Sheep Lab

Question 1

Commercial Sheep Operations

Answer 1

• crossbred ewes, purebred rams

Question 2

Blackface Breeds

Answer 2

• meat
• black wool cannot be died

Question 3

Whiteface Breeds

Answer 3

• superior wool and livability

Question 4

Rambouillet

Answer 4

• fine wool
• most important breed in commercial sheep production in the US
• type of Merino
• dual purpose
• low prolificacy

Question 5

Suffolk

Answer 5

• medium wool
• black face
• used as sire of offspring for fat lamb production
• more for meat production (Down Breed)

Question 6

Hampshire

Answer 6

• medium wool
• wool over forehead
• rapid growth
• efficient feed conversion

Question 7

Dorset

Answer 7

• medium wool
• white face
• dam or sire for fat lambs
• good milk production, long breeding season

Question 8

Polypay

Answer 8

• medium wool
• dual purpose
• from 4 sheep breeds to be more versatile and profitable
• prolific, can breed out of season, good carcass

Question 9

Columbia

Answer 9

• medium wool
• dual purpose
• combines wool-producing of Rambouillet with range-producing qualities of Lincoln

Question 10

Corriedale

Answer 10

• medium wool
• white face
• dual purpose, hardy, early maturity

Question 11

Cheviot

Answer 11

• medium wool
• good mothering ability and carcass
• adaptable

Question 12

Finnish Landrace

Answer 12

• medium/long wool
• often used for crossing
• high prolificacy, early puberty, high fertility
• lack of hardiness

Question 13

Lincoln

Answer 13

• long wool
• fast growth
• large, lean, well-muscled carcass
• popular with specialty woolgrowers in US

Question 14

Romney

Answer 14

• long wool
• dual purpose
• white fleece or natural colored
• high yield and easily spun
• lean, high quality carcass

Question 15

Dorper

Answer 15

• hair sheep breed
• mixture of hair and wool
• wool is of no commercial value
• mutton breed
• good mothers
• no shearing required

Question 16

Lacaune

Answer 16

• dairy sheep
• most widely used dairy sheep breed in France
• produces milk for making true Roquefort cheese in France

Question 17

Puberty

Answer 17

• ewes: 6-8 mo
• rams: 5-8 mo
• weight: 36.3-54.4 kg

Question 18

Estrous Cycle

Answer 18

• 15-19 days (avg 17)
• seasonally polyestrous
• fall breeders (have a few cycles in fall)

Question 19

Estrus Period

Answer 19

• 30 hours average
• ovulation is at the end of the estrus period

Question 20

Signs of Heat

Answer 20

• standing to be mounted (lordosis)
• very few external signs of heat

Question 21

Gestation

Answer 21

• 145-150 days (5 mo)
• often 2 lambs

Question 22

Weaning

Answer 22

• after 5 mo

Question 23

Wether

Answer 23

• male castrated before sexual maturity

Question 24

Stag

Answer 24

• male castrated after reaching sexual maturity

Question 25

Jug

Answer 25

- pen to hold lambing ewe and newborn lamb together

Question 26

Tagging

Answer 26

- trimming/cutting wool of ewe around dock, flank, and udder just prior to birth aids in nursing and keeping the areas clean

Question 27

Shearing

Answer 27

- once a year - fleeces weigh 3.2-7.5 kg - micron system to measure fiber diameter

Question 28

Lambs

Answer 28

- in the feedlot, typically fed a high grain diet - some grain is added to ewe's diet just before breeding and parturition

Question 29

Feeding

Answer 29

- 3% of BW in DM per day - 1.5-2x maintenance req for nursing ewes at peak lactation - 0.5-2.1 gal water for grazing sheep (sheep not on pasture req more)

Question 30

Large, Extensive Systems

Answer 30

- western states, TX - low stocking density (# animals/area land) - handled less frequently

Question 31

Small, Intensive Systems

Answer 31

- irrigated pasture - feeder lambs given grain - Midwest, W Coast, E, S - breeding stock - use AI - higher stocking density - more frequent animal handling

Question 32

Footrot

Answer 32

- Fusobacterium necrophorum (from manure) and Bacteroides nodosus (from sheep's hooves) - moist soil conditions are cause and spread - treatment: trim hooves, soak in zinc sulfate, keep sheep isolated

Question 33

Sore Mouth

Answer 33

- zoonotic - symptoms in sheep: thick scabs on lips, nostrils, face, and teats - symptoms in humans: painful sores - causes reduced gain and feed efficiency - most detrimental to nursing animals who don't feed once infected - virus can survive for long time in scabs and can pass from animals to environment - especially contracted from feeders - no treatment, but can vaccinate

Question 34

Emasculatome

Answer 34

- used to castrate or dock tails - crushes, doesn't cut - shaped like O

Question 35

Crook

Answer 35

- to catch sheep by neck or leg

Question 36

Drencher

Answer 36

- to administer most oral dewormers and solutions to control parasites and other intestinal problems

Question 37

Ear Taggers

Answer 37

- to place tags of various types in ears to ID animals

Question 38

Elastrator

Answer 38

- bloodless tail docking or castration by placing strong rubber ring over tail or scrotum - tail and testes eventually slough off

Question 39

Electric Tail Docker

Answer 39

- used to dock tails - cuts and sears tail at same time

Question 40

Electric Shears

Answer 40

- to shear fleece

Question 41

Emasculator

Answer 41

- for tail docking and castrating - crushes and cuts - more common as castration device in cattle and horses

Question 42

Hand Shears

Answer 42

- to trim fleece by hand - good for show lambs

Question 43

Hoof Trimmer

Answer 43

- to trim hooves

Question 44

Marking Harness

Answer 44

- strapped on ram's chest to leave mark on ewes after servicing to know which ewes are bred or as heat-detection device

Question 45

Paint Brands

Answer 45

- to pain ID number on fleece - easy to see at a distance and washes off wool easily

Question 46

Ram Skirt

Answer 46

- used on ram so he cannot penetrate ewe when mounted - heat detection device