Small Ruminants and Animal Behavior

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and key concepts related to small ruminants, their care, breeding, and animal behavior, as discussed in the lecture notes.

Caprine

Refers to animals in the goat family.

Ovine

Refers to animals in the sheep family.

Kid

An immature goat.

Lamb

A sheep less than one year of age.

Wether

A castrated male goat or sheep.

Doe

A female goat.

Buck

A male intact goat.

Ram

A male intact sheep.

Fecal egg count (FEC)

A measure of internal parasite burden in ruminants.

Parasite resistance

The ability of parasites to survive and reproduce despite exposure to anthelmintic treatments.

Shearing

The act of cutting the wool off.

Gestation (sheep)

144-152 days.

Gestation (goats)

147-155 days.

Lambing

Lambs are born typically between January and May, especially in mid-March.

Kidding

Goats giving birth; occurs late February to early April.

Breeding season (sheep)

September to January.

Weaning

Occurs at 60-90 days of age.

Mouflon

Thought to be the primary ancestor of most domestic sheep today.

Roughly 6 weeks

Time frame for lambs from birth until weaning.

Hair sheep

Breeds of sheep that do not have wool, such as Katahdin and Dorper.

Yield grade

An evaluation based on backfat and muscling for meat quality.

Forbs

Broad leaf flowering plants other than grass, which sheep prefer.

Browsers

Goats that prefer woody plants for forage.

Rotational grazing

A management practice to improve pasture health and reduce parasite burden.

Copper bolus

A supplement given to goats, especially 30 days prior to lambing.

CDT vaccine

A vaccine administered to sheep and goats to prevent clostridial diseases.

Ethology

The scientific study of animal behavior.

Applied Ethology

The study of behavior of domestic and exotic animals in captivity.

Autonomy (ethical principle)

The freedom to choose.

Do no harm (ethical principle)

Actions that minimize harm to animals.

Do good (ethical principle)

Actions that maximize benefits.

Justice (ethical principle)

Fairness in practices and procedures.

Animal Welfare

A social and political movement regarding how humans ought to treat animals.

Animal Welfare Act

Mandates behavior plans for animals displaying abnormal behaviors.