Sheep & Goats

Wether

Castrated male sheep or goat

Lamb

<1 year old, no permanent teeth

Hogget

1-2 year old sheep

Mustering

moving stocks, gathering them up

Yarding

bring stocks into yards

Drafting

separating stocks into different groups

Dagging/Crutching

clipping fecal matts and wool from around backside/belly region

When did sheep domestication begin?

10,000 years ago

Where did sheep domestication begin?

iran & turkey

What kind of mating behavior do sheep have?

promiscuous

romney

corriedale

zwartbles

merino

wensleydale

valais blacknose

Ancestor of goats?

capra aegagrus

capra aegagrus

Scientific name of goats?

capra hircus

pygmy goat

sirohi goat

thuringian forest goat

What fiber is produced from sheep but not goats?

lanolin

What are the two social organizations?

group females and young

bachelor groups

Where is it safest to be in the flock for sheep?

middle

Where do high ranking sheep avoid in a flock?

periphery

Sheep attempt to keep ____ other sheep in view

2

Are sheep or goats more hierarchial?

goats

Do goats flock or scatter?

scatter

What is the field of vision?

300°

What is the binocular field?

20-60°

Sheep can ID ____ for up to ___ years

people and other sheep

2

Where are the blind spots?

3cm in front of nose

rear

When are the rear blind spots handy for us?

When catching sheep

What is olfaction important for?

IDing each other

ID mouldy feed

Predators

How is touch detected?

skin/muzzle mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, nociceptors

vibrissae

Do sheep or goats have more taste buds?

goats

how do independent mobile pinnae help with hearing?

locates sound

What is vocal communication used to indicate?

identification, maternal recognition

reproductive state

aggression

alarm, distress

greeting

What is the “rumble” vocalization and who uses it?

low pitched bleat with closed mouth

dam to newborn

What is submissive behavior?

lowered head and neck

squatting

urinating

head shake

What stress/threat behaviors are exhibited?

vigilance

freeze,alert

flight

fight

Sheep exhibit flock behavior in groups of more than…

4

When does most social contact occur? (2)

dam-offspring

mating

Does allogrooming happen?

not much

What does time budget depend on?

season

food availability

How does time budget depend on season & food availability?

less time grazing if abundant feed

less active in heat

What is the time budget for:

foraging

rumination

sleep

7-13hours

1.5hours

3-4hours

What is the activity pattern?

diurnal

When does peak grazing occur?

sunrise and sunset

How do intensively managed animals differ in time budget from wild counterparts?

less time foraging

more time lying

What is the daily movement pattern?

graze low land in morning

further uphill in afternoon

return to camp at night

How do sheep flock when threatened?

move in circular motion away from threat

Are sheep grazers or browsers?

grazers

Are goats grazers or browsers?

browsers

What do goats use to browse and why?

mobile lips and tongue

allows for selective browsing

What do sheep use to graze?

tongue

When do sheep and goats breed?

autumn

Do all sheep breed seasonally in the autumn?

No 

hu sheep breed year-round but higher ovulation rate in autumn

sheep:

puberty?

estrous cycle length?

duration of estrus?

ovulation?

gestation?

6-10 months

17-21 days

24-36 hours

24-30 hours after estrus begins

144-147 days

goats:

puberty?

estrous cycle length?

duration of estrus?

ovulation?

gestation?

6-8 months

21 days

36 hours

9-72 hours after estrus begins

145-155 days

What are some signs of estrus?

restlessness

vocalization

frequent urination

seeking males

crouching

tail fanning

looking back

doe riding (goats)

scrotal nuzzling

standing still for mounting

What do older ewes do during mating?

seek out ram and get mated earlier

How do males locate females in estrus?

naso-ano sniffing

What is the ram effect?

sight, smell, touch from male can hasten onset of cycling

What are some peri-parturient behaviors?

isolation from flock

restless

licking lips

lick ground where amniotic fluid has spilt

pawing ground

distress bleats

lamb stealing

How do sheep/goats select birth site?

elevated

near fence lines

along ridges

near shelters/trees

Why does lamb stealing occur?

high estrogen 12 hours before lambing, high stocking rates=interest in other lambs

What are some post-partum behaviors from ewe?

licks lamb

nibbles membrane

soft bleat

Why do ewes nibble membrane after birth?

predators attracted to fetal membranes

At what age does play behavior wane?

4 months

What tactile behaviors are exhibited?

head butting

shoulder/chin rubbing

bunting