sheep exam 2 Flashcards
sheep industry set up
Anything less than 500 head is considered
small (estimates consider that you need 150
animal to make a profit)
Purebred – produce replacement ewes and terminal sire rams
Commercial – use a mixed breed ewe and terminal sire to produce a meat lamb
range sheep
Range
– Basically keep the sheep out at pasture all yearBasically keep the sheep out at pasture all year
roundround
– Put out rams when requiredPut out rams when required
– Supplement feed in winterSupplement feed in winter
»» Minimal input costsMinimal input costs
»» PredationPredation
»» Lack of shelterLack of shelter
»» Disease control (parasites)
Farm flocks – semi-confinement
– Summer at pastureSummer at pasture
– Winter in corral/barn systemWinter in corral/barn system
– AdvantagesAdvantages
»» Multiple births, low mortality, maximum growth,Multiple births, low mortality, maximum growth,
control of the breeding seasoncontrol of the breeding season
– DisadvantagesDisadvantages
»» Increased costs, more manpower, facilitiesIncreased costs, more manpower, facilities
»» Increased diseaseIncreased disease
Feedlot
– Buy in lambs whenBuy in lambs when weaned 60-80lbs
–– Fatten to slaughterFatten to slaughter
110lbs110lbs
–– Problems as in anyProblems as in any feedlot
sheep dairy
RareRare
200 day lactation –200 day lactation –
600kg yield600kg yield
–– SPECIFIC FORSPECIFIC FOR
CHEESE PRODUCTION
Biological pasture control
Resistant to many of the toxic plants that
plague cattle (leafy spurge, tansy ragwort)
Can clear pastures and make them safe for
cattle
Note: Very few parasites cross the species
barrier
– Rotational grazing
diff breeds
Suffolk – good terminal sire
Cheviot – hardy
Dorset – Long breeding season
Finn – Prolific
Arcott - highly productive
-merino: make WOOL
Exotics
Cross-breeds – F1
markets on sheep
Wool- worthless
New crop lambs – sucking lambs 45lb (<60d)New crop lambs – sucking lambs 45lb (<60d)
–– Premium ethnic market
Fat lamb – 120lb lambFat lamb – 120lb lamb
Mutton – largely worthless unless specific marketsMutton – largely worthless unless specific markets available
Specialized slaughterS
Environmental
Production targets for a good
farm flock
Lambs born per ewe – 2
Lambs weaned - 1.7
Fertility – 90%
Lamb crops per year - 1.5 (hard to do)
Average daily gain – 0.3-0.5kg/day
-Age at first lambing - 1 year
Lamb mortality 5%
seasonal breeding
The sheep is a seasonal breeder
–– As the length of daylightAs the length of daylight
decreases, there is
increased production of
melatonin from the pineal
gland which triggers the
onset of normal estrus cycles
The exact breeding seasonThe exact breeding season
is dependent on the breed
seasonal breeding dif breeds
-upland sheep: (scottish) hardy breeds, short fall breeding season. may only cycle 2 times in november
-lowland breeds -suffolk, more productive, longer breeding season sept-jan
-occasional breeds (dorset) almost breed year round.
rams needed for breeding
– If open range – 3 per 100 ewesIf open range – 3 per 100 ewes
– If confined 1 per 50-60If confined 1 per 50-60
– Out of season or if the ewes are synchronizedOut of season or if the ewes are synchronized
may need 1 per 20may need 1 per 2
choosing rams
-full physical: look at feet, teeth, raddle sores and do a breeding soundess exam.
-always put young rams with a small group of experienced ewes for first year. 1/20 ewes.
ewe evaluation
-records on productivity and mothering ability
-full physical, cull any problems
-aim for body condition score of 3.5-4 at breeding time.
-increase nutrition prior to breeding until at least 6 weeks preg.
controlling the breeding season in ewes
-naturally long breeding seasons
-light effects: put sheep in barn overnight for long period to fool pineal gland.
-melatonin implants: slow release capsules mimic bodies response to decreasing day length.
- Sponges/CIDR: A progesterone
releasing sponge placed in the vagina to mimic diestrus. at sponge removal time can treat ewe with FSH to stimulate ovulation.
-Melengestrol Acetate
– Progesterone compounded added to the feed. have the same effect as vaginal sponges.
-rams: advance breeding season by several weeks and synchronize.
how to use rams to change breeding cycle
– Works only to advance the breeding season by several weeks and synchronize
– Ensure that the ewes have absolutely no contact with a ram whatsoever for 6 weeks
– Then put in a vasectomised ram for 2 weeks
– The sudden arrival of the ram makes all the ewes come into a non-fertile estrus
– Put in fertile ram 2 weeks later
Gestation
-145 days (5 months)
Maintain BCS for 6 weeks
Then you can allow BCS to fall by one full point during pregnancy
Need a raising plane of nutrition in the last phase of pregnancy
pregnancy
-ultrasound: scan 7-12 weeks after breeding
-scan we weeks after ram turn out
-want to diagnose preg and see how many lambs
-health issues: abortion, vaccinate in late preg to ensure transfer to lamb in colostrum
Lambing
Facilities: area to hold sheep with feeding, individual pens for ewes and lambs to bond, turn out ewes and lambs.
-have person to check for: exposure, mis-mothering and water bagged births, there for dystocia
-keep good records
when to assist with lambing
-unproductive straining for more than one hour
Obvious malpresentation
– Hindlimbs
– Head
– Only one limb
– Different colored limbs
after parturition
– Place ewe and lamb in a bonding pen for 24 hours to mother up””
– Remove placenta
Check the ewe’s teats
Treat navels
Ensure that the lambs have got colostrum
– With triplets, milk out the ewe and divide what you have
24 hour check in lambing barn
– Ear tag
– Castrate
– Tail dock – check anus
– Check ewe for cleansing and mastitis
– Check lambs are eating (belly check)
– Check lambs for entropion
– Turn out ewe and lambs when they have recovered from docking and castration.
major lamb diseases
-hypothermia, watery mouth, scours
goats uses
-more people eat goat than beef worldwide and drink goat milk
-also provide: hides and fiber
saanen goat breed
-prolific milker
-holstein of the goat industry
-big and white
alpine goat breed
-good milker,
-white nose with brown body
nubian goat breed
-general purpouse breed
-good milk with higher protein than fat
-roman nose with droppy ears
toggenburg
-used for milk production
-mainly cheeses
-recognized by white lines of side of face
golden gursney
-shaggy, golden color
-high protein and fat milk
-sticky kid syndrome in their sweaty kids
La Mancha
-small spanish multi purpose breed
-has no ears, sub group has small ears
boer goat
-white with brown markings
-standardized meat goat
cashmere/ angora
-used for fiber production
-in china and tuckey
-angora is for high quality fiber production
fainting goat
-breed for congenital myotonia
-collapse when frightened
-specific competitions
Required facilities for goats
- Shelter – wimps
- Pen space – need high/ good fences and
very good gates - Goats do not sweat – require shade
- Need shelter from the cold
- Really dislike rain
Goat meat
-Production is essentially the same as
sheep
* Final market is generally Mediterranean,
Mid-eastern and Asian
* Producers have to develop their own
markets and make arrangements for
slaughter
goat milk
-highly digestable
-non allergenic has a different casein protein
-amino acid profile silimar to humans
-naturally homogenized
-low in folate, B12 and lactose
-good for babies
milk production
-same as cattle, seasonal breeding use an adapted parlor system
-hard to milk in winter due to seasonality
-10 month production period
-10lb per day, 3000-3500 a lactation
-blood in milk is common due to ruptured BV in udder. (post partum, kid trauma, mastitis)
taint in milk production of goats
-taint: buck, certain feeds, exposure to UV light, breed (toggenburg), chemical oders
-prevent taint: supplement vitamin E (anti-oxidant), pasteurization, rapid cooling
Abnormalities of milk production
- Witch’s milk: Very young (neonatal) females
- Maiden’s milk: Females in puberty
- Gynacomastia: Lactation in the buck, May even get mastitis!
- Run through
- Stimulation of milking
general management goats
-body condition scoring is hard, they store fat in abdomen
-BCS involves lumbar region and brisket
-Kid at 3-3.5
-mid lactation 2
-dry off at 2-3.5
goat kids
-castration harder than sheep
-disbudding is difficult, all goats have horns. they have two nerves and skull is very thin
-born with horn need to do first 5 days of life.
-de-scenting: at the as time as de-horning
goat reproduction
-same as sheep, puberty at 5 months, breed around 8. want to have first kid on 1st birthday
-seasonal breeders
-estrus cycle is longer than sheep. 21 day cycle and 36 hr estrus but they wont show signs unless buck is around.
-signs and length are dependant on exposure to buck
-can use billy rag soaked in smell of buck and if you show it to female and she shows estrus signs you know they are in heat .
common diseases of goats
- Caseous Lymphadenitis (lesions appear around the head in goats)
- CAE
- Johne’s
- Parasites
- Clostridial
- Mastitis
- Abortion
Caprine Arthritis and Encephalitis in goats
- Retrovirus infection
spread in the milk - In the young you get
arthritis - In older sheep
encephalitis and
mastitis
-no licensed products for treating goats, everything you use will be extralabel so in production need to be careful with withdrawl and milk residues.
mastitis in goats
-peracute mastitis destroys BV to udder so goat is sick, udder is cold and blue can be caused by coccidiosis.
-CAE lymphocyctic infiltration -hard bag
-experienced producers will not get any mastitis due to their good management practices
-clark recommends euthanize goats with blue bag as very hard to manage
