Douthit Show Lambs

05/10/2026

Look in, nice set selling today for our friends at Quarter A Club Lambs. A little something for everyone.

Today is our sale day! We are excited to see where the future takes these lambs. Please, stop by and check them out!

https://wlivestock.com/auction/33339

05/02/2026

Spring weather can be one of the toughest challenges for fair animals. Warm days followed by cold, wet nights create the perfect conditions for stress and illness—especially pneumonia.

As temperatures swing, animals can struggle to regulate body heat, and damp conditions only make things worse. Keep a close eye out for early signs like coughing, nasal discharge, droopy ears, or animals that just aren’t acting right.

But one of the biggest things you can do is simply pay attention to your animal every day. Know their normal behavior. Are they coming to the feed bunk like usual? Cleaning up their feed? Drinking water? A drop in appetite is often one of the first signs that something isn’t right.

Spring conditions also increase the risk of coccidiosis, especially in young animals. Wet, muddy pens and added stress can allow this parasite to take hold quickly. Watch for signs like diarrhea (sometimes bloody), rough hair coat, weight loss, and animals falling behind.

A few simple steps can go a long way:
• Provide dry, clean bedding at all times
• Make sure barns are well-ventilated but free of drafts
• Avoid sudden changes in environment or feeding
• Keep animals as dry as possible during rain events
• Monitor closely after hauling or stressful events
• Watch feed intake daily—an animal that goes off feed needs attention quickly
• Keep pens clean and consider a coccidiosis prevention program if needed

Healthy animals perform better, and prevention is always easier than treatment. Stay ahead of the weather, stay observant, and give your livestock the care they need to succeed this fair season.

Once again, I’m not a vet... just an Ag teacher and sheep breeder with a strong interest in livestock. I simply want every kid to have the best possible outcome with their projects.

04/27/2026

Good information. Make sure your fair lambs are getting some hay included in their diets.

Sheep, Goats and Cattle HAVE to have fiber in their diets to keep their ruminant stomach operating the way it should.

Gary was very excited this morning to be part of this hay discussion!

{{ Before we dive in, please recognize that this platform is designed to be an inclusive learning and sharing and connecting environment. If that does not align with your own personal objectives, please respectfully exit stage left. }}

Understanding that many show families are not from livestock production backgrounds, I think this is a valuable discussion….

When we first receive an animal in, they are on full “free choice” hay for at least a week or so until they’ve settled in and acclimated to their surroundings. Age pending, this new structure for them can be quite different and very stressful.

This large “dodgeball size” handful of good clean grass hay is what we provide per sheep per feeding (twice a day). We give it to them once they finish their grain. On Sundays, we probably increase this amount by 2-3 times at least to fill them up when we skip the evening grain feeding. (We personally do not raise goats, but I understand this amount is probably double what they require.)

Some people will feed less.
Some people will feed more.
It’s only one piece to the puzzle and your goal is to find what works for you. 🧩

One thing to remember…. If your sheep have a hay belly at home, it. is. okay. That typically means their rumen is doing its job and they’re healthy and happy!

By the time you haul to a show, start your show feeding / drenching and pull back the hay (if applicable), they will have the rib shape they need to have for the ring.

Why hay? 👉🏻 Sheep & their other ruminant counterparts have 4 compartments in their stomach. When they eat long stem forges, it stimulates cud chewing, promotes saliva production (buffering ph in the rumen) and maintains a healthy gut microbiome.

What’s more… the actual texture and length of the forage “scratches” or stimulates the walls of the rumen. This step is essential for nutrient absorption. Fiber supplements help, but the actual length and texture of hay is important.

Added bonus ➡️ it actually helps prevent bloat by action as an anti-foaming agent in the digestive tract!

Things to be careful of…. Too much energy in your hay. I’ve had some people say to find the lowest quality but still clean grass hay they will eat. Alfalfa can be a little risky from a frothy bloat standpoint and also providing excess nutrients since we’re relying on their grain / concentrate diet for that.

If you have other tips or food for thought on the hay front, drop them in ⤵️

Always willing to help guide you in the right direction if you prefer sending a private message!

(Disclaimer… I am NOT an animal nutritionist! I do have a degree in Animal Sciences from a LONG time ago 😉 and worked in the nutrition field for several years but most of my thoughts and advice are derived from trial and error of raising livestock!)

04/25/2026

The second and final purebred Dorset lamb made his arrival yesterday.

While we were really hoping for a ewe lamb, it’s been a year full of ram lambs.

Looking forward to watching him grow and for the future of our Dorset program!

04/18/2026

Lambing season is winding down with only 5 ewes left to go.

Everything had been going pretty smoothly… so naturally, we had to have a little excitement before the finish line.

This morning I walked into the barn to find a yearling ewe in labor with what I’d consider one of the worst presentations—nothing but the head sticking out, head already swollen and making for anything but an easy fix. Surprisingly, he was still alive and even sucked on my finger when I checked him.

Not entirely sure what to do, and with time ticking, I did what any unsure person does… I went to YouTube to see if I could learn something new.

Turns out, I did.

I was able to reach in, get a leg up, and finally pull him out. Even then, I wasn’t sure he’d make it—but “Bobble Head” has been nothing but a fighter. Aside from the swollen head, you’d never know he had such a rough start.

Definitely not the way I wanted to start the morning, but thankful it ended on a positive note!

04/11/2026

One of the most popular questions I get is what I recommend feeding lambs—so here are a few of my go-to options.

There are a lot of feeds out there, but personally I use both Formula of Champions and High Noon for the show lambs at the house.

Lamb feed should be adjusted as they grow.

For the Formula of Champions line, their Power Takeoff works great for lambs up until they reach around the 90–100 lb mark. After that, I like to switch them to something like X-Factor through their final show.

With the High Noon line, which we fed to last year’s show string, I like Sure Shot when they’re smaller (up to about 90–100 lbs), then switching them to Show Lamb Extreme as they get bigger.

I personally haven’t used Umbarger, but I know a lot of people around here have had great success with it. Lamb 19 is a good starter feed and, according to the label, can be fed throughout the entire project. Lamb 17 would be a solid option to switch to once lambs are more mature and heavier.

No matter what you feed, the most important thing is that it’s FRESH and readily available. Every lamb is different—some will eat certain feeds better than others—so if something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to switch it up.

Lambs should always be eased into new feed to help prevent digestive upset. Once they’re adjusted, aim to feed around 3–4% of their body weight while they’re growing, so having a rough idea of their weight is important.

I’m by no means a nutritionist—just an Ag teacher who likes sheep. If you have questions or I can help in any way, whether you bought a lamb from us or not, feel free to reach out!

04/09/2026

The barn opens this weekend! 🐑

Message me to schedule an appointment for lamb pickup.

If you’ve already reached out, you’re all set—I’ve got you covered. I may have a couple of extra lambs available once everything is finalized.

Feel free to message me with any questions!

04/06/2026

After nearly a month-long break, lambing season is back in full swing this morning with our yearling ewes that have been holding out!

We welcomed our first Purebred Dorset and of course, it’s a ram. It seems like this year has definitely been ram-heavy across the board!

Looking forward to the journey ahead with these Dorsets. Exciting times ahead!

03/29/2026

What a weekend…

Midwest Elite weekend is supposed to be fun and full of sheep—but 24 hours ago, I was sweating, wondering how things were going to play out.

After a long couple of days at FFA competitions in Morgantown, I jumped in the truck headed for Indianapolis for the Midwest Elite Sale… only for my truck to start overheating and leave us stranded hours from our destination.

This wouldn’t have been quite as big of a deal—except I had the itch for online sales and Indy was my pickup spot, with sheep coming in from all over the country.

Every plan I came up with to get them picked up fell through… until I reached out to someone I didn’t even know. I just knew they’d be in Indy and hoped maybe they could help.

Huge shoutout to Quarter A Club Lambs— the Apjok family—for absolutely saving the day. They went out of their way to meet multiple people and pick up the lambs I had bought over the past few months. I seriously can’t say enough about how great they are, and I still don’t feel like “thank you” is enough.

Also, a big thank you to my brother-in-law, Anthony Blessing , for coming to the rescue—coming up, hooking onto my trailer, and helping me limp the truck back to West Virginia.

Definitely made some memories this trip… some I hope I never have to make again 😂

On a brighter note, we doubled down on the Dorset flock and sprinkled in some Southdowns too. Excited for the show season ahead!

Thanks again to everyone who helped out—you all made a stressful situation turn out just fine.

03/10/2026

Finished up lambing out the mature ewes last week and have been patiently waiting on the rest of the ewe lambs that had been running with the Dorset buck.

Today we finally got back on track with this DA ewe lamb out of our Jordan ewe that we jackpotted last summer! Even ol’ dad had to show up in the video to check out his newest progeny.

Here's to seeing the light at the end of the lambing season tunnel!