Sheep Industry Flashcards
When were sheep domesticated?
10-20k years ago
How many pounds of wool/year does a good ewe make?
8-10 lbs
Why has sheep consumption declined from 5 lbs to 1 lbs per year?
Declining acceptance of lamb,
Competition from poultry, beef, and pork
How many sheep in the USA per USDA 2013?
How many in Texas?
California?
5.02 million
675,000
550,000
List 4 common sheep byproducts
Hide, Wool, Lanolin, Dog food
List 5 purposes of sheep
Meat, Milk, Wool, Hide, Weed and Brush clearance
What type of Delaine-Merino sheep has the finest fleece? What is the most practical type for the average farm? What is Merino wool claimed to be?
Type A
Type C
Claimed to be the best in the world
What breed of sheep is claimed to have the best wool in the world?
Delaine-Merino
What sheep breed includes Type A and Type C?
Delaine Merino
The Rambouillet sheep is the _________ of most western US range flocks.
They are the ____________, _________ fine wool breed.
Foundation
Largest, Most popular
What is the largest, most popular fine wool breed, serving as the foundation of most western US range flocks?
Rambouillet
Cheviot sheep are naturally ______, have ______ ears, are known to be good ______ and ________, and their wool has a distinctive __________ which is used for ___________.
Naturally polled, have erect ears, good mothers and good milkers, and wool has a distinctive helical crimp used for yarnmaking.
What sheep breed is naturally polled, has erect ears, and are known for good mothering and milking abilities?
Cheviot sheep
What sheep breed has wool with a distinctive helical crimp, used for yarnmaking?
Cheviot sheep
The Dorset sheep is the _______ largest behind the Suffolk, with ewes weighing _________ and rams weighing _________.
Second largest, ewes 150-200 lbs, rams 225-275 lbs
The Dorset sheep is the number one _______ sheep. What kind of breeders are they? They have hothouse lambs.
When are their lambs born?
White faced sheep.
Year round breeders
Lambs born in fall or early winter
What breed of sheep has year round breeding and hothouse lambs born in fall or early winter?
Dorset sheep
What sheep breed is the #1 white-faced sheep, second largest behind the suffolk, with 150-200 lb ewes and 225-275 lb rams?
Dorset
Hampshire sheep have what identifying characteristics?
Black, woolless ears and nose
What sheep has black, woolless ears and nose?
Hampshire
Southdown sheep are one of the _______ sheep breeds. They were used in the formation of what?
What tends to happen to them at an early age?
They are known for a quality _____?
Winner of what award?
One of the oldest brands
Formation of medium wool breeds
Tend to become overfat
Good carcass quality
Winner if International Grand Champion Fat Lamb award in Chicago over 30 times,
What is one of the oldest sheep breeds, used for formation of medium wool breeds?
Southdown
What sheep breed tends to become overfat at an early age, is known for good carcass quality, and is the winner of the Fat Lamb award in Chicago 30 times?
Southdown
Suffolk sheep are the _______ and most _______ breed in the U.S., known to be _________.
Largest and most numerous
Aggressive
What sheep breed is the largest and most numerous in the U.S., considered aggressive?
Suffolk
The Polypay sheep is a cross between which three breeds?
It’s the first _______ sheep breed, with a ______ lamb crop.
Rambouillet, Targhee, Polled Dorset cross
1st synthetic breed
250% lamb crop
What sheep breed is a cross between the Rambouillet, Targhee, and Polled Dorset breeds?
Polypay
What sheep breed is the first synthetic breed, boasting a 250% lamb crop?
The Polypay
The Karakul is one of the world’s _______ sheep breeds, used for their _______, and not ______ in the U.S.
Oldest breeds
Lamb pelts used for their fur
Not popular in the US
What is one of the worlds oldest sheep breeds, with lamb pelts used for fur, unpopular in the US
Karakul
The Navajo-Churro sheep is the first ________ sheep in the US. What is special about their horns?
First domestic breed, four horned rams
What is the first domestic sheep breed in the US, boasting four horned rams?
Navajo Churro
How many sheep numbers by breed are there in the U.S.?
Suffolk - 2006, 1986
Hampshire - 2006, 1986
Dorset - 2006, 1986
Suffolk - 13,428, 65,133
Hampshire - 8,784 16,325
Dorset - 8,729 13,672
What can sheep eat that cow’s cant?
When should sheep be flushed before breeding?
What to give them during flush? Why?
Sheep can eat larkspur
Flush 2-3 weeks before breeding
Give extra grain or pasture, and 1/2 lb concentrate per day.
Used to increase # of ova to increase twinning.
What is a bummer?
What are four ways to make a ewe adopt?
Orphan lambs
-Rub moms placenta on her nose
-Rub placenta on orphaned lamb
-Tie dog to pen and hope mom will bond with baby while protecting it from the dog
-Skin mom’s dead baby and place skin on the orphaned lamb
Why shouldn’t you bottle feed lambs? Two reasons
Aspiration pneumonia
Predators
What kind of seasonal breeders are sheep? What is an average lamb crop?
Photoperiodic, polyestrus seasonal breeders
Numerous cycles during which conception can occur
150% lamb crop
When do sheep enter puberty? When can they have lambs?
Puberty at 5-7 months,
Lambs at 1 year
Where should you shear for “crutching”? List two reasons why you should shear sheep for proper sheep management
Shear around udder and the inside of each leg.
It allows for cleaner lambing and an easier to find nipple
What is used for ear tagging? When is it required?
USDA scrapie
reqd for transport
What does tail docking prevent? What are three methods for it?
What is required in lambs over two months?
What is a risk associated with docking too short?
Prevents Fly strike
Methods are Elastrator, hot iron cautery, and surgical
Anesthesia required over 2 months in age
Prolapse risk when docked too short
What does castration help alleviate?
What are four methods to perform it? What should you give the lamb after?
Alleviates aggression
Elastrator, Burdizzo, Teeth, and Surgical removal
Afterwards, give them Tetanus antitoxin
How many lambs are lost to Coyotes? Dogs?
What are three guard animals you can use?
Coyotes 46.7%
Dogs 33.9%
Guard animals: Llamas, Guard Dogs, Donkeys
