Sheep Flashcards
What is the main product from sheep production?
Meat
Why is wool removed from the sheep?
Control fly strike
Prevent heat stress
How is wool quality measured? What is the target?
Microns
Less than 24 microns is the target
How many microns defines coarse wool?
35-50 microns
What is stratification?
How we use different breeds
What are the 3 stratifications in the UK?
The hills
Uplands
Lowlands
How is fecundity increased when sheep are moved to upland areas?
More likely to have twins when crossed with upland rams
How have the top 1/3 performing flocks increased their profit per ewe?
- Strategic feeding
- More lambs born and reared
- Better carcass quality
- Lower fixed costs
- Higher scanning %
What is the average cost of a replacement commercial ram?
£300-£1000
What is the average cost of a replacement ewe?
£100-£140
What is the minimum housing requirement for a ewe alone?
1.2-1.4 m2 / ewe
What is the minimum housing requirement for a ewe with lambs?
2.0 – 2.2 m2 / ewe with lambs
Why is ventilation a problem in lambing housing?
Housing is often temporary for the few weeks of lambing that occur each year - can not be as good quality as permanent housing
When do sheep need to be ID’d?
Before 6 to 9 months old or if moving off holding
When is a full tag needed for a lamb?
If staying more than 12 months - need 1 electronic and 1 plastic
What sire breed is always used to produce a mule crossbreed?
Blue-faced Leicester
What is the peak DLWG for lambs?
250-350g at 20-40 days old
Before how many weeks old is growth poor if they are weaned?
8 weeks old
- ideal weaning is 12-14 weeks old
What is the average weight at 11 weeks old for creep fed vs control fed lambs?
creep = 32kg control = 16kg
What are short keep store lambs?
Lambs that are 5-7 Kg off their target weight
Winter finished for a few weeks
What is the target finish weight of an individual lamb?
1/4 of sire + dam weight
What is flushing of a ewe? What are the benefits of this?
3-6 weeks of feeding 0.25Kg/head/day post tupping (breeding)
- increase in twin production
- increased body condition score
What are the 1. mid pregnancy 2. 4 weeks pre-partum 3. lambing MJ requirements?
- 10MJ = maintenance
- 15MJ
- 20MJ
How can correct nutrition be assessed/ensured?
- assess condition score
- scan for foetal numbers
- check teeth
When should lambs body condition score be assessed? What may result if a lamb is thin?
8 weeks after lambing
If thin, wean lambs early
What causes pregnancy toxaemia?
Longer term underfeeding PLUS acute shortage
When does peak lactation occur?
at 4 weeks
What is the main issue with ewes mobilising their own body tissues?
Releases 17MJ of energy but requires 65MJ to regain the weight
- not economically beneficial
- maintaining dams ME through feed is essential
When can hypocalcaemia occur, what are the 2 main causes?
pre- or post- partum
- stress
- changes in diet
What is a common problem with feeding silage?
pH doesn’t get low enough leading to growth of listeria
What are some disadvantages of feeding root-crops?
- tubers aren’t ploughed and ground freezes so they cannot access them
- links to vaginal prolapse as the food is bulky which increases abdominal pressure
How many hours per day do sheep graze?
9 hours - any more than this means the sward height is limiting so they are having to feed for longer
What is the target body condition score for rams at the start of mating?
3.5-4
