Goats and Sheep Test 5

Nutrition

What are the pros/cons of concentrate-grain-starch

There are great numbers and proportions of microbes that digest sugar and starch

Lower pH (more acidic), poses risk of acidosis

Produces more propionic and butyric acid - more efficient energy source

Quicker passage through digestive tract

What are the pros/cons of forage-fiber-cellulose

Great numbers and proportion of microbes that digest cellulose

Higher pH (normal range)

Produce mainly acetic acid, necessary for production of milk fat → more methane (byproduct) produced

Lower rate of passage

What are the 5 essential nutrients?

Water

Energy

Protein

Minerals

Vitamins

Sheep and goats are able to obtain most of their water from

forage consumption

Sheep/Goats prefer _____ water.

clean

What is the water requirements (gallons per day) for a young lamb?

0.1-0.3

What is the water requirements (gallons per day) for a feeder lamb?

1.0-1.5

What is the water requirements (gallons per day) for a female in gestation?

1.0-2.0

What is the water requirements (gallons per day) for a female in lactation?

2-3

What is the water requirements (gallons per day) for a Ram?

1-2

What is the most limiting nutrient?

Energy

Best sources of energy are

fats, oils, and grains

Protein is a more ____ nutrient

expensive

For protein, ____ is more critical that quality.

amount

Best sources of protein are

oilseed meals and legumes

What are the two kinds of minerals?

Macro
Micro/Trace

True/False: Do NOT give goats/sheep salt blocks

True. Minerals must be loose as they will try to bite the rocks causing chipped teeth

An improper ratio of calcium to phosphorus can result in what in male animals?

Urinary calculi

Calcium to phosphorus ratio should be at least ____ in rations for male goats

2:1

In doe, calcium requirements peak in ____

lactation

In ewe, calcium requirements peak in ___ gestation

late

What administration of selenium is recommended?

Oral is recommended over injections

How much selenium is needed in the diet?

.10-.30 ppm

What are the two types of vitamins?

Water soluble and Fat soluble

What factors affect nutrient requirements?

Species

Genetics

Size (weight)

Stage/Production

Level of production/performance

What affects nutritional requirements?

Heat/Cold Extremes

Activity

Parasitism, including sub-clinical

Adjustment in feed intake

What are options for balancing rations?

By hand (math)

Spreadsheets

Online Programs (free)

Software

What are the four phases of lamb-kid nutrition?

1. Fetal (in he womb)

2. Neonatal (shortly after birth)

3. Nursing-suckling (pre-weaning, birth to weaning)

4. Growing/finishing (post weaning, weaning to market (or breeding))

The primary nutrition of newborns is

colostrum

What is colostrum?

the thick, yellowish first milk after a female gives birth
high in energy, fat, and protein
high in antibodies, large protein molecules

How long do ewes/does produce colostrum?

24 hours only

Newborns should consume colostrum within __ minutes of the birth and _% of the body weight in their first 24 hours

30, 10%

Colostrum quality/quantity is affected by

late gestation nutrition

Colostrum is usually rich in _____ and helps to build stores in the newborn. This is because lambs are born with low reserves.

Vitamin A

As well as Vitamin A, colostrum has vitamin _

E

The iron content in colostrum is __ to __ times higher in colostrum than normal milk

10 to 17

Antibodies can only cross the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream of the lamb during the first

24-36 hours of life

High quality colostrum contains 50mg or more of

immunoglobulin-G (IgG)

You can vaccinate in late pregnancy for

overeating disease (clostridium perfringens type C & D) and tetanus (clostridium tetani)

You want to keep females in location where they are going to lamb/kid for at least ___ prior to birthing

14 days

You can store colostrum for up to a year in

deep freeze

You must use refrigerated colostrum within

24 hours

Any product that has serum IgG concentration above 10 mg/ml may be called a

colostrum replacer

What are the two colostrum sources?

Preffered → mothers milk, colostrum from another in the flock or farm, cow colostrum
Other → colostrum supplement- no IgG, colostrum gels, milk replacer

Lambs/kids must have _ feedings of colostrum in the first 24 hours

4

When artificially rearing lambs/kids, the ___ ____ is better than hand feeding (bottle)

self-feeding (bucket)

When artificially rearing lambs/kids, it is important to vaccinate for

overeating disease (type D)

When lambs/kids are about a week of age, you can introduce them to

grain

Milk production peaks between ___-___ weeks of lactation with sheep

3-5 weeks

Milk production peaks between ___-___ weeks of lactation with goats

4-8 weeks

What are the three options for nursing period?

No supplementation

Supplement does/ewes

Supplement lambs/kids

What is creep feeding/grazing

providing supplemental feed to nursing lambs/kids to increase live weight gain

When should you start creep feeding?

1-2 weeks old

When creep feeding, how much protein should be provided

18-20% all-natural protein

Creep-fed lambs should be vaccinated for

overeating disease (enterotoxemia)

The recommended feeder space is

2 inches per lamb

The average weaning time is

60-120 days (usually 90)

What do you want to treat in lambs/kids prior to weaning?

Vaccinate for overeating disease, treat for coccidiosis

As lambs/kids get older you should (in food)

reduce protein level
add a coccidiostat
include ammonium chloride

What are the options for growing/finishing lambs/kids

dry lot-feed
pasture w/ supplementation
pasture/browse only

What are the options for feeding lambs/kids?

As a supplement to pasture diet

Hay+concentrate

TMR (total mixed ratio)

Only concentrate

What feed additives can you mix into rations?

Coccidiostats

Ammonium chloride

Baking soda, pro/prebiotics, enzymes

Males and females must be of sufficient weight to reach puberty and breed at

7-9 months of age

In puberty, females must be __-__ of mature weight, males must be __ of mature weight

60%-70%, 50%

Overfeeding in female lambs/kids may diminish

milk producing ability

What is acidosis?

Lactic acidosis, a large quantity of gas is produced in the rumen resulting in volatile fatty acids, higher lactic acid, lower rumen pH
Pressure and inability to expel gas can lead to death

What vitamins are water soluble?

C
B complex

What vitamins are fat soluble?

A
D
E
K

Which minerals are macro?

Sodium (Na)
Chloride (Cl)
Calcium (Ca)
Phosphorus (P)
Magnesium (Mg)
Potassium (K)
Sulfur (S)

Which minerals are micro or trace?

Cobalt (Co)
Copper (Cu)*
Fluoride (Fl)
Iodine (I)
Iron (Fe)
Manganese (Mn)
Molybdenum (Mo)
Selenium (Se)*
Zinc (Z)

What is the life cycle of feeding does?

Early lactation → Late lactation → Weaning → Maintenance → Breeding → Early gestation → Late gestation

What is all that’s usually needed to maintain dry, non-pregnant ruminants?

Forage

What does flushing do?

Increase ovulation and birthing rates

What is the required body condition score for flushing?

<2.5

How do you feed when flushing?

Supplement females with 0.5lb of grain per head per day or move females to a lush pasture that has been saved specifically for flushing.
Start 2-4 weeks before breeding
Continue 3-4 weeks into breeding season

What are nutrient requirements of pregnant & lactating does?

Rations need to be balanced for energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins
Roughage is critical to good nutrition and rumen health

What occurs in early gestation?

Embryos implant in uterus → d20-24
Mammary gland development → d30-90
Placenta development → d30-90
Wool follicles forming → d35-100

You don’t want does to get fat, females should be gaining a minimal amount of __lbs per day.

~0.10lb per day

What affects the nutrient transfer between the ewe and her fetuses?

Placental size

Underdeveloped placentas result in what, regardless of late gestation?

Low birth weight

21 days of severe underfeeding or 80 days of moderate underfeeding can affect

placental development

You should not over or under feed, aim to have a body condition score of

3-3.5

What is occurring in late gestation?

70% of fetal growth
Limited rumen capacity
Mammary development
Supplement high moisture feeds and dry forages with concentrate feeds to meet nutrient requirements, especially for females carrying multiple births
Calcium requirements increase
Selenium and Vitamin E are needed

During late gestation in ____, calcium requirements increase

sheep

What feed additives should be added during late gestation?

A coccidiostat to reduce coccidia in the kidding/lambing environment

Energy requirements increase throughout pregnancy and are highest during

late gestation

Inadequate intake of energy during late gestation can result in

pregnancy toxemia, ketosis, or the birth of small and weak kids with increased mortality

Overfeeding during late gestation can lead to _____, due to oversized fetuses and increased abdominal fat

dystocia

Protein requirements increase throughout pregnancy and peak during

early lactation

____ & ____ requirements are substantially higher during pregnancy and are highest during lactation

calcium and phosphorus

What is milk fever?

Hypocalcemia, low blood Ca

How does milk fever occur?

during late gestation or lactation

can be caused by not enough during late gestation or too much Ca in late gestation diet
more common in dairy goats

Feeding is based on an animal’s

weight

During lactation the highest nutrient requirements are

energy + protein

Ewe’s highest nutritional requirements are during first

6-8 weeks of lactation

During lactation, energy requirements increase by __%

30%

During lactation, protein requirements increase by __%

55%

Inadequate energy intake increases

protein need

Singles, twins, and triplets should be fed by

Singles → Lowest nutritional requirements

Twins → Produce 20-40% more milk than ewes nursing singles
Triplets → Hard for an ewe to raise triplets on pasture without supplementation

The general rule of thumb is to feed __ of grain for each lamb an ewe is nursing.

1lb