Sheep and Goats
Care of Young Stock Purchased Off Farm
- Caring for Baby Kid Goats of an Unknown Age
- Caring for Baby Lambs of an Unknown Age
- Biosecurity for Sheep Producers
Sheep / Goat Production Information
- Bulletin #2186, Are You Thinking of Raising Sheep?
- Bulletin #1210, Farmer Skill and Knowledge Checklist: Goat Producers
- Bulletin #1040, Farmer Skills and Knowledge List: Sustainable Sheep Production
- Bulletin #1045, Getting Ready for the Shearer: A Checklist for Maine Sheep and Wool Producers
- Sheep Shearers List for Maine, 2022
- Sheep Best Management Practices
- Sustainable Sheep Production Skills and Knowledge List
- A Guide to Starting a Commercial Goat Dairy (PDF), UVM, 168 pages
- Sheep 101.info The purpose of Sheep 101 is to teach 4-H and FFA members, students, teachers, beginning shepherds, and the general public about sheep, their products, how they are raised, and their contributions to mankind. (University of Maryland)
- Sheep 201 is a Beginner’s Guide to Raising Sheep. The information should be useful to people raising different kinds of sheep and utilizing different production systems. (University of Maryland)
- Lambing and Kidding Preparation Series: Facility Setup and Lamb Processing (YouTube)
University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Rachel White, Assistant Extension Professor and Livestock Educator, explores how shepherd Tom Hodgman of Waldowview Farm prepares his facility and ewes before lambs arrive, and how he keeps organized once lambing season starts. The concepts in this video can apply to goats and kidding preparation, too. - Lambing and Kidding Preparation Series: Birthing Kit Essentials and When to Use Them (YouTube)
University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Rachel White, Assistant Extension Professor and Livestock Educator, and shepherd Tom Hodgman of Waldowview Farm go over important items to have in a birthing kit and provide detailed explanations on when and how to use them.
Sheep / Goat Health Information
- Bulletin#1064 Standard Operating Procedures and Their Use on Farms
- Bulletin #1049, When to Call the Veterinarian — Tips for Producers of Small Ruminants in Maine
- Bulletin #1032, Tips for Detecting Disease or Injury in Sheep and Goats
- Bulletin #1033, Setting Up for Sheep Foot Inspection and Trimming
- Bulletin #1039, The Shearer’s Role in Reducing Disease
- Bulletin #1046, Biosecurity Precautionary Measures for Sheep and Goat Show Persons
- Maine Animal Disease Traceability Program: (DACF) includes information on tagging and record-keeping
- Eliminating Chronic Disease Using a Farm-based Approach: Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL)
- FAQ: Meningeal Worm in Maine Sheep
- Generic Abortion Prevention Program: Sheep and Goats
- Sheep Foot Health
- Fecal Testing for Parasites: How to do the modified McMaster Fecal Egg Count Test (PDF), SARE and University of Rhode Island
Pasture and Crops for Sheep/ Goats
- Bulletin #7129, Watering Systems for Livestock
- Grazing Guide, Northeast Pasture Consortium
- Maine Hay Directory, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
- Maine Pasture Management Course, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
- Maine Straw Directory, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
- UMaine Analytical Lab, Soil and Manure Testing, University of Maine
- Dairy One, Forage and Feed Analysis
4-H Youth Program Information
- Maine 4-H Goat Projects and Programs, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
- Maine 4-H Sheep Projects and Programs, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Buildings and Equipment for Sheep / Goats
- Sheep Housing and Equipment Handbook. This informative handbook includes Planning considerations; Barn types, placement, and layout; Manure management; Feed storage and handling; Treating and handling facilities; Equipment for raising orphan lambs; Needed utilities and construction materials. Also featured are a summary data chart, 19 tables, 110 figures, a glossary, references, and a conversion chart for areas and volumes. 96 pp, 1994, Print Price $18.50 + handling or Download Price $11.00. MWPS
- Hoop Barns for Horses, Sheep, Ratites, and Multiple Utilization: This booklet briefly discusses a variety of hoop barns as an efficient solution for raising horses, sheep, ostriches, and multiple uses like hay storage. The sheep section includes a design data summary; layout and an inside view of the market lamb barn. Multiple utilization includes illustration and dimensions of potential storage capabilities. 8 pages, 8 1/2 x 11, illus., download, 2004 Price $3.00. MWPS
- Dr. Temple Grandin’s website, Livestock Behavior, Design of Facilities, and Humane Slaughter
Farm Taxes and Recordkeeping
- Maine Sales Tax Forms, Maine Revenue Services site with tax-exempt applications, affidavits and refund forms for agriculture producers
- Current Land Use Programs, Maine Farmland Tax Law Information, Marketing Information
- Federal Income Tax, Publication 225: Farmer’s Tax Guide
Marketing
- Bulletin #1220, Cheese Maker Self-Assessment Tool for Occupational Health, Safety, and Ergonomics
- Bulletin # 1030, Raw Milk Production: Guidelines for Maine Licensed Dealers
- Bulletin #1107, Butchering Poultry, Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, and Pork ($24.95 +sh)
- Resource Guide to Direct Marketing Livestock and Poultry, Small Farms Program, Cornell University, a 155-page guide available for free online or $3 for CD or $8 for hard copy
- Direct Marketing Lamb — A Pathway. Loading your lambs up and hauling them to the sale ring is one way to market four seasons of devoted labor. It could, however, be debated whether you are really marketing at all — after all, you’re simply choosing a date and delivering your lambs to the sale ring on that day. Often, that date is determined not by market savvy, but by when you happen to run out of pasture. With today’s uncertain lamb markets, you may have no inkling of what lamb prices will be by the time your lambs are ready to sell. With this comes the frustration of trying to meet your financial obligations. 20 pages Free download from ATTRA.
- ATTRA Lambulator is the perfect tool to help you answer these questions. A cut-yield pricing calculator is an essential part of a direct marketing lamb business. Excel spreadsheet. Free. ATTRA.
USDA News and Standards
Sheep / Goat Quality Assurance Program
- Sheep Safety and Quality Assurance, American Sheep Industry Association
- Goat Quality Assurance, eXtension.org
Sheep / Goat Related Organizations
- Maine Sheep Breeders Association (MSBA)
- Heart of Maine Dairy Goat Association (HMDGA)
- Southern Maine Dairy Goat Association (SMDGA)
- Boar Goat Breeders of Maine (BGBM)
- American Sheep Industry Association (ASID)
- Lamb Checkoff and Resource Center
Health and Management Information (Maine)
University of Maine
Colt Knight, Assistant Professor of Extension – State Livestock Specialist, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Rm 133, Orono, Maine 04469. Tel: 207.581.2953, 800.287.0274 (in Maine). Email: colt.knight@maine.edu.
State Agencies
Michele Walsh, State Veterinarian, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Tel: 207.287.7615. Email: michele.walsh@maine.gov.
Carol Delaney, State Livestock Specialist, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Tel: 207.215.4968. Email: carol.delaney@maine.gov.
Celeste Poulin, Director, Maine Department of Agriculture’s Division of Quality Assurance and Regulation. Tel: 207.287.3841. Email: celeste.poulin@maine.gov.
Note: Where trade names or company names are noted in this document, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension is implied.