Sheep Husbandry Flashcards
(EXAM) What is the difference in grazing behaviour between goats and sheep?
Goats browse more than sheep and select more digestible grasses
(EXAM) Which breed of sheep is considered most suitable for lamb meet production in a semi-arid region of Australia
Dorper
(EXAM) Which breed of sheep is characterized by a pearly white fleece with well defined crimp and little to no pigmentation of the skin?
Saxon Merino
(EXAM) The term “prime-lamb” is best described as
Lambs produced by mating a meat-type ram with a first-cross ewe
(EXAM) The lamb meat industry has met the international demand for larger and leaner lambs mainly by?
Increasing age at slaughter and using a larger mature-size to reduce fatness at a particular weight
(EXAM) What does a typical sheep-management calendar look like?
Ewes should be shorn in the month before expected lambing so that they are more likely to lead their own newborn lambs to shelter in the event of cold weather at lambing
Teeth Numbers for sheep
Number of teeth / 2 = age (yrs) Desciduous teeth = 0-1yr 2 teeth = 1 yr 4 teeth = 2 yr 6 teeth = 3 yr Full mouth = 4 yr
(EXAM) Two permanent incisors in a sheep’s mouth indicated that?
A ewe is old enough to join
(EXAM) List and describe 2 main differences between the biology of primary and secondary wool producing follicles.
How has selective breeding modified the biology to produce the modern merino compared to primitive breeds of sheep?
Primary: Hair like, arranged in trio-groups, sweat gland (suderiferous gland), erector pili muscle, wax gland (subaceous gland)
Secondary: Produce finest wool, arranged in trio-groups, DO NOT HAVE 1) sweat or wax gland
Selective breeding:
- Primitive sheep: More hairy fleeces
- Selective breeding for more Secondary fibres
- Move away from fat rolls to prevent fly-strike
- Move away from fleece on head
(EXAM) Describe how the manipulation of genetics of a prime-lamb producing flock might 1) reduce the risk of disease ; 2) Improve sheep productivity
Male: meat producing x with female 1st cross ewe increases genetic pool of lamb –> genetically more able to fight off diseases
More genetics = more productivity
Prime lamb flock: 2 lambings per year (Autumn and spring)
Joining
- Feeding ewes 6 weeks before mating to try and produce twins/triplets
- Correlation between BCS and mating/offspring
- Supplement rams = increased BCS, increased testes, increased sperm count, higher preg. rates
How does crutching differ from mulesing?
Crutching: Removal of wool around the tail/bottom for hygeinic purposes but does not contain cutting of skin
Mulesing: Cutting of skin and removal of hair follicles around anal region to prevent fly-strike
Weaning age and husbandry considerations
- Weaned at 4 months of age (earlier if feed shortage)
- Drench young and put in new pasture free of worms
- Apply cobalt, selenium, or copper bullets (via oral pill) which goes into rumen and works against nutrient deficiencies
Lamb marking
- Procedure of earmarking, castration, tail-docking, mulesing, and vaccination
- Lamb marked as a % of ewes joined
- Higher % = more profitable the farm due to amount they can sell
Sources of reproductive wastage (5)
1) Failure to conceive
2) Ovulation rate
3) Mismothering complex
4) Predation
5) Importance of birth weight
5-1 or 6-1 vaccine against which diseases
When to vaccinate
- Lambs vacc. at weaning time - Booster shot 6 weeks later
- Vacc. final month of pregnancy
5-1 (Blackleg, tetanus, malignant oedema, black disease, enterotoxaemia)
6-1 (same as above + Cheesy gland vaccination)
