Lectures 1-3 Flashcards
In the US, is there more sheep or more goats?
Where does the income come from?
Mostly goats with a few sheep dairies
Income is dairy products and lambs/kid
How often do does and ewes reproduce?
How long is their dry period?
How are the kids/lams raised?
Reproduce each year; lambs lactate 6-7 months and does lactate 9-10 months
Dry period of 60 days
Kids/lambs may be bottle fed or raised by dam
Describe SCC and SPC for small ruminants
SCC- higher baseline than that in cattle; legal limit is 1 million
SPC- same as for cows; legal limit is 100k but reasonable goal is 5,000
How do you harvest fiber in sheep and goats
Goats- standing or recumbent
Sheep- recumbent
Sheep vs goats look
Sheep- tail down, deep philtrum, no beard or wattle
Goats- tail up, horned, beards and wattles
Sheep vs goats behavior
Goats- climbing, sideways motion for antagonistic behavior, fight on hind legs, newborns lie out
Sheep- stay grounded, butt head on, alarm is snort and stamp, newborns lie in, great memory
How to work with a group of small ruminants
Move better around corners and up hills
Be aware of crushing in corners
Prefer well lighted areas
Know basics of PE
Observe Restraint- one hand under mandible or on base of horn and tail; sheep can be on rump TPR Abdomen and GI- rumen and body contour Head- mm, asymmetry, mouth/nose/eyes, lymph nodes, check sinuses and skull for fractures Teeth- age Udder Lymph nodes Feet/legs Feces Urine Skin BCS
How to age a small ruminant with teeth
Less than a year= all baby teeth 1-2 year= 1 pair adult teeth 2-3 years= 2 pairs adult teeth 3-4 years= 3 pairs adult teeth 4 years= 4 pairs adult teeth Older than 4= worn down teeth
Describe BCS 1, 3, and 5
1= spine is prominent and sharp, no fat cover, sharp transverse process that fingers easily pass under
3= spine smooth and rounded, moderate fat cover, transverse process smooth and rounded, fingers need hard pressure to find end of transverse process
5=spine and transverse processes not detectable
What are scrapie ear tags
Required for sheep and goats older than 1 yr old moving on the interstate
Allows tracing to farm of origin
What age is best for castration
4-14 days
Describe castration procedure
Lidocaine and NSAIDs are recommended
Elastrator bands or burdizzo emasculatome or surgica;
Always give tetanus
When is tail docking best done at
2-7 days old
Describe tail docking techniques
Electronic docking iron (best) or elastrator bands (painful and need tetanus)
Make sure to make it long enough (covers anus and vulva and no shorter than distal end of caudal tail fold)
What will a tail that is too short predispose them to
Rectal and vaginal prolapse
When should you disbud
Most breeds= 4-7 days
Nubian, pygmy, angora= 10-14 days
Describe techniques of disbudding
Need to dilute lidocaine to 0.5% and give two nerve blocks
Heat cautery for 10 seconds is best
Also there is paste but NOT a good option in small ruminants
**if its older you will have to do surgical dehorning
Describe descenting
Can be removed with dehorning
Located caudomedial to horn bud
*males castrated before 7.5 months do not develop this gland
How often should hooves be trimmed
2x per year and examined more often
What vaccines should all sheep and goats get
Clostridium and tetanus
Sheep- 7 way clostridium plus tetanus
Goats- CDT
Non routine vx for sheep and goats
Sheep- abortion (chlamydia and campylobacter), footrot, rabies, contagious ecthyma
Goats- contagious ecthyma
Rabies
What nematodes are a problem in small ruminants
Haemonchus (biggest issue), ostertagia, trichostrongyles
Clinical signs of internal parasites
Anemia, hypoproteinemia, maldigestion, malabsorption
Pale mm, weakness, lethargy, diarrhea, weight loss, ventral edema, bottle jaw
What should you do to determine efficacy of anthelmintic on your farm
FECRT
What strategy should you use to deworm
Targeted selective deworming to dilute out resistant population on the pasture
*never deworm at regular intervals!!
What specific times should you always deworm at
Prior to lambing/kidding
10-14 days after heavy rain following drought
What can you use to determine who needs deworming
Famacha- treat 4s and 5s
What are management strategies to control parasites
Dont feed food on the ground Keep animals in good nutritional status Pastures- avoid overstocking, have rest periods, supplement feed if pasture is stressed Multi-species grazing Tannin-rich forage Quarantine new arrivals Genetic selection for parasite resistant populations Have zero-grazers (feedlots)
What dewormers are approved for sheep? Goats? Both?
Sheep- albendazole, ivermectin, moxidectin, levamisole
Goats- fenbendazole
Both= morantel tartrate
How to prevent predation
Active destruction of predators
Livestock guarding animals (dogs, donkeys, castrated camelids)
Increased surveillance
Major problems for neonates
Mismothering Failure of passive transfer Exposure leading to hypothermia Predation Sepsis/ navel infections
5 Cs
Colostrum Cleanliness Calories Comfort Consistency
When should neonate ingest colostrum
By 30 min to 1 hr
What should you supplement neonates with esp in Fl
Selenium
What causes mismothering
Signs?
Multiples
Overcrowding
Insufficient colostrum
Signs: hypothermia, hunched stance, empty belly, bleating, approaching different females
What causes failure of passive transfer
Mismothering, mastitis, teat lesions, recumbency, death
Neonate- weak due to disease, dystocia, cold exposure
What are problems of lambs and kids 2 days old to weaning
Predation
Neonatal diarrhea
Pneumonia
Coccidiosis (common right after weaning)
What is creep feeding
Extra nutrition, usually grain, to nursing kids and lambs
Do this when there is a very intensive production system, multiple births, lack of milk, or dairy herds
What are problems of weaning and early post weaning
Reduced rate of weight gain due to poorly managed transition Coccidiosis Pneumonia Nematode parasitism Predation
What is the cause of coccidiosis?
Signs?
Dx?
Prevention?
Cause= eimeria Signs= 3 wks to 6 months old, diarrhea, tenesmus, weight loss, failure to thrive Dx= fecal flotation Prevention= sanitation, isolate sick animals, give coccidostats in face of outbreak, on arrival at feedlot, during/after weaning, and during high stress periods
What are the problems of post weaning to entry to breeding herd/ meat sale
Nematode parasitism Coccidiosis Pneumonia Predation Rumen acidosis Obstructive urolithiasis
Who mainly get obstructive urolithiasis?
Tx?
Prevention?
Castrated males
Tx= surgical management with supportive care
Prevention= dietary management (Ca:P >2:1, adequate forage, anionic salts, maximize water intake), avoid early castration of pets
What is the difference between sheep and goat eating habits
Sheep- prefer grazing
Goats- like to browse (more than 50%)
What are the goals for breeding females
2.5-3.0 at start of breeding season
Maximize fertility by supplemental feeding
Minimize parasites by checking every 2 weeks and deworming if needing
Maximize reproductive efficiency by vaccinating against chlamydia and campylobacter
Prevent new infections and treat subclinical mastitis by infusing udder with dry cow intramammary product
Select replacement and culls prior to breeding
When should you breed?
Gestation length?
Puberty?
At 70% mature size (7- 10 months)
Gestation is 147 days in sheep and 150 days in goats
Puberty usually at 5-12 months
Problems early and mid gestation
Overconditioning, abortion
*manitain 3.0-3.5
Pregnancy diagnosis
Progesterone (5 days after breeding)
Pregnancy specific protein b (30 days after breeding)
US (between 45 and 90 days gestation)
Problems in late gestation
Metabolic disease (pregnancy toxemia, hypocalcemia) Infectious abortion
Problems birth and early lactation
Dystocia
Metabolic disease
Mastitis
Mastitis agents
Mycoplasma (often accompanied by arthritis)
Staph aureus
Manheimia hemolytica
Which diseases should animals not leave the farm with
Orf (contagious ecthyma) Caseous lymphadenitis Pinkeye Ringworm/ club lamb fungus Footrot
Bluetongue
Orbivirus
Subclinical
Transmitted by cullicoides vector
Fever, erosions on lips, gums, nose, and tongue, salivation, hyperemic nose and mm
CAE and maedi-visna
Goats (CAE)- arthritis, leukoencephalomyelitis, pneumonia, progressive weight loss, mastitis
Sheep (maedi-visna)- pneumonia
Scrapie
Prion
Behavioral changes, weight loss, progressive pruritis with self mutilation
Paratuberculosis
Johne’s disease
Mycobacterium avium
Weight loss, ill thrift
Contagious ecthymya
Lesions on lips, blisters form, usually lambs/kids
Parapox virus
Zoonotic!
Caseous lymphadenitis
Abscesses of external lymph nodes
Foot rot
Dichelobacter nodosus + fusobacterium necrophorum
Severe lameness with weight loss and low reproductive efficiency
DDX for wasting
Malnutrition/ starvation Lentivirus (CAE/MV) Paratuberculosis Caseous lymphadenitis with internal abscesses Internal parasitism, chronic coccidiosis Dental problems in older animals
Lambs/kids days to weaning table
Creep feeding by 1-2 weeks of age
Coccidiostat
Clostridial vx
Disbud/castrate/dock tail
Weaning/early post weaning table
When to wean varies with system
Gradual weaning better than abrupt unless over 5 months old
Good nutrition and coccidiostat
Weigh at weaning
Check for parasites every two weeks and use lowest risk pasture possible because this is the highest risk age (long grass, rest period, avoid wet pastures)
Prevent unwanted pregnancies
Post weaning to entry to herd or sale table
Requirements vary
Coccidiostats
Avoid rumen acidosis and urolithiasis if on high concentrate diet- AT LEAST 10% roughage
Normal parasite control
Most common site of urethral obstruction
Urethral process
Adults table
Fresh water, mineral supplement, monitor BCS
Inspect and trim feed 2x/yr
External and internal parasite control
Vaccines
Shearing and harvesting fiber but not during or around birth
What type are breeders are sheep and goats?
How can you induce cyclicity
Seasonal polyestrus
Melatonin, whitten effect (sudden introduction of male)
How do does and ewes show heat
Does- flagging, vocalizing, mounting
Ewes- subtle, will stand for mounting
Bucks- smelly, spray urine
Females early to mid gestation table
Maintain 3-3.5 bcs Avoid obesity Prevent new infections and treat subclinical mastitis Parasite control Hoof care and shearing
females breeding table
2.5-3 bcs at start of breeding season Maximize fertility Parasite control Vaccinate against repro diseases Manage udder health Select replacements and culls prior to breeding
Why wouldn’t you US after 90 days of gestation
Harder to tell number of fetuses
Females late gestation table
Maintain 3.0-3.5 bcs
Avoid obesity and pregnancy toxemia (monitor BHBA)
Avoid infectious abortions
Parasite control before birth
Annual Vx against clostridium and tetanus
Udder health
Females birthing season and lactation table
3.0-3.5 BCS
Avoid obesity, rumen acidosis, preg toxemia, support colostrum and rapid fetal growth
Avoid losses due to dystocia
Provide dry and clean environment and protection from cold
Make it easy for lambs/kids to nurse
What might be causing periparturient downer animal
Lambing/kidding paralysis Dead lambs/kids in utero Preg toxemia/ hypocalcemia Starvation Mastitis
Signs of preg toxemia, ketosis, and fatty liver
Off feed, depression, recumbency, coma, death
Ketonuria, hypoglycemia
Pre-partum prognosis is very poor
Best to prevent!!- good nutrition, maintain proper BCS, avoid stressors, high energy diet for dams with multiple fetuses
Breeding males table
Maintain 3.0 and build to 4.0 BCS at start of breeding season
Strongly consider using only males that maintain low FEC and do not require frequent deworming
Pet goats and sheep table
2.5-3.0 bcs at most!
Prevent obesity and urolithiasis
Prevent pseudopregnancy- consider OVE
Purchased animals
Quarantine for 1 month- TRULY isolated
Examine
Vaccine and deworm on arrival
Zoonotic diseases small ruminant
Contact: Orf/ contagious ecthyma
Abortion (q fever, chlamydia, listeria)
Pinkeye- chlamydia
Crypto
Zoonotic diseases from raw milk
Campylobacter jejuni
Q fever
Listeria
Serious issue in countries with brucella melitensis
