ANSC 486 Sheep/Goat Management

Mutton

Castrated male of any age

Wool Demand

Certain characteristics not easily adaptable Synthetic fibers are capable of adaption Allows textiles to change with consumer tastes

Nubian

Dairy goats Large breed Long pendulous ears Any color acceptable High milk fat and protein but lower production

What are some marketing challenges?

Declining demand for product Low consumer acceptance (not a lot of people are eating lamb) Man-Made Fibers (competition and price) Not much marketing for lamb

Kiko

Developed in New Zealand Developed from feral goats Does conceive easy have multiple births unassisted Bucks have spiral horns does are smaller Small non pendulous ears

Wool Market

Direct Private or coop warehouse Wool pools Descriptive marketing (based on count etc) Purchased "in the grease" "in the scoured"

Estrus

Displaying estrus, showing heat

Angora

Docile breed white and horned small framed

Kid

<9 months old

Lamb Consumption

only about 30% of US consumers have tried lamb 24% eat lamb 1 time per year Older ages and middle class people eat it

Heritability

percentage of gene transfer than an animal is able to transfer to its offspring

Hormones

regulate reproductive organs of the ram and ewe

Seasonally polyestrus

sheep/goats display multiple estrous cycles in one season

FSH

stimulates development of follicles

Heredity

-function of gene transfer and the environment in which genes and gene combinations express themselves -knowing this information allows you to develop a sound breeding program -this is needed in order to market a particular type of goat/sheep product

GnRH

tells the brain to release LH and FSH

Estrous cycle length

14-19 days (sheep) 18-24 days (goats)

Feeder Lamb Grades

2 Scores Frame height (sm, md, lg) Muscling (1,2,3)

genetic variation

25% goat population

Puberty

5-8 months of age

environment accounts for

75% goat population

Yearling

9-16 months old

75% of genetic progress can be attributed to

the buck

Lamb Demand/consumption

Affected by cost of production Price to purchase (consumer) Consumer awareness/acceptance Influence of other protein sources Growth of industry

2 common goats used for fibers

Angora Cashmere

Meat Goats

Any breed can be used Some have been selected for meat specifically

Marketing Challenge

Real prices have declined Cost of production have increased No need for packers/wool mills

Wool Pricing

Based on quantitative and qualitative factors Clean wool based on qualitative Grade - fineness of diameter Staple Length Uniformity, cleanness, crimp, color

3 main meat breed goats in US

Boer Kiko Spanish

Lamb Feeders

Buy light weight lambs and feed to heavier weights Price based on slaughter/feed prices Prices vary due to seasonal breeding Feeder Lamb Grades

Commercial Sheep Flocks

Buy purebred ewes Trying to produce lamb and wool for consumption Want to maximize product/ewe/year Select for reproduction Desire growth and durability as well

Border Leicester

Roman nose and erect ears No wool cap high quality fleece (long, curly, lustrous)

progesterone

the hormone that maintains pregnancy

Important Dual Purpose Breeds

Columbia Polypay Montadale

Montadale

Columbia ewe and cheviot ram 9 years of selective culling and line breeding to develop them high quality carcasses and wool white faced clean legged dark points

Multi-purpose sheep

Combo sheep (meat/wool) Moderate framed sheep Large framed sheep to add size Long wool sheep to maintain wool quality

Lamb Production Schematic

Commercial/purebred Producers -go to feeder lambs or to slaughter lambs -feeder lambs to feed lots then to packing plant then to consumer -slaughter lamb to packing plant then to consumer

Wool Production

Correlates to areas of largest population Western States - Highest quality wool producing area too Based on micron diameter

Production Challenges

Cost to produce vs. low return Difficult to grow Lower efficiency gains compared to other sectors Loss of skills and preference for sheep Slower response of sheep industry to market signals

Corriedale

Cross between Lincoln or Leicester rams with Merino Females Dual purpose Large framed Polled Good carcass quality Bulky high yielding fleece White-faced, wool cap, light nose

Range Operations

Found in western US Large scale (several thousand head) Environment dictates breed Select for easy lambers and wool/meat production Rams usually black face meat sheep Lambs marketed as feeders

Rambouillet

French Merino Moderate to Large Frame White Fleece and Face Horned high quality fleece - 60-80 spin count

Meat Sheep

Generally larger breeds Majority are black faced Later maturing Generally have poor wool quality

Phenotype

Genetics + Environment

Breed Selection

Geography Marketing Goal Desired Improvements Personal Preference

Fiber industry

Goat fiber used in clothing similar to wool higher quality products

Important Meat Breeds

Hampshire Southdown Suffolk Shropshire Dorsett Oxford Dorper/Katahdin

Lincoln

Heaviest coarsest wool of long-wooled sheep Largest breed Should be well wooled down to the knee and hocks

Friesian Milk Sheep

Highest producing dairy sheep High milk fat content Largely used for household milk production Large white breed

Merino

Highly protected and guarded national breed Considered to have the highest wool quality large number in Australia Has evolved to be a dual purpose breed Large frame White fleece and face Horned

Boer

Large and heavy muscled Traditionally white with red head and blaze Smooth horns that wrap around head large pendulous ears

Wool Sheep

Large frame sheep, generally white faced, fine wool higher quality

Columbia

Large framed, white faced sheep with light points (pink nose) more pounds of lamb and more pounds of fleece

Nanny

Mature female over 16 months

Types of sheep/goats

Meat Milk Wool/Hair Multi-Purpose

Hampshire

Meat Breed large frame black faced with no wool below the eye No wool below the knee Moderate size ears moderate wool quality Developed in Hampshire South England Mix of several breeds

Hamp-Down

Meat breed original source of Hampshire breed

Katahdin

Meat breed that is adaptable without fleece High flocking instinct Small to medium frame White in color Polled Hair instead of wool High quality carcasses

Important Wool Breeds

Merino Rambouillet Cheviot Cotswold Lincoln Finnsheep

Largest buyer of domestic wool

Military/Government

Cashmere

More of a type not a breed Fine underdown from goats produce commercial quantities of cashmere very fine, crimpy down must be separated from other hair grown in autumn and summer

Dorper

Mutton breed South African developed Fertile Short thin covering of wool/hair Small to medium framed sheep Small thing legs Sheep have both black and white heads Meat breed

Spanish

Not a real breed but a type Small hardy range goats Varying colors Horned and polled Descendants of Spanish goats from early explorers

Saanen

Originated in switzerland largest dairy breed White or cream color Spots on skin are acceptable Highest producing dairy breed Queen of the dairy goats

Where is most of the sheep production?

Out west: TX, WY, SD, CA, UT, range states

Qualitative traits

controlled by one or two genes color, horns, dwarfism, no intermediate forms

Suffolk

cross between southdown and Norfolk horned Developed in england Hardiness and docility medium wool First sheep in western US in 1919 Large breed with no wool on head or legs Large ears Thin legs, fine boned appearance

Finnsheep

emphasizes mothering ability, litter size, growth rate and wool production Most used breed in terms of research and developing data than any other breed white is predominant color

Polypay

Poly for multiple traits Pay for profitability Produce 2 lamb crops and 1 wool per year White breed pink nose no dark fibers around face

Estrogen E2

female sex hormone development of sex organs and secondary sex characteristics causes ewe to display estrus or heat

Corpus luteum CL

forms after the follicle ruptures and secretes progesterone

reproduction is high or low heritability?

low

Goat grading

no official grades exist based on type - (meat, angora, dairy) use - (slaughter, replacement) Age - (several divisions)

Follicle

the site where the oocyte is housed on the ovary

Club Lamb Producers

Produce a specialized product Select for heavy muscled and correct sheep Desire growth and carcass as well Reproductive traits still important good way to teach young producers

Purebred Sheep Flocks

Produce breeding stock Put emphasis on size, structure, growth, and breed character Exhibit sheep at shows and sales

Causes of Decline

Production Challenges Lamb demand/consumption Wool Demand Marketing challenge

US Marketing Systems

Sheep Breeders Feeder Lamb Slaughter Sheep Packers Distribution Repro Specialists

Milk Sheep

Similar to dairy cattle qualities Selected for udder and milk production Small niche marketing

Is US a small player or big player in sheep market in the world?

Small

Southdown

Small to medium framed sheep earlier maturing breed Small ears Mousy colored face Mousy brown colored lower legs Heavy wool on face Polled breed meat breed

Black Welsh Mountain

Small, black sheep with no wool on the face or legs Rams are horned and females are polled Fine, soft, and densely stapled wool Black fleece

Icelandic Sheep

Small, fine boned sheep who are polled or honed but horned is more common Very alert sheep who are fast on their feet Known for wool quality open face and legs (no wool) Desired by headspinners

Cheviot

Small, white faced sheep with erect ears and wool-free head and legs Black muzzle and feet Very alert and active Wool has a helical crimp making it more resilient, dense, long stapled fleece

Farm Flocks

Smaller producers (less than 200 head) Lamb during traditional time Select for growth and easy lambing Cull lambs marketed as feeders Lamb inside mostly

Shropshire

Southdown rams were used to breed out the coarseness and horns Dual purpose breed Meat breed Soundness and carcass quality

Important Considerations

Structure Body Muscle Reproduction Breed Character Eye appeal

Estrous

The length of the estrous cycle

Billy

Uncastrated male over 12 months

Environment components

Weather, structures/buildings, topography of the land, forage and feeding program, health and sanitation

Cotswold

White-faced and white legs Dark pigmentation to nose and inside ears, hooves Smaller than the Lincoln sheep

Sheep are used for either

Wool or Meat (Usually focus on one and sacrifice the other)

short day breeders

begin to cycle as day length decreases

most highly heritable traits are

carcass traits

LH

causes ovulation, development of the CL

PGF2a

causes regression of the CL

DNA

cellular material of inheritance is stored in a double helix of DNA

genes are attached to

chromosomes

what determines the phenotype of an individual?

combinations of chromosomes

Quantitative traits

controlled by many genes intermediate forms possible milk production, weaning weight, etc.