Sheep Production And The UK sheep Industry

Question 1

Tup

Answer 1

Breeding male

Question 2

Ewe

Answer 2

Breeding female that has had more than one crop

Question 3

Tupping

Answer 3

Mating of a ram and a ewe

Question 4

Gimmer

Answer 4

A female ewe lamb from first shearing to giving birth

Question 5

Ewe lamb

Answer 5

Female lamb destined for breeding >1 year

Question 6

Shearling

Answer 6

A lamb destined for breeding after first shear (1 to 2)

Question 7

Finished lambs

Answer 7

Lambs that are ready for slaughter within a year from birth

Question 8

Hogg/Hoggett

Answer 8

Lamb destined for meat between 1-2 years

Question 9

Barren

Answer 9

Ewes that don’t become pregnant after being tupped

Question 10

Broken mouthed

Answer 10

A sheep that has lost broken teeth

Question 11

Draft ewe

Answer 11

Older breeding ewe, sold off hills to lower ground where the conditions are less challenging

Question 12

Teaser

Answer 12

Vasectomised ram, placed among ewes to encourage oestrus

Question 13

Highland sheep

Answer 13

Harsh climates, long winters, poor soil quality

Question 14

Upland

Answer 14

Less harsh than hills, land and soil are not very productive

Question 15

Lowland

Answer 15

Least harsh weather condition, more productive soil

Question 16

Hill breeds

Answer 16

Hardy, excellent mothers, 1 lamb a year, thick coated and adapted for harsh conditions

Question 17

Upland breeds

Answer 17

More prolific than hill breeds, do better on lower/ easier terrain

Question 18

Lowland breeds

Answer 18

Grow fast, heavier frames, more prolific

Question 19

Terminal sire

Answer 19

The cross gives a lamb that is not used for breeding

Question 20

Mules

Answer 20

A cross bred sheep, usually born to upland systems, with a drafted hill breed mother and an upland breed father

Question 21

What is the worlds sheep population in the UK?

Answer 21

3-5%, it has 20 to 25% of the sheep in Europe

Question 22

What percentage of farmland is best suited to grass

Answer 22

60

Question 23

What are the benefits of not cultivating the grass

Answer 23

Carbon stores remain locked in the ground and not released into the atmosphere

Question 24

How do sheep contribute to conservation

Answer 24

They help maintain grasslands and uplands, which promote plant and animal biodiversity and wildlife control- they also help to fertilise soil to grow crops in a low impact way

Question 25

Flushed

Answer 25

Ewe is fed enhanced diet before tupping

Question 26

What is the average year sheep are Culled?

Answer 26

6

Question 27

What weight are lambs slaughtered

Answer 27

40kg, at around 5-8 months old

Question 28

Mutton

Answer 28

Meat from a sheep over 2 years, different taste and texture compared to lamb, usually produced from ewes at the end of their productive lamb

Question 29

Wool

Answer 29

Secondary product of sheep farming, a renewable material- used for clothing, insulation etc

Question 30

What is the shearing cost to farmers

Answer 30

0.9-£1 a sheep

Question 31

Milk industry in the UK

Answer 31

small industry, mostly to produce cheese- they are usually milked twice a day

Question 32

Hobby sheep farming

Answer 32

Can be kept in a very small flock or as pets to accompany other species- there are legal requirements relating to livestock (register holding)

Question 33

Farm assurance scheme

Answer 33

A single schème accepted by all major buyers, monitor what consumers value the most from the food

Question 34

Government schemes

Answer 34

DEFRA, APHA and AHDB

Question 35

What are draft ewes?

Answer 35

older sheep that are raised on hill farms then sold to farmers on lower grounds where the environment is less challenging

Question 36

How much does the sheep industry contribute to the national economy?

Answer 36

290 million