Sheep Industry Flashcards
Ewe
female
Ram
male
Wether
castrated male sheep
lanb
young sheep < 1year
Flock
group of sheep
Ruminants
multi- compartment stomach
Why did sheep import/export drop dramatically in 2003
BSE - mad cow
boarders were closed
Key facts about sheep breeds?
- over 50 recognized sheep breeds in Canada ( over 900 in the world)
- British; maternal lines, long/short wool
- Continental / exotic ; terminal lines (lines of genetics that increase growth rate)
What are some British breeds
Dorset (horns and polled)
Suffolk
Boarder Leicester
North country cheviot
What are some continental/exotic breeds of sheep?
Texel
Dorper
Arcott
East friesian dairy
Typical sheep environment?
Sheep do well in cool weather
Sheep prefer dry area
What is flystrike
when manure accumulates around the rear of the sheep and flies start to nest in it which can lead to flesh eating maggots
At lambing…
Lambs must be kept warm (claiming pens)
Lambs are tagged (RFID tag)
Tails docked (prevents flystrike)
Key points on lamb magement
- creep feeders
- lambs weaned at ~3 months
- after weaned may enter feedlot or raised for replacements
- Ewe lambs can be bred at ~ 7 months old
Key points for sheep nutrients
Not like small cows
- more selective
- can feed whole grains
- sensitive to some minerals like copper
What is the target market weight in sheep?
100-110lbs
45-48lbs
Key facts about sheep reproduction?
- 5 months gestation, 17-21 day oestrus
- short-day breeders (breed dependant)
- Multiple births
- Naturally bred
- AI done surgically
Market weight of less than 30kg
Long keep
- more than 12 weeks
- total gain = 12-18kg
- 80-100g grain/day
Market weight of 30-35kg
Medium keep
- 6-12 weeks
- total gain = 6-12kg
- 90-110kg grain/day
market weight over 35kg
Short keep
- less than 6 weeks
- total gain = 5-6kg
- 140-160g grain/day
Key points on accelerated lambing systems
3 lambings in 2 years or 5 lambing in 5 years is goal standard (about every 5 months)
Key points of wool
- Sheep are shorn once/year
- “meat” breeds 4-6lbs per year
- long wool breeds 8-12lbs per year
More key points on wool
- commercial wool price ~$1.00/kg
- shipped to asia to be processed
- Canada markeys about 2.5-3 million lbs of wool/year
- Canadian wool is marketed through the canadian co-operative wool growers
- smaller niche market mills
- Lanolin: natural wax, 5-25% of raw wool weight, many uses cosmetics to lubricants
Features of sheep milk
- 400L/220 day lactation
- 7 % fat, 5.98% protein
- sheep milk had higher solids than cow or goat milk = cheese
