Intro to sheep Flashcards

1
Q

common problems for sheep

A
  • Lambings/ Csections
  • Flock based problems
  • Lameness
  • Abortion
  • Lamb mortality
  • Poor lamb growth
  • Thin ewes
  • Sudden death
  • Parasites
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2
Q

How do we manage infectious/ parasitic dx?

A
  1. Biosecurity: preventing disease entry
  2. Reduce disease challenge through Management, Test and cull infected animals and Drug treatments:-antibiotics/anthelmintics
    Management =
    i. Hygiene,
    ii. Ventilation
    iii. Stocking rates
  3. Improve animals resistance through
    a. Vaccinate
    b. Management- Improve nutrition, Reduce stress, Reduce concurrent disease
    c. Breeding (Genetics)
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3
Q

What is approach to Diagnosis in sheep

A

Dx is v seasonal - weather, stage of production
Experience, knowledge, probability v important
Age/ stage of production
Diagnostic tools (limited comparatively as sig cost constraints)
- CE, biochem, Haemolysis, serology, microbiology (FEC), US/ radiography, PM and path

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4
Q

UK sheep industry

A

Meat, wool, skins, small dairy
£1.3 bill industry
Import meat NZ Dec- June
Exports meat to EU
- changes in subsidy = uncertain future

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5
Q

Future challenges to sheep industry

A
  • inc meat consumption (asia)
  • Utilise upland areas
  • sustainable farming
  • Drug resistance
  • climate change (endoparasites, fluke, vector borne dx)
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6
Q

Production systems UK

A

50% upland. lowland
4 diff characteristics of breeds adapted to diff land - Pedigreee, hill, lowland, store lambs

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7
Q

Dx problems associates with inefficiency

A
  • Ewe Mortality
  • Lamb Mortality
  • Chronic Wasting Diseases
  • Poor nutrition
  • Parasites (internal and external)
  • Lameness
  • Mastitis
  • Abortion
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8
Q

What is a terminal sire?

A

ram wich is best suited to production of meat

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9
Q

What are store lambs?

A

weaned lamb not ready for slaughter, sold for further fattening

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10
Q

What is a dimmer

A

a ewe between its first and second shearing.

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11
Q

What is a steer?

A

male castrated bovine

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12
Q

Hill breed characteristics

A

o Hardy, thrive in harsh conditions
o Good mothering
o One lamb per ewe
o Male offspring-meat production
o Females kept as replacements or sold to upland farms where crossed with “long wool breeds” Border or Blue Faced Leicester

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13
Q

Upland breed characteristics

A
  • Long Wool Breed characteristics
    o Bigger carcasse
    o Fast growth
    o Prolificacy – more lambs
    o Milkiness
    o Female hill sheep crossed with male Long Wool Breed
    o Blue Face X called Mule
    o Border X called Half Bred
    o Females sold to lowland farms as ewe replacements
    o Males sold for meat
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14
Q

What are estimated breeding values?

A

*Value which expresses the difference (+ or -) between an individual animal and the herd or breed benchmark to which the animal is being compared.
*reported in terms of actual recorded traits e.g. days, kg of weight or mm of fat depth, etc.
*Baseline of zero relates to average breeding value of lambs born in the year the analysis was first produced.

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15
Q

2022 what’s the live and deadweight of lambs

A
  • Deadweight - £5.75/kg- (40kg liveweight lamb = ) 22kg carcass - £126.50
  • Supermarket - £13-20/kg
  • Liveweight lamb (selling your live lamb to another farmer) £120- £253.90
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16
Q

replacement ewe, cull and ram price

A

o Replacement ewe - £150-200
o Cull ewe - £50-90
o Rams- £600 - £1,000

17
Q

Veterinary role in sheep farms

A
  • Individual animal work
    o Lambings / C sections
    o Sick ewes around lambing time
  • Preventative health advice
    o Fertility
    o Lamb losses
    o Lamb growth
  • Nutrition- grass land systems – reducing feeds costs
  • Discuss genetics – discuss genetic tools to increase performance- reduce labout
  • Understand economics- potential impact of interventions