sheep production/ the sheep industry

what is a tup/ram

• breeding male

what is a ewe

• breeding female who has had more than one crop of lambs

what is tupping

• mating of a ram and ewe

what is a gimmer

• a female ewe lamb from first shearing to giving birth, a female ewe after giving birth to her first crop of lambs

what is a ewe lamb

• a female lamb destined for breeding less than a year

what is shearling

• a lamb after first shear (1-2 years old)

what is fat/finished lambs

• lambs that are finished and ready for slaughter within a year from birth

what is a hogg/hogget

• a lamb destined for meat that is between 1-2 years

what is a mutton

• an aged sheep, over 2 years old used for meat, usually at the end of the breeding life

what is a barren

• ewes that dont become pregnant after being tupped

what is a broken mouthed sheep

• sheep which have broken/lost teeth (usually less than 6 years old)

what is a draft ewe

• an older breeding ewe, sold off hills to lower ground where conditions are less challenging

what is a teaser

• a vasectomised ram, placed among ewes to encourgae onset of oestrus

what is a two toother/four toother

• ewe described dependant on the teeth she has - helps differentiate ages

what are terminal sire

• rams of lowland breeds who are used to breed lambs for the meat market

what are Hill environments and types of sheep that live there

• harsh climates, long winters, poor soil quality

• welsh mountain, swaledale, scottish blackface

where are the upland

• areas of northern england/lake district and dartmoor

• blue faced leicester, borded leicester, teeswater, longwools

describe the lowland environment

• central and east of england

• least harsh weather condition, more productive system

• texel, suffolk, charollais, romneys, down breeds

describe the hill breeds

• scottish blackface, welsh mountain, swaledale, cheviot

• hardy

• thick coated

• excellent mothers

• 1 lamb per year

describe the upland breeds

• bluefaced leicester

• wensleydale

• border leicester

• more prolific than hill breeds - 2 lambs per year

describe the lowland breeds

• texel, suffolk, charollais, hampshire

• grow fast

• heavier frames

• terminal sire

describe the UK stratified sheep system

• hill ewes are drafted to become aged hill ewes and male lambs to slaughter

• aged hill ewes - male lambs to slaughter and lambs produced to makes mules (cross bred ewes) - then all lambs to slaughter

describe the sheep stratification breeding

• ewe lambs - kept for pedigree breeding flock

• top ram lambs - kept for pedigree breeding flock

• ram lambs -slaughter

• ewe lambs - commercial breeding flock

• mate hill breed ewes and upland breed rams - make hill x upland crossbred lambs to make mules with a larger frame, good milk, production, prolific, excellent mothers

• also breed upland breed ewes to maintain uphill breed

• breed mules with lowland breed to form a mule x terminal sire = all lambs to slaughter

what is a mule

• a cross bred sheep usually born to upland systems, with a drafted hill breed mother and an upland breed father

what does the sheep industry produce

• wool

• meat

• dairy

describe the UK sheep meat industry

• different meat markets - lamb, hogget, mutton

• sheep industry employs 34,000 people on farms - contributing £290 million to the economy

• 3-5% of the worlds sheep population is in the UK

describe the lamb industry

• slaughtered at around 40kg (5-8months) - 19kg deadweight

• british lamb available late summer/autumn

• red tractor logo, regional logos (welsh lamb, scotch lamb) guarantees the origin of the meat and and ensure top standards of traceability, food safety and hygiene, animal welfare and environmental protection have been maintained

describe hogget

• 42-48kg

• kill out 40%-50%

• sheep aged 1-2 years

• matured on pasture

• more fat and greater depth of flavour

• available all year round

describe mutton

• meat from a sheep less than 2 years old - different taste and texture

• strong punchy flavour

• produced from ewes that have reached end of productive life

• available all year round

• deadweight 25-27kg

describe the demand for wool

• secondary product of sheep farming

• one fleece produced per year

• shearing cost to farmer around £1 a sheep

• farmers only get paid 50p per fleece

describe the milk sheep industry

• mostly to produce cheese

• one sheep produces 1.2 litres twice a day (sheep milk is more expensive)

• dairy breeds - fresland, lacaune, british milk sheep

describe the conservation of the environment

• sheep help maintain grassland and uplands which promote plant and animal biodiversity

• wildfire control

• sheeps can help fertilize soil

describe the hobby sheep farming industry

• kept in very small flocks

• sheep as pets often accompany other species

• legal requirements relating to livestock

• 2 tags - ensure traceability (for diseases)

describe the farm assurance scheme

• red tractor is a single scheme accepted by all major buyers

• monitor what consumers value the most about their food

• ensures animal welfare, food safety, traceability, environmental protection

farm accreditation schemes

• premium sheep and goat health scheme - SRUC

government protection

• DEFRA

• APHA

• AHDB

describe a texel sheep

• white

• broad head

• broad body

• wide nostrils

• tight wool

• short and stocky

• used as terminal sire

describe the suffolk sheep

• black heads

• white wool

• broad heads

• large floppy ears

• thick legs and broad body

• used as terminal sires

describe the beltex

• ugly

• broad head

• short neck

• double muscling

• used as terminal sire

describe the border leicester

• large upright ears

• all white

• tight wool

• upland breed

describe the blue leicester

• big ears

• similar to the border

• upland breed

describe the scottish blackface

• black face

• white triangle nose

• horned

• small animals

• hillbreed

describe the swaledale

• small breed

• hormed

• black and white nose and eyes

• long loose wooled

• hill breed