Sheep and Goat Flashcards
How long ago where goats domesticated? Around what year was this?
Domesticated 8500 to 9000 years ago
In 7000 BC.
What is significant about the domestication time about goats?
They are one of the oldest if not the oldest domesticated livestock species.
Around the same time as pigs.
Goats being domesticated around the same time as pigs means what?
They were domesticated when people were still nomadic and moving from place to place.
What is the wild ancestor of the modern goat?
Bezoar goat.
Where did the bezoar goat originate?
Persia/Asia Minor to Crete. Includes parts of Russia.
(Look at the map. To the right of the European cluster, below Russia, above Africa, to the left of India. A rectangle of area in there. Turkey, Iran, and Syria included!)
What were goats domesticated for?
food, milk, and clothing.
Where were goats brought by European and Asian explorers?
North/South America, New Zealand and Australia
How are our modern day goats similar to our modern day cattle?
There are meat breeds and milk breeds.
If we believe that North America did have any native wild goats, how can we have wild goats now?
We believe that our wild goats come from goats that escaped after being brought over by explorers.
Around how long ago were sheep domesticated? Around what year was this?
Domesticated 6000 to 7000 years ago.
Around 5000 BC.
What two species do we believe are the ancestors of our modern day sheep?
European mouflon and the Asiatic Urial.
What does the timeline of sheep domestication tell us?m
Sheep were also domesticated while people were still nomadic, but were domesticated after goats and pigs.
Describe The range of the undomesticated sheep.
Overlaps over with goat range, but is bigger.
A large circle involving part of Russia, China, Mongolia, India, Iran, turkey, and many Eruopean countries like Italy, Rome, and Ukraine.
Why do we think sheep were domesticated?
For food, milk, and clothing.
What is unique and different about sheep when they were first domesticated compared to now? (Two things)
They grew and matured much slower
Ancient ancestors probably had predominantly hair (Rather than wool)
How did sheep get to the Americas, New Zeland, and Australia?
Through European and Asian explorers.
How are sheep the opposite in domestication in comparison to horses?
Sheep are one of the species that have changed the most biologically from domestication, but very little culturally.
Horses have changed the most culturally with very little biological change.
In sheep, selective breeding and genetic improvement from domestication has caused what three things?
Fast growth
Multiple births
Wool quality.
Remember to look at your demographic charts for numbers!
Okay.
In the US, how is sheep production divided?
Most farms on the east coast (Including NC) are farm flock
Out west, sheep are managed with a range style.
Describe some qualities of a farm flock system.
Smaller amounts of land, intensely managed, smaller amounts of sheep.
Describe some qualities of a range style system.
Big farms, little intervention, Sheep are left alone to do their own thing.
What are the top producing US states in sheep production?
Texas, California, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota.
True or false? The number one animal showed at the NC State fair is sheep.
True!
Why might this be true?
It is pretty easy to raise a sheep on a small amount of rough land and prep them for showing
In other words, sheep can grow and live in pretty rough conditions.
How has the sheep industry changed in NC?
It hasn’t much. Our numbers have stayed fairly stable through the years.
The percentages for the NC market share of the sheep industry in the US is low. Why?
Our sheep farms tend to be smaller. We sell animals at a younger age, which earns less money.
Why are goat number statistics less accurate?
The US is not a major producer of goats. We only recently started recording figures.
What is the main idea between sheep and goat production in NC State??
In the US, sheep production is much bigger and brings in more income than the goat industry.
But in NC, we produce almost double as many goats as sheep. The goat industry brings in much more money than the sheep industry in NC.
Why is the goat inventory high in NC state?
In the early 2000’s. a group of producers lobbied for state legislatures to put aside money for the goat industry.
In terms of goat production, how is NC state different than other states?
They aren’t really. The farms tend to be low-intensity and about the same average size when compared to other states.
Explian the history of goat production in NC state.
State gov approved special funds in 1995 to develop a meat goat industry in NC.
Farmers moved from tobacco to goat rearing.
Explain the history of sheep production in NC state.
Farmers that used to do tobacco wanted something else. They convinced legislators to give a one time payment and a recurring payment with the argument that sheep could be raised on nearly any terrain.
Sheep breeds differ greatly in what trait?
Their gregariousness!
In terms of sheep and goat, what is gregariousness?
The desire to flock and stick together.
How is goat and sheep behavior different?
They have similar behaviors, but the degree in which they engage in the behavior is soooooo different.
Are goats gregarious?
To a degree! They tend to be far less gregarious than sheep.
Throughout their life time, how does a sheep’s gregariousness change?
When sheep are young, they are not as gregarious. As they get older, they start to care more about being with the group.
How can a sheep’s gregariousness be a benefit and a detriment?
If you want to move all of the sheep somewhere, you only really have to move a couple.
However, If you want to isolate a sheep, it will be very difficult.
Describe sheep peak order.
Sheep do have peak orders, but very little energy or activity is actually dedicated to establishing and maintaining it.
In a sheep peaking order, who is generally on top?
The oldest or biggest ewe is generally dominant.
What behavior is typical in a sheep peaking order?
Dominant sheep usually push subordinate ones out of the way.
Sheep often will not let a new animal join the flock.
Older ewes generally avoid new ewes. New ewes will run after them trying to join the herd.
Do sheep fight to establish peak order?
Not normally. Sheep like to bluff. They will posture and act like they might charge, but it tends to resolve without any fight.
How does goat social behavior work?
Goats establish peck orders and unlike sheep, they are strictly enforced.
What determines where a goat is on the social pecking order?
Generally horn size.
Describe dominant and submissive behavior in goats.
Dominant animals will lower their heads and pretend to rush subordinates
subordinate animals will run away.
Describe fighting behavior in goats.
Animals that want to challenge lower their heads and a “jousting match” will ensue.
Goats do a lot more actual fighting and interaction than sheep.
How are sheep and goat similar to cattle?
They will posture and use body language to try and intimidate before they fight.
They might not make contact at all if one of them backs down.
If all of that doesn’t work, they fight.
True or false? Because they are different, sheep and goat will avoid each other in the same pasture.
False! Sheep and goat will interact and will often fight in the same pasture.
How do goats charge?
When goats charge, they rear their heads up and meet their opponent mid air.
How do sheep charge?
They charge with lowered heads.
How many noises do sheep and goat make (generlization)
Only a couple
Dr. Flowers says close to three.
In distress, what noise do sheep and goats make?
A “bleat”
What might cause a bleat?
Distress from hunger, separation…ect.
Describe the noise do does and ewes make to their young.
A “Rumble”
A low murmuring sound.
How might sheep and goat express aggression?
A Snort
Describe submissive posture in goats and sheep/
Lowered head with a head shake.
Describe some aggressive or defensive behaviors.
Stamping the front legs, twisting the horns at an object.
Describe the difference in human social behavior between sheep and goats.
Goats tend to be very curious. They may approach and initiate contact with humans.
Sheep tend to be more skittish and will generally avoid contact
What are the two types of sheep productions?
Farm flocks and range production.
Describe farm flock production style.
Small numbers of ewes reared on a small acreage of land
Very intensively managed- Involves rotating rams, lambing facilities, daily/weekly activates.
Where are you most likely to find farm flock production?
Most of the south east and mid west.
Describe range style production.
Large number of ewes on a large acreage.
Minimal management. Generally only involves moving them from range to range.
Sheep are only handled a few times per year.
Follows the principle of “Survival of the fittest” Some sheep will die.
Where might you find range production style?
Out west.
Which produces the the majority of our sheep, range style or farm flock? How much?
Range production is most of the sheep production. About 75%
Give an overview of a sheep’s management calendar.
Breeding season is between August/September and December/February.
During this time, a sheep may go into puberty and begin its estrous cycles. It will go into estrus and be bred.
Gestation will begin and breeding season will end.
Lambing occurs outside of breeding season.
Lactation, then weaning, then a period of anestrus if we are out of breeding season.
Breeding season will start again the cycle continues.
