Sheep Flashcards
What is the global distribution of sheep?
UK, Spain, Portugal, N. Africa, Middle East, S. Australia, New Zealand, S. America
What percentage of agriculture output does the UK sheep industry account for?
5.8%
How are sheep carcases classified?
EUROP scale - determines conformation and fat cover
What are the carcasse weights and grades for UK supermarkets and butchers?
Supermarkets - 16-21.5kg, U and R 2/3L
Butchers - 20-24kg, U and R 3L/3H
What is the stratification of UK breeds/industry?
Hill/mountain breeds Longwool/crossing breeds Shortwool/crossing breeds Terminal sire breeds Dairy breeds
What system is present in the UK?
3 tiered system:
- Hill sheep
- Upland
- Lowland
Name the UK hill breeds
Breeds:
- Scottish blackface
- Cheviot
- Swaledale
- Welsh mountain
Describe a hill flock set up
- Mate with pure bred, pure bred lambs
- Males castrated (withers), sold as stores to lowland farms for finishing
- Ewe lambs kept as replacements
- Draft ewes sold to up/lowland farms for further breeding
Name UK upland breeds
- Blue faced Leicester
- Border Leicester
- Wensleydale
- Teeswater
Describe an upland flock set up
- Crossed with longwool breed to produce cross breds (mule, half bred)
- Withers finished or sold to lowland for finishing
- Some ewe lambs sold, some replacements
Describe what happens with upland ewes on lowland farms
- Cross bred ewes crossed with terminal sire, prime lambs for slaughter
Describe what happens with sheep from hill farms on lowlands
- Draft hill ewes crossed with terminal sire ram, prime lambs for slaughter
Describe what happens on a lowland farm
- Lowland ewes crossed with terminal sire, prime lambs for slaughter
- Terminal sires mated with purebred to replace pure bred rams (Texel, Suffolk, Charolais, Beltex)
What are the reproductive parameters of sheep?
Puberty - 6-9 months Cycle length - 14-19 days Duration of oestrus - 24-36hrs Ovulation from time of onset - 24-27hrs Lifespan of CL - 1 days Gestation - 147 days
What are the 2 main lambing production systems?
- Spring lambing
2. Winter lambing
What are the 3 variations on spring lambing?
- Summer lamb production - Lamb late Feb-March, sell off grass June-Oct
- Autumn/winter lamb production - Lamb late March/April, sell off grass Sep-Dec
- Hogget production - extension of autumn/winter lambing, sell off grass/finished indoors Jan-Apr
What are the 2 variations on winter lambing?
- Intensive early lamb production - sell March-Apr
- Extensive early lamb production - sell off grass May-June
* pedigree flocks
What are the ram:ewe for hill farms, lowlands, after teasing, after synchronisation, ram lambs?
Hill farm - 1:30 Lowland - 1:50 After teasing - 1:20 After synchronisation - 1:10 Ram lambs - 1:20
How often should the colour in raddles be changed?
Every 9-14 days for 5-6 weeks.
Describe nutrition of early gestation (<40d) in ewes
- Maintain ewes on unrestricted pasture
- Avoid abrupt dietary changes
- Goal optimise embryo implantation, development and survival (implantation 2-4 wks post mating)
Describe nutrition in mid-gestation (40-100d)
Managment following scanning:
- Group ewes according to litter size, due date and BCS
- More focused nutritional management
Describe nutrition in late gestation
- Management of nutrition critical*
- Group ewes according to litter size and BCS
- Need extra concentrates and forage ontop of feed already being given
What are the consequences of under nutrition?
- Low lamb birthweight
- High premature birth rate
- Increased lamb mortality
- Poor ewe BCS
- Decreased quantity/quality colostrum & overall milk yield
- Decreased lamb growth rate
- Increased incidence of pregnancy toxaemia
When does lactation peak?
3-4 weeks post lambing
Describe flock grazing requirements in a March lambing
Flock requirements follow grass availability
Describe flock grazing requirements in an April lambing
Flock requirements exceed availability over summer
What age are lambs weaned?
- Generaly at 16 wks
- If short of rass wean at 12 wks
- Plenty of grass wean at 20 weeks
What are the flock health considerations between conception and parturition?
- Reproductive failure
- low ovulation/conception rate
- high abortion rate
- high perinatal losses - Fertility
- pregnancy rates ewes, 75-80%
- ewe lambs and gimmers less fertile - Abortion
- up to 50% cases can go undiagnosed
- Can be infectious (e.g. EAE, toxoplasmosis)
Can be unifectious (e.g. twin lamb, stress)
Describe EAE
- Systemic bacterial infection, can spread orally
- 90d onwards, kills foetus, causes abortion
- vaccines available
Describe toxoplasmosis
- Principally affects placenta
- Vaccine available but cat control is essential
