ovine Flashcards
catching a sheep
• Drive the sheep into a small coral
• AS A GROUP - Approach the sheep slowly
• Move slowly through the flock until you get
near the animal that you need to catch
• Grasp the sheep around the neck and pull the
head up. This should cause the animal to stop
or at least slow down.
• Theoretically control of the head is control of
the sheep
• NEVER GRAB or HOLD A SHEEP BY
THE WOOL (unless absolutely necessary)
• To walk it forward, place your hand under its
head and around its rump
standing restraint
• To hold the sheep – place one hand under the jaw,
the other under the rump
• This will prevent the animal from moving
backward or forward.
• DO NOT HOLD ONTO THE WOOL!!!
• Use your leg or knee to force the sheep into the
fence
• DO NOT LET THE SHEEP DRAG YOU
AROUND!
on right side of sheep
auscultate lungs
on left side of sheep
auscultate lungs
listen to and obtain heart rate
check for ruminations
physical exam
- observe animal in pen
- identify ear tags
- note abnormalities beginning with head (eyes, ears, nose); swelling, redness, excessive discharge (normal: Slight clear discharge from eyes and nose, Rectangular shaped pupil, Wool slightly dirty) (abnormal: green/dried discharge, uneven jaw, drooping, prognathism:overbite, underbite)
- check mouth (sore mouth/orf); check capillary refill time; no spurs
ruminant
4 compartment stomach
gestation length
148 days
lambing
act of parturition (giving birth) in the ovine
normal temp range
100.9-103.8
normal respiratory rate range
12-14 RPM
normal heart rate range
70-80 BPM
ram
mature male sheep
ram lamb
immature male
wether
castrated male
ewe
mature female
ewe lamb
immature female
lamb
newborn; meat from sheep under a year of age
flock
group of sheep
twinning
giving birth to two offspring
mutton
meat from sheep over a year old
fine wool breeds
(for wool production) white, usually horned (American merinao, Rambouillet)
medium wool breeds
(for mutton type)
– Cheviot – face and lower legs free of wool, erect ears
– Dorset – white face and legs
– Hampshire – black wool on face and legs
– Finnsheep – used in cross breeding because of tendency to multiple
births
– Montadale – wooless face and legs, usually white
– Southdown – white wool on face and legs - small
– Suffolk - large, black bare face and legs
long wool breeds
(bred for mutton and size; slow to mature and produce fatter carcasses)
– Costwold – polled, white long ropy wool
– Romney – white, open faced, no wool below
knees
crossbred wool breeds
(crossing long wool and fine wool)
– Corriedale – polled, white head, blocky body
– Columbia – white open faced, high quality
fleece
flushing
feeding extra rations 2 - 3 weeks prior to the breeding season to inc the number of ova produced by ewe
tagging
removal of wool which may have manure or burs in it to facilitate breedings or parturition
polyestrous
many heat cycles
crutching
clipping wool from the rear of ewe prior to lambing
hot house lambs
specialized business in which lambs are born in early fall or winter
drenching
administration of liquid medication to control internal parasites
dipping
applying a product to treat for external parasites
balling gun
used to administer a bolus of medication
castration
removal of testicles
tail docking
removal of tail
hoof trimming
removing excess growth of hoof tissue. Trimming is done twice a year
core vaccines
vaccines that should always be included in the basic immunization program for the species (rabies)
non core vaccines
reserved for unique situations and high risk animals (influenza, kennel cough)
parrot mouth
overbite
fistulated
plastic plug is surgically implanted into the rumen, allowing easy access to its contents
replacement ewes
ewe lambs are selected for outstanding characteristics to be added to the breeding stock
market weight
110 lbs
mature size
depends on breed
shearing
clipping wool at the skin to remove in one piece
lanolin
oil to waterproof wool
facing
cutting the wool above and below the eyes to prevent wool blindness
floating teeth
spurs form on outside of back molars are filed with a float
