Sheep: Empty swine barns have potential for sheep

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Experts say that a conversion can be simple and cost-effective, but producers need to do their homework first

by PATRICIA GROTENHUIS

Market prices for sheep suggest that demand is not being met, but industry expansion could happen through converting empty hog finishing barns to sheep barns.

According to swine and sheep housing and equipment engineer, Robert Chambers at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the conversion from a hog finishing barn to a feeder lamb or dry ewe barn can be simple and cost-effective, but interested producers have to do their research first. 

"I certainly see it as an opportunity for some producers – and I stress some – to utilize facilities already built," says Chambers.

If conversion costs are below $10 per square foot, Chambers feels the conversion would be economical. He and Fraser Hodgson, an Ontario Sheep Marketing Association (OSMA) director and Lambton County sheep farmer, believe barns with natural ventilation would be the best to convert.

In Prince Edward Island, there was one research study done on a converted hog barn with 60 lambs. Chambers

says more research is needed, but results from the trial were promising. The study found no growth differences between lambs on slatted floors and lambs on manure packs, but barns have to be full to run most efficiently.

"Part of the problem is that finishing barns were designed to be full of animals at all times to maintain enough heat. People try to close up partly full barns to conserve heat and relative humidity goes up," says Chambers. Excess relative humidity lowers air quality and can cause moisture and ice formation on equipment and floors. 

Animal numbers are also a challenge. A 50-by-200 foot slatted floor finishing barn, with capacity for 1,100 finishing hogs, could hold 2,000 feeder lambs or 1,400 dry ewes. In Ontario, only a handful of sheep producers have enough animals to fill barns.

Slatted floors for sheep housing are being used by one producer each in Ontario and Quebec. Chambers has seen slatted floors considered for sheep housing in plans as early as 1960, and says other countries, such as Ireland, use slatted floors regularly.

Concrete slats with maximum 16 millimetre openings for lambs or 19 millimetre openings for dry ewes have the highest success rate for sheep housing. The legs of small lambs can fall through slats, so Chambers stresses that a slatted floor should never be used for lambing or nursing pens.

Housing sheep on slatted floors will force producers to feed total mixed rations or pellets, as long hay would plug the floor slats. With sheep having over 20 per cent dry matter in their manure, there are concerns about manure handling. 

In the PEI study, a large amount of wash water was used, allowing manure to pass through liquid pumps. Chambers is not sure farmers would use the same amount of wash water, and suggests it could cause added production costs.

Currently, total confinement for Ontario sheep is uncommon. However, widespread coyote problems are threatening flocks. Hodgson says that, if control measures are not put in place soon, farmers will be forced to bring sheep indoors or will leave the industry altogether. 

He notes that sheep numbers are dropping due to fewer Ontario lambs being born, combined with less animals being brought in from Western Canada and the United States. OSMA directors and executives are meeting to discuss the industry's growth potential. BF