Small Ruminants and Annual Management Calendar Flashcards
What are the considerations with animal health in regards to choosing the time of shearing?
risk of fleecerot, flystrike, nutritional requirements, risk of death from hypothermia, ewe reproduction
What are the considerations with wool quality in regards to choosing the time of shearing?
Staple strength, location of weakness along wool fibre, vegetable matter, fibre diameter, fleece weight (greasy and clean), staple length ( especially important for pattern of shearing in young sheep)
What do you choose first, lambing time or shearing time?
Lambing time. Difficult to shear while they are lambing or have lambs at foot.
Dry sheep in autumn/ early winter following shearing would need how much more feed than unshorn sheep?
75% more required for at least one month
What is the key driver to enterprise profit?
Stocking rate
An increase in feed requirements means what?
Decrease in stocking rate
If pregnant sheep are shorn in winter compared to non-pregnant sheep, smaller change in stocking rate. True or false.
True. Pregnant ewes have a greater feed intake and this creates extra heat therefore making them less sensitive to cold
In regions with cold weather, what time of year should shearing be avoided?
Winter
Longer wool is susceptible to what (spring and autumn, wet and warm times of year)?
Fleece rot and faecal matter getting caught and therefore fly strike
When are blowflies active?
warm, humid weather- Southern Australia- mid-late spring maybe Autumn
Since flystrike can occur in either spring or autumn, farmer must choose lesser of two evils, what else can the farmer do?
Crutching of sheep
Hypothermia consideration, what is the biggest risk?
Cold storms during a normally warm time of year- 48 hours after shearing. Since sheep are not adapted to the cold then
How does shearing impact oestrus behaviour?
Keeps them from exhibiting oestrus behaviour and therefore won’t mate for up to 2 weeks post shearing.
What effect does autumn shearing have on POB?
Stronger wool. POBs are at fibre end. Because autumn is the time for poor nutrition. If autumn rains come, fibre diameter increases quickly. May differ in Tasi because low nutrition in winter due to cold winters.
What effect does spring shearing have on POB?
Weaker wool because point of break is mid-fibre.
Sheep shorn in autumn are at risk for what?
Vegateble matter accumulates in longer wool- lowers quality and can threaten health
What effect does autumn shearing have on fibre diameter and grease?
Greasier wool and high fibre diameter because they will increase their food intake after shearing due to poor body condition after summer. Therefore increased fibre diameter in wool growth.
How does SS and diameter negate each other?
In autumn shearing, low ss discounts may be avoided. overall value can be similar because of the difference in fibre diameter (large diameter in autumn shorn sheep - 0.7 micron broader)
Autumn shorn sheep have greasier wool, therefore it weighs more, but it yields lower amount. True or false?
True
What staple length do processors prefer?
60 to 90 mm
How often is shearing performed?
In Aus, once per year. Sometimes once every 3 years to meet demand of processor.
Wool from young sheep vs. adult wool?
finer and worth more possibly as long as it is long enough
How old should a sheep be approx. to avoid length penalties when shearing a young one?
10 months old
What are the most important factors to consider with time of year for shearing?
SS, VM, winter nutritional requirements, animal health (flystrike risk and exposure)
When is a cows rumen functional?
6 weeks old
When calving in late winter- spring, benefits?
Better match nutritional demands to pasture production, avoid metabolic disease, produces more beef per hectare
When to drench sheep?
beginning and end of summer because it breaks the parasitic worm life cycle from one year to the next
When spring calving, how many more cattle can you carry on a 10,000 DSE farm?
140 more
With lambing, how far ahead of lambing do you join?
6 months