Prime Lambs Flashcards
What is the definition of abomasum?
It is the fourth and only true stomach in ruminant animals. Acid breaks down ready for nutrient absorption.
What is the definition of brucellosis?
It is a disease which causes infertility, swollen te4sticles & stillbrth in sheep.
What is a Border Leicester?
A breed of sheep that is dual purpose ( bred for meat & wool). It is also used to breed prime lambs.
What is the definition of cellulose?
It is an important chemical made from glucose which ruminants can digest to turn into energy.
What is the definition of a cryptorchid?
A cryptorchid is a male sheep which has testicles have been pushed back into its body so as to allow for testosterone production but inhibits sperm production.
What is a Dorset?
They are a breed of meat producing sheep.
What is the definition of endotoxemia?
It is otherwise known as pulpy kidney disease which is caused by bacteria.
What is foot pairing?
It is a process on the calendar of operations where the farmer cuts off some of the sheep’s hoof to make it cleaner and prevent disease.
What is lucerne?
It is a kind of hey commonly consumed by sheep because of its nutrition.
What is the definition of Malignant Oedema?
It is one of the 5 clostridial diseases treated by the 5 in 1 vaccine. It is often fatal and not economical to treat.
What is the oesophagus?
The organ that transports food up and down the mouth and the rumen.
What is the omasum?
The third stomach in a ruminant which has book like pages with the purpose of water absorption.
What is the reticulum?
The second stomach of a ruminant which is used to transport food from the rumen to the omasum.
What is rumination?
The action in which food travels from the rumen back up to the mouth to be re chewed. This is also called the cud.
What is supplementary feed?
It is extra food which may be given to sheep when lambing or after lambing.
What is a Texel?
A breed of sheep known for its lean carcass.
What is vaccination?
A process in which sheep are exposed to an attenuated version of a pathogen which allows the sheep to build immunity to it. This is normally subcutaneous (under the skin).
State all the activities which happen on the calendar of operations.
Feb: Joining
April: end of joining
May: supplementary feeding (if necessary)
June: vaccinate ewes & rams (annual booster)
supplementary feeding (if necessary)
July: supplementary feeding (if necessary)
lambing begins
Aug: supplementary feeding (if necessary)
lambing continues
Sep: lambing ends
lamb marking - tail docking, vaccination, castration
Oct: vaccinate lambs (booster)
Dec: sell lambs (live weight 30 - 35kg) at Camden Saleyards this is performed by a contractor
Describe the breeding of a prime lamb
- a merino ewe and border leicester ram mate and make what is called a First cross ewe
- The First Cross ewe then mates with a Poll Dorset ram to make a prime lamb
Describe a blowfly lifecycle
- female lays eggs (up to 250)
- eggs hatch in 8 - 24 hours depending on the temp
- hatched maggots crawl down the skin of the sheep which has become tender
- maggots eat fecal matter
- After 3 - 5 days, they drop to the ground at night and burrow into the ground
- They pupate in the right conditions, if not they will pre pupate and wait for more favourable conditions.
- they then climb out and climb to a high place to harden their wings
- female accepts a mate if they give her a protein meal
once mated, the female finds a suitable spot to lay her eggs and the cycle repeats
Describe the effects of blowfly strike on sheep.
- when maggots attack the breach area, the long wool causes softening of skin underneath which makes it easy to feed on by maggots
- bloody wounds spread rapidly
- the sheep then develops a fever and dies
Describe some control measures for blowfly strike
Mulesing; the surgical removal of skin from the breach area allowing scar tissue to be regrown which is much tougher and cannot grow wool
Tail Docking: the surgical removal or elastration of the sheep’s tail
Crutching: the removal of wool from the sheep’s breach area as either a preventative measure or treatment to expose maggots
Jetting & dipping: applying insecticide to kill off flies
Selective Breeding: breeding sheep with desirable characteristics such as less wrinkling in the breach area
Physical removal of maggots and topically disinfecting areas also works.
Describe the roundworm life cycle
- female lays eggs in the abomasum
- eggs lay in wait, diving into more and more cells in the moist condition until they finally hatch
- there are three stages of larva
- they larva breaks out of dung and climbs up on blades of grass which then get consumed by sheep
- the worm then reaches the abomasum again
- it then develops shark sucking mouthparts (spicules) which allows then to start feeding on the gut lining of the sheep
- after the final stage of moutling they continue feeding on the lining until sexually mature when the cycle repeats over
Describe the effect of roundworm on sheep
- if the sheep is young it will die almost immediately
- older animals also become anaemic but they will present with other symptoms like bottle jaw
- faeces are drier than usual
- sheep becomes weak with pale skin and has a swaying gait due to anaemia
- the sheep then falls over and becomes so weak that it won’t be able to get up eventually causing it to die
- it may not always be fatal but it is very serious and requires immediate treatment
Describe some control measures for roundworms
- drenching
there are two necessary drenches every sheep must take. On is the first summer drench at the end of spring and the weaning drench
Explain the difference between basic vs strategic drenching
Basic:
- only one type of drench
- less complex
- less difficult to maintain
- less expensive
- doesn’t address worm resistance
Complex:
- multiple rotating types of drenches
- more expensive
- more complex
- addresses worm resistance
- more difficult to maintain
What is the causative organism for Brucellosis?
Brucella ovis which is classifies in the coccobacillus category of bacteria
Describe symptoms for Brucellosis
Rams:
- elevated temperature and lowered appetite
- when the infection reaches the epididymis causing major inflammation
- the vas deferens may be completely blocked causing sperm buildup
- which may cause hardening and swelling in testicles ultimately leading to infertility
- the inflammation may be solved i\on its own but the ram will still be infectious
Ewes:
- there are few clinical signs but it is still very serious
- there may be swelling in the placenta during pregnancy which in the oprst cases may lead to abortion of the lamb
Describe the means of prevention for brucellosis
- rams should be isolated from each other to prevent disease
- when joining occurs, farmers can make sure that the rams involved are from low risk herds
How can brucellosis be tested for?
- can be tested palpating the scrotum top check for abnormalities
- if the epididymis is hard, shrunken or swollen, it is also a sign
- it can also be tested through a blood or semen test
Describe treatment of brucellosis
- it cannot be effectively treated and even if it could be, it is not economical to treat
- one treatment available is harsh antibiotics which may not always work
- the only economical way is to separate infected rams and sell them off to be slaughtered
- another option is to take out the infected testicle but that also may not necessarily work
What disease are controlled by the 5-in-1 vaccine
The diseases controlled are all clostridial disease
tetanus
- black leg
- black’s disease
- enterotoxaemia
- malignant oedema
Describe how the 5-in-1 vaccine works
it works by exposing the body to a weakened version of the pathogen to allow the body to produce antibodies. These antibodies are then stored and used when the sheep is exposed to the actual pathogen.
Explain when lamb marking occurs
- iot is carried out at about 2-12 weeks of age
What is the definition of joining?
Joining is what happens when a ram and ewe mate and the ewe becomes pregnant.