Sheep Breeds And Production - Ch 42 Flashcards
Compare mountain/hill and lowland
Mountain/hill:
- Extensive Farming
- Low production targets
- Rough grazing
- Ewe and lamb mortality rates can be high.
Lowland (Conparison)
- intensive farming
- rotational grazing
- High production targets
- Lambing indoors reduces Ewe and lamb mortality rates.
Sheep breeds: Mountain and hill breeds (2)
Blackface Mountain and Wicklow Cheviot
Blackface mountain description
Small, eextrenely hardy breed with long wool, black face and horns. Known for good mothering ability and good milk production.
Wicklow Cheviot description
White face, medium size and are hardy. They are good mothers.
Prolific or prolificacy:
When the breed can produce many offspring (i.e. Twins and triplets)
Lamb:
A young sheep less than 1 year old
Hogget
A young sheep between 1 and 2 years old
Ewe
A fully grown female sheep
Ram
An intact male sheep
Wether
A castrated male sheep.
Lowland sheep breeds (2)
Border Leicester and Bluefaced Leicester.
Border Leicester description
Large, long-whool, white, hornless, easily recognisable by its upright ears.
Prolific breed
Border leicester
Bluefaced leicester description
Large breed, white head and a slight roman nose.
Sire
Male parent of an animal
Maternal sires
Used to produce daughters with exellent genetic traits for reproduction and mothering ability.
Terminal sire
A ram that is used to produce lambs woth high growth rates and good carcase quality for slaughter.
Most popular sheep breeds used as a terminal sire are
Texel and Suffolk
Native irish sheep breed
The Galway.
Describe native irish sheep breed
The galway is a large, white, polled lowland sheep found in Galway.
Cast or Draft Ewe:
A ewe whose fertility has declined due to harsh conditions experienced in mountainous area.
Blackface mountain crossed with bluefaced leicester produces what
Crossbred mule ewes
Dam
female parent of an animal
Suffolk ram crossed with mule ewes crossed with texel ram produces what
Easter market lambs and mid-season lambs.
Why are terminal sires selected?
Their traits include good conformation, good carcase quality, fast growth rates and leanness of meat.
When selecting a ram for breeding, the farmer will look at what?
The breed, pedigree, age, conformation, bcs, feet and teeth of the ram.
Seasonally polyoestrous
Many oestrous cycles occer during a set time of year.
Length of oestrous cycle
17 days
Duration of oestrous
36 hours
Gestation period
5 months
Flushing
The process of moving ewes from a low plane of nutrition to a high plane of nutrition prior to mating.
Advantages of flushing
Increases the ovulation rate, increases conception rates, promotes better implantation of the embryo to the uterine wall, increases litter sizes.
Sponging
Involves placing progesterone impregnated sponges into the vagina of the ewes to synchronise the breeding cycles of the ewes.
The sponges are removed after 12 days and the ewes come into heat 2 days later.
The ram to ewe ratio for synchronised breeding is 1:10.
Steaming up
The practise of increasing the amount of concentrates being fed to sheep in late gestation in order to ensure a healthy lamb.
When should steaming up commence?
6-8 weeks before lambing.
Lambs weigh what when born?
3-5kg.
Defiency disease
Twin lamb disease,
Cause: breakdown of fat reserves in the ewes body, leading to liver failure.
Sympoms:
Collapse and death,
Staggers, tremors
Prevention: steaming up with concentrates in the late gestation
treatment: energy solution(glucose)
Viral disease
Orf (zoonose)
Symptoms:
Poor growth in lambs
Treatment : antibiotic cream for sores
Prevention: vaccinate ewes before lambing
Bacterial disease
Navel ill/joint ill
Symptoms:
Navel is swollen and painful
Treatment:
Pain killers and antibiotics
Prevention:
Dip navel in iodine after birth.
Parasitic disease
Sheep scab
Cause;
Mange mite
Symptoms: yellow scabs
Treatment:
Dip sheep
Prevention: winter dip sheep
Sheep production in Ireland can be divided into 2 main categories:
Mountain/hill and lowland.
