Sheep

1. Sheep Dr. Randy Harp

2. Sheep • Origin and domestication • Genus - Sheep = Ovis and goats = Capra • Dual Purpose - Wool or Hair and Meat • Factors favorable for sheep production • utilization of roughages • feed efficiency is better than cattle • dual purpose and quicker returns than cattle

3. Sheep • Factors unfavorable for sheep production • per capita consumption • predators • disease resistance • parasites • synthetics (demand for wool) • politics and small talk

4. Sheep • Types and breeds of sheep • Classification by Wool • Fine wool - highest quality wool • spanish merino, rambouillet, delaine • Medium wool - meat and wool production • “down” breeds: southdown, suffolk, hampshire, shropshire, dorset, cheviot, finnsheep • Long wool - mainly used for meat • largest breeds: Cotswold, Lincoln, Romney

5. Sheep • Crossbred wool breeds (fine X long wool) • Columbia • Corriedale • Targhee • Carpet wool • Black faced highland and Drysdale • Fur-Sheep • Karakul

6. Classification by Breed • Ewe breeds- generally white-faced and fine wool and long wool types (Rambouillet, Finnsheep, Merino, etc.) • Dual Purpose- used to cross and make crossbred ewes (dorset, Columbia, Corriedale) • Ram breeds- meat type breeds used as terminal sires (hamps, suffolk, etc.)

7. Sheep • Establishing a flock • lamb vs wool production • native vs western range production • selection systems • size of flock • health

8. Sheep Breeding and Reproduction • Age at puberty - 5-7 months • ewes < rams • breed dependent - seasonal breeding • lamb as 2 year olds • gestation - 144-152 days (med wool less) • heat periods - 20 to 42 hours (no signs)

9. SheepBreeding and Reproduction • ovulation occurs late in heat cycle • 14- 20 day cycle ave. 16-17 days • Prolifacy - > 100% lamb crop • flushing ewes works in sheep, too • Factors affecting reprod. • daylight (<14 hrs/da), temp. ( <74 F or > 100), nutrition

10. SheepBreeding and Reproduction • Lambing • > 4 sq. ft. pen for ewes, clean & dry • presentation of front legs • orphan lambs is not uncommon • 25% death loss is common • Feed ewes small amounts of water at first with oats, wheat bran and hay (small amounts)

11. SheepBreeding and Reproduction • Ram management • mating guide • ram lamb hand (20-25) pasture (25-35) • yearling or > hand (50-75) pasture (35-60) • use marker rams

12. Sheep Nutrition • Nutrition - ruminant • energy through grain and roughages • protein through good pasture and legumes • minerals (Ca & P), salt • vitamins (mainly check A, D, & E) • water - 1 gal./day for mature sheep • 1/2 gal./day for lambs

13. Sheep • Problems • urinary calculi - mineral deposits • poisonous plants • preg. disease - undernourishment in late preg. • expelled vagina or rectal prolapse

14. Sheep • Wool • Fiber • three cell layers - epidermis (outside), cortex, and medulla (inside) • chemical composition • keratin (N & S compounds with C, O, N, H)

15. Characteristics of wool • Grease - refers to the impurities • clean vs grease wt and yield vs shrinkage • Length of fiber • Density - closeness of fibers (no./unit area of skin) • Diameter - crimp (waviness) • Wool Grading - blood system vs breed type

16. Goat • Mohair - Angora • possesses less crimp than wool • clip twice per year instead of shearing wool once per year • types of mohair - based on the type of lock • tight or spiral • flat • fluffy

17. Goat • Meat (Spanish and Boer) • Dairy type • American La Mancha, French Alpine, Nubian, Saanen, Toggenburg • Very adaptable - esp. to brushy areas • management similar to sheep • gestation ave. 151 days • dairy yields 5 lbs/day with 15,000/yr. • feed 1.5 to 2.0 lbs of grain + hay per day