SHEEP REARING IN AUSTRALIA Sheep husbandry From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This articlehas multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010) This article's lead section may not adequately summarize all of its contents. (September 2010) Australian Merino Sheep Middle age Sheep shelter in a natural cave in northern Spain. Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers. 1 are vaccinated after they are born. Weaners are very susceptible to the deadly Barbers Pole worm (Haemonchus contortus). or in a barn. Health care Drenching Merino hoggets Sheep. in pens. or are falling behind the mob. Sheep of this age need careful observation to find any weaners that are hollow. Freshly shorn hoggets can be very susceptible to wet. 2 . and then by booster every six months thereafter. fly strike (Myiasis). windy weather and can quickly succumb to exposure. Weaning is a critical period in the life of young sheep. particularly those kept inside. Sheep have to be kept dry for one to two days before shearing so that the fleece is dry enough to be pressed and to protect the health of the shearers. The lambs receive their first antibodies via their mother's colostrum in the first few hours of life.Animal care Shelter and environment Sheep are kept in mobs in paddocks. have a pale skin. then a vaccination booster every six weeks for next three months. Lambs may be castrated and have their tails docked for easier shearing. Flock management styles There are four general styles of sheep husbandry to serve the varied aspects of the sheep industry and the needs of a particular shepherd. Range band flocks are those with large numbers of sheep (often 1. The lambs are weaned due to increasing competition between the lamb and ewe for food. and grasses. pneumonia. In the southern hemisphere this is called dagging or crutching. sheep are kept on pasture in snow for periods of three or four days before they have to have supplemental feeding.scabby mouth. they eat hay. food and air Sheep need fresh water from troughs or ponds. In New Zealand. Sheep are most comfortable when the temperature is moderate. and to help protect them from fly strike. Commercial sheep operations supplying meat and wool are usually either "range band flocks" or "farm flocks". Sheep are active grazers where such feed is available at ground or low levels. grains. Shearers or farmers need to remove wool from the hindquarters around the anus so that droppings do not adhere. sheep in pasture are often subjected to temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) and higher without deleterious effects. and general ill thrift. Upon being weaned from ewe's milk. so fans may be needed for fresh air if sheep are kept in barns during hot weather. fluctuations in feed availability. They are usually given feed twice a day from troughs or are allowed to graze in a pasture. Farmers work with animal nutritionists and veterinarians to keep sheep healthy and to manage health problems. In Australia. cleanliness. mycotic dermatitis. One of the countries with the freshest and nutrisious water in the world is new zealand.500 ewes) cared for by a few 3 . Water.000 to 1. Breeders raising purebred flocks provide stud stock for these operations.. However.K. The farm flock is a common style of flock management for those who wish to supplement grain feed for meat animals. An important corollary form of flock management to the aforementioned styles are specialized flocks raising purebred sheep. and often simultaneously work to improve the breed and participate in showing. Excess lambs are often sold to 4-H groups. South America. This style of sheep raising accounts for most of the sheep operations in the U. and Australia[citation needed]. As range band flocks move within a large area in which it would be difficult to supply a steady source of grain. almost all subsist on pasture alone. especially those producing sheep meat.S. utilize cross-bred animals. Yörük shepherd in the Taurus Mountains Farm flocks are slightly smaller than range bands. and are kept on a more confined. used by farmers who raise a surplus of crops to finish market lambs on or those with untillable land they wish to exploit. Many commercial flocks. and New Zealand (due to the more limited land available in comparison to other sheep-producing nations).full-time shepherds[citation needed] . This type of flock is usually very 4 . farm flocks account for many farms focused on sheep as primary income in the U. Farm flocks may also be a secondary population on a larger farm. The pasture—which must be large to accommodate the number of sheep—can either be fenced or open. as well as the use of sheepdogs and means of transport such as horses or motor vehicles. fenced pasture land. The last type of sheep keeping is that of the hobbyist. Range flocks sometimes require the shepherds to live with the sheep as they move throughout the pasture[citation needed]. Those hobby flocks. fast-growing lowland rams to produce ewes called mules. Lowland and upland breeds are also crossed in this fashion. Many breeds. Goals of flock management Branding sheep after shearing 5 . Generally. begin with hobby flocks or a 4-H lamb before eventually expanding to farm or range flocks. fall into no clear category. and may be considered pets. Quite a few people. Ram breeds are selected for rapid growth and carcase quality. and are mated with ewe breeds to produce meat lambs. and have good reproductive and mothering capabilities – they are for replacing breeding ewes in standing flocks. especially those who emigrated to rural areas from urban or suburban enclaves.small compared to commercial operations. Sheep breeds are often grouped based on how well they are suited to producing a certain type of breeding stock. may be for subsistence purposes or to provide a very specialized product. especially rare or primitive ones. such as wool for handspinners. sheep are thought to be either "ewe breeds" or "ram breeds". with the hardy hill ewes crossed with larger. which can then be crossed with meattype rams to produce prime market lambs. Ewe breeds are those that are hardy. which are raised with production in mind. In addition. eagles. quick conception rate (for females).A sheep farmer is concerned with keeping the correct ratio of male to female sheep[citation needed] . 6 . and ravens. selecting traits for breeding. crutching. they may be "heafed" (trained to stay in a certain area without the need for fences). and lambing the sheep. The hardy Herdwick breed is particularly known for its affinity for being heafed]. Sheep have many natural enemies. consistent muscle development. they are susceptible in some areas to flystrike which in itself has led to invention of practices such as mulesing. On large farms. A shepherd and a Livestock guardian dog may be employed for protection of the flock]. Flock of sheep moving through a city early on a holiday morning Sheep may be kept in a fenced-in field or paddock. multiple births. dogs and riders on horseback or motorcycles may muster sheep. and dogs. such as coyotes (North America). Other tasks include sheep shearing. dingoes (Australia). and controlling under-/over-breeding based on the size and genetic diversity of the flock. and quick physical development. Sheep farmers also need to protect their livestock. The farmer must ensure that the fences are maintained in order to prevent the sheep from wandering onto roads or neighbours' property. Alternatively. Newborn lambs in pasture are particularly vulnerable. also falling prey to crows. Sheep breeders look for such traits in their flocks as high wool quality. foxes (Europe). Some ewes can have seven or eight lambs[citation needed]. Lambing Lambing is term for the management of birth in domestic sheep. Life cycle Rams being taken to market Ewes are pregnant for just under five months before they lamb. shepherds will often have the ewes give birth in "lambing sheds". essentially a barn (sometimes a temporary structure erected in the pasture) with individual pens for each ewe and her offspring. Australian farmers generally arrange for all the ewes in a mob to give birth (the lambing season) within a period of a few weeks. it is important to minimize disturbances during this period. vaccinate lambs. As ewes sometimes fail to bond with newborn lambs.Marking of sheep for identification purposes is often done by means of ear tags or ear marks. and protect them from predators. Twin and single lambs are most common. 7 . or the individual physiology of the ewe. using either specially designed tools (ear marking pliers) or other cutting implements. In order to more closely manage the births. especially after delivering twins or triplets. In agriculture it often requires assistance from the farmer or shepherd because of breeding. and may have anywhere from one to three lambs per birth. In some areas sheep are still identified through the use of notches cut in the ear known as ear marking. climate. triplets less common. 2. [1] the top ten "indigenous sheep meat" producing countries in order of quantity are: 1. 6. Australia New Zealand Iran United Kingdom Turkey Syria India 8 . Lambs are weaned at three months. 5. A ewe may lamb once or twice a year. Sheep can live to eleven or twelve years of age. 7. Sheep are full grown at two years and can weigh between 60 and 125 kilograms. 3. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Sheep production worldwide A World War I era poster sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture encouraging children to raise sheep to provide needed war supplies. 4. Simon McCorkindale of Christchurch. 9 . New Zealand holds the current Guinness World Record for number of sheep owned by one man (384. 11.8. 10. While New Zealand rates number 2 on the list of total quantity of "indigenous sheep meat" produced.143) and was named Royal ovis Aires Breed Board of Indigenous Territories (RABBIT) breeder for 12 consecutive years. 9. it has the highest number of sheep per-capita (outside of the Falkland Islands). Spain Sudan Pakistan Iceland China actually has the greatest number of sheep in terms of number of livestock (See top ten list in Domestic sheep).