Sheep And Goats

Question 1

How to tell the difference between sheep and goats?

Answer 1

Goats: can lift their tail
Sheep: can’t lift their tails

Question 2

Where is grazing better?

Answer 2

Down south

Question 3

What are the levels of the stratified system?

Answer 3

• Hill breed
• upland breed
• down lowland breeds

Question 4

What are the advantages to stratification?

Answer 4

• Exploits breeds to best ability on land types
• Slaughter lamb carcass can be tailored to meet the market requirement
• Hill ewes productive life extended
• Heterosis

Question 5

What are the disadvantages to stratification?

Answer 5

Increased movement of animals between flocks
- Disease risk: moving from farm to farm
- System relies on animals moving off farm
- Stocking density issues e.g. foot and mouth
- Open Flocks
- Cross breeding struggles to improve genetics

Question 6

Mountainous /hill breeds

Answer 6

Location – Mountainous/hill
Features:
• Hardy
• Small size (~35-50kg)
• Low litter size - single lambs
• Strong mothering ability
• Minimal input

Question 7

Upland breeds

Answer 7

Location - Upland
Features:
• Bigger frame (~80kg)
• Larger litter size (~2)
• Fast growth
• Good milk production

Question 8

HalfBreds a.k.a. Mules

Answer 8

Location – Various (upland or lowland)
Features:
• Moderate body size (~60-80kg)
• Large litter size
• Good milk
• Fast growth
• Good mothering

Question 9

Lowland/Down Breeds

Answer 9

Aka terminal sides/meat breeds

• Large size (~80kg)
• Good carcass conformation
• Medium litter size
• Fast growth
• Less hardy

Question 10

Uk sheep industry products:

Answer 10

Meat – lamb/mutton
• Wool - not as profitable / cost more to sheer
• Milk - small industry
• Hides/pelts
• Offal

Question 11

In order to maintain cars value where should you inject when possible?

Answer 11

Neck - low value bit of animal

Question 12

Increased darkness =

Answer 12

Increased melatonin levels

Question 13

Sheep oestrus cycle =

Answer 13

Around 17 days

Question 14

How many cycles are taps left in?

Answer 14

2 cycles

Question 15

Sheep gestation length?

Answer 15

147 days/5 months

Question 16

Sheep scanning timeline?

Answer 16

45-90 days

Question 17

When to wean a lamb?

Answer 17

12-16 weeks

Question 18

Birth -slaughter: target for fat lambs

Answer 18

4 months

Question 19

Birth -slaughter: short-keep stone lambs

Answer 19

9 months

Question 20

Birth -slaughter: Lons keep store lambs

Answer 20

12 months

Question 21

Why don’t all farmers vaccinate?

Answer 21

Due to high cost

Question 22

Endemic Disease - Abortion causes :

Answer 22

• Enzootic Abortion in Ewes (EAE) – Chlamydia abortus
• Toxoplasmosis – Toxoplasma gondi
• Campylobacter
• Salmonella
• Listeriosis

Question 23

Which two endemic diseases Halle vaccines?

Answer 23

• Enzootic Abortion in Ewes (EAE) – Chlamydia abortus
• Toxoplasmosis – Toxoplasma gondi

Question 24

Endemic Disease - Internal Parasites causes:

Answer 24

Causes:
• Gastro-intestinal nematodes • Coccidiosis
• Cryptosporidiosis
• Liver fluke (Trematode)

Question 25

Sheep scum

Answer 25

• Caused by the mite, Psoroptes ovis
• Extremely itchy, wool loss, weight loss, lost
  production, can be fatal
• Increased incidence since the end of compulsory organophosphate dipping
• More common in areas of higher sheep density, esp. those with common grazing
• Disease incidence increases in autumn and winter

Question 26

Fly-strike

Answer 26

• Three different fly species
• Lucilia sericata (greenbottle) most common
• Lays eggs in fleece- esp. damp or soiled fleece
• Maggots hatch out and begin to eat through skin
  -Cases often fatal unless caught and treated quickly

Question 27

What diseases can cause sudden death in sheep?

Answer 27

• Clostridial
• Pasteurella