Sheep/goat nutrition Flashcards
when are sheep and goats bred
fall
how long is sheep gestation
147d
when do you wean sheep
60-120 days (minimum 6 weeks, consuming 8 oz of starter per day, weigh 3x birthweight)
how long is goat gestation
150 days
how long do dairy goats lactate
305 days
how long is dairy goat dry period
last 60 days of pregnancy
target body condition score for ewe during breeding
3-3.5
target body condition score for ewe during lambing
2.5-3.5
4 places to measure body condition score
- prominence of spinous process of lumbar vertebrae
- fat cover over transverse processes
- ease with which fingers pass under ends of transverse processes
- fullness of eye muscle area
when during breeding is BCS determined
6-8 weeks before beginning of mating
lambing risks if too thin
- pregnancy toxemia
- weak lambs –> too little fat, hypothermia
- poor colostrum and milk production
lambing risks if too fat
- pregnancy toxemia
- vaginal prolapse
- dystocia
what is pregnancy toxemia
excessive fat breakdown –> ketones
how do protein needs for sheep change with age
decrease as weight/age go up
purpose of mineral feeders
provide ad lib free choice, environmentally protected trace mineral/salt
how is rotational grazing best accomplished
subdividing pasture into smaller paddocks, often using portable electronic fence
do sheep or goats browse more
goats
do goats like to eat with their heads up or down
up –> reduces internal parasites
what goats might need additional supplementation
replacements, first kid does, thin does
how much corn can you feed
less than 0.4% of BW
urinary calculi causes
- nutritional imbalances (esp high grain)
- too much phosphorus
how to treat urinary calculi
- increase salt in ration to 4-5% –> higher water intake and diuresis
- urine acidification
sheep and copper
- need 5-10ppm, 20ppm is max safe dose
- interacts with molybdenum
- when molybdenum <1ppm, normal copper levels are toxic
- selenium supplementation will increase copper utilization
signs of copper toxicity
- hematuria
- icterus** (skin, sclera, omentum)
- depression
- anorexia
- weakness
- excessive thirst
- hemoglobinemia
- hemorrhagic enteritis
- sudden death
- uremia
what to rule out before diagnosing copper toxicity
- toxic plants
- eperythrozoa
- onion poisoning
- leptospirosis
how do diagnose copper toxicity
- liver copper analysis
- kidney copper analysis
copper:molybdenum ratios
6-7:1, >10:1 leads to toxicity, <4:1 leads to deficiency
copper deficiency
- rare in sheep, common in cattle, can happen in goats
- caused by excessive sulfates or molybdenum
signs of copper deficiency
- diarrhea
- poor weight gains
- light colored hair coats
- anemia
- unthrifty appearance
- uncoordinated <2 month kids born to deficient does
iodine deficiency (goiter)
- born with enlarged thyroids or dead/weak/without hair
- no changes in appearance of adults
- reduced yield
- prevent by giving iodized salt
selenium needs of sheep
- absorption best when adequate vitamin A/E, histidine
- diet should be 0.1-0.3ppm (need 0.3 in last trimester of pregnancy especially)
polioencephalomalacia
- disturbance of thiamine metabolism
- secondary to acidosis, braken fern, high sulfur diet, amprolium treatment
enterotoxemia
- rapid growth of clostridium perfringens D secondary to excess CHO in SI
- from rapid feed changes
colostrum for lambs and kids
- feed 10% of BW in colostrum in first 12 hours
- give total 20% of BW in first 24 hours
- should be fed 3-4 times every 12 hours
feeding the doeling
- goal is to gain 1/3 lb per day to reach breeding weight at 7 mo old
- concentrates, hay
transition period
- a month before kidding to a month after kidding
- critical time –> metabolic changes
- gradually increase concentrates
feeding early lactation
- 0.3lbs grain for every lb of milk over 3lbs/day with high forage quality
- don’t adjust more than 0.25lbs in 4 days
- no more than 2lbs gain per feeding
feeding peak lactation
- milk production peaks at 4-6 weeks of lactation
- intake peaks at 8-10 weeks of lactation
feeding late lactation
- reduce concentrate level as milk production decreases
- want body condition score of 3-3.5
formulating lactation rations
- salt 0.5-1%
- sufficient vitamins, minerals
- magnesium oxide, sodium bicarb to increase milk fat
- zinc methionine to reduce SCC
feed additives
- rumen undegradable protein
- milk urea nitrogen
- rumen inert fat
- zinc methionine
- sodium bicarb
- magnesium oxide