Animal Science (Sheep)
White faced sheep
"Ewe" or "Mother Breeds". Gregarious. High quality wool. Long lived. Good mothers. Must have Menno blood.
Black faced sheep
"Ram" or "Sire" breeds. Faster growing. Heavier muscled. Large mature size.
Leading Wool Production Countries
1) Australia 2) China 3) New Zealand 4) Uruguay 5) Argentina
Sheep Milk Production
1) China 2) Turkey 3) Italy 4) Greece 5) Sudan
Chip, Dip, Strip, Sip
1) Chip navel of lamb so it does not drag in bedding. 2) Dip naval stump in iodine to dry it up. 3) Strip teats of ewe to be sure she can deliver milk. 4) Allow lamb to nurse.
Sheep Cheese Production
1) Greece 2)China 3) Italy 4) Spain 5) France
Two sheep raising systems in the US
1) Ranching 2) Farming
How many lambs do Ewe's produce?
1-7 lambs withing an average of 1.6 per year.
Hair/Shedding Sheep
100 million in the world. Mostly around the equator. Becoming more popular in the US because shortage of sheep shearers.
How many sheep do we have in the US?
5 million.
What is a Wether?
A castrated male sheep, used for market, or in wool producing countries to produce wool.
What is an Ewe?
A female sheep, of any age
What is a Lamb?
A sheep less than 1 year of age
How many of the 450 breeds of sheep are economically important?
About 100
What is a Ram?
An intact male of any age
Lamb Instincts
At birth, the lamb's instincts is to nurse, and it will nurse any ewe that allows it to.
Sheep in Australia and New Zealand
Both produce more meat than they consume. Both have developed exporting programs to most countries of the world. Together they dominate the world sheep meat export industry.
Which country has the most sheep?
China
Which country produces the most sheep milk?
China
Sheep as Ruminants
Convert grass or roughage's & sunlight into protein. Sheep can utilize forages that would usually go to waste.
When are lambs docked?
Docked=tails cut. Usually done by 10 days of age.
Lambing Pen
Ewe and lamb placed in them after birth. Allows ewe and lamb to bond.
How are lambs identified?
Ewes identify their lambs by smell
Uses of Wool?
Fine= Apparel & Fabric. Medium= Tweeds, Velours, Yarns, Shetlands. Course= Carpets, Upholstery. Insulation for homes, wool coffins, bricks.
Farming Industry
From European system. Smaller #s in fenced pastures. Lambs are born and raised on same farm.
Sheep Birthing
Gestation length of sheep is 5 months. Lambs can weigh from 2-25 lbs., average is 10lbs.
Sheep skin, Leather, Shearing Products
Gloves, Upholstered furniture, Clothing (jackets, pants), Coats, Biker clothing, Expensive auto seat covers.
Which country produces the most sheep cheese?
Greece
Sire Breeds in US
Hampshire, Suffolk, Shropshire, Oxford
US Sheep Industry
Have 5 million sheep. Numbers peaked after WW2. Production in West. Texas leading state. Sheep are excellent youth projects.
US Consumption of Lamb
Highest consumption in Northeast-> Boston. Consumption is more ethnic than other meats.
Sheep Cheeses of the World
International diary federation lists 127 cheeses made from sheep's milk. Examples: Feta (France, Greece, Italy), Ricotta (Italy), Roquefort (France)
Feedlots
Lambs fed to market weight. Located in areas of high resources. Close to packaging plants. Texas, Colorado are leading states.
Ranching Systems
Located in Texas, Rocky Mountains. Large bands of sheep in large open areas. Bands often moved by truck. Lambs come off range and go to feedlots. Sheep were raised for wool, changing to meat.
Breeds of Sheep
Many white breeds have colored stains. Ins some, both sexes have horns, in some only males have horns. Both sexes are polled in many breeds.
Milk Harvesting
Most is harvested by hand under extensive and unhygienic conditions. In some areas of the world, milk of the ewe is shared by her lambs and people.
Lambing in the US
Most lambs born in Feb-Mar. Traditionally in Midwest, lambs born Jan-Mar as farmer had time to work with animals then.
How many breeds of sheep are there?
Over 450 breeds in the world. 20-30 or so are important.
Ewe Breeds in US
Rambouillet, Columbia, Targhee, Poly Pay, Dorset
Sheep Facts
Sheep can life for 10 years or more. Average lifespan is 5-6 years. Body temperature is 103. Reach puberty from 5-8 months.
Sheep Skin
Sheep leather offer an enormous variety of different skin structures. Sheep skins are used for articles which do not require high physical properties like tear and tensile strength or size. Such as garnets, lining and book binding leathers.
Which state has the most sheep?
Texas.
Wool
The crimp, serrated fiber that grows out of the skin of sheep. Renewable resource. Most produced in southern hemisphere & consumed in the northern hemisphere.
Sheep Milk Industry
US is developing milking industry- Has 15 Producers now. US imports 75 million pounds of sheep cheese annually.
How often are sheep shorn?
Usually once a year, usually before lambing or in the spring.
Leading Sheep Milk Producing States
Wisconsin, Vermont, New York, California.
Why are sheep important in the world?
Wool. Milk. Meat. Skin/Leather.
