Animal Husbandry: Sheep Flashcards
What is one advantage and one disadvantage of the stratification of the sheep industry
Adv: sheep type matched to land
Disadv: increased sheep movement
List 3 UK mountain breeds
Rough fell
Welsh mountain
Scottish blackface
List 3 UK hill breeds
Llyen
North country cheviot
South country cheviot
How many lambs do you expect per year from mountain and hill breeds
1 lamb
What are the 4 outputs of mountain/hill flocks
- Fat lambs
- Draft ewes
- Breeding tups
- Replacement females
What traits are hill/mountain breeds selected for
Their hardiness and ability to survive on marginal pasture and high ground
What is a draft ewe
A hill ewe sold after several crops of lambs
How do you get a halfbred sheep
Longwool tup x Mountain/hill draft ewe
What is an example of a longwool sheep
A border leicester (or bluefaced)
How many lambs do you want from a halfbred ewe per year
2 lambs
What are 3 traits of a halfbred ewe
- Hardy
- Good mothering ability
- Good milk production
List 3 examples of terminal sires used
- Suffolk
- Charolais
- Beltex
What is the gestation period of a ewe
147 days
When are lambs sold? Fat, short keep, and long keep
Fat: 4 months
Short keep: 9 months
Long keep: 12 months
When do sheep breed
When the days get shorter (the fall)
Which type of sheep breeds have a longer mating cycle
Lowland sheep breeds
What is the scanning percentage
Number of fetuses seen on scan to the number of ewes put to tup (should be over 100%)
What are some husbandry tasks done for sheep in the early summer
Shearing, fly strike control and worming
What are some husbandry tasks done for sheep in the autumn
Sheep scab control and liver fluke control
What is ‘flushing’ ewes
Increasing the plane of nutrition prior to being put to tup to increase ovulation and give more twins
What is the ideal weight for a fat lamb to be slaughtered
45kg
When are lamb prices high and low
High in the spring, low in the summer
List 3 factors affecting the profitability of the sheep enterprise
- Wool prices
- Replacement breeding stock costs
- Price of feed and materials
When must you identify lambs by if housed over night (1 tag)
6 months, or when they move off holding of birth
When must you identify lambs by if not housed over night (1 tag)
9 months, or when the move off holding of birth
When must you fit a lamb with 2 ear tags
At 12 months
What is a store lamb
A lamb that cannot be finished off grass because their growth rates are too low (stored and finished later)
List 3 diseases affecting lambs
- Parasitic gastroenteritis
- Clostridial disease
- Trace element deficiencies (Co, Se, Cu, I)
Are sheep mono- or poly-oestrus
Polyoestrus (seasonally)
How can you manipulate the breeding season of a ewe (3)
- Control the photoperiod (light)
- Melatonin implant
- Using a vasectomized ram
Why are AI conception rates generally low in sheep
They have a convoluted cervix
How long should you keep a tup in with the ewes
Two cycles (17 x2 = 34 days)
When do you need to start nutritionally managing twin and triplet ewes
In the last 1/3 of pregnancy
What are two feeding strategies for pregnant ewes
- Traditional - ramp up feeding 6-8 weeks before lambing
- Flat rate - start supplementation at a level in excess and continue until birth
When would you scan a ewe for pregnancy
60-90 days
What are 3 common causes of abortion in sheep
- Chlamydophila
- Toxoplasma
- Campylobacter
Indoor lambing: Adv and Disadv
Adv: protected from weather, supervision, early lambing, good for pastures
Disadv: more work, more disease, need to give bedding & water
Outdoor lambing: Adv and Disadv
Adv: less work, less disease, lower costs
Disadv: more loss from weather, later lambing only, need good pastures
List 3 conditions affecting neonatal lambs
- Dystocia
- Hypoglycemia
- Watery mouth
