Ovine and Caprine Husbandry: restraint and breed

Dr. Dipa Brahmbhatt VMD MPH

Chapter 14 - 1

Objectives• Zoological classification of the species.• Terminology associated with the species.• Physiological data for the species• Prominent anatomical or physiological properties of the species.• ID and describe characteristics of common breeds. • ID and know the uses of common instruments relevant to the

species. • Normal living environments and husbandry needs of the species.• reproductive practices of the species.• Specific nutritional requirements of the species.

Reading Assignment

Chapter 14: Ovine and Caprine Husbandry and small ruminants terminology

Zoological Classification of Sheep and Goats

• Kingdom: Animal• Phylum: Chordata• Class: Mammalia• Order : Artiodactyla• Family: Bovidae• Genus and species

– Ovis Aries– Capra Hircus

Terminology for Sheep

• Ewe: Adult female• Ram: Adult male • Wether: Castrated male• Yearling ewe: Immature female• Lamb: Neonate• Wether lamb: Castrated neonate• Ram lamb: Intact male neonate• Ewe lamb: Female lamb• Lambing: Act of parturition

Terminology for Goats

• Doe/nanny: Mature female• Buck/billy: Mature male • Wether: Castrated male • Yearling doe: Immature female• Kid: Neonate• Buck kid: Male less than one year • Doe kid: Female less than one year• Kidding: Act of parturition

Sheep and Goats: Both family Bovidae

• Sheep – Ovis aries– Tail down– Grazers close to soil

(short tender grasses and clovers)

– Distant and aloof– Distinct philtrum– Curved horns

• Goats – Capra Hircus– Tail up (unless sick)– Natural browsers on top

of plants (twigs, vine, shrubs)

– Curious and independent

– Distinct odor as they mature

– Straight horns

Sheep & Goat Overview• Originated: Europe and cooler regions on Asia.• Important in temperate and tropical agriculture.• Provide fibers, milk, meat, and hides.

– Sheep• Milk: more nutritious• Cheese: Feta (Greece, Italy, and France), Ricotta and Pecorino Romano (Italy) and Roquefort (France)• Fiber and meat

– Goat: milk, meat, fiber

• Versatile and efficient: developing countries.

Sheep & Goat Overview

Sheep – declined in the U.S. (less than 0.2% of total farm revenue in U.S.). Mostly import. Avg: 50/ farm– Less demand for wool.– Declining demand for lamb in consumer diets.– Difficulty in obtaining/keeping reliable herders– Competition for public-owned rangeland.– Predators ~ 23% lost before maturity

Basic Physical Examination

Rectal Temperature

Heart

Rate

Respiratory Rate

102.5

range

101.0-104.0

70-90/min 12-25/min

102.0

range

101.0-104.0

70-90/min 12-30/min

Anatomical Terms for Sheep

Anatomical Terms for Goats

Sheep breeds

• Fine wool breeds: FWB– Merino, Rambouillet

• Medium wool breeds: MWB– Cheviot, Corriedale, Dorset, Finnish Sheep,

Hampshire, Montadale, Oxford, Polypay, Romanov, Shropshire, Southdown, Suffolk

• Long wool breeds: LWB– Cotswold, Leicester, Lincoln, Romney,

Sheep Breeds

• Meat Breeds or Medium wool– Mainly used for meat production– Are predominant in the U.S.– Include Dorset, Suffolk, and

Hampshire

• Fine Wool Breeds– Highest quality Merino from Spain

and Rambouillet from France, predominant breed in Australia is the Merino

• Long wool• Hair breeds

Jacob

• Origin: England• Two, four, or six horns• Black and white fleece• Fleece is highly sought

after• Unimproved breed• Rare breed

Barbado•Originated in TX.

•Barbados Blackbelly sheep crossed with Rambouillet

•Hair: short hair - coarse wool with a large amount of kemp fibers.•Sex: Males – horns; females - polled•Color: tan, tan with a pale or black belly or pied•Hair (meat)

Cheviot

Cheviot: MWB• Origin: Scotland• Color: White-faced sheep, wool-

free face and legs, pricked ears, black muzzle/nostrils and black hooves

• MWB: resilient and durable– Wool has a helical crimp

• Ease of lambing & strong mothering instinct, resistant to cold, windy climate

• Tend to be resistant to worms and footrot

Dorset: MWB

• Origin:Southern England

• MWB• Most popular white-

faced breed in the United States (2nd after Suffolk: black face)

• Horned and polled varieties exist

Ewes breed out of season: fall lambs

Dorset

White: ear, nose, face and legs, pink skin; Wool: head and legs, Polled and horned

Dorset (cont’d)

Columbia: MWB

• Developed by USDA: long wool breeds crossed with high quality Rambouillet

• Developed to thrive on Western ranges

• Produce medium wool and large amounts of meat

Corriedale: MWB• Origin: New Zealand &

Southern England– Most popular breed

in South America• White face, ear, legs

and wool on head and legs

• meat and wool• bulky, high density wool

Corriedale

Corriedale (cont’d)

Royal White• hair breed, privately funded

in Hermleigh, Texas (heat resistant)

• longer hair coat in the fall - shed spring.

• pure white. • Ewes and rams are polled• Scrapie resistant?

Southdown: MWB• Origin: England• suited to farm flock

production• Medium size: good

conformation• Polled• Medium ears carried erect• Light brown face and legs

with wool on head and legs• Adapted to wet conditions

Southdown

Oxford: MWB

• Origin: England• 2nd largest sheep breed• Brown/gray face and

legs• White with black ears

and bridge of nose• Meat-type breed• forage for its own food

Oxford

Hampshire: MWB

• Origin: Hampshire, England– Popular: Midwest

• Black face, legs, nose• Mild demeanor• Polled• Unbroken wool cap • Meat, multiple births

(wool)

Hampshire

Suffolk• Origin: England• Most popular breed - US• Large• large amounts of meat• White with black faces, ears

and legs; droopy ears• Polled• Great market lambs

Suffolk

Merino: FWB• Origin: Spain

– Most popular breed in Australia

• wool breed: high quality• White-faced and legs, white wool on head and legs.

Skin: pale• Rams: horned; ewes polled A, B, C

American merinos: Wrinkled skin A > BC: Little wrinkle: Delaine Merinos, popular US

Merino

Rambouillet

• Origin: France– Developed from

Spanish Merino• White-faced and legs,

white wool on head and legs Skin: pale

• Rams: horned/polled; ewes polled

• Large angular body• Western states

Rambouillet

Lincoln: LWB

• Origin: England• largest breed of sheep• Long-wool• White faces and legs• Polled• Pronounced forelock

between the ears, ringlets - wool

• Crossbreeding programs

Lincoln

Breeds of Goat

• Common meat breeds– Boer– Spanish– Pygmy

• Common dairy breeds– French Alpine– LaMancha– Nubian– Saanen– Toggenburg

• Common fiber breed– Angora– Cashmere

Goats

• Meat Breeds: Boer Goat– White with brown head fromSouth Africa• Milk breeds: Nubian,Toggenburg, Saanen,Oberhasli, Lamanche,Alpine– Heavy milk producers perbody size vs. cattleproduction per body size• Hair breeds for Mohair(Angora) and Cashmere

Major Breeds of GoatsToggenburg (Switzerland)

Medium in size Hair is short or medium in length Ears are Erect and Forward Face may be straight or dished Color is solid varying from Usually polledlight fawn to dark chocolate Distinct white markings

white ears with dark spot in middle two white stripes down face from

above each eye white legs below knee and hock white triangle on either side of the

tail. some have wattles

Oberhasli kid with wattles

Toggenburg

Major Breeds of GoatsAlpine (French Alps) - Dairy

Medium to large sized only breed with erect ears

all colors and combinations of colors: Pure white, black; shades: fawn, brown, gray buff, red

Hair is medium to short straight face with roman nose

Polled and horned

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/goats/

French Alpine

Major Breeds GoatsGolden Guernsey (Channel island: British)

color varies from cream to brown usually polled

lower in milk production than most Swiss breeds higher in butter fat and protein %

Major Breeds of GoatsSaanen (Switzerland) (NOT ROYAL WHITE)

Usually yields 3-4% milkfat: “Queen of dairy goats” medium to large in size white or light cream in color. Ears are erect and carried forward. Face straight or dished• Are popular in US with dairies due to the quantity of milk they produce.• Large size, vitality, herd compatibility, great temperament

Saanen

Major Breeds GoatsNubian (Africa)

Large framed, most polled face being convex between the eyes and muzzle

ears are long, wide and pendulous. They flare out in a bell shape. Any color or colors, solid or patterned: black, gray, cream, white, tan

and reddish brown• Their milk tends to be higher in protein and butter fat than other

breeds.

Nubian

Major Breeds GoatsLaMancha (Oregon)

Face is straight Gopher ear - max one inch in length preferably non-existent cartilage or Elf ear-max.

length of two inches with tip being turned up or down They have ears that are so small that it looks like they don't have ears (no cartilage) Any color or combination is acceptable. Hair is short, fine and glossy high butterfat

LaMancha

Major Breeds GoatsAngora (Asia Minor) or Mohair

From Angora, Turkey Both sexes are horned: they are some that are polled

Pronounced spiral to the horn Utilized in Mohair Production (Mohair is a silky textile produced from the hair of the

angora goat). White in color

Fiber: kid fleece is more valuable. 6-7 lb / year/ head to fiber

Goat Breeds and SelectionAngora Goat Selection

In selecting for fiber, one is interested in both

quantity (weight) and quality of fiber (length,

fineness, style, character, etc.).

In addition to fiber, one must be concerned

with traits that contribute to the survival or

viability (soundness, fertility, etc.) of the

individual.

Angora

Major Breeds GoatsBoer (South Africa)

Also known as the Africander Early maturing

White color with red head and white blaze: breed standards Fertile

Usually horned Large

Fertility high: kidding rate 200% so 3 kiddings every 2 years

Boer

Major Breeds of GoatsSpanish (Spain)

Feral goat/ brush goat/ meat goat native to U.S.

Long horns, all colors accepted Descended from the goats that

were released or escaped from the early Spanish explorers

Utilized for meat and milk Fat content is less than beef Prolific: survive with little care:

popular in TX

Spanish

Major Breeds GoatsNigerian Dwarf (West Africa)

Main colors are black, chocolate and gold with random white markings.

Breed year round They give 3-4# of milk per day at 6 to 10% butterfat

They make great pets

Major Breeds of GoatsPygmy Goat (French cameroon, Africa)

Full coat of straight, medium-long hair. All colors are acceptable

Polled animals are NOT accepted by registry Females will not have beard or sparse/trimmed, males have beard

Muzzle, forehead, eyes and ears are accented in tones lighter than the dark portion of the body. Make good pets Meat and milk

Pygmy

Pygmy (cont’d)

Pygmy (cont’d)

References

• http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/cheviot/

• http://www.sheep101.info/breedsC_list.html• K Holtgrew-Bohling , Large Animal Clinical

Procedures for Veterinary Technicians, 2nd Edition, Mosby, 2012, ISBN: 97803223077323