Sheep Nutrition

Question 1

What are the 5 systems of raising sheep?

Answer 1

• fall lambs
• early spring lambs
• late spring lambs
• accelerated lambing
• feeder lambs

Question 2

What are two critical vitamins for sheep?

Answer 2

vitamin A in winter

vitamin D in confinement

Question 3

Describe the weight changes in an ewe through production

Answer 3

• slow increase after breeding
• sudden before lambing, and sudden decrease right after
• further decreased during lactation
• slow increase after weaning

Question 4

What are the benefits of flushing?

Answer 4

• increases body weight prior to breeding
• increases ovulation rate
• increases lambing rate

Question 5

Describe feeding during the first 15 weeks of gestation

Answer 5

• normal conditions, close to maintenance
• based on pasture
• minimal supplementation

Question 6

Describe feeding during the last 6 weeks of gestation

Answer 6

• critical on energy needs

- may need to supplement

Question 7

Describe feeding during parturition

Answer 7

• good quality forage

- supplementation for onset of lactation

Question 8

When does milk production peak?

Answer 8

3 weeks

Question 9

What is Enterotoxemia?

Who does it affect?

Answer 9

• over-eating disease, pulpy kidney
• cause by toxins for Clostridium perfringens type D
• affects large, fast growing lambs
• high mortality

Question 10

Describe the pathogenesis of enterotoxemia

Answer 10

• toxins cause enterocolitis, increase permeability of vessels, enter blood
• swelling in lungs and kidneys

Question 11

What are the clinical signs of enterotoxemia?

Answer 11

• sudden death
• loss of appetite
• abdominal discomfort
• profuse diarrhea
• glucosuria

Question 12

What are the clinical signs of Urinary calculi?

Answer 12

• depressed, off feed, and show “humped up” appearance
• distended abdomen
• swelling along penis if rupture urethra

Question 13

In which animals is urinary calculi common?

How do you prevent it?

Answer 13

• common in rams and whethers in drylots
• maintain Ca:P at 2:1
• increase water intake (add salt)
• add ammonium chloride to ration to acidify urine

Question 14

What is rectal prolapse?

What are possible causes?

Answer 14

• protrusion of rectal tissue outside the anus
• genetics
• feeding pelleted, high roughage rations
• dustiness in rations
• short, docked tails

Question 15

What are signs of cobalt deficiency?

Answer 15

• lethargy
• reduced appetite
• poor quality wool with open fleece
• poor body condition

Question 16

What are the clinical signs of copper deficiency?

Answer 16

• hind leg weakness
• poor wool quality
• anemia
• poor bone mineralization

Question 17

When/where is cobalt deficiency common?

Answer 17

• where there are low soil cobalt concentrations

- observed in weaned lambs at pasture in late summer/fall

Question 18

When is copper deficiency common?

Answer 18

• when sheep graze pastures low in copper but high in iron

Question 19

What diseases are caused by selenium and vitamin E deficiency?

Answer 19

• white muscle disease
• nutritional muscular dystrophy
• stiff lamb disease