Sheep

Dr. Randy Harp

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

Sheep

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

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

Sheep

• Crossbred wool breeds (fine X long wool)– Columbia– Corriedale– Targhee

• Carpet wool– Black faced highland and Drysdale

• Fur-Sheep – Karakul

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.)

Sheep

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

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)

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

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)

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

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

Sheep

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

Sheep

• Wool

• Fiber– three cell layers - epidermis (outside), cortex,

and medulla (inside)– chemical composition

• keratin (N & S compounds with C, O, N, H)

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

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

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