SMALL RUMINANT Behavior, Handling and Restraint

Why we handle small ruminants

Deworming, vaccinating, hoof trimming, sorting, reproduction, illness, etc.

Proper handling of small ruminates does what?

Minimize stress and injuries to both the producer and the animals when tasks are performed.

Will improve productivity, and prevent tasks from being delayed or overlooked

Understand behavior with help significantly.

Goat Background

• Were one of the first species to be domesticated - at least 12,000 years ago

• Found throughout the world

• Provide meat and milk, hides and hair, and manure to fertilize crops

• Able to thrive on diverse rations

• Have adapted to a broad range of environmental conditions

• Usefulness is often based on their ability to produce under many different conditions

Caprine

Relating to or being a goat

Doe

Mature female goat

Kid

Immature (baby) goat of either sex

Wether

Castrated male goat

Buck

Intact male goat

Kidding

Parturition in goats

Chevon

Goat meat

Meat goats

Boer

Dairy Goat

Alpine, LaMancha, Mubian, Saanan

Fleece goat

Angora

Pet goats

Pygmy

Goat behavior

• Prey species and feel more comfortable in a herd

• Naturally intelligent and curious; seems to enjoy the company of others species

• Will mob together quickly and start moving in search of an escape route as soon as they are aware of disturbance

• Will continue to run if being chased but will also return to herd if allowed

• Will move through small gates without hesitation

• Intro of older, quiet wthers or does help quiet young stock

Goat aggression

Head-butting which usually proceeded by raising the hair on the spine, stamping the front feet, making a sneezing/snorting noise and rearing up on hind legs

Tame animal flight zone

Is smaller because they are more used to being handled

Goat Handling

• Calm manner, taking care to avoid injury, pain, and distress

• Never be caught or moved by grabbing their fleece or hair

• Hooves are trimmed with standing, usually on a milking stand

• Never use electric prods

Goat pens

Free of sharp edges, projections or other features that may cause injury

Walls or barriers high enough to discourage jumping or climbing

never fill a crowing pen more than ¾ full; need room to turn around

Goat Restraint

Hand restraint

Should be lifted with proper support for the chest and abdomen

never be lifted or dragged by the ears, horns, tail, hair or legs

Equipment:

• Halter, stanchion, shearing headstall, milking stand or goat handling chute

Goat Hand Restraint

Hol done hand under the jaw and one hand over the head

Goat restraint equipment 

• Should allow for quick and secure restraint in order to minimize stress or injury 

• Goat should be released as quickly as possible

Sheep Background

• Goes back to between 11000 and 9000 BC

• Among the first animals to have been domesticated by humans

• Primarily used for meat, milk, and skins (wooly sheep developed around 6000 BC)

• Australia, New Zealand, South American, and the British Isles are most closely associated with their production

Ewe

Female of reproductive age

Ram

Intact male of reproductive age

Lamb

Young sheep of either sex

Wether

Castrated male

Mutton

Meat derived from adult sheep

Lambing

Parturition in Sheep

Meat Sheep

Cheviot, Dorset, Suffolk

Diary sheep

East Friesian, Lacaune

Fine Wool Sheep

Merino

Wool Sheep

Columbia, Romney

Hair Sheep

Dorper, Katahdin, Romanov

Sheep Behavior

• Prey species

• Primary defense is to flees from danger; may cause serious injury to themselves in their effort to escape

• Flock animals and stay close together

• Strong tendency to follow, and a leader may simply be the first individual to move

• Will become stress when separated

Sheep aggression

May charge and head-butt, or threaten by hood stamping and adopting an aggressive posture. This is particularly true for ewes with newborn lambs

Bleating (“baaing”)

Mostly for flock contact communication, especially between dam and lambs

May also be signal distress, frustration or impatience; however, sheep are usually silent when in pain

Isolation commonly prompts this

Rumbling

Made by the ram during courting

Snort

May signal aggression or a warning, and if often elicited from startled sheep

Sheep Handling

Very often herd dogs are used to fetch the sheep

You can train the sheep to come to a rattle of a feed bucket

Drive them from behind if you have to go into the field

Most aren’t halter broken and attempting to lead a sheep that isn’t halter broken is usually a futile exercise

Restraint

Use of corrals, alleyways, chutes, and small catch pens can help separate out

Always approach sheep calmly and slowly

You can also use a shepherd’s crook to catch a sheep by the neck

Once caught, you can press it against a wall or straddle it to limit its movement

What should you never grab a sheep by and why

By the wool because this hurts and can also cause damage to the carcass

Sheep “chair”

Holds a sheep on its rump. Provides easy access to the sheep’s ears, mouth, brisket, udder, and testicles

Trimming or blocking stand

Allows you to work on a sheep without bending over

Restraint of a Lamb

Hold one front and one read leg in each hand

• can be used for castrating and tail docking

Up-Ending sheep

Easy method of immobilizing animal for routine husbandry

• hoof trimming

• udder/penis examinations

Herculean method

Standing on the side of the sheep with one arm under its neck and grasping the flank fold with the other hand, literally roll the sheep onto your legs and then set sheep on its rear

Energy Efficient method

Stand on the side of the sheep with one arm under sheep’s neck. With the other hand reach over the sheep’s back and under its belly and grasp the back leg closest to you and pull the leg forward and away from you. The sheep will sit down right at your feet

Alternate Energy Efficient method

Stand at the chest of the sheep with one arm over sheep’s neck. With the other hand reach under the sheep’s belly and catch the far back leg below the hock and pull the leg toward you throwing the sheep off balance. QUICKLY grab front legs and lift sheep up as you get behind the sheep.

Coordination method

Start with one hand holding under the jaw and the other on the opposite side of the hip (tuber coxae). Simultaneously, bring the sheep’s head around to its side (rib cage) and push down and toward you with the hand on the animal’s hip. At the same time move your leg that is closest to the rear of the sheep, backward away from the sheep, which will allow the sheep to sit down.

Stressed sheep

Increased heart rate

Increased respiratory rate

Open mouth breathing

Panting

Collapse

Death

• Sheep and hot temperatures DO NOT mix

Anemic animals

Won’t be able to handle much stress