MODULE 4 Flashcards
A high input scenario relative to amount of utilized
land are classified a
INTENSIVE PRODUCTION
Defined as being low input
and often utilizing larger tracts of land.
EXTENSIVE PRODUCTION
Is one of the primary differences in intensive versus extensive
production.
REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT
Will generate larger lamb and kid crops, but at an added production cost.
Lambing or kidding generally occurs in a facility or small paddock and under daily management.
INTENSIVE OPERATIONS
is typically more precise in intensive management, and often includes pedigree,
health, performance information and dates for breeding, lambing/kidding, and weaning on individual
animals
RECORD KEEEPING
Are typically higher in intensive operations, but the adoption of technology to
improve efficiency is also more prevalent in this system.
LABOR OUTPUT
usually focusses on groups of animals as opposed to the individual. Though
extensive operators tend to be larger in animal numbers (greater than 1,000)
Extensive production
this is not always the case,
as — often can be classified as extensive.
nomadic and hobby producers
Though limited individual animal management occurs, the prevalence of disease is typically lower in
—– and thus animal health is not necessarily poorer in this type of system.
Extensive systems
In some extensive production systems, a female sheep
or goat is managed to produce 3 - 5 offspring in their lifetime
In some extensive production systems, a female sheep
or goat is managed to produce 3 - 5 offspring in their lifetime
whereas, some intensive production
systems may produce 3 - 5 offspring per breeding female annually.
Four main breeding systems commonly employed in the goat and sheep industry
- Hand mating
- Pen breeding
- Artificial Breeding
- Out-of-season
Once-a-year mating is the most common practice in sheep and goat production.
Annual
Springtime
typically offers conditions that are most conducive to lamb/ kid survival.
The benefit of annual production is that the energy demands on the female to reproduce one time
a year is manageable and can easily coincide with fiber or milk production to be profitable.
can best be described as bucks or billies being with females year-round.
Opportunistic
This scheme, usually more extensive in production style, is a reduced-labor alternative for some
producers and survival of offspring can often be dictated by climactic events.
This method has the advantage of allowing the exact breeding date to be recorded.
Hand mating
This method relies on the male to detect females in heat. It is significantly less labor
intensive when compared to hand breeding.
This method relies on the male to detect females in heat. It is significantly less labor
intensive when compared to hand breeding.
. Pen breeding.
A yearling male should be placed with 10 to 25 females
more mature male can
be placed with 15 to 40 females.
offers the advantage of introducing
superior genetics cost effectively
Artificial insemination (AI)
There are, however, a limited number of technicians with small
ruminant AI experience; thus, the —— often must acquire this skill.
e farm manager
The most reliable, though costly, method involves using artificial lighting
Out-of-season breeding
During the
Winter months, both are exposed to at least 20 hours of light for 60 days.
When considering lighting, it is important that the light is bright at the eye level.
Goats are then moved to natural lighting for 45 days, after which the buck is put with the does for
breeding. This generally produces a single shortened estrus.
It is important to keep the buck to doe ratio high, and pen breeding should be used.
To ensure prevention of
production losses due to infertility, a —- should be performed on the male
30 to 60 days prior to the breeding season.
breeding soundness exam
Once-a-year mating is the most common practice in sheep and goat production.
annual
Springtime
typically offers conditions that are most conducive to lamb/ kid survival.
is that there is down-time between weaning and breeding where the female is not in production.
drawback
Can best be described as bucks or billies being with females year-round.
Opportunistic
This scheme, usually more extensive in production style, is a reduced-labor alternative for some
producers and survival of offspring can often be dictated by climactic events.
The two most common accelerated programs are the “8-month” and “STAR” (Fig. 12.4)
programs, which are three lambings/ kiddings in two years or five lambings/kiddings in three years,
respectively.
Accelerated
The 8-month accelerated cycle is the simpler of the two methods described.
Typically, there is a predetermined schedule of joining males with females twice during a more natural breeding season (i.e.,
(january and September) and once during the a seasonal period (May).
Breeding may consist of a short one-cycle window (17 day),
which would allow approximately 90 days for lactation, and rebreeding to occur.
The STAR method is slightly more demanding on the ewes with a maximum number of births per ewe per year of 1.67 versus
1.5 in an 8-month cycle.
Three groups are managed simultaneously
(i) breeding and gestating group, a
(ii) lambing and lactating group, and
(iii) weaned lamb group.
Breeding occurs THREE times during the natural breeding season of sheep and
TWICE during the aseasonal period.
Is paramount to a profitable sheep or goat enterprise, and though several tools exist
to improve performance, perhaps the most beneficial long-term is to select replacement animals based
on genetic predictions for reproductive traits.
Reproduction
Are examples of programs that analyze data and generate estimated breeding values (EBVs)
for various economically relevant traits, including reproduction.
Sheep Genetics (Australia), Sheep Improvement Limited (New Zealand), and Signet (United
Kingdom)
Is the percentage of lambs produced compared to the
number of ewes or does exposed to males.
lamb crop
Often the “measuring stick” for the annual success of an operation, but may be
impacted by many other factors than simply reproduction
lamb crop
It is critical to track multigenerational pedigrees to accurately
predict genetic potential, which the do.
aforementioned programs
An animal’s ability to reproduce is referred
fertility
Number of offspring an animal
produces as a result of a mating is called
fecundity
Those that reach puberty quicker tend to remain more fertile throughout their
lifetime
Animals that
tend to be more fertile also tend to be more prolific and
vice versa.
Rams and billies that have larger testicular circumference tend to produce daughters that come
into estrus earlier in life
The effect of heterosis can increase fertility, lambing rate and lamb survival independent of using
highly fertile breeds
F1 Rambouillet (1.5 lambs per ewe)
Finnsheep (2.5 lambs per ewe) however, due to a 14.7%
heterosis effect, these crossbred ewes will actually wean an average lamb crop of 2.28.
however, due to a 14.7%
heterosis effect, these crossbred ewes will actually wean an average lamb crop of —-
2.8
ewes should wean an AVERAGE lamb crop of —based off the average of the two breeds, however,
2.0
was the first
gene identified that is related to fecundity in sheep
FecB mutation to the BMPR-1B gene,
Other gene mutations have since been discovered to affect prolificacy, mostly
involving the —– and are prominently found in the Belclare, Romney, and Lacaune breeds.
BMP15 gene
The udder of the ewe or doe should be evaluated.
It should be advised to follow labeling instructions carefully as administering an injection of
certain vaccines too close to pregnancy can result in
embryonic mortality
pre-breeding strategy that can result in a greater number of offspring and economic
return is the practice of
flushing
Is a general term for increasing plane of nutrition to females for — weeks prior to breeding.
2-6 weeks
Of the male is recommended to ensure fertility, structural
soundness, and overall health
Breeding Soundness Exam
BSE 60 days before the breeding season to allow enough time for a follow-up BSE in 30 days if a ram or buck is determined to be infertile or questionable
rams or bucks who are seasonally anestrous.
May test negative due to season
The enlargement of the epididymis is a sign of Ovine Epididymitis from a —-?
Brucella Ovis infection
The breeding window should be set approximately 5 months (gestation ranges from 145 to
155 days) from the desired time of parturition.
ensures that a mating results in offspring
with a desired pedigree.
single sire
A mature male to approximately 35-50 females is a common practice and
25-35 is a more manageable number for younger and less experienced males.
Generally results in a greater pregnancy
rate. generally results in a greater pregnancy
rate.
Multi-sire mating
The estrous cycle of ewes lasts 17 days and
21 days for the doe.
It is common to leave the males
in a minimum of 34-42 days to ensure that each female has had two periods of estrus.
Sheep and goats generally are seasonally polyestrous, short-day breeders.
When the days become shorter in the fall, decreased exposure to light causes a change in secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland, thus inducing the estrous cycle.
Peak time for ewes and does to show sexual receptivity (heat) is in October
then a gradual decline in the percentage of females exhibiting estrus declines until late
—- when it nearly ceases.
winter
Of the dairy breeds, the —- is the least seasonal
Nubian
Even aseasonal breeds from
the tropics have been shown to experience an anestrous period when exposed to a temperate photoperiod.
A typical light treatment protocol would be to expose animals to extended periods of light (16 h per day) for 8-12 weeks, and
then short periods (8 h light per day) for 8-12 weeks, prior to breeding.
Exogenous progesterone via oral or intravaginal devices for a period of 11-14 days (sheep) or 18-
21 days (goats)
Devices are common methods to
supply progesterone to sheep and goats.
Controlled Intravaginal
Drug Releasing (CIDR)
A common practice is to use a “teaser” ram or billy, which is a ——, prior to
breeding as females tend to be more fertile the second cycle after introduction to males and thus a tighter
breeding window can be achieved for the group.
vasectomized male
Additionally, using a higher ratio of rams to ewes (1:18) versus
traditional in season practice
(1:30) can improve pregnancy rates.
Ideally, ewes should be kept in a
body condition score of around 3-3.5 through gestation.
Parturition signals round worms, particularly Haemonchus contortus, to resume activity because lactating ewes and lambs are most susceptible to parasitism.
It is common for breeders to only keep replacement ewes or does that were born during the
fall or early winter
Substantial changes in nutritional requirements occur during the last trimester of gestation
Over-fed ewes during the first trimester can experience embryonic loss and during the final
trimester can also have very large fetuses that can result in dystocia
Proper dietary ——- during the third trimester is very important for lamb and kid survival due to their importance in normal metabolic and immunological functions.
vitamin and mineral balance
Parturition signals round worms, particularly,
to resume activity because
lactating ewes and lambs are most susceptible to parasitism.
Haemonchus contortus
The ideal time period to ultrasound ewes/does for pregnancy and litter size is between
50- and
90-days gestation,
Are most susceptible to death loss.
Neonate
Is the practice of having ewes or does give birth outside of a confined facility or paddock without continual human supervision.
“Range” lambing/kidding
usually leaves the female under limited to no supervision during birth, so females must be selected for natural maternal instinct.
Shed lambing/ kidding allows for protection from the elements and predators.
Shed lambing/ kidding
In a typical shed lambing/kidding set up, females will be grouped in a —- pen, the number
depending on the size of the pen or paddock.
drop
Once females have given birth, they are moved to a “jug”, which is a 1.5 x 1.5 m pen to aide in
the bonding and nursing process.
jug
Dams and offspring will remain in the jug for –r(h) to allow
offspring to nurse and gain strength
24 - 48 h
the practice of offering grain to lambs/kids that have not yet been weaned, can
help the eventual transition off of milk to a post-weaning diet and can reduce stress at weaning time
‘Creep Feeding’
How to wean
Proper management of lactating ewes or does post-weaning is important to prevent the onset of
mastitis
weaning to reduce milk production and decrease chances of mastitis.
