AHPS weeks 7- 8 Flashcards
What are the three temperate species of deer?
Fallow, red and elk
What are the three tropical species of deer?
Rusa, Chital, Samber
Which are the deer species that call
- males = stag
- females = hind
- young = calf
Red, rusa, samber, chital
Which deer species:
- male = bull
- female = cow
- young = calf
Waipiti
Which deer species:
- male = buck
- female = doe
- young = fawn
Fallow
What are four modern advances in deer farming?
Curved runs + uphill location for yard to facilitate easy mustering
Transport in the dark
Procedures done in dim light
Plant high hedges
What are the DSE ratings for:
- fallow doe
- rusa hind
- red hind
Fallow doe = 2
Rusa hind = 3
Red hind = 3.5
What time of the year does the rut occur for red and elk deer? Is it different for fallow?
Autumn (march + april)
Fallow are April-May
What time of the year do buttons drop for red and elk? How does this compare to fallow?
After the rut - around September
Fallow drop in october
What time of the year do new antlers grow?
Immediately after button drop - mid Sept to Dec-Jan
What time of the year is velveting?
Spring - Late Oct to December
- may velvet one individual more than once
What time of the year are venisson sales?
December - March
When is calving for red and elk?
November - December
How many times a year do Rusa deer calve?
~4 times
Calve roughly every 3 months
What effect does increased daylight have on antler growth?
Testosterone levels are lowered > buttons drop and new growth starts
What effect does reducing daylight have on antler growth?
Testosterone increases - antelers calcify and velvet is shed
What happens to the bodyweight of the males during the rut?
Lose 30%
When do female deer reach sexual maturity?
15 months
What method is used to detect pregnancy, and when? Are NIPs common?
No - most females conceive within the first oestrous of the rut
Trans rectal ultrasound at 30 days
Who can perform velveting?
Veterinarians
Farmers that are accredited through the National Velvet Accreditation Scheme
What is the dressing percent for small ruminants?
Around 45%
Describe two different prime lamb systems.
Merino F x Meat breed M => first cross lambs, all sold
- can breed some merino F to merino M to replace herd if need be otherwise buy in new females
- could also sell first cross F progeny into terminal lamb system
First cross F x Meat breed M => terminal lamb
- better milk production than merino, and 3/4 meat breed
- raise a large lamb
- all sold
- not self replacing
Name three meat breed sheep
Dorper
Multimeat composite
Poll Dorset
What is % wool yield?
Clean kg/greasy kg
What is the range for fibre diameter?
11um - 50um
Where in AU is the pastoral zone?
Inland NSW, SA, WA + tropics of central QLD
What is one advantage of production in the pastoral zone?
Less wet so less parasitism
What are two advantages of self-replacing flocks?
Reduced risk of bringing in disease with new individuals
Can control genetic gain
Provide four examples of first cross ewe sires
Border Leicester English Leicester Southdown Polwarth Dorset down Dorper
Provide 3 examples of a terminal sires?
Poll dorset
Suffolk
Texel
From which goat breed can you obtain Mohair?
Angora
How wide is a cashmere fibre? How much would you obtain per year per goat?
12 - 20 um
50 - 300 g/yr/goat
Name two goat milk breeds
Saanen
Toggenburg
Name three meat goat breeds
British alpine
Anglo-nubian
Boer
What are three challenges to production in the pastoral zone?
Estimating pasture growth and availability year to year
Managing impact of native animals on the pasture
Ensuring adequate water supply
Where is the sheep - wheat zone?
Inland WA, NSW, VIC and QLD, though not as far in as the pastoral zone
How long before pasture senesces should lambing occur for a merino system?
3 - 4 months
How long before pasture senesces should lambing occur for a prime lamb system?
4 - 5 months
How long before lambing should joining be?
5 months
When should marking occur?
2 weeks after the end of lambing
How long after lambing should weaning occur?
12 - 16 weeks
What is the marking percent?
number of lambs/number of ewes mated
What is the minimum age for a lamb at weaning?
6 weeks
What are three important KPIs for beef?
Cost of production $/kg liveweight
kg of beef produced /ha
average sale price of beef in $/kg
What five things must be done before a thoroughbred can be registered?
Must have parentage information Freezebrand DNA sample obtained Microchip inserted Visual identification by a vet
What is one advantage of goat production over sheep? What is one disadvantage?
Advantage - reach sexual maturity earlier
Disadvantage - grow more slowly than sheep
Why are goat kids snatch reared?
To avoid contracting caprine arthritis and encephalitis virus (CAEV) from the milk - especially if you have a milk enterprise. Only if you know you have a problem in a meat enterprise.
What might be some reasons lambs are growing slowly whilst still on their mums?
Mums milk production is waning
Getting second pick of grass after mums
May be accumulating parasite load from mums
Which wool length is most prone to developing fleecerot?
6 months’ length
- wets easily, dries slowly
- the skin needs to be wet to develop fleecerot
How does fleecerot reduce wool quality?
Staining of wool by bacterial pigments.
What effect does shearing have on ewe reproduction?
Won’t exhibit oestrous and therefore won’t mate for 2 weeks following
When is (often) the poorest time of year for sheep nutrition?
Autumn
What increases the greasy fleece weight of wool after autumn shearing?
Extra wax and suint production + faster wool growth and thence wider fibre diameter in response to shearing at a time outside the sheep’s thermoneutral zone when they will incrase their food intake considerably in response
Dust also accumulates in the wool over summer before it is shorn
What staple length is preferred by producers?
60 - 90 mm
