Phone: (541) 737-2903 Unit Supervisor: Tom Nichols
Unit Management Team Chair: Jim Thompson
The Sheep Center is located on 600 acres of hillside pastures four miles west of campus on Oak Creek Drive. The center maintains a 275-ewe breeding flock for research projects. Research has focused primarily on using genetic variation to increase efficiency of commercial lamb production. Other research involves rumen toxicology. The sheep barn has facilities for animal handling, lambing, and group feeding trials.
In addition to research, the sheep center is also utilized for teaching and extension work. During lambing, it is a popular destination for school children and other community members, with up to 10,000 visitors annually. Extension conducts lambing and shepherds schools at the center. The OSU Animal Sciences Department, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Linn-Benton Community College utilize the sheep center to teach various labs, livestock evaluation, and judging classes.
Labor for the sheep center is supplied by the supervisor, three student employees, and approximately 40 additional student volunteers during lambing season.
Additional sheep facilities located on Campus Way include two barns and a surgery room where reproductive physiology research is performed by a collaborative team from the Animal Sciences Department, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and OHSU.
Spring 2013 Lambing Update:
The OSU Sheep Center will not be open to the public during lambing this spring. We understand that this opportunity has been an enjoyable experience for many of you for many years. But this year, the Sheep Center is undergoing renovations to improve facilities for OSU teaching and research.
We hope to develop new opportunities for the public in coming years.
Thank you for your continued interest in the Sheep Center and other animal sciences programs at OSU.
Sheep Publications
Artificial Rearing of Lambs on Milk Replacer Diets
Body Condition Scoring
Sheep Management Calendar
Sheep Production Guide
Sheep Breeds
