Sheep and Goats

Sheep & Goat Overview • Both originated in Europe and the cooler regions on Asia. • Both are important ruminants in temperate and tropical agriculture. • Provide fibers, milk, meat, and hides. • Versatile and efficient, especially for developing countries. • Sheep – numbers have declined in the U.S. (less than 0.2% of total farm revenue in U.S.)

Ovis aries: Sheep • New Zealand, Australia, and Saudi Arabia - highest per capita consumption of lamb, and goat meat. • U.S. consumes < 1 lb./person of lamb (boneless wt. basis). • China, Australia, India, Iran and Sudan – leading sheep producing countries. Suffolk

Grazing Cattle, sheep, & goats are often grazed together because they utilize different plants – Goats graze browse (tender twigs & leaves from brush & trees) and some forbs (broad-leafed plants) – Sheep graze short grasses and some forbs – Cattle graze tall grasses and some forbs Dorset

U. S. Sheep Industry • 56 mil. in 1942; ~ 6 mil. in 2004 • U. S. relies on imports to supply limited demand for lamb. • Most U. S. sheep growers have small flocks (50 or fewer) and raise sheep as a secondary enterprise. • About 23% of sheep born in western U.S. are lost before they are marketed (predators and weather are main problems).

Reasons for Decline in Sheep Industry • Less demand for wool. • Declining demand for lamb in consumer diets. • Increased difficulty in obtaining/keeping reliable herders to manage flocks. • Increased competition for public-owned rangeland. • Predators.

Attributes of Sheep (Ewe) Milk Sheep milk is highly nutritious, more than cow milk. Sheep milk sells for a significantly higher price per pound, almost four times the price of cow milk Specialized dairy breeds produce 400 to 1,100 pounds of milk per lactation. Ewes are milked once or twice per day.

Sheep Cheese Most of the sheep milk produced in the world is made into cheese. The U.S. annually imports 75 million pounds of cheese made from sheep milk. Fresh sheep milk is rarely consumed

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

Sheep Reproduction • Breeding season occurs mainly in the fall. • Estrous cycle: 16 to 17 days • Gestation length = ~147 days (varies). • Recommended breeding age: 1 yr. • Multiple births are highly desirable (twinning). • Weaned at ~ 3 to 4 months • Other important economic traits include growth rate, wool production, and carcass merit (quality grade and yield grade).

Jaw Defects are Highly Heritable

*Sheep Management* • Enterotoxemia (Overeating Disease) – Vaccine: Type D toxoid Tetanus • Scours (E. coli) • Footrot – vaccine available, prevention • Soremouth (lambs) – virus, vaccine • Parasites • Management. Practices: – Tail docking, castration of males • Elastrator: 3 -7 days old

Goats Capra hircus • Concentrated primarily in India, and China (other contributing countries include Pakistan, Sudan, and Bangladesh). • Texas ranks 2nd in the U.S. for total number of goats.

Goat milk • Goat milk is also used to feed many other animals (most mammals including wild animals) usually they are bottle feed. • Goats will fairly easily adopt lambs and a goat will even jump up on bale of hay to allow a foal to nurse.

Importance of Goat Industry • Most are found in developing countries • Supply meat and milk • Major by-product – skins • Almost all of the dairy goats in the U.S. are found in small herds

Goat Reproduction Characteristics • Gestation Length – 150 days • Estrous cycle – 17 to 21 days • Age at puberty – 120 days to over 1 yr. • Breeding age ~ 9 months • Breeding season – late summer, early fall, or winter • Adult size: – 130 lb avg. for Does – 160 lb avg. for Bucks

Meat Goats • Origin: South Africa, Middle East, and Australia. • Boer goat: superior growth rate and lean meat yield. • Ethnic consumer market has the highest demand for goat meat

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