Dairy Sheep Symposium - the Department of Animal Sciences ...

TAPPE FARM TOUR
Jon & Kris Tappe, Tappe Farms
Durand, Wisconsin
Total farm acreage is 1000 acres of which 360 acres are tillable and the remainder is woodland/swamp
pasture. Currently have approximately 300+ ewes and ewe lambs, 8 rams, 3 horses
and 30 beef cattle.
The basis for our operation is diversification for cash flow, deriving income from feeder
cattle, cash crops, and dairy sheep. This mix of enterprises offers the most efficient use of our
farm. Two thirds of our land is Chippewa River bottom land and unsuitable for dairy sheep
primarily due to coyotes and wolves. The remaining third has sandy soil and is best suited for
hay ground and pasture.
The beef operation is primarily a cow/calf operation with very little overhead. The cattle are
pasture raised with free access to liquid protein suplement. During the winter, the cows are fed
large round bales and corn silage. The majority of steers and terminal heifers are shipped at
around 600 to 800 pounds based upon market conditions. The breeding stock is primarily Simmental
and Charlois with one Texas Longhorn.
The cash crops are primarily corn, soybeans and oats; occasionally hay. The number of acres
planted of each is determined by projected feed needs for the next year. We then try to plant what
we need plus 30 to 50% extra as insurance against a bad year.
The main focus of the farm is the sheep dairy. Our goal is 300-400 ewes in milk. Our first
year we had 165. The sheep are milked in a double 12 indexing stanchion system. We currently
milk with 6 milking units with plans to expand to 12 milking units this next year. With 6 milking
units, one person can milk approx. 60 to 72 ewes per hour. We lamb in February to March and
dry up the ewes August and September. The lambs are separated from the ewe at 12 hours and
bottle/nipple bar fed colostrum for 3 days and then switched to milk replacer. The lambs are
weaned at 25 to 30 days of age and placed on a 18% protein grower ration. At 50 to 70 lbs. the
replacement ewe lambs are separated and placed on a finisher ration of 12% protein and hay.
The remaining slaughter lambs are placed on the same finisher ration till reaching a market
weight of 120 to 140 lbs. Lambs may be sold as feeders, depending upon market conditions.
Our facilities consist of a 60’ x 100’ x 14’ pole shed with a 18’ x 100’ lean-to. This building
is for machinery and hay storage. The lean-to is shelter for the beef herd in winter. We have a 32’
x 50’ conventional barn for hay storage and housing the horses, rams, and extra area for weaned
lambs. The parlor, milk house, and a 9’ x 16’ walk in freezer are housed in a 42’ x 42’ x 8’
insulated pole building. This building is heated with an outdoor wood furnace utilizing in-floor
heating.