Sheep Husbandry

Question 1

(EXAM) What is the difference in grazing behaviour between goats and sheep?

Answer 1

Goats browse more than sheep and select more digestible grasses

Question 2

(EXAM) Which breed of sheep is considered most suitable for lamb meet production in a semi-arid region of Australia

Answer 2

Dorper

Question 3

(EXAM) Which breed of sheep is characterized by a pearly white fleece with well defined crimp and little to no pigmentation of the skin?

Answer 3

Saxon Merino

Question 4

(EXAM) The term “prime-lamb” is best described as

Answer 4

Lambs produced by mating a meat-type ram with a first-cross ewe

Question 5

(EXAM) The lamb meat industry has met the international demand for larger and leaner lambs mainly by?

Answer 5

Increasing age at slaughter and using a larger mature-size to reduce fatness at a particular weight

Question 6

(EXAM) What does a typical sheep-management calendar look like?

Answer 6

Ewes should be shorn in the month before expected lambing so that they are more likely to lead their own newborn lambs to shelter in the event of cold weather at lambing

Question 7

Teeth Numbers for sheep

Answer 7

Number of teeth / 2 = age (yrs)
Desciduous teeth = 0-1yr
2 teeth = 1 yr
4 teeth = 2 yr
6 teeth = 3 yr
Full mouth = 4 yr

Question 8

(EXAM) Two permanent incisors in a sheep’s mouth indicated that?

Answer 8

A ewe is old enough to join

Question 9

(EXAM) List and describe 2 main differences between the biology of primary and secondary wool producing follicles.

How has selective breeding modified the biology to produce the modern merino compared to primitive breeds of sheep?

Answer 9

Primary: Hair like, arranged in trio-groups, sweat gland (suderiferous gland), erector pili muscle, wax gland (subaceous gland)

Secondary: Produce finest wool, arranged in trio-groups, DO NOT HAVE 1) sweat or wax gland

Selective breeding:

• Primitive sheep: More hairy fleeces
• Selective breeding for more Secondary fibres
• Move away from fat rolls to prevent fly-strike
• Move away from fleece on head

Question 10

(EXAM) Describe how the manipulation of genetics of a prime-lamb producing flock might 1) reduce the risk of disease ; 2) Improve sheep productivity

Answer 10

Male: meat producing x with female 1st cross ewe increases genetic pool of lamb –> genetically more able to fight off diseases

More genetics = more productivity
Prime lamb flock: 2 lambings per year (Autumn and spring)

Question 11

Joining

Answer 11

• Feeding ewes 6 weeks before mating to try and produce twins/triplets
• Correlation between BCS and mating/offspring
• Supplement rams = increased BCS, increased testes, increased sperm count, higher preg. rates

Question 12

How does crutching differ from mulesing?

Answer 12

Crutching: Removal of wool around the tail/bottom for hygeinic purposes but does not contain cutting of skin

Mulesing: Cutting of skin and removal of hair follicles around anal region to prevent fly-strike

Question 13

Weaning age and husbandry considerations

Answer 13

• Weaned at 4 months of age (earlier if feed shortage)
• Drench young and put in new pasture free of worms
• Apply cobalt, selenium, or copper bullets (via oral pill) which goes into rumen and works against nutrient deficiencies

Question 14

Lamb marking

Answer 14

• Procedure of earmarking, castration, tail-docking, mulesing, and vaccination
• Lamb marked as a % of ewes joined
• Higher % = more profitable the farm due to amount they can sell

Question 15

Sources of reproductive wastage (5)

Answer 15

1) Failure to conceive
2) Ovulation rate
3) Mismothering complex
4) Predation
5) Importance of birth weight

Question 16

5-1 or 6-1 vaccine against which diseases

When to vaccinate

Answer 16

• Lambs vacc. at weaning time - Booster shot 6 weeks later
• Vacc. final month of pregnancy

5-1 (Blackleg, tetanus, malignant oedema, black disease, enterotoxaemia)
6-1 (same as above + Cheesy gland vaccination)

Question 17

What is the time-frame between crutching and shearing?

Answer 17

6 months

Question 18

At what age does joining occur? And why does it take this long?

Answer 18

6-8 weeks

Corresponds to 2 cycles of Ewe’s

Question 19

Gestation length of sheep

Answer 19

148 days

Question 20

At what age does weaning occur?

Answer 20

3-4 months

Question 21

Cyclicity of pasture in Southern Australia versus Northern Australia

Answer 21

Southern: Peak pasture Sept-Dec

• Less cyclisity
• Lambing in May-Sept

Northern: Peak pasture Sept-Dec

• High cyclisity
• Lambing in Sept-Dec

Question 22

Breech

Answer 22

The back end of the sheep including the tail, perineum and to the top of the back legs

Question 23

Scoured wool

Answer 23

The amount of moisture present in the wool, as a percentage of the clean dry weight

Question 24

Cotted

Answer 24

Wool which has become felted while on the sheep

Question 25

Crimp

Answer 25

The natural wave of formation visible in wool. The closer together the waves the finer the wool. Used to be the measuring system - now replaced by micron measures.

Question 26

Fine wool

Answer 26

Wool of mean fibre diameter less than 19 microns

Question 27

Fly strike

Answer 27

The development of blow-fly larvae (maggots) on the skin of the live sheep

Question 28

Gummy

Answer 28

Aged sheep that has lost its incisor teeth

Question 29

Hagget

Answer 29

A young sheep of either sex just prior to the eruption of incisor teeth

Question 30

Peppin Merino

Answer 30

The genetic name given to the common strain of medium wool producing merinos

Question 31

Saxon Merino

Answer 31

The genetic name given to the common strain of fine wool producing merino's

Question 32

South Australian Merino

Answer 32

A recognized strain of strong wool merino sheep

Question 33

Four major strains of Merinos (4)

Answer 33

1) Spanish (bare legs) 2) Sexon (Finest - greatest coverage) 3) Peppin (crossed in larger more robust) 4) South australian (crossed in larger more robust breeds)

Question 34

Three common internal parasites in sheep

Answer 34

1) Fasciola 2) Barbers pole worm 3) Black scour worm

Question 35

Four factors which influence the distribution of sheep

Answer 35

1) Rainfall/temperature/humidity 2) Water availability 3) Predators 4) Competition from other non-sheep enterprises

Question 36

Three distinct zones where sheep are present in australia

Answer 36

1) High rainfall zone 2) Wheat-sheep zone 3) Pastoral zone

Question 37

High rainfall zone

Answer 37

- Adjacent to coast - 80% fine wool merinos and prime lamb - Corriedales and Polwarths popular - High production/management costs due to disease - Good pasture growth

Question 38

Wheat-sheep zone

Answer 38

- Highest density of sheep - Strong and medium wool merinos - Carry capacity 8x larger than pastoral zone - Dry periods and cropping help break disease cycle

Question 39

Pastoral zone

Answer 39

- Minimal rainfall - 8-20% of sheep population - Nearly all Strong Merinos - Pasture growth season <5months

Question 40

Which agricultural export is worth the most to australia? a) Lamb b) Live cattle c) Live sheep d) Mutton e) Wool

Answer 40

Wool | 2.322 Billion dollars per year

Question 41

What are the main price drivers in wool? (6)

Answer 41

1) Mean fibre diameter 2) Fibre diameter coefficient of variation 3) Length 4) Strength 5) Vegetable matter 6 Colour

Question 42

What are the unique properties of wool?

Answer 42

1) Extruded cells made of keratin 2) Long shelf life 3) Elasticity/durability 4) Hygroscopic - ability to absorb water 5) Weaving powers 6) Takes dyes readily