Sheep and Goats Flashcards
What is sheep’s scientific name?
Ovis aries
What is a mature male sheep called?
Ram
What is a mature female sheep called?
Ewe
What is a young sheep (Under a Year) called?
Lamb
What is a 1 year old sheep called?
Yearling
What is a castrated male sheep called?
Wether
What is the normal body temperature of a sheep?
100.9 - 103.8 degrees F
What is the gestation period of a sheep?
147 - 150
What is the estrous cycle length of a sheep?
17 days
What is goat’s scientific name?
Capra hircus
What is a mature male goat called?
Buck
What is a mature female goat called?
Doe
What is the offspring of a goat called?
Kids
What is the female offspring of a goat called?
Doeling
What is the male offspring of a goat called?
Buckling
What is a mature male goat called?
Wether
What is the normal body temperature of a goat?
101.3 - 103.5
What is the gestation period of a goat?
150 days
What is the estrous cycle length of a goat?
21 days
What is the break joint vs spool joint?
Refers to the ossification of the cannon bone
Lambs: Break joint
Mature sheep: No break joints
What is the behavior of sheep vs goats?
Sheep: Flighty species of animal and result in trouble for the animal
Goat: Very inquisitive and interact with their environment and can lead to misadventure
Sheep Classification: Meat breed?
Cheviot, Hampshire, Oxford
Sheep Classification: Wool breed?
Border Leicester, Merino, Finn
Sheep Classification: Dual Purpose breed?
Columbia, Dorset, Montadale
Goat Classification: Meat breed?
Boer, Kiko, Spanish
Goat Classification: Dairy breed?
Alpine, La Mancha, Nigerian Dwarf
Goat Classification: Fiber breed?
Angora
What is the other word for cross breeding?
Hybrid Vigor/Heterosis
Statistics?
Less than 1% of livestock receipts are from are from the sheep industry
1884: 51 million head
2016: 5.0 million head
How much has the lamb consumption declined in the US?
1960: 5lb lamb per capita
Currently: 1lb lamb per capita
What part of the lamb to US markets prefer?
Leg and Loin
What is the difference between Lamb and Mutton?
Ossification of the cannon bone (break joint vs spool joint)
Where does most sheep operations happen in the US?
2/3 of operations occur in the southern plains, mountain and pacific regions.
Texas & California
Production Timeline for Sheep?
Ewes are bred by the ram in the fall
Seasonally Polyestrous (short day breeders)
Give birth in the spring
- March to May
- US: “First five calendar months of the year”
Weaning
- US: should be 2.5-3 times their BW (usually 8-10 weeks of age)
- Australia: 12-14 weeks
How do sheep operations happen?
USDA designations
Stock Sheep: Pasture/Forage
Feeder Lambs
- Reared on forage until 60-80 lbs
- Reared on feedlots until slaughter: approx 140 lbs (6-8 months of age)
How does shearing happen?
Removing wool from sheep
- Done 1-2 times per year
Spring and Fall
Prevents matting and skin issues
Wool can be used for various products
How does Dairy Goat Production happen?
Lactation Period: 284 days
- Peak Lactation: 4-6 weeks pos kidding
Sexual Maturity: 4-5 months of age
- Does need to be 70-80 lbs before being bred
- Typically gain 0.1-0.33 lbs per day
- Meat crosses can gain 0.55 lbs
What cheeses come from goat fluid milk?
Gouda
Brie
Camembert
Cheddar
Many others
Pecorino Romano: Sheep milk and goat milk
Used to make soap as well
Nutrition of Goats and Sheeps?
Forages
Roughages
Concentrates
Mineral and Vitamins
- No added copper for sheep
Avoid feeding silage: Disease Listeriosis
Avoid sudden changes in the feed
What do internal parasites do?
Cause: Weight loss, scours and anemia, (Bottle Jaw)
Can be fatal
Sheep Parasites: Lung worm, Stomach worms, Liver flukes, Coccidia
How does Predation affect sheep and goats?
Major problem for flocks
Coyotes, Wolves, Lynx, Bears and Domestic Dogs
Have Guard Animals: Dogs, Donkey and Llamas
What happens with Spider lamb Syndrome?
Recessive disorder
Homozygous recessive are affected
Craniofacial, spinal, and limb defects
Animals have to be euthanized
Blood test
- Determines if animals are carriers
- Breed carrier sheep: 25% chance lambs will be affected
Common Sheep and Goat diseases?
Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP): In sheep
Caprine Arthritis and Encephalitis (CAE): In goats
Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL): In Sheep/Goats
What happens with Scrapie?
Cause: Neurological disorders in sheep
Infective agent: Prion
Transmission: Contact with “birth fluids”
Fatal
Zoonotic (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease)
Can infect other species (Deer, cattle, goats)
- Cows: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease)
- Deer: Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
What happens with Scrapie?
Cause: Neurological disorders in sheep
Infective agent: Prion
Transmission: Contact with “birth fluids”
Fatal
Zoonotic (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease)
Can infect other species (Deer, cattle, goats)
- Cows: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease)
- Deer: Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
What is the scrapie eradication program?
Program that is run by the USDA: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Requires farmers to keep records of all animals
Animals are given an ID with an associated number and flock ID
Will follow that animal for its lifetime
What hoof and mouth disease occurs?
Caused by a virus that infects cloven hoofed animals
Global animal health concern
Deer, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs
Highly contagious
Farms affected are depopulated
