Lambing Time Short Course & Bus Tour

Lambing Time Short Course & Bus Tour
The Pipestone Lambing Time Short Course & Bus Tour is a premier lambing time management school of the sheep industry. The program’s purpose is to help you improve your management skills during lambing, improve facility and labor efficiency, and form relationships in your business. The program combines lecture, group discussions, and tours of outstanding sheep operations. Program leaders include expert instructors with diverse and practical sheep experience and a highly-qualified veterinarian who enjoys sharing his sheep health knowledge. The farm tours highlight labor-savings management practices including barn layout and flow, raising lambs on milk replacer, lamb processing, and ewe and lamb feeding systems. The program will rotate between virtual and in-person delivery to best serve sheep producers in the area and across the country.

Course Details:

Overview

The 2026 Pipestone Lamb and Wool Program’s Lambing Time Short Course & Bus Tour will enhance your lambing management skills, improve facility efficiency, and foster business relationships. It includes lectures, group discussions, and tours of outstanding sheep operations in the Pipestone area. Program leaders include expert instructors with diverse and practical sheep experience and veterinarians who enjoy sharing their sheep health knowledge. The farm tours highlight labor-saving management practices, including barn layout and flow, raising lambs on milk replacer, lamb processing, and ewe and lamb feeding systems.

Dates

February 6, 2026 | 6 pm to 9 pm
February 7, 2026 | 8 am to 5 pm

Location

Minnesota West Community & Technical College - Pipestone Campus

Cost

$109.60 (includes tuition, handouts, lunch, snacks, and refreshments)

Highlights

  • Ewe and Lamb Health Concerns
  • Low-Labor Lambing
  • Keys for Successful Lambing
  • Tours of Two Outstanding Sheep Operations

Tentative Schedule

February 6, 2026

  • 6:00 pm - Welcome & Opening Remarks
  • 6:15 pm - About the Pipestone Lamb & Wool Program
  • 6:30 pm - Increasing Embryonic and Fetal Survival During Pregnancy
  • 7:30 pm - The NAHMS Sheep 2024 Study
  • 8:00 pm - Getting Lambs on the Right Path with Creep Feeding
  • 8:45 pm - Question & Answer Session
  • 9:00 pm - End of Evening Program

February 7, 2026

  • 8:00 am - Opening Remarks & Recap
  • 8:15 am - Cost-Effective Ewe Rations
  • 9:00 am - Common Ewe Health Concerns
  • 10:00 am - Break
  • 10:15 am - Common Lamb Health Concerns
  • 11:15 am - Low-Labor Lambing
  • 12:00 pm - Lunch
  • 1:00 pm - Board Bus
  • 1:30 pm - Tour Sheep Operation #1
  • 3:00 pm - Tour Sheep Operation #2
  • 5:00 pm - Program Conclusion

Farm Tour Producer Information

Justin and Crissa Fruechte and their family manage a flock of 250 Katahdin ewes outside of Ward, South Dakota. They joined the Pipestone Lamb and Wool Program in 2020. Their operation has continued to see marked improvements in both facilities and genetics through participation in NSIP.
Their main barn is used to house late-gestation ewes, ewe–lamb families, and other groups of sheep. It features custom bunks for fence-line feeding, a dedicated barn office, and a heated nursery room for lambing pens with elevated, slatted floors. They recently constructed a new pole shed that houses families, breeding groups, and growing and finishing lambs. This building features outdoor fence-line feeders and the barn can be divided into multiple pens that are fed via self-feeders.
The Fruechtes sell NSIP seedstock rams and ewes to both commercial and seedstock flocks locally and across the country. Justin and Crissa continue to develop their sheep management skills, with their children actively helping on the farm.

Business partners Brian Winsel and Bryan Kruse manage a flock of commercial Polypay-type ewes outside of Holland, Minnesota. Since joining the Pipestone Lamb and Wool Program in 2009, their operation has grown to over 900 ewes. To accommodate this expansion, they have remodeled existing buildings and constructed new facilities.
Their main building features a drive-through feeding barn, a heated lean-to for lambing, grouping pens, and an integrated working and shearing area. Their operation also utilizes four hoop barns for cold housing, multiple drylots with both fence-line and in-pen feed bunks, and an off-site repurposed hog facility to house lactating ewes and finishing lambs. In addition, they use a repurposed barn for artificial rearing, which includes an automatic milk machine and a barn office.
Brian and Bryan have incorporated many low-labor concepts into their operation, allowing them to efficiently manage a large number of ewes. They use a wave lambing system and have developed a strong set of sheep management skills.

Registration Information

Registration Form

To enroll, print and complete the registration form or contact Sue Lovell. Enclose a check payable to Minnesota West Community & Technical College

Mail to:
Minnesota West Community & Technical College
ATTN: Sue Lovell
401 West St., P.O. Box 269
Jackson, MN 56143

Please contact Sue Lovell, if you have questions.

Reciprocity

North Dakota and Wisconsin residents will be charged a higher tuition cost unless a reciprocity form is completed. A copy of the completed reciprocity form must accompany the registration form. See the application form for your state. Follow the instructions on how to print and complete the form. Contact the Lamb and Wool program if you need help completing the reciprocity form. Reciprocity forms must be completed online.

North Dakota Reciprocity  Wisconsin Reciprocity

South Dakota students should contact Minnesota West directly. South Dakota residents don’t need to send a form to their home state.