From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry
Australian Merino Sheep
Drenching Merino hoggets
via their mother’s colostrum in the first few hours of life,
Middle age Sheep shelter in a natural cave in northern Spain. then a vaccination booster every six weeks for next three
months, and then by booster every six months thereaf-
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry ter.
specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of do- Weaning is a critical period in the life of young sheep.
mestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising Sheep of this age need careful observation to find any
lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also weaners that are hollow, have a pale skin, or are falling
be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers. behind the mob. Weaners are very susceptible to the
deadly Barbers Pole worm (Haemonchus contortus), fly
Animal care strike (Myiasis), scabby mouth, mycotic dermatitis, pneu-
monia, fluctuations in feed availability, and general ill
thrift.
Shelter and environment Farmers work with animal nutritionists and veteri-
Sheep are kept in mobs in paddocks, in pens, or in a narians to keep sheep healthy and to manage health
barn. Freshly shorn hoggets can be very susceptible to problems. Lambs may be castrated and have their tails
wet, windy weather and can quickly succumb to expo- docked for easier shearing, cleanliness, and to help pro-
sure. Sheep have to be kept dry for one to two days before tect them from fly strike. Shearers or farmers need to
shearing so that the fleece is dry enough to be pressed remove wool from the hindquarters around the anus so
and to protect the health of the shearers. that droppings do not adhere. In the southern hemi-
sphere this is called dagging or crutching.
Health care
Sheep, particularly those kept inside, are vaccinated af-
ter they are born. The lambs receive their first antibodies
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sheep husbandry
Water, food and air Farm flocks are slightly smaller than range bands,
and are kept on a more confined, fenced pasture land.
Sheep need fresh water from troughs or ponds, except
Farm flocks may also be a secondary population on a
in some countries, such as New Zealand, where there
larger farm, used by farmers who raise a surplus of crops
is enough moisture in the grass to satisfy this require-
to finish market lambs on or those with untillable land
ments.[citation needed]
they wish to exploit. However, farm flocks account for
Upon being weaned from ewe’s milk, they eat hay,
many farms focused on sheep as primary income in the
grains, and grasses. The lambs are weaned due to increas-
U.K. and New Zealand (due to the more limited land
ing competition between the lamb and ewe for food.[ci-
tation needed] Sheep are active grazers where such feed is
available in comparison to other sheep-producing na-
tions). The farm flock is a common style of flock man-
available at ground or low levels. They are usually given
agement for those who wish to supplement grain feed for
feed twice a day from troughs or are allowed to graze in
meat animals.
a pasture.
An important corollary form of flock management
Sheep are most comfortable when the temperature is
to the aforementioned styles are specialized flocks rais-
moderate, so fans may be needed for fresh air if sheep
ing purebred sheep. Many commercial flocks, especially
are kept in barns during hot weather. In Australia, sheep
those producing sheep meat, utilize cross-bred animals.
in pasture are often subjected to temperatures of 40 °C
Breeders raising purebred flocks provide stud stock for
(104 °F) and higher without deleterious effects. In New
these operations, and often simultaneously work to im-
Zealand, sheep are kept on pasture in snow for periods of
prove the breed and participate in showing. Excess lambs
three or four days before they have to have supplemental
are often sold to 4-H groups. The last type of sheep keep-
feeding.[citation needed]
ing is that of the hobbyist. This type of flock is usually
very small compared to commercial operations, and may
Flock management styles be considered pets. Those hobby flocks, which are raised
with production in mind, may be for subsistence purpos-
There are four general styles of sheep husbandry to serve
es or to provide a very specialized product, such as wool
the varied aspects of the sheep industry and the needs
for handspinners. Quite a few people, especially those
of a particular shepherd. Commercial sheep operations
who emigrated to rural areas from urban or suburban
supplying meat and wool are usually either "range band
enclaves, begin with hobby flocks or a 4-H lamb before
flocks" or "farm flocks". Range band flocks are those with
eventually expanding to farm or range flocks[citation need-
large numbers of sheep (often 1,000 to 1,500 ewes) cared
ed].
for by a few full-time shepherds[citation needed]. The pas-
Sheep breeds are often grouped based on how well
ture—which must be large to accommodate the number
they are suited to producing a certain type of breeding
of sheep—can either be fenced or open. Range flocks
stock. Generally, sheep are thought to be either "ewe
sometimes require the shepherds to live with the sheep
breeds" or "ram breeds". Ewe breeds are those that are
as they move throughout the pasture[citation needed], as
hardy, and have good reproductive and mothering capa-
well as the use of sheepdogs and means of transport such
bilities – they are for replacing breeding ewes in stand-
as horses or motor vehicles. As range band flocks move
ing flocks. Ram breeds are selected for rapid growth and
within a large area in which it would be difficult to supply
carcase quality, and are mated with ewe breeds to pro-
a steady source of grain, almost all subsist on pasture
duce meat lambs. Lowland and upland breeds are also
alone. This style of sheep raising accounts for most of
crossed in this fashion, with the hardy hill ewes crossed
the sheep operations in the U.S., South America, and Aus-
with larger, fast-growing lowland rams to produce ewes
tralia[citation needed].
called mules, which can then be crossed with meat-type
rams to produce prime market lambs. Many breeds, espe-
cially rare or primitive ones, fall into no clear category.
Goals of flock management
A sheep farmer is concerned with keeping the correct ra-
tio of male to female sheep[citation needed], selecting traits
for breeding, and controlling under-/over-breeding
based on the size and genetic diversity of the flock. Other
tasks include sheep shearing, crutching, and lambing the
sheep.
Sheep breeders look for such traits in their flocks as
Yörük shepherd in the Taurus Mountains high wool quality, consistent muscle development, quick
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sheep husbandry
Sheep may be kept in a fenced-in field or paddock.
The farmer must ensure that the fences are maintained
in order to prevent the sheep from wandering onto roads
or neighbours’ property. Alternatively, they may be
"heafed" (trained to stay in a certain area without the
need for fences). The hardy Herdwick breed is particular-
ly known for its affinity for being heafed[citation needed].
A shepherd and a Livestock guardian dog may be em-
ployed for protection of the flock[citation needed]. On large
farms, dogs and riders on horseback or motorcycles may
muster sheep.
Marking of sheep for identification purposes is often
done by means of ear tags or ear marks. In some areas
sheep are still identified through the use of notches cut
in the ear known as ear marking, using either specially
designed tools (ear marking pliers) or other cutting im-
plements.
Lambing
Lambing is term for the management of birth in domestic
sheep. In agriculture it often requires assistance from the
farmer or shepherd because of breeding, climate, or the
individual physiology of the ewe.
Australian farmers generally arrange for all the ewes
in a mob to give birth (the lambing season) within a period
of a few weeks. As ewes sometimes fail to bond with new-
Branding sheep after shearing born lambs, especially after delivering twins or triplets,
it is important to minimize disturbances during this pe-
conception rate (for females), multiple births, and quick riod.
physical development. In order to more closely manage the births, vaccinate
Sheep farmers also need to protect their livestock. lambs, and protect them from predators, shepherds will
Sheep have many natural enemies, such as coyotes often have the ewes give birth in "lambing sheds"; essen-
(North America), foxes (Europe), dingoes (Australia), and tially a barn (sometimes a temporary structure erected in
dogs. Newborn lambs in pasture are particularly vulner- the pasture) with individual pens for each ewe and her
able, also falling prey to crows, eagles, and ravens. In offspring.
addition, they are susceptible in some areas to flystrike
which in itself has led to invention of practices such as
mulesing.
Life cycle
Rams being taken to market
Flock of sheep moving through a city early on a holiday morn- Ewes are pregnant for just under five months before they
ing lamb, and may have anywhere from one to three lambs
per birth. Some ewes can have seven or eight lambs[ci-
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sheep husbandry
tation needed].
Twin and single lambs are most common, 7. India
triplets less common. A ewe may lamb once or twice a
8. Spain
year. Lambs are weaned at three months. Sheep are full
9. Sudan
grown at two years and can weigh between 60 and 125
kilograms. Sheep can live to eleven or twelve years of 10. Pakistan
age. 11. Iceland
China actually has the greatest number of sheep in terms
Sheep production worldwide of number of livestock (See top ten list in Domestic
sheep). While New Zealand rates number 2 on the list
of total quantity of "indigenous sheep meat" produced,
it has the highest number of sheep per-capita (outside
of the Falkland Islands). Simon McCorkindale of
Christchurch, New Zealand holds the current Guinness
World Record for number of sheep owned by one man
(384,143) and was named Royal ovis Aires Breed Board of
Indigenous Territories (RABBIT) breeder for 12 consecu-
tive years.[2]
See also
• Crutching
• Domestic sheep reproduction
• Glossary of sheep husbandry
• Guard Llama, often used in the management and
protection of sheep.
• Lamb marking
• List of sheep breeds
• Mulesing
• Sheep shearing
• Shepherd
• Alan Kirton
• Transhumance
References
[1] MAJOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES
AND PRODUCERS
A World War I era poster sponsored by the United States [2] Meat Industry Association
Department of Agriculture encouraging children to raise sheep
to provide needed war supplies.
External links
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of
• Accelerated lambing can work - Farmnews, NZ
the United Nations,[1] the top ten "indigenous sheep
• "Breeds of Livestock - Sheep: (Ovis aries)". Oklahoma
meat" producing countries in order of quantity are:
State University. http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/
1. Australia
breeds/sheep. Retrieved 2006-08-02.
2. New Zealand
• Sheep at the Open Directory Project
3. Iran • Genetic origins of domestic sheep
4. United Kingdom • Sheep farming in New Zealand
5. Turkey
6. Syria
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheep_husbandry&oldid=463947571"
Categories:
• Sheep
• Breeding
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sheep husbandry
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