9- Sheep Production

Why raise sheep?

Produce 2 (sometimes 3) valuable prducts

Utilization of range lands

Have less energy requirements than cattle

Sheep are highly adaptable

In the United States, there are more than

5.2 million head of sheep and lambs

Why decreasing numbers in U.S.?

Less demand for wool (synthetic and blends are cheaper)

Low consumer demand for lamb and high price of lamb (with low quantity) compared to other meats

Americans consume less than 1 lb of lamb each year

Decreased resources available

Land, shepherds, and government support

Predators

Farmer diversification into other enterprises

World Sheep Numbers

Larger sheep numbers in other countries

Australia

Middle East

Ram

intact male sheep

Ewe

female sheep

Lamb

young sheep

Wether

castrated male sheep

Flock

group of sheep

Wool

a fabric made from the hair of sheep

Industries

shearers

Wool buyers/warehouses

Sheep producers

Lamb feeders

Lamb processors

Types of Sheep Production

Range flocks

Farm flocks

Farm flocks

Commercial

Purebred

lamb

Range flocks types

Fenced

Migratory

Commercial Farm Flocks

Produce lambs for traditional meat markets or ethnic markets

Largest of farm flocks

Use crossbreeding

Purebred Farm Flocks

Smaller operations

Emphasize on purebred genetics

Typically register animals with breed association

Goal is to sell breeding stock

Usually hobby farms

Exhibit at livestock shows and sell at purebred sales

Club Lamb Farm Flocks

Small flocks

Typically crossbred or commercial purebred

Marketed to 4-H or FFA members

Sell lambs at lighter weight to allow youngsters to raise and feed them

Exhibited at local, regional, state or national shows

Affordable FFA or 4H project

Range Flocks

Large sheep numbers per flock

Usually thousands of ewes

Large acreage

Very open

Grassland

Range operations produce the majority of the lamb and wool in the U.S.

Fenced range sheep production

Located in Texas, New Mexico and other areas in the Southwest

Texas leads the country in total sheep numbers and number of sheep operations

Migratory range sheep production

Located in mountain states

Typically use land owned by government or is leased from Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Grazing permits are issued

In winter, keep ewes at lower elevations

In summer, move ewes to higher elevations

Kept by herder or shepherd

Migratory range sheep production Breeds used:

Rambouillet, Targhee, Columbia, Polypay and Merino

Fenced Range Sheep Production Breeds used:

Rambouillet

Merino

Pregnancy Toxemia

Most common metabolic disease in sheep

Pregnancy Toxemia Cause

disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism

Resulting in hypoglycemia and ketosis

Due to inadequate nutrition and stress in late gestation

Pregnancy Toxemia signs

aimless walking, muscle twitching, grinding of the teeth. This progresses (generally over 2-4 days) to blindness, incordination, and finally coma, and death.

Pregnancy Toxemia Treatment

Propylene glycol daily

Cesarean or induced labor

Enterotoxemia Cause

bacteria, C. Perfringens, type D

Enterotoxemia Symptoms

Sudden death

Nervous disorders

Convulsions

Grinding teeth

White Muscle Disease Cause

selenium or vitamin E deficiency

White Muscle Disease Symptoms

Stiffness in hind legs

Muscle damage

White Muscle Disease Prevention and treatment

Feed/supplement with selenium

Inject lamb with Bo-Se

Urinary Calculi

Occurs in rams and wethers fed high concentrate diet or imbalance of P:Ca

Urinary Calculi Prevention

Fresh water

Add 0.5% ammonium chloride to feed

Add calcium to high phosphorus diets

Urinary Calculi Treatment

Not very successful

Sore Mouth Treatment

Iodine and glycerol on lesions

Let it run it's course

Sore Mouth sheep

Polyarthritis

Inflammation of joints generally caused by a bacterial infection.

Polyarthritis Symptoms

Stiff joints

Reluctant to move

Depression

Decreased body weight

Fever

Polyarthritis Treatment

Treat with broad-spectrum antibiotic

Polyarthritis Prevention

Maintain clean environment

Scrapies

Affects nervous system

Degenerative disease

Scrapies Symptoms

Itching and wool pulling

Incoordination and muscle tremors

Sensitivity to sound or light

Weight loss

Scrapies treatment

No treatment, deadly

Internal Parasites

are an ever growing concern in the management of sheep

treat with a dewormer

Normally oral

Parasite resistance

External Parasites

Sheep keds-

Wool maggots

Sheep keds-

Symptoms-

Poor growth

Unthrifty appearance

Poor gain

Prevention/ Treatment -

Ectoban, Ectrin, or Permectin

Wool maggots

Attracted to open wounds, urine, feces

Will set up in rectum

Symptoms-

Constant movement of dock

When moving, hind legs move in a high kicking fashion

Treatment - cleanliness, dock tails

Seasonal Breeders

Will start estrous cycles when daylight hours decrease(at end of summer/early fall)

Stop cycling when daylight hours increase (late spring/early summer)

What Affects Reproductive Efficiency in Ewes and Rams?

temperature

Genetics

Age

Nutrition

Season

At breeding

Need to flush ewes

Feed concentrates to increase energy and protein content

increases ovulation rates

3rd trimester of pregnancy

Greatest growth of lamb

Minerals and Vitamins

Typically don't need to supplement vitamins

Need to provide mineral supplement

Must be formulated for sheep

Ewe Breeds

These are white- faced breeds of fine-wool type or crosses of fine-wool types.

These breeds contribute traits for good mothering ability, hardiness, good fleece characteristics, and good volume of wool.

Usually, slower growth rates

Ram Breeds

These breeds are selected for the growth and meat qualities of their offspring

They are used as terminal sires in crossbreeding programs.

Usually, lower quality wool

Hair Breeds

Not all sheep have wool; to the untrained eye, hair sheep often look more like goats than sheep.

Dairy Breeds

It is only recently that an interest in dairy sheep has developed in the United States.

Mostly utilized for specialty marketsfor cheese production

Churro

First domesticated sheep introduced in North America

Churro Known for:

Small breed

Hardy

Disease resistant

Long or coarse fleece

Rams can carry four horns

Fleece is used for weaving rugs/blankets

Merino

Origin: Spain

Can be polled or horned

typically M are horned/ F are not

White

Merino Known for:

Fine wool

Low-med growth rate

Adaption to range

Foundation breed for most modern day fine wool breeds

Used extensively in Australia

Rambouillet

Origin: France

Developed from the Merino

Developed with many western range flocks

Rambouillet Known for:

Fine wool with tight crimp

Med-high growth rate

Longevity/hardy

Strong flocking instinct

Polypay

Developed at US Sheep Experiment Station (Idaho) in 1960s-70s

Cross of Targhee x Dorset and Rambouillet x Finn sheep

Developed to produce two lamb crops and one wool crop per year

Polypay Known for:

Mixed wool

Medium size

Prolific breed

Extended breeding season

Acceptable growth/ high carcass quality

churro look

Merino look

Rambouillet look

Polypay look

Hampshire look

Hampshire

Origin: England

First arrived in 1860 but flocks were destroyed or scattered during Civil War, reintroduced in 1880s

Hampshire Known for:

Medium wool breed

High growth rates

Large frame size

Black face with wool cap and wool on legs

Quality carcasses

Suffolk look

Suffolk

Origin: England

Arrived in U.S. in 1888

Most popular breed in U.S.

Suffolk Known for:

Medium wool

High growth rates

Large frame

Heads/legs free of wool

Heavy, high cutability carcasses

Southdown look

Southdown

Origin: England

One of oldest breeds

Contributed to many other breeds

Arrived in U.S. in 1648

Southdown Known for:

Medium wool

Med growth rates

Small frame

Easy keepers

Heavy/ quality carcasses

Early maturity

Dorset look

Dorset

Origin: England

Can be either horned or polled

Arrived in U.S. in 1885

Dorset Known for:

Medium wool

Med-high growth rates

Heavy muscled carcass

Prolific

Heavy milkers

Docile

Adapt to almost any environment

Texel look

Texel

Origin: Island of Texel in the Netherlands

First imported to the U.S. by the Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center, NE in 1985

texel Characteristics

Med frame size

Heavy muscled

Good quality lean carcass

Med grade white wool

Docile and calm

Feed efficient and do well on pasture

Barbados Blackbelly look

Barbados Blackbelly

Origin: Caribbean island of Barbados

"Antelope-like" in appearance

Barbados Blackbelly Known for:

High quality meat

Hardiness (thrive in hot and humid environments)

Reproductive efficiency

Dorper look

Dorper

Origin: South Africa

Cross of Blackheaded Persian ewe and Dorset Horn

Developed in 1930

Arrived in U.S. in 1995

Polled

Dorper Known for:

Characteristic black head or can be all white

High growth rates

Very muscular

Thick skin

Most sought after sheepskin

Average lambing 150- 160%

Katahdin look

Katahdin

Origin: U.S. (Maine)

Developed in 1950s

Hair breed

Med frame size

Cross of Suffolk, African Hair sheep, St. Croix, and Wiltshire Horn

Katahdin Known for:

Improved carcass quality

Natural resistance to internal parasites

low maintenance

High twin rate (150-170+%)

do well on pasture

Color variety

Karakul Fat-Tailed Breed look

Karakul Fat-Tailed Breed

Origin: Central Asia

Male sheep has horns but female has no horns.

Specialty breed in U.S.

Karakul Fat-Tailed Breed known for

Large tails that stores fat

Silky Fleeces are prized by handspinners and felters

source of milk, meat, tallow, and wool

Survive in adverse conditions with very little forage

Finn Sheep Rat-Tailed Breed look

Finn SheepRat-Tailed Breed

Origin: Finland

Also known as Finnish Landrace

Arrived to U.S. in 1968

Used for crossbreeding

Finn SheepRat-Tailed Breed Known for:

Med wool

Low growth rates

Very prolific

Strong maternal instincts

Will lamb on accelerated lambing program

Good for meat, milk, and wool

Awassi look

Awassi

Origin: Middle East/ Arabian desert

White with brown heads