4 Tips for Getting Sheep Ready for Jackpot Shows

Jake Warntjes, BioZyme® Area Sales Manager, and his brother, Nick Warntjes, have shown and raised their fair share of club lambs. Today they have the opportunity to help other junior livestock enthusiasts with their lamb projects. By following these simple tips you’ll be on track to #preptowin.

1. Hydration is key. When preparing to leave for a show, we generally start lambs on a drench program 2-3 days prior to leaving to keep the lambs hydrated. This not only helps with their visual appearance, but also with stress. Hauling to a show can be extremely stressful so we also use Vita Charge® Gel and/or Vita Charge Liquid Boost® starting three days prior to leaving and continue once a day until we get home to keep stress at a minimum. It is important to keep in mind any weigh back rules your show might have when monitoring water intake to ensure you are within the correct weight range.

2. When shearing for a show we recommend doing so 1-2 days before show day to allow for any blemishes to go away before showing. We generally use surgical blades to shear the body and then a blocking blade on a set of small clippers to blend and clip legs.

3. Skin condition is very important when preparing for a sheep show. When you wash and shear a lamb it removes all of the lanolin from their hide, which can result in dry and wrinkly skin. It is important to keep plenty of conditioner on the lambs after shearing, even after returning home from the show to make sure they are ready to go for the next trip out. We also recommend keeping a blanket on the lambs at all times. This helps keep them clean and keep moisture in their hide.

4. As you are getting ready to head home from a show, fungus prevention is equally as important as pre-show preparation. There are many different products that can be utilized for the prevention of club lamb fungus. It is important to find one that works best for you and to make sure to disinfect your sheep and equipment after each show to ensure that you keep your livestock healthy and ready to go for the next show.