Sheep husbandry

Question 1

Carcass bruising

Answer 1

• Wool grabbing
• Getting trampled
• Sharp objects
• Injection site reactions

Question 2

Wool quality

Answer 2

Fineness of staple measured in microns
- Fine < 24 microns
- Medium: 25-35 microns
- Coarse: 35-50 microns

Question 3

How to increase flock performance

Answer 3

• Higher scanning %
  
  • More lambs born
  • More lambs reared
• Higher lamb weights
  
  • Higher price achieved
• Less store lambs
• Lower feed cost
• Lower fixed + variable costs

Question 4

Short keep store lambs

Answer 4

Winter finished - lambs are 5-7 kg off target weight
- Rape, turnips, beet tops etc
- 70-130g daily liveweight gain
- 25-50 lambs/ha

Question 5

Medium/long-keep store lambs

Answer 5

8-12 week store period on grass/stubbles - 5-60 DLWG

8-12 week finishing on root/arable byproducts - 75-100g DLWG

Question 6

Target finish weight of a lamb

Answer 6

1/4 of sire + dam weight

Question 7

Pregnant ewe energy requirements

Answer 7

Voluntary intake
- Max. 3% of bodyweight = 2.1 kg dry matter
Requirement (twin bearing)
- Maintenance/mid pregnancy: 10 MJ
- 4 weeks pre-partum: 15 MJ
- Lambing: 20 MJ

Question 8

Energy value of feed

Answer 8

• Hay: 8 MJ/kg DM –> 2.5 kg DM
• Concentrate: 12-13 MJ/kg DM –> 1.6 kg DM

Question 9

Ensuring correct nutrition

Answer 9

• Assess condition score
• Scan for foetal numbers
• Check teeth

Question 10

Target body condition score

Answer 10

Hill:
- Tupping: 2.5
- Pregnant: 2
- Weaning: 2

Upland:
- Tupping: 3
- Pregnant: 2.5
- Weaning: 2

Lowland:
- Tupping: 3.5
- Pregnant: 3
- Weaning: 2.5

Question 11

Lactating ewe

Answer 11

Peak lactation @ 4 weeks
- ME requirements: min 20MJ

Twin suckling = 30% more milk

Wean in time
- Body mobilisation + gain

Question 12

Factors for hypomagnesaemia

Answer 12

• Mainly lactating dam
• No magnesium storage
• Pasture/weather

Question 13

Copper deficiency

Answer 13

• Swayback, poor growth

Supplement by injection or oral

Question 14

Cobalt deficiency

Answer 14

• Pine, ill-thrift, scour

Supplement by mouth

Question 15

Iodine deficiency

Answer 15

• Goitre
• Poor growth
• Reduced fertility

Supplement with feed/salt licks

Question 16

Vitamin E deficiency

Answer 16

• Low vigour

Supplement feed

Question 17

Shearling

Answer 17

Sheep between its 1st and 2nd shearing

Question 18

Hogget

Answer 18

• Young sheep slaughtered before permanent incisors erupt
• Sheep between weaning and its first shearing

Question 19

Gimmer

Answer 19

Young female, between 1-2 years that has not born a lab

Question 20

Ram/ewe lamb

Answer 20

Male/female < 1 year

Question 21

Wether

Answer 21

Castrated male

Question 22

Tup

Answer 22

Uncastrated male usually used for breeding

Question 23

Draft ewe

Answer 23

Ewe too old for rough grazing, drafted out of the flock to move to better grazing on another farm

Question 24

2-tooth

Answer 24

Sheep with first pair of permanent incisors erupted

Question 25

Broken mouth

Answer 25

Adult that has lost some or all of its incisors

Question 26

Hefting

Answer 26

Combined instinct + copied behaviour in some breeds to stay in a small local area - so no fencing needed

Question 27

Stages of parturition

Answer 27

1: - 6-12 hours - Vulva relaxation - Uterine contractions - Cervix dilates - Allantoic fluid - Restless/separation from group 2: -30 mins to an hour - Abdominal straining - Foetus through vagina - Amnion breaks - Lies down/strains/grunts 3: - 3-4 hours - Expulsion of foetal membranes

Question 28

When to intervene with parturition

Answer 28

- Farm protocol? - Head or tail only >60 mins after water bag out without progress - Lamb not advanced for 15 mins >30 mins between lambs - Abnormal discharge

Question 29

Causes of abortion

Answer 29

- Infectious - Stress - Placenta insufficiency - Metabolic problems

Question 30

Causes of stillborn lambs

Answer 30

- Dystocia - Congenital abnormalities

Question 31

Actions for hypothermia

Answer 31

Temperature 37-39℃: - Dry lamb --> stomach tube colostrum --> return to ewe --> monitor Temperature <37℃ <6 hours old: - Dry lamb --> warm up --> stomach tube colostrum --> return to ewe --> monitor Temperature <37℃ >6 hours old + able to hold head: - Dry lamb --> stomach tube colostrum --> warm up --> return to ewe --> monitor Temperature <37℃ >6 hours old + unable to hold head: - Dry lamb --> glucose i/p --> warm up --> feed --> return to ewe --> monitor

Question 32

Glucose i/p

Answer 32

10 ml per kg BW 20% solution - Dilute solution 1:1 with boiled water

Question 33

Post partum losses

Answer 33

- Hypoglycaemia - Watery mouth

Question 34

Hypoglycaemia

Answer 34

Starvation - Mastitis - Rejection/inexperience - Multiple lambs - Weak lamb Exposure Congenital abnormalities

Question 35

Watery mouth

Answer 35

E. coli --> endotacaemia - Oral infection - Predisposing factors - Poor hygiene - Inadequate colostrum - Large litter - Early castration

Question 36

Clinical signs of watery mouth

Answer 36

- Normal at birth - Dull - Absent suck reflex - Salivation - Abomasal distension - GI status - retention of meconium

Question 37

Orphans

Answer 37

Fostering: - Skinning - Crates Artificial rearing: - Min. 15% of BW/24 hours

Question 38

Post partum losses (2-7 days)

Answer 38

Lamb dysentery - clostridium perfringens type B Enteritis - Rotavirus/colibacillosis Neonatal septicaemia - septic arthritis Aspiration pneumonia - force feeding Accident Starvation - lack of milk, orf lesions FMD