
sales in Iowa, the 4th highest in the
country. Cedar and Dubuque counties
rank 21 and 38 in sales among Iowa’s
99 counties, with Clinton at 60, Jackson
at 64 and Jones at 74.
The top 10 counties for sheep in
Iowa are mostly in the northwest part
of the state, with some in the east/
southeast area due to the proximity of
the regional terminal auction barn in
Kalona.
Iowa has around 151,000 head of
sheep in the state and ranks 9th in
sheep production in the United States.
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44 Eastern Iowa Farmer | Spring 2021 eifarmer.com