WEEK 11: Sheep & Goats Flashcards
Goat Scientific Name
Capra hircus
(Order: Artiodactyla)
Sheep Scientific Name
Ovis aries
(Order: Artiodactyla)
Ovis Genus Terminology
Rams, ewes, lambing
ram lamb, ewe lamb
Castrated male - wether
Capra Genus Terminology
Bucks, does, kidding
buck kid, doe kid
Castrated male- wether (again)
T/F The sheep industry in the US has declined
TRUE.
0.4% of US Farm revenue is from sheep products. Damn.
What kind of products do we get from sheep and goats?
Sheep meat (mutton or lamb)
Goat meat (chevon)
Milk
Fiber (wool, mohair, cashmere)
What are the three main types of enterprises in the goat industry?
- Dairy goats
- Fiber-producing goats
- Goats produced for meat
T/F
Goats were the fastest growing livestock enterprise in the US from 2002-2007
TRUE
* From 2002 to 2007, the production of meat goats increased 58%
across the United States
Why did the goat industry grow so much during the early 2000s?
- Importation of better goat breeds
- Increase in the U.S. population of people who eat goat meat
What condition decides if sheep will be used primarily for meat or wool production?
Forage conditions.
Good forage conditions - meat priority
Poor forage conditions - wool becomes more profitable
T/F Sheep and goats make better use of forage resources when
used in conjunction with cattle
TRUE
Historical Perspective 1
- Sheep are considered the first food-producing animals to be
domesticated
1400s- Columbus brought sheep/goats to West Indies
1500s- Cortez brought sheep/goats to Mexico
1600s- English brought sheep to East Coast
T/F In the early colonial era sheep were especially important for Wool production
True
T/F The first annual USDA goat survey in the US was run in 2005
True
Goat Historical Perspective
> Always used in small numbers for milk/meat
Angora goats became useful fiber producers later on
Has the sheep inventory been increasing or decreasing since the 1940s?
Decreasing.
NOTE: Goat inventory has been steady since we started counting in 2005,
What is the dominant product from the sheep and goat industries?
Meat.
In the goat industry, it’s not even close - meat outclasses milk and angora fiber by a long shot
There are two main categories of sheep operations. What are they?
Range production and Farm Flock production
What type of sheep operation has 500+ breeding ewes?
Range operations
NOTE: Range operations are ab 1% of US sheep product producers. Contain 44% of the nation’s ewes though
Also produce most of the lamb and wool in the US
What type of sheep operation has fewer than 100 breeding ewes?
Farm flock operations
NOTE: Farm flocks make up about 94% of US sheep operations. Contain 36% of the nation’s ewes
What are the two types of Range Operations w sheep?
- Migratory Range Production
>Mountainous states - Sheep stay at low elevations in winter and move to higher elevations in summer - Fenced Range Production
>Texas and SW states
Farm Flock Facts
- Usually less than 500 head of breeding ewes; average 30 to 40 head
- Can be found in any geographic location
- Historically in the Midwestern and eastern areas of US
- Very diverse and often have differing production goals
- Commercial farm flock operations primarily produce meat lambs
What is karakul?
Specialized sheep breed with cool pelts
What is the average live weight of lambs harvested in the US?
130-140 lbs
