Happy Holidays! - Don't Forget the Livestock!

     I will make this short. Happy Holidays to all you 4-H and FFA members! I hope you will enjoy your break from school. Please remember these things during your winter break.

• You DO NOT GET TO SLEEP IN! Your animals expect to be fed the same time in the morning and the same time at night as they have been. They won't care if you are still in your pajamas, so ditch the fuzzy slippers, put on your mud boots and coat, and head to the barn.
• You DO NOT GET TO RELAX ON EXERCISING AND GROOMING! This is the perfect opportunity to spend time with your animals. They need their exercise during the break to help build muscle, keep those rumens moving and appetite going. Breaking calf hair, moisturizing hog hair or combing out leg wool all takes time, and you have some now.
• You SHOULD PRACTICE SHOWMANSHIP! This is your homework during winter break. Don't be the one during the county fair saying "I wish I had worked more on showmanship."
• CLEAN UP THE BARN! You have been putting it off because of school, sports and other activities, so now is the time to really get it clean. Get the feed sacks hauled to the trash, clean up the hay stack, sweep the floor, pick up the shovels, rakes and tack you have just left out because "I use them every day."

     Two weeks off seem like an eternity, but it will go by fast and will be busier than you think. Get out to the barn and take advantage of the extra time you have.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Pets and Livestock Projects

     Most youth who have a livestock project also have a pet at home. The family dog or cat is usually the first introduction to learning to care for and respect another living thing. As time passes and youth are old enough for livestock projects, we see a lot of comingling (living and interacting) with pets and livestock projects. I myself have had pets such as a barn cat and part-time cow dog. But there are some things youth and families need to keep in mind about the interactions between pets and livestock.

     Let's start with the family dog. Depending on size, breed, temperament, and previous exposure, dogs react differently to livestock. The same can be said for the livestock projects. Things I look for in the interaction between the dog and livestock is how they react to each other.

• Is there aggression? Does the dog bark at or charge barking at the livestock?
• This can cause livestock's flight or fight reaction to kick in. If they turn and run, the dog may learn they can chase the livestock, becoming more aggressive.
• If the livestock turn and fight, most have the ability to hurt a dog, and possibly hurt a person who is caught in the middle of the fight.
• Any dog who bites is a major problem. The damage done by a dog bite can equal an expensive vet bill or worse, a death loss.
• Does the dog ignore the livestock?
• This can cause the dog more problems than the livestock. Dogs who do not pay attention to livestock can become injured if their presence is met with a fight response.
• Is the dog a scavenger?
• Some dogs enjoy having something different for a meal and may eat part of the livestock feed, especially if it taste good to them. The problem is some livestock feeds contain ingredients that can make a dog sick.
• Is the dog a chewer?
• Puppies are notorious for chewy up tack and equipment around a barn. They may also want to chew on things they should not such as used veterinary supplies. These may contain something that may make them very sick.

     The family cat, or in most cases the barn cat, can create some issues as well with livestock. While most cats avoid the larger livestock, what they bring into the barn can cause a problem.

• Where does the cat eat?
• Many barn cats are fed in the barn. If fed at ground level, the smell and access to food can invite unwanted guest such as possums, skunks, raccoons and other critters. In the barn these animals can spread disease and contaminate livestock feed and water.
• How well is the cat cared for?
• Most barn cats are cared for well and get trips to the vet. Some may be the neighbors or one who has gone feral (wild). Cats can carry in some unwanted health issues.  For example, cats can carry highly contagious ringworm fungus which can turn into ringworm on calves and goats, or wool fungus on sheep. If the barn cat exhibits any signs of illness, they need to go to the vet.
• Does your cat like to mark its territory?
• Cats like to mark their territory. They do this by spraying a small amount of urine on things. This may include hay or feed, making it less desirable for livestock to eat.

     Now both dogs and cats can also be beneficial around livestock projects. Dogs can keep predators like foxes, coyotes and stray dogs away from livestock. They can also alert us to other problems, like when our livestock get out and are grazing in the yard. Barn cats are hopefully doing their job of hunting rodents and birds, keeping them out of our barns and livestock feed. The big take away is make sure your pets are having positive interactions with your livestock projects. If not, take the action you need to correct the problems.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

First Time Project - Sheep

     This is a continuation to try and answer the question, "what is the best first livestock project?" In this post I will go over the basics about sheep projects. The big considerations again are: type of project, cost of the project, time frame for the project, and ending the project. I will also discuss the  advantages and disadvantages of the project.

Sheep Projects

Project Types

• There are two main project types for sheep: market, and breeding. (Some projects are raised for wool production, and even some for dairy, but the majority of youth projects are market or breeding, and that will be the focus.)
• Market sheep are being raised to produce lamb (meat). This could be a wether (male) or a ewe (female). Both will reach market age and weight in less than 10 months.
• Breeding sheep are raised to become breeding stock and produce lambs. The majority of youth projects are ewes kept to be bred, not rams.
• Each project has different costs, time frame and manners of ending the project.

Cost of Project:

• The initial cost of a sheep project can be as low as market value and go up from there. For a show quality sheep, the minimum range is around $150 to $250 per lamb, due to the amount of cost for a sheep breeder to produce show sheep.
• The facilities costs are highly variable. The basic sheep facility provides a shelter from sun, rain and cold. It has enough feeders or feeder space for each sheep, and the same for waterers. There should be enough space for sheep to all lay down and stand up without stepping on each other, and easily turn around when full grown. The space should also be big enough to allow sheep to urinate and defecate away from their feeders and waterers.
• Sheep need plenty of space to exercise. Facilities should allow sheep to freely run and play or have access to an exercise area during the day.
• Breeding sheep will have the added costs of lambing facilities. Most breeders like to use lambing "jugs" or "jails". These are small pens under shelter to keep lambs close to their ewes the first few days after they are born. These pens can be home built or commercially purchased panels. If this is a one time "try it and see", it would be advisable to borrow or rent the panels.
• There will be veterinary costs associated with sheep projects. They will need to be vaccinated properly and de-wormed periodically to maintain proper health.

          Market Sheep

• Feed is the most expensive production cost. For market sheep, prices average around $12 to $15 per 50 lbs. bag of show feed.
• How much to feed will depend on breed and the genetics of your lamb. Sheep gain around 1/2  to 3/4 pounds per day. The rate of gain can vary as well. Sheep can gain 1 pound for every 3 to 7 pounds of feed they consume. With this in mind, you may feed 250 to 700 lbs. of feed depending on how well your sheep grows, its beginning weight and the final desired weight. Doing the math (Total Feed ÷ 50 lbs. per bag = # bags x $15 per bag = Final Cost) around $75 to $210 in bag feed.
• Sheep are ruminants. This means they have a 4 compartment digestive system and need roughage as part of their diet. To provide the proper roughage, quality grass, alfalfa or mixed hay is needed in their diet. As little as 1/4 pound of hay each feeding can help keep the ruminant system healthy and digesting feed properly. A small square bale of hay can range from $7 to $12 each and can last 60 to 90 days.
• There are also other feed supplements that can also be included. How beneficial the supplement is, and how much cost it will add is widely variable. I would suggest you visit with the breeder of the sheep to find out which supplements if any they recommend.
• There are two additional considerations when feeding sheep. First is a proper calcium and phosphorus ratio of 2:1. This means for every 2 pounds of calcium there should be 1 pound of phosphorus consumed. The second consideration is avoiding copper. Sheep can get copper toxicity. Be sure the feed and any supplements you are feeding are safe for sheep and free of copper.

          Breeding Sheep

• There are different and additional costs if you decide to do a breeding sheep project. They can include:  extended feeding costs, breeding costs, lambing costs and marketing costs.
• If the ewe was shown, then her costs are the same as the market sheep above. Once the last show is over, feed costs will include feeding the ewe for additional time. Sheep are seasonal breeders and most sheep breeds will only breed during the fall.
• Between the last show and breeding season, most sheep are turned out on pasture to graze. Pasture rental can vary, but is usually much cheaper than feeding hay and grain.
• If pasture is not available, feeding a hay ration with some grain is normal. Ewes will consume 3% to 4% of there body weight in feed daily. So a 180 pound ewe will require 5 1/2 to 7 pounds of feed per day. The cost of hay is the same as above, $7 to $12 per small square bale. Bagged feed for ewes is less than show feed and can average $8 to $10 per bag. Ewe diets should be at least 50% or more hay, and grain is used as a supplement to provide added nutrition.
• It is a little hard to give an estimated cost on feeding since it depends on the quality of hay fed, the quantity of hay and grain fed and the amount of time between the last show and breeding. A good estimate is $.25 to $.50 per day to feed one breeding ewe. It should not cost more than $1 per day.
• Grain is also made available when the ewe is nursing her new lambs. A rule of thumb is 1 pound of grain per lamb she nurses. This could equal an extra $.20 per day for the 8 weeks lambs typically nurse.
• Most lambs are supplemented hay and/or grain during the weaning process. Depending on whether lambs are going to pasture or not will determine how much hay or grain supplement they receive.
• Breeding costs can vary widely depending on the sire (ram) you choose to breed to. Breeding is by natural service which means the ewe and ram must be together. If a youth has just one or two ewes, it does not make sense to buy a ram. Work with a breeder to place your ewes in with their flock during breeding season. You will have to pay something for the care and breeding, but it will be much cheaper than buying and owing a ram of your own.
• Some costs can be recovered and possibly a profit made by selling baby lambs. Ideally, a ewe has twins. If a breeding produces show quality lambs to sell, a good income can be made. The amount of income depends on how high quality the lambs are at weaning time.

Time Frame

• A market sheep project may only last 8 to 10 months. Lambs grow quickly. They are purchased a little after weaning around 8 to 10 weeks old and weighing around 30 to 40 pounds . They can reach market weight of 120 to 160 pounds by the time they are 7 to 8 months old. Market sheep are then sold once they have reached market weight.
• Breeding sheep can live several years and produce multiple lambs. Most breeding sheep projects will include two lambs each year. Once a ewe is done producing lambs, she too can be sold.

End of the Project

• A project lamb can be sold to a private buyer, a commercial buyer or kept for home consumption of the meat. Many county and state fairs will hold a sale to allow youth to sell their project animals. Some have a commercial buyer available for them to sell their sheep to after the shows are over. If the decision is to use the meat for home consumption, the youth and their parents will be responsible for delivering the lamb to a processor, the cost of processing and picking up the meat after processing is complete.
• No matter who buys the sheep project, they are all eventually destined to be processed for meat. Market lambs will be processed and used for fresh cuts such as lamb chops, leg, and ground lamb. Breeding stock is mostly processed into aged product called mutton.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• The length of time for a market sheep project is shorter, 6 to 10 months.
• There are several sheep breeds. A breed can be chosen to allow exhibitors of any size or age to show. For example, a Southdown lamb may only reach 80 pounds and be great for a young exhibitor, where a large crossbred lamb may be a better fit for a senior exhibitor.
• Showing sheep can be very physically demanding, especially when learning and working with the sheep to teach them to brace. Some younger exhibitors may not have the best experience if they feel their sheep is too big or strong for them to handle.
• There does not need to be a lot of tack involved or needed for raising sheep. The is grooming equipment like a trimming stand and clippers that can be borrowed, but can be expensive to buy.
• Show sheep projects are not always money makers. The difference between the cost of buying and feeding a show lamb versus the market price received for the lamb can be quiet noticeable. A good junior livestock sale is the best way to recover the investment. Selling show quality baby lambs can help to make a breeding project profitable.

Additional Resources

Here are some additional resources to help you in your decision making about a swine project:

4-H/FFA Market Lamb Sheep Projects, Treasure Valley Sheep Producers, Idaho

4-H Show Lamb Guide, Texas AgriLife Extension Service



Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

First Time Projects - Swine

     Many times I have been asked, "What is the best first livestock project?" And the only response I can give is, "It depends." There are many things to consider when choosing the first livestock project. Most youth want a show quality project so they can participate in the county fair. I try and help parents and youth by going over the basics about each livestock species. The big considerations are: type of project, cost of the project, time frame for the project, and ending the project.

Over the next few blog posts, I will try and address the considerations for a specific livestock species as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the project.

Swine Projects

Project Type

• There are two project types for swine: market and breeding.
• Market swine are pigs being raised to produce pork. This could be a barrow (male) or a gilt (female).
• Breeding swine are pigs raised to become breeding stock and produce litters of baby pigs. The great majority are gilts kept to be bred, not boars.
• Each project has different costs, time frame and manners of ending the project

Cost of Project:

• The initial cost of a swine project can be as low as market value and go up from there. For a show quality pig, the minimum range is around $150 to $250 per pig, due to the amount of cost for a swine breeder to produce show pigs.
• The facilities costs are highly variable. The basic swine facility provides a shelter from sun, rain and cold. It has enough feeders or feeder space for each pig, and the same for waterers. There should be enough space for pigs to all lay down and stand up without stepping on each other, and easily turn around when full grown. The space should also be big enough to allow pigs to urinate and defecate away from their feeders and waterers.
• Breeding swine will have the added costs of farrowing equipment. This equipment can be home built or commercially produced. If this is a one time "try it and see", it would be advisable to borrow or rent the equipment.

          Market Swine

• Feed is the most expensive production cost. For market swine, prices average around $15 to $16 per 50 lbs. bag of show feed. You will need to feed 600 to 800 lbs. of feed depending on how well your pig grows and the final desired weight. Doing the math (Total Feed ÷ 50 lbs. per bag = # bags x $15 per bag = Final Cost)  around $175 to $250 in feed.
• There are also feed supplements that can also be included. How beneficial the supplement is, and how much cost it will add is widely variable. I would suggest you visit with the breeder of the pigs to find out which supplements if any they recommend

          Breeding Swine

• There are different and additional costs if you decide to do a breeding swine project. They can include:  extended feeding costs, breeding costs, farrowing costs and marketing costs.
• If the gilt was shown, then her costs are the same as the market swine above. Once the last show is over, feed costs will include feeding the gilt for additional time. This includes 21 to 45 days for breeding, 115 days of gestation and 30 to 45 days of nursing. This could mean feeding 181 to 205 days before the first litter is weaned. As a bred gilt, she will begin needing at least 5 lbs. of feed per day and may need up to 16 lbs. of feed per day as a sow nursing a litter. This could mean over another 1300 lbs. of feed. The good thing, sow feed is much cheaper, around $8 per 50 lbs. which equals another $200 or more in feed.
• Feed is also made available to the litter to help wean them off the sow's milk. This could be another 50 to 100 lbs. of feed, costing $20 to $50 depending on the type and quality of feed. The feeding will continue until the baby pigs are sold.
• Breeding costs can vary widely depending on the sire (boar) you choose to breed to. Most gilts are bred by artificial insemination (AI). Ordering a dose of semen  can range from $100 to $300 per breeding. If it takes more than one time to get her bred, it can get expensive quick.
• Most gilts will be raised for show, then bred and farrowed. On average, this will take a calendar year to complete. The following years will include 2 breeding cycles per year, meaning $400 to $500 in feed plus breeding cost of $200 to $600.
• Some costs can be recovered and possibly a profit made by selling baby pigs. If a breeding produced show quality pigs to sell, a good income can be made. The amount of income depends on how many and how high quality the pigs are.

Time Frame

• A market swine project may only last 5 to 6 months. Pigs grow quickly. They are purchased a little after weaning around 4 to 6 weeks old. They can reach market weight of 230 to 280 pounds by the time they are 6 months old. Market swine are then sold once they have reached market weight.
• Breeding swine can live several years and produce multiple litters. Most breeding swine projects will include two litters produced each year averaging 8 to 12 pigs per litter. A sow who produces two litters per year for 4 years may have produced 90 or more offspring. Once a sow is done producing litters, she too can be sold.

End of the Project

• A project can be sold to a private buyer, a commercial buyer or kept for home consumption of the meat. Many county and state fairs will hold a sale to allow youth to sell their projects. Some have a commercial buyer available for them to sell their pigs to after the shows are over. If the decision is to use the meat for home consumption, the youth and their parents will be responsible for delivering the pig to a processor, the cost of processing and picking up the meat after processing is complete.
• No matter who buys the swine project, they are all eventually destined to be processed for pork. Market swine will be processed and used for fresh cuts such as pork chops, roasts, shoulders, bacon and hams. Breeding stock is mostly processed into ground pork products like sausage.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• The length of time for a swine project is short, 4 to 6 months for a market animal.
• Swine can be shown by exhibitors of any size or age.
• There does not need to be a lot of tack involved or needed for raising swine.
• Show swine projects are not always money makers. The difference between the cost of buying and feeding a show pig versus the market price received for the pig can be quiet noticeable. A good junior livestock sale is the best way to recover the investment. Selling show quality baby pigs can help to make a breeding project profitable.

Additional Resources

Here are some additional resources to help you in your decision making about a swine project:

Feed Budgets, Iowa State University

How to Raise and Show Pigs, Texas AgriLife Extension Service



Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension