sheep Flashcards
type of hair coat on a sheep
mostly wool, but some hair breeds
type of tails on a sheep
down (often docked)
type of horns on a sheep
broad and curling
upper lip on a sheep
separate lobes
who has the most sheep
china
top 4 importers of sheep
france, china, UK, US
major exporters of sheep
New Zealand and Australia
describe the sheep industry in the US
small, mostly for meat and lamb production, wool is secondary
6 types of sheep breeds
fine wool, meat, multipurpose, long wool, hair, and color
description of a fine wool breed
very thin diameter of wool fibre, high CPI, lower meat quality, medium size, common in the western US
CPI
crimps per inch (higher number indicates finer wool)
characteristics of fine wool sheep
thin diametre of wool fibre
lower meat quality
medium size (150-300 lbs)
2/3 offspring
mostly found in Western US
characteristics of meat breeds sheep
medium wool diametre
large size (250-400 lbs)
1/2 offspring
found in farm flock in Midwest, Northeast US
characteristics of dual purpose breeds
meat
medium wool
medium to large (200-300 lbs)
heavy frame
characteristics of long wool breeds
coarse wool
meat
small to medium (175-300 lbs)
harsh weather conditions
characteristics of hair breeds
meat
leather
adapted to subtropical to tropical environment
When do sheep get bred
day 0 (sept - nov)
when does lambing occur
day 147 (mar-apr)
when does weaning occur for sheeps
day 200 (may-june)
when do lambs go to market
day 260 (July-aug)
what does the reproductive cycle of a sheep end on?
day 365 when rebreeding occurs
when do sheep reach puberty?
6 months of age
when do sheep breed?
breed in fall, lamb in spring (short day breeders)
what are the opportunities for the sheep wool production
we import 70% of wool consumed
what are the opportunities for sheep meat production
import 273 million pounds of meat
what are some challenges for sheep wool production
competing with synthetic fibers, and isolation and seclusion for the shepherds and predators
how long is the ovine estrus cycle
17 days
