Module 4: MANAGEMENT OF BREEDING STOCK IN SHEEP AND GOATS Flashcards
source that’s accepted by a multitude of cultures and religions has room for tremendous growth and the ever-expanding global diet and wardrobe
protein and fiber
how the greatest potential for advancement in reproductive efficiency
sheep and goats
define as being slow input in often utilizing larger tracts of land
extensive production
will generate larger lamb and kid crops but at an added production cost
intensive operations
generally occurs in a facility or small paddock and under daily management.
lambing or kidding
is typically more precise and intensive management and often includes pedigree health performance information and dates for breeding lambing or teething and winning on individual animals
record keeping
record keeping is typically more precise and intensive management and often includes
*pedigree
*health
*performance information
*dates for breeding lambing kidding
*weaning on individual animals
are typically higher in intensive operations but the adoption of technology to improve efficiency is also more prevalent and the system
labor outputs
usually focuses on groups of animals as opposed to the individual
extensive production
ewes or nannies often given birth outside and under limited supervision
extensive system
four main breeding system commonly employed in the goat and sheep industry
- hand mating
- pen breeding
- artificial insemination
- out of season breeding
this method involves selecting the buck/ram for the doe/ewe and mating them. this method has the advantage of allowing the exact breeding date to be recorded.
hand mating
the buck/ram is put in a pen of does/ewes to facilitate their mating. this method relies on the male to detect females in heat. it significantly less labor-intensive when compared to hand breeding
open breeding
offers the advantage of introducing superior genetics cost-effectively. there are a limited number of technicians with small ruminant ai experience
artificial insemination
the most reliable though costly, method involves using artificial lighting.
out of season breeding
alternate forms of production are
opportunistic and accelerated schemes
various factors that determine when how often operation choose to lamb or kid.
- available labor
- breed
- seasonality
- available forage
- targeted market
once-a-year mating is the most common practice in sheep and goat production
annual
can be best described as bucks or billies being with females year-round
opportunistic
two most common accelerated programs are the
8 month and STAR
is the simpler of the two methods described. there is a predetermined schedule of joining males woth females twice during a more natural breeding season and once during the seasonal period
8 month accelerated cycle
energy demands on the female to reproduce one time i year is manageable and can easily coincide with fiber or milk production to be profitable
benefit of annual production
there is downtime between weaning and breeding where the female is not in production
drawback
to ensure prevention of production losses due to infertility, a breeding soundness exam should be performed on the male
30 to 60 days prior to the breeding season
evaluation should include a
- physical exam
- reproductive tract exam
- semen analysis
occurs just prior to the best available feed resources for the female as she begins a period of high energy demands during lactation
birthing
two most common accelerated programs at the 8 month and star programs which are
three lambings/kiddings or five lambings/kiddings in three years
that lambs and kids are available to be marketed year-round and facilities and labor resources can be maximized
benefits of accelerated production
is the simpler of the two methods described. there is a predetermined schedule of joining males with females twice during a more natural breeding season and once during the a seasonal period
eight-month accelerated cycle
may consist of a short one cycle window which would allow approximately 90 days of for lactation and rebreeding to occur
breeding
this method is a slightly more demanding on the ewes with the maximum number of births per ewe per year of 1.67 versus 1.5 in an month cycle.
Star Method
paramount a profitable sheep or goat enterprise and though several tools exist to improve performance
reproduction
breeders enter data into the program and EBV’s are calculated off individual animal performance and its pedigree
sheep and goat
is the percentage pf lambs produced compared to the number of ewes or does exposed to males
lamb crop
is often the measuring stick for the annual success of an operation, but may be impacted by many other factors than simply reproduction
lamb crop
generated within contemporary groups as a way of eliminating environmental factors
EBVs
have the potential to have significantly greater number of offspring than a single ewe.
rams
animals ability to reproduce is referred to as
fertility
the number of off spring an animal produces as a result of a mating
fecundity
animals that tend to be more fertile also tend to be more
prolific and vice versa
have larger testicular circumference tend to produce daughters that come into estrus earlier in life
rams and billies
perhaps the most effective way to improve the economic output of aa operation
increasing prolificacy
impact prolificacy reduce the likelihood that sole selection on actual birth rate will result in significant improvement in overall lamb ot kid crop
non genetic factors
the effect of heterosis
increase fertility
was the first gene identified that is related to fecundity in sheep
FecB mutation to BMPR-1B
lambing rate and lamb survival independent of using highly fertile breeds. what are these breed?
F1 Rambouillet (1.5 lambs per ewe)
Finnsheep (2.5 lambs per ewe)
increases rate by 100% and two copies increase lambing rate by 200% or more
FecB allele
gene mutations have since been discovered to affect prolificacy, mostly involving the
BMP15 gene
imperative for a female to become pregnant and to raise her offspring
proper body condition
if any residual knots or abcesses exist that indicate mastitis was present in a prior lactation, the female should be considered for?
culling
particularly important to both meat and dairy production
udder quality
it should be advised to follow labeling instructions carefully as administering an injection of certain vaccines too close to pregnancy can result
embryonic mortality
needed during gestation to control aborting agents when a vaccine is not available or is not fully effective
oral or injectable antibiotics
is general term for increasing plane of nutrition to females for 2-6 weeks prior to breeding.
flushing
can increase ovulation and subsequent embryonic survival
flushing
when is the continuing to flush of ewes or does?
2-4 weeks after fertilization
it is recommended to ensure fertility, structural soundness and overall health of the male
Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE)
sign of enlargement of the epididymis
OVINE EPIDIDYMITIS from a Brucella Ovis infection
another common cause of testicular or epididymal swelling
injury
should be performed during a BSE, with a minimum threshold recommendation of 30 cm circumference for young rams and 33cm for mature bucks
testicular measurements
is highly correlated with semen production and fertility
testicular size
is highly correlated with semen production and fertility
testicular size
rams or billies that are too thin in body condition may have
decreased fertility and low breeding stamina
those ram and billies who are too heavily conditioned
may lack vigor and libido to mate
should be collected and evaluated for sperm motility and morphology
semen sample
collection of semen may be performed using an?
artificial vagina or electro-ejaculator
tend to be more lethargic from the extra weight and lowered ability to dissipate heat
males in full fleece
is also cleaner as uring and semen do not become entrapped by the wool around the prepuce which can HARBOR PATHOGENS and PHYSICAL OBSTRUCTIONS
shorter fleece
breeding window should be set approximately
5 months from the desired time of parturition
one male per breeding group of females, ensures that a mating results in offspring with a desired pedigree.
single sire
lack of competition can decrease libido in some rams and bucks, which may result;
lower flock/herd pregnancy rate
generally results in a greater pregnancy rate.
multi-sire mating
allows for multiple sire mating groups to be used and pedigree of the offspring can still be determined
genetic testing
estrous cycle of ewes lasts
17 days and 21 days for the doe
generally are seasonally polyestrous, short day breeders.
sheep and goat
one strategy to capture a higher value for offspring
aseasonality or breeding out of season
common methods to supply progesterone to sheep and goats
controlled intravaginal drug releasing (CIDR)
exogenous progesterone supplementation to induce the onset of estrus
prostaglandin F2-alpha
important for out of season pregnancy rates
reintroduction
have been effective at inducing estrus in females as well as increasing testicular size and sexual activity in males.
melatonin treatment
common practice which is a vasectomized male, prior to breeding as females tend to be more fertile the second cycle after introduction to males
“teaser” ram or billy
most permanent solution
genetic selection for out of season reproductive capability
critically important to the success of out of season mating.
female nutritional status
ewes that are too fat are also at major risk for
pregnancy toxemia
over-fed ewes during the first trimester can experience embryonic loss during the final trimester can also have a very large fetuses that can result
dystocia
during the third trimester it is very important for lamb and kid survival due to their importance in normal metabolic and immunological functions
proper dietary vitamin and mineral balance
major issue for most sheep an goat producers in the world
internal parasite
helps with internal parasite control because the periparturient rise in parasites occurs when the parasite cannot complete its lifecycle outside of the animals
out-of-season lambing and kidding
method to determine pregnancy and the number of fetuses
ultrasound
ideal time period to ultrasound ewes and does for pregnancy
between 50- and 90- days gestation
another option to determine pregnancy.
blood test for pregnancy specific PROTEIN-B
allows farmers to better supply the appropriate nutritional support to pregnant versus open females
pregnancy determination
ewes entirely prior to lambing. this provides a much more sanitary environment for lambing as fluid pastures are often used to keep replacements
shearing and crutching
allows for a cleaner lambing environment while still offering protection to the ewe from harsh weather.
crutching
result in a cleaner wool clip and will also stimulate the appetite of the ewe. which is beneficial during late gestation and lactation
shearing
most susceptible to death and loss
neonates
is the practice of having ewes or does give birth outside of a confined facility or paddock without continual human supervision
range lambing/kidding
allows protection from the elements and predators.
shed lambing/kidding
allows for better record keeping and productivity of dams and offspring can be easily quantified.
shed lambing/kidding
machines that have been developed that are very effective at rearing large numbers of lambs or kids with limited labor resources
automated milking machines
separation of offspring from dam, is done to eliminate its dependence on its mothers milk or companionship and shift to a forage.
weaning
practice of offering grain to lambs/kids that have not yet been weaned, can help the eventual transition off of milk to post-weaning diet and can reduce stress at weaning time.
creep feeding
dam is limited to only a few days pre and post weaning
dry up
