sheep 1165

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flock

group of sheep

ewe

female

ram

intact male

wether

castrated male

sire

paternal contributor to DNA

dam

maternal contributor to DNA

parturition

the act of giving birth

parity

number of times given birth

lamb

baby sheep

lambing

sheep giving birth

lamb (food)

meat from a sheep less than 1 year of age

mutton (food)

meat from a sheep more than 1 year of age

sheep industry

global= good

u.s.= declining economic importance; expensive products

products we get from sheep

wool, meat, milk (Roquefort Blue Cheese), pelts, hides, leather

factors for consumption

culture: people who raise sheep tend to use sheep products; easy to domesticate

religion: ubiquitous across religious/belief systems

meat

lamb and mutton

what do you need to consider about lamb and mutton?

value, palatability and fat (offensive taste and lanolin), ground meat

WWII

steady decline in lamb consumption

food rationing- creates tradition, cultural change

break consumption cycle

reinvent perception of lamb as a red meat product

niche market

lamb products...

imported is less expensive than domestic

new zealand

large number of similar sheep, breed types, uniform products

united states

non- uniform products, inconsistent product amounts, disproportionate demand worldwide

68-70% of lamb importation comes from

australia

30-32% of lamb importation comes from

new zealand

farm flock

midwest: Missouri

Smaller: Average 30 ewes

variety: 3 breeds represented/flock

range flock

western states: us sheep experiment station Idaho

100-1,000 ewes

variety: Match breed type to conditions

dry climate

acreage: 10,000 +

breeds of sheep

over 200 distinct breeds

among the first species to be domesticated

selection pressure (wool/fiber type, flocking instinct, meat production)

open faced

wool stops behind ears; head has hair not wool

closed face

wool grows over head and side of face

clean legged vs leg wool

knee/hock down to hoof

horns

animal has horns

polled

animal naturally does not have horns

wool vs meat

all wool breeds can be meat; almost all meat breeds have wool

natural color

not specific to one breed; wool that is not white; black, grey, brown red; does not take up dye well

Rambouillet

wool; polled or horned; wool-legged; developed from Spanish merino in France; high quality, fine wool fleece

Lincoln

wool; longwool breed- 12 inches/ year; Lincolnshire, England

Merino

wool; High quality fine wool; textile market- clothing; popular in Australia

Cotswold

wool; Cotswold Hills, England; longwool breed; cross breeding to increase size of lambs

Border Leicester

Wool; Leicestershire, England; open face, clean legged, roman nose, erect ears

Corriedale

dual purpose; developed in New Zealand; polled; dense fleece; high quality carcass; heavy lanolin production (look dirty)

Columbia

dual purpose; developed in US; goal eliminate cross breeding; large stature

Valais Blacknose

dual purpose; valais region of Switzerland; coarse wool; us 2016

Suffolk

Meat; suffolk england; black face and legs; open face; polled; wool legs; most popular breed in the us

hampshire

meat; hampshire england; black face; closed face; polled

Montadale

meat; developed in the us; large stature; black tips

southdown

meat; sussex, england; polled; closed face; wool legs

Dorset

meat; horned or polled; known for being good mothers; 2nd most common breed in US

Cheviot

meat; cheviot hills (border of england and scotland); open face; clean legs; look similar to Border Leicester

Shropshire

meat; shropshire, england; known for easy lambing and disposition; closed face; black face- sun fade; smaller than Hampshire

Charollais

developed in the same region of france as the cattle breed "Charolais"; cross breeding (increase muscling and growth rate); known for easing lambing

Katahdin

meat; hair sheep (no shearing, shed); developed in U.S.; polled (through selection); various colors (white, tan, red); rams are maned

Dorper

meat; hair breed; south africa; pooled; black head with white body; skin highly sought after (20% of carcass value)

sexual maturity

5-12 months of age; dependent on breed, and season of birth

Mating

ewe: minimum of 70% of mature weight; ram: minimum of 50% of mature weight

Gestation

138-149 days; average 147 days; multiple lambs lowers gestation period

hybrid vigour

Crossing 2 different breeds to obtain the best qualities of both breeds in the progeny. The offspring is superior to either parent

sheeps are...

seasonal breeders; short day; some "less seasonal"

Estrus

18-48 hours; 30 hour average; signs are much less pronounced; mature ewes seek out a ram

Estrous

13-19 days; 17 day average; the whole cycle

short-day photoperiod

rams more sexually active; initiation of estrus in ewes

pineal gland

converts serotonin to melatonin during the night hours; days get shorter-\> more "night" hours-\> inc melatonin; melatonin stimulates GnRH- Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone which promotes cycling

Cycle (Estrous) is in which season?

Fall- September, October, November

Flehmen response

Lip curl and sucking in air- Vomeronasal organ; determine if ewe is receptive for breeding- pheromones

Marking harness

can determine which ram bred which ewe based on color; shows the ram is attempting to do his job; shows which ewes went back into estres meaning a pregnancy did not occur

Breeding

Rare to see; low-light breeders- dusk and dawn; instantaneous ejaculators

prior to lambing

full udder; sweeling and relaxation of vulva; relaxation of pelvic girdle

stages of parturition

dilation of cervix; expulsion of the fetus(es); expulsion of the placenta(s)

proper presentation of fetus

front feet first, followed by nose

most common cause of dystocia

malpresentation of the fetus; may need to assist and readjust

malpresentation of fetus

breech; one leg back; hind legs only; head back; both forelegs back; elbow lock; twins- front and back; four legs- one head; backwards

Lambing Jug

small clean space; allows time for bonding

Lambing on range

can lamb standing up; identify lambs by scent (visual- ewe, vocalization- lamb)

Ewe Behavior

ewe-lamb bond: predators; ewe stomp: fight or flight; sheep are gregarious

number system

lambing on range

lamb behavior-nursing

tail wiggling= getting milk; issue with multiples: lambs choose a side, inadequate production, lamb rejection

supplemental feeing

starvation is \#1 cause of death; inadequate colostrum, inadequate milk production, rejection from dam, injury

appearance is key

head down. ears drooping, too weak to stand

types of supplemental feeding

tube and bottle

post natal lamb care

CDT Vaccine, tail docking, castration, supplemental feeding

CDT

clostridium C&D; tetanus give by 8 weeks of age; booster

Tail Docking

wool breeds: manure- wool tags, fly strike, wool maggots; hair breeds: not as common, long dock

Methods of tail docking

banding: up to caudal fold (skin meets tail), market lambs: banded further up (prolapse risk), Cuts of blow flow: necrotic, falls off, should be done within first week; Hot knife, cut and cauterize

Methods of Castration

Banding: release band at top of scrotum, make sure both testicles are within band, early in life; Knife: not as common; Biting: historically accepted on range, bite of bottom of scrotum and pull testicles out with mouth

Supplemental Feeding- Bottle Lamb

orphan/bottle lambs; individual feeding; bucket system; if managed correctly can match ewe raised counterparts

Supplemental Feeding- Creep Feed

supplemental as they get older; lambs take to feed sooner than other neonates

how do you recognize a parasite problem

loose stool: parasite, high quality lush pasture; Ingest larval stage: nibble close to base of blade; creates wool tags

managing a parasite problem

deworm/parasiticide twice per year; prior to lambing; prior to grazing; internal and external parasites; different levels of parasite life cycle