BAP Sheep and Goat Unit

BIIG boy

Farm Flock

Farm Flock

Smaller flocks of ~30 ewes with ~3 breeds per flock, Midwest U.S., home farms

Range Flock

100’s-1000’s of ewes with multiple varieties of breeds. Western U.S. where there is a LOT of land

Highest production numbers for sheep are where?

Australia and New Zealand

Why do we import most of our meat?

Less expensive, we have a non-uniform product, we have less space for sheep, less quality product, and a disproportionate demand for it.

Most goats live where?

China/Asia

What is the fastest growing livestock industry in the U.S?

Meat Goats

Nutritional Benefits of goat meat?

High Protein, Iron, and Potassium

Low Fat, Calories, Cholesterol and Sodium

Understand Ethnic Consumption of goat meat

Religious holidays/beliefs/cultures

Specifically Hispanic, middle Eastern, Caribbean, Southeast Asia

3 reasons why goat meat is the fastest growing industry?

1. Goats are easy to domesticate, easier to keep around, and survive easily or forage

2. People who eat it are more likely to use their products (Close and readily available)

3. Religious holidays/cultures (Unable to consume other meats, demand raises during holidays

What type of milk is more consumed world wide?

Goats milk

Name all of the purposes of goat’s production wise.

Milk, Meat, Hair and Skins

Name all of the purposes of Sheep production wise.

Wool, Meat, Skins, Leather, Lanolin

Pros of goats over cows

Smaller Size, Easier to manage, multiple babies, Higher Regeneration and a higher likelihood for females

Flock

Group of Sheep

Ewe

Female Sheep

Ram

In-Tact Male Sheep

Wether

Castrated Male Sheep/Goat

Sire

Paternal Contributor to DNA

Dam

Maternal contributor to DNA

Partoriton

Act of giving birth

Parity

Number of times given birth

Lamb (animal)

Sheep less than 1 year old

Yearling

Sheep older than 1 year

Lambing

Act of a sheep giving birth

Lamb

Meat from a sheep less than 1 year of age

Mutton

Meat from a sheep more than 1 year of age

Pastern

Wrist/Ankle of the foot - angle between dewclaw and hoof

Forearm

Main cut of meat on leg

Stifle

Hip structure (thigh) - where the leg meets the body

Flank

The “rear” of the sheep (meaty part)

Hock

Back leg’s elbow (same as on a horse)

Dock

Stub of the tail (if docked)

Herd

Group of goats

Doe

Female goat

Nanny

Slang term for a female goat; Typically, an older, milking goat.

Doeling

Female goat under 1 year old

Buck

Intact male goat

Billy

Slang term for intact male

Buckling

Young male goat under 1 year old

Kid

Baby goat

Kidding

Act of a goat giving birth

Wattle

Fleshy appendage that hangs from the throat or the ears (no purpose)

Wither

Highest point of the shoulder where spine and shoulder meet

Hooks

Top of hip bones (pointy bit on top of animal)

Pins

Back of hip bones (pointy part near/on the rear of the animal)

Forerib

Top of the rib (near the head)

Rear rib

Last ribs (near rear)

Barrel

Overall diameter of the body

Heart Girth

Measurement around the chest (how wide they are from side)

Fore udder Attachment

Where the fore udder attaches to the body

Fore Udder

Front of the udder (towards head)

Udder Floor

Bottom of the udder (Towards ground)

Rear Udder

Back of the udder (towards rear)

Teats

The nipple where milk comes out of the udder

Side Attachments

Where the udder attaches to under thigh area

Medial Suspensory Ligament

The ligament that splits the udder in 2, and holds udder up

Open Face

Wool stops behind the ears - no wool on face

Closed Face

Wool grows over the head and face

Bare Legged

No wool from hock down to the hoof

Polled

Animal naturally has no horns

Natural Color

Wool colored anything other than white (black, grey, brown, red, etc.)

Points

Nose, ears, hooves, face, the highlights of the face

Lanolin

Oil produced on the wool

Wool Cap

Wool on the top of the head

Pendulous Ears

Ears that hang down by the head

Channels

Line of wool from the eyes down to the bottom of the muzzle

Fullbred

100% a specific breed - both parents 100%

Purebred

At least 1 ancestor was NOT 100% (Can breed up to full bred)

Recorded Grade

Animal that cannot be registered (due to breed standards)

Breed up

Can eventually meet a breed standard if continuously bred with Fullbreds

Hypothalamus

Base of brain, produces GnRH

Anterior Patuitary

Below Hypothalamus, produces LH and FHS

“LH” hormone

Luteinizing Hormone

“FSH” hormone

Follicle stimulating hormone

GnrH

Gonadotropin Stimulating hormone

Testosterone

Male steroid hormone

Estrogen

Female steroid hormone

Progesterone

Pregnancy Hormone

Sheep Breed - Wool breed, Polled OR Horned, Wool-legged, high quality, fine wool, Large, rugged, mostly opened face, pink nose and white hooves - foundation of most western flocks

Ramboulliet

Sheep Breed - Wool breed, High quality, fine, soft wool, Horned, Significant wool cap, Pink Nose and medium skin folds - Popular in Australia

Merino

Sheep Breed - Dual Purpose, Large and Tall, mostly closed face, no channels, light nose and hooves, polled, and wool on legs - Developed in US

Columbia

Sheep Breed - Wool breed, wool is heaviest and longest, 12 inches of wool growth a year, largest breed by popularity, known by long wool

Lincoln

Sheep Breed - Wool breed, long, curly wool, open faced, clean legged, roman nose, erect ears, smaller and shorter

Border Leicester

Sheep Breed - Dual Purpose (wool>meat), Polled, dense fleece, heavy lanolin production, wool cap, no horns, black nose, black hooves

Corriedale

Sheep Breed - Dual Purpose, Coarse wool, big fluffy black faces, typically petting zoo animals, either polled or horned (naturally horned)

Black-Nosed Valais

Sheep Breed - Meat, Black face and legs, open face, Polled, Black points, Bare legs, Pendulous ears USED to be most popular

Suffolk

Sheep Breed - Meat, Black face and points, full wool cap, polled, wool on legs and channels

Hampshire

Sheep Breed - Meat, Closed face, Mousy brown face/legs, Small/Medium sized

Southdown

Sheep Breed - Dual Purpose, Horned, Polled, Medium wool free of dark fibers, mostly closed face, No channels - Can breed out of season

Dorset

Sheep breed - Meat, Open face, clean legs, smaller, pointier ears, less bulky, smaller overall

Cheviot

Sheep Breed - meat, closed face, brown face, deep channel, Medium/Large

Shropshire

Sheep Breed - Meat, developed in Missouri from cheviot ram x Columbia ewe, large frame, white face, black nose

Montedale

Sheep Breed - Meat, hair breed, polled, Various colors, males have manes

Katahdin

Sheep Breed - Meat, hair breed, black head, white body, can be all white, heaviest, growthiest

Dorper

Goat Breed - Meat, not much visual cues, black and white/tan, Crossbred for production

Spanish Goat

Goat breed - Meat, Red and white body, Roman nose, Color varies, spotted, full white with tiny spots of red, etc. Greatest influence on US industry over the past 10 years

Boer

Goat Breeds - Meat, Variety of color patterns, used for large operations, hardy, fast growing and survivability. Good mothers, have natural parasite resistance, and are good in the humidity.

Kiko

Goat Breed - Meat, Cousin to Boer, White is most dominant color, Large, heat and drought resistant, looks like Boer goat but white

Savannah

Goat Breeds - Meat, Tennessee “Fainting” goats, medium size, typically black and white

Myotonic

Boer x Tennessee fainting goat, medium sized, low maintenance, high feed efficiency, Good Mothers

Texmaster