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Sheep (Sheep farming year (Summer (Weaning at 12-16 weeks old, Shearing…
Sheep
Background/history
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1000 million sheep in the world, 30 million in the UK
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Sheep farming year
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Winter
Use transabdominal ultrasound to pregnancy test ewes 45 days after tupping to separate according to how may foetuses they have to control feed intake + cull barren ewes
Inhousing for protection + control, but it does increase disease spread
Vaccinations-against lamb disease 4 weeks pre-lambing, against abortion pre-mating
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Sheep reproduction
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Oestrus cycle lasts 17 days with oestrus lasting 24-36 hours (most farmers use 2-3 cycle=length of lambing period)
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Aim for >150% reproductive targets with <3% barren, <3% aborted, <10% mortality
Lambing %, scanning % + average litter size can be calculated by using the (data/total ewes)*100
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Nutrition
Sheep can be fed pasture/hay + silage/forage crops like sugar beet/concentrates all with 8-13 mJ ME/kg DM to intake 3% of body weight
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Poor nutrition in early pregnancy=foetal resorption/small lamb birth weight so lamb mortality more likely
Poor nutrition in late pregnancy=metabolic diseases, reduced colostrum production + quality leading to higher lamb mortality
Poor nutrition when lambs are born=reduced milk production so smaller lambs at weaning + loss of bcs that needs to be improved for next mating
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Finished lamb production
Carcass conformation E/U/R/O/P (E=best, R=most common)
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Use genetic variation to improve loin muscle, fat depths + conformation