What’s the difference between goats and sheep? goats.html

Sheep and Goats  Sheep & Goats look alike.  They are closely related and have been domesticated for a long time (8,000-10,000 years).  Both are ruminants.  Both are raised for food and clothing.

Products  Clothing Wool  from sheep Mohair & Cashmere  from goats  Food Meat  Sheep = mutton/lamb  Goat = chevon Milk  Primarily goats

Problems  Foot Rot – caused by bacteria. Occurs when the animals are in wet conditions. Animal becomes lame and smell bad.  Ringworm – fungus *contagious  Rectal Prolapse – protrusion of the rectum

Sheep Production

Why choose sheep?  Sheep can survive where cows can’t  Sheep will eat problem weeds and plants  Easier to get started due to less equipment needed

Breed Categories  Wool Type  Meat Type  Dual Purpose

Feeding Sheep  Mostly roughages (grasses)  Concentrates (grains) for finishing  Average adult eats about 4 lbs..... dry feed per day

Sheep Management  Identification: mark lambs with paint brands, or ear tags or tattoo ears (purebreds)  Docking: cut off tails tails are a bother between 1st and 2nd vertebrae of tail Elastrator: rubber band cuts off circulation Hot Iron: electric, heated knife stops bleeding

Sheep Management  Castration: remove testicles Elastrator Cut with a knife Burdizzo crushes cords  Dock & Castrate before 6 weeks old  Wean at 5-6 months or 100 lbs.....  Shear at least once per year = $

Shearing Sheep  Cutting or shaving the wool off of a sheep is called shearing. Shearing doesn't hurt a sheep. It's just like getting a haircut. Sheep are usually sheared once per year, usually in the spring before the onset of warm weather. Sheep with long fleeces are sometimes sheared twice a year.

Sheep Terms  What do you call an adult male? Ram  What do you call an adult female? Ewe  What do you call the act of giving birth? Lambing

Sheep Terms  What do you call a castrated male? Wether  What is the gestation for sheep? 147 days  What do you call a young female? Ewe Lamb

Breeds of Sheep  1,000 distinct breeds of sheep, with 50 breeds in North America  Many of these breeds are rare and some are in danger of extinction  In the U.S., four breeds account for more than two-thirds of the sheep population

Sheep Breeds  Four major uses of sheep: Meat Wool Milk Multipurpose  Two major types of sheep breeds Wool sheep Hair sheep (meat)

Breeds of Sheep  Sheep are raised for wool and meat; some provide milk for cheese-making  Breeds can be classified according the type of wool they produce: Fine wool Medium wool Long wool Crossbred wool Hair sheep

Dorset dual purpose & great breeders/mothers

Dorset  Originated in Europe  Medium-sized breed with high quality, white wool  Most popular white- faced breed in the United States  Horned and polled varieties exist  Great breeders

Interesting fact  Polled Dorsets originated at North Carolina State, Raleigh, NC, and were apparently the result of a mutation which occurred in the purebred Horned Dorset flock at the college.

Cheviot  Originated in Scotland  Resistant to cold, windy conditions  Smaller breed  White, wool free faces  Long wool type  Wool has a crimp  Tend to be resistant to worms and footrot  Good mothers

Columbia  Developed by the US Department of Ag  Developed to thrive on Western ranges  Produce medium wool and large amounts of meat

Corriedale  Developed in New Zealand & Australia  Dual purpose breed  Produces bulky, high density wool  Most popular breed in South America

Shropshire  Heaviest wool producers among medium-wool breeds  Medium-sized  Dual purpose breed suitable for both meat and wool

Dorper  From South Africa  Thick skin that is made up of hair and wool  Extremely adaptable with a high ability to flourish, grow and produce and reproduce in irregular and low rainfall events

Hampshire  Originated in Hampshire, England  Black face and legs  Mild demeanor  Unbroken wool cap should extend from the neck over the forehead

Jacob  Originated in England  Two, four, or six horns  Black and white fleece  Fleece is highly sought after  Unimproved breed

Lincoln  Originated in England  The largest breed of sheep  Long-wooled breed  White faces  Pronounced forelock between the ears

Merino  Originated in Australia  Primarily a wool breed  Fine wool  White-faced  Most popular breed in Australia  Long life span  High quality wool used in the textile industry Cadillac of the wool industry

Oxford  Originated in England  Second largest sheep breed  Meat-type breed  Tends to forage for its own food  White with black ears and bridge of nose

Rambouillet  Originated in Spain  Shipped to France in 1801  White in color  Largest fine wool breed  Good mothers  Good foragers

Southdown  Developed in England  Well suited to farm flock production  Gray face with white body  Adapted to wet conditions

Suffolk  Originated in England  Most popular breed in the US today  Produce large amounts of meat  Low quality wool  White with black faces and legs

Montadale  Medium-wool, dual-purpose breed  Produce high quality carcasses and excellent wool that is very white in color

Finnsheep  Developed in Finland  Small and very adaptable  Large lamb crop  Great mothering ability and milk production

Katahdin hair sheep  a breed of hair sheep developed in the United States Maine  Their smooth hair coat and other adaptive characteristics allow them to tolerate heat and humidity well.  also significantly tolerant of internal and external parasites

Polypay  Developed by USDA  High lifetime prolificacy  Large lamb crop at one year of age  Ability to lamb more frequently than once per year  Rapid growth rate of lambs

Barbado  Hair sheep originated in Texas  Males are horned and females are polled  Color is usually tan, tan with pale or black belly, or “pied” (has two or more colors in large spots or blotches

Shetland  A small, wool-producing breed of sheep originating in the Shetland Isles  Known for it’s fine wool and meat  small and slow-growing compared to commercial breeds, they are hardy, thrifty, easy lambers, adaptable and long-lived

goat Terms What do you call an adult male?What do you call an adult male? Buck/Billy Buck/Billy What do you call an adult female?What do you call an adult female? Doe Doe What do you call the act of giving birth?What do you call the act of giving birth? Kidding Kidding

Goat Terms What do you call a castrated male?What do you call a castrated male? Wether Wether What is the gestation for goat?What is the gestation for goat? 151 days 151 days What do you call a young goat?What do you call a young goat? Kid Kid

Goat Types 1.Milk/Dairy Goats 2.Meat Goats Chevon – adult goat Chevon – adult goat Cabritto – young goat Cabritto – young goat 3.Fiber Goats (Mohair, Cashmere) 4.Pygmy Goats – kept as pets

South African Boer Goat  This breed is used mainly for meat  Good muscle to bone ratio  Mix of Indian, angora, and European goats.  The name boar comes from the Dutch word meaning ‘farmer’  Characteristically white body, droopy brown ears, brown face, and horns, short curled tail.  Fine, short coat

More on the Boer Goat Ewe (female) usually weighs between lbs, and is 25” in height. Ram (male) weighs lbs. First goat breed involved in meat production performance testing. Quiet temperament Usually have twins, triplets, or quads, and are good milk producers for their kids. Originally bred in South Africa.

Pygmy Goats!

Pygmies!!!  Originated from Cameroon dwarf goats  Very small breed, 8- 36lbs, 15-17”  Produce milk, but are raised mainly for show or petting farms  Can come in various color combinations, but the main colors are black, dark brown/mahogany, and medium brown.  Native to west Africa

More Pygmies  Pygmies are very docile and affectionate creatures, some people even keep them as pets.  Pygmies hair is straight and medium-long and varies with seasons.  Wethers (castrated males) are known to have urinary problems

Angoras  Used mainly for their soft, thick white wool.  Originally from the Himalayas.  Males have horns, some females also have them, but smaller.  Usually good jumpers, and are less active than normal dairy goats.  Although they are usually kept for their mohair, they are good milk producers; they can make up to 15 pints a day.

More on Angoras  When born, Angoras can weigh 4-8lbs, when they are months old, up to 55-65lbs.  Fully mature does weigh lbs, bucks weigh lbs.  Angoras are known to be more at risk for health problems than other livestock, kids can get coccidiosis.  Coccidiosis: parasites that infect the intestine

Nubian  Used for milk and meat  Large goat with big, floppy ears, mainly brown or black hair  One of the most commonly used dairy breeds.  Originally from Egypt.  Average less milk than other dairy breeds  Very friendly and love people.  Males weight up to kg, 85 cm wither height.  Short, sleek coat

Toggenburg  Swiss dairy goat named after Toggenburg Valley, Switzerland, so they like cooler whether.  Known for being the oldest dairy breed of goat.  Very strong, can carry large quantities.  Excellent milk production  Medium-sized sturdy breed, does weigh 120lbs.  Hair is medium, flat, and soft.

Toggenburgs continued  Have 2 white stripes on either side of their face, hind legs and back of tail also white; brown body  Straight or dished profile, erect ears.  Generally easy to manage

Saanen  Originated in Switzerland  White is the only acceptable color  Sensitive to heat and sunlight  Heavy milk producers

Myotonic  Meat breed  Breed out of season  Easy kidders  Good milkers  Also Known As: –Tennessee Stiff- Legged Goat –Fainting Goat  You Tube Video of Fainting Goats

La Mancha  Dairy goat  Naturally “earless”  Developed in Oregon with goats from Spain  Hardy dairy breed with a high butterfat

Alpines  Originated in Switzerland  Then later moved to France, England and then the United States.  They are mostly brown, black or white but can be any other color as well.  They have a strait face  Contain curved, dished or roman noses  Upright, erect, medium sized ears  They are mostly shorthaired but bucks usually have long hair along their spine

Alpines cont.  Females are usually 30 inches tall and should weigh at least 135 pounds.  Males can range from 34 to 40 inches tall. They usually weigh at least 170 pounds.  Females are usually excellent milkers  These can adapt in any climate while maintaining their health and good production

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