look similar ruminants goats have beards sheep have foot glands male goats have a strong smell ...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 10Sheep and Goat Production
Facts: Look similar Ruminants Goats have beards Sheep have foot glands Male goats have a strong smell Slight differences in horns and skeleton Goats are more intelligent, independent
and have a better ability to fight and protect themselves. Goats were first to be domesticated Goats skins were once used for bottles Sheep and goats are used for food and fiber Both were used to plant seed by trampling them into the ground.
The Sheep and Goat Industry: Raised for food and Clothing Goats domesticated 9000 years ago Sheep domesticated 8000 years ago Sheep originated in Asia and Europe Goats originated in Mediterranean area and Asia Brought to America 400 years ago Australia and New Zealand lead in producers of sheep New Zealand people consume around 60 pounds of sheep per
year. The world consumption is around 3 pounds per year China and India are the leading producers of Goats These two countries produce 460 million head North America only produces 2.5 million; numbers have
declined due to lower returns, predators, high risks, high wages, and uncertain prices.
Goat numbers have increased in the 2000’s USA ranks 27th in sheep numbers. The largest sheep numbers
are in Texas
PRODUCTS FROM SHEEP AND GOATS:Food
Lamb – meat from a young sheep less than one year old.Mutton – is meat from a sheep that is more than one year old. Mutton has a strong flavor – less desirable.Goat Meat – ChevronMilk – from goats (not common from sheep), has small particles known has globules.Milk products – cheese (Roquefort)
Products from Sheep and Goats: Clothing:
Wool – soft cloth of sheep
Mohair and Cashmere – from specific goats
Sheep yield 5-15 pounds per shearing
Hides are used for leather products called – Chammy
Advantages of Sheep and Goats: More suitable for range land Excellent scavengers Sheep more efficient in
converting feed to meat than cattle
Dual purpose animal producing meat and fiber
Yield fast returns – 8 months to raise
Sheep and goats can be pastured together
Goats eat browse (woody plants) Sheep graze on short grass and
some broadleaf plants Don’t have a huge waste
disposal problem Don’t need elaborate facilities
Disadvantages of Sheep and Goats:
Price of wool is low and unstable
Synthetic fibers has hurt the industry
Consumption of lamb is low
Susceptible to disease and parasites
Susceptible to attack from predators
Sheep and Goats as Organisms: Ruminants Cloven hoofs
(divided) Classified in the
Bovidae family Sheep are more
economically important than goats in the USA
Differences between Sheep and Goats:
Goats: Goats range from 20
(dwarf) to 150 pounds Goat height 1.5 -4 feet Goats live 8-10 years
Sheep: Sheep range from 100-
225 pounds Wool on a large sheep
weighs 15 pounds Sheep live 7-13 years
Age and Sexes: Lamb – young sheep or either
sex and less than one year old
Ewe – female sheep any age Ram – male sheep kept for
breeding not castrated Wether – castrated male
sheep or goat before maturity Nanny – doe or female goat Buck or Billy – male goat not
castrated Kid – young goat under a year
of age
Reproductive Traits: Breeding season for goats is regulated by the
climate and season. Hot climates – goats mate year round In climates away from the equator goats mate
typically in late summer and fall Goats (does) are breed to have their young at
two years of age Process of giving birth in goats – kidding Kids weigh around 5 pounds Goats typically have 2-3 kids per litter Gestation period for a goat is 151 days Gestation period for a sheep is 148 days Estrus cycle for goats are 18 – 19 days Estrus cycle for sheep is 16-17 days Heat period for sheep is 30 hours (no visible
signs) Goats require very little shelter
Conformation and Type:
If eaten should be muscular, health, strong and sound.
Breeds and Classes of Sheep:
Over 200 breeds of domestic sheep are in existence today. ¾ of the sheep raised come from these sheep listed - Suffolk, Dorset, Hampshire, Rambouillet, Polypay, and Columbia. North America includes – Oxford, Southdown, Corriedale, Montadale, Shropshire, Cheviot, and Katahdin.
Breeds and Classes of Goats:
Over 300 breeds of domestic goats are known. Domestic goats are in five groups.
Angora – Used for angora fiber Dairy – 1.8% of world supply of
milk. Average doe produces 5 pounds per day (for 10 months)
Meat – Spanish goat and boar goat – don’t compete for grass, but rather prefer browsing.
Cashmere – finest animal fiber used. 3 times the insulating value of wool.
Pygmy – used for research and pets
Sheep Selection and Production: 80 % Meat and 20 % Fiber
- Wool Selection – important for
production goals Production Systems:
Farm Flock – most popular method
Purebred Flock – Pure Blood lines, lots of labor
Range Band Method – a band of sheep with it’s own herder
Confinement Method – becoming popular. Less parasites, land needed, less death.
Breeding: Ewes reach puberty at 8-10
months Rams reach puberty at 5-7
months Ewes give birth at 24 months Giving birth in sheep is called
– lambing Ewe Management
Care at lambing / orphan lambs Docking – 3-10 days Castration – 3-10 days Nutritional needs – all six
nutrients Feeding – concentrates verse
roughages (do better on these)
Diseases and Parasites: Prevention key
to successful practices - Sanitation
Facility and Equipment Requirements:
Sheep need housing Fencing – woven wire Equipment – loading
chutes, crates Exercise tracks Showing animals –
Fitting and Showing Goats have a leash Sheep are shown
without equipment
The End