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A New Use for Old Chicken Houses

A New Use for Old Chicken Houses
Raising Sheep and Lambing in Semi-Confinement Facilities in Old Chicken Houses Can Boost Lamb Supplies for Growing Markets in Eastern U.S.
The hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of out-dated chicken houses that dot the landscape throughout the Southeastern U.S. can be turned into profitable, semi-confinement sheep barns -- and help the ailing U.S. sheep industry at the same time.
It's easy to create a great lambing and finishing facility for (non-traditional) hair sheep, take advantage of market demand for non-traditional lambs, and put abandoned, 300-plus-foot sheds all over the South to good, and profitable, use. A typical outdated traditional chicken house can house 400 ewes or more at lambing time and provide facilities for finishing hundreds of lambs on feed. Market demand is high. Just the ethnic markets for non-traditional lamb in Columbus, Ohio, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Detroit, Michigan, New York, NY, Philadelphia, Penn., and the states of New Jersey and Florida would consume more young lambs in such facilities than U.S. producers now supply.
Markets are the largest today for 60-80 lb. live weight lambs. The market is also growing, meaning demand will easily exceed what southern states can now supply, even utilizing all of the old chicken houses on farms not currently active. By turning outdated chicken houses into lamb finishing facilities, southern states can seriously boost the supply of lamb in the U. S. For years the U.S. has imported significant amounts of lamb, mostly from New Zealand and Australia to meet demands. U.S. sheep producers are being encouraged to increase their flock numbers.
But to do this, new flocks will be required. To meet the growing U.S. demand for non-traditional lamb and continue to supply traditional lamb markets, the American Sheep Industry's Board of Directors approved a campaign to increase U.S. sheep inventory. We can help meet the demand by raising grown-hair sheep in the southern states. This will give traditional lamb producers the 40-70-lb. lambs for feed-lots, and also the 110-to-140 lb. lambs for traditional lamb markets. The combination will create a channel for keeping American-grown lamb in the largest grocery store and restaurant chains.
Sheep Industry at All-Time High
The American Sheep Industry is facing an all-time high in demand for U.S. lamb. Producers are being encouraged to boost production, and there are three goals for producers: 1. increase flock size by two ewes or by two ewes per 100 ewes you run;
2. increase the average birth rate per ewe to two lambs per year; and 3. increase harvested lambs by two percent. The key to success may be small operations -- by ranchers and farmers -- on southern acreage, in old chicken houses. Chicken houses are ideal for lambing and finishing feeder lambs. Ewes can be run on pasture for breeding and self-maintain -- perhaps the most important asset American sheep producers have for rebuilding sheep numbers in the U.S. today. Hair Sheep Can Supply Ethnic Markets
Population statistics show that Hispanics, Asians and Muslims have a keen interest in lamb and goat meat markets in the U.S. Lamb is easily sold to ethnic populations in all states. Ethnic groups throughout the Eastern Seaboard purchase lamb meat as part of religious meal requirements. A 35-to-40 lb. carcass is preferred, because the perception is that those over 40 lbs. are from older lambs and lack quality. A lean carcass, about 70-to-80 lbs. live weight and about five months of age, is the non-traditional market the hair sheep is ideal for -- throughout East Coast lamb markets in particular. Other markets that are very viable for these non-traditional lambs are Southeast Oklahoma, East Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia. All are more proximal to the U.S. East Coast's ethnic markets than the larger wool lambs produced in Texas, Colorado & Western states, which produce the larger wool sheep with ranches comprised of thousands of head of sheep. The western facilities produce tens of thousands of lambs for feedlots, which are processed & shipped to Kroger, Walmart & Samʼs Club retail outlets. Most East Coast markets for lambs & goats rely on brokers or order buyers, mostly from Texas. The live lambs are sold to the customers, who pick out those they want for custom slaughter. These markets are numerous up and down the East Coast, & very important to ethnic communities that want fresh lamb.
Good Management Essential to Success
Good management is key to the success of any sheep enterprise. In most operations, ewes are bred in groups of 25 to 50. Maintenance is crucial to keep the ewe maintaining the right body weight, growing slowly to recover the weight lost during lactation. A wide variety of low-cost feeds can meet the requirements of ewes. Pasture or grass hay is all most sheep need in order to self-maintain. In the non-traditional sheep industry, multiple births, year-round lambing, no need for shearing and documented parasite resistance demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of raising these animals. Using semi-confined facilities such as converted outdated chicken house, ewes are easily bred and kept on pasture, where they are easily observed. Ewes are generally in a group for two months during the standard breeding period, meaning bred ewes will lamb in four to six weeks. Ewes are moved into a lambing unit 30 days before lambing, with each group of up to 50 non-traditional ewes going into lambing pens; after lambing, lambs are moved to a claiming pens, and each ewe is kept with her lambs for two to four days to establish maternal bonds.
When the ewes have accepted their lambs they are moved into the hardening area where eight to 10 ewes and their lambs are place into a group pens for 2 to 4 days, where the mothers and lambs find each other in a group. No creep-feeder is needed.
From here the ewes and their lambs are moved into growing pens, with 25 to 50 ewes and their lambs per pen. Each growing pen has a creep feeder for the lambs. Some producers prefer to regroup ewes so that the single lambs are housed in one group and twins and triplets are housed together; this allows the ewes with twins or triplets to easily be given additional feed. Ideally, ewes should be separated into production groups and fed according to the number of lambs they are nursing. A general rule for connectable feeding of lactation ewes is one lb. of grain per day for each lamb nursing the ewes. Lambs usually are weaned at two months of age, or 40 to 50 lbs. While the lambs are moved into the finishing area of the semi-confinement facilities, the non-traditional hair lambs normally reach market weight of 70 to 80 lbs. at around five months of age. During the feeding period the lambs can be grouped according to age and weight in the different pens. Ewe maintenance is similarly cost-effective and easy, and the market statistics speak for themselves.
This Idea Represents Hope and Help for The American Sheep Industry
There are a lot of opportunities in the sheep business, and if all sides come together in one way we can increase the sheep flock and number and process more lambs. Look at the Pipestone Lamb & Wool Program at Minnesota West Community & Technical College -- this program has increased ewe numbers and production levels in this region tremendously, and have meant about an additional $187 million for sheep producers locally over the past 39 years. I believe we need to get the State University, Community Agriculture School, Cooperative Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, all (wool and hair sheep) Breed Association, The American Sheep Industry, American Lamb Board, National Livestock Producers Association (Sheep and Goat Funds), American Lamb Feeder (lamb check-off funds) and the State Sheep Association to help education the public to promote a solid, long-tern sheep project. Promoting the use of chicken houses throughout the Southeast to produce and finish non-traditional lamb is an excellent place to start. We also need to look at the ways the National Cattlemen’s Association, American Angus Association and the National Pork Association have promoted research and check-off monies to elevate the quality of beef and pork. Advertising and an education program for ranchers and farmers would allow these opportunities to blossom in the sheep business today. Source: Jessie Duckett