Exercises

1. Translate and learn the new words:

Long-wool breeds, medium-wool breeds, fine-wool breeds, to refer, mutton type, range conditions, to graze, wrinkles, folds, rams, ewes, careful selection, vigorous, market weight, to transmit tendencies, rapid growth, desirable market characteristics, to gain, to shear, uniform quality, to secure, purebred.

2. Answer the questions:

1. How many types of breeds do you know?

2. Do you know any particular sheep breeds?

3. What characteristics should the breeder pay attention to selecting a ram?

4. What characteristics should the breeder pay attention to selecting a ewe?

3. Tell the group about any other sheep breeds. Use extra information resources and prepare a report.

Housing Sheep

For a considerable part of the year little or no housing is necessary, because sheep are best fitted by nature to withstand cold weather. Even during cold weather sheep prefer to remain out of doors, except during severe storms. During the lambing period, provide warm quarters, as the lambs are susceptible to chilling for the first few days of their lives. A shed-type building is a satisfactory shelter for sheep. It should be large enough to provide 15 to 20 sq ft of floor space per ewe. There should be doors in the building. An earthen floor is satisfactory if dry and well bedded.

In large flocks keep the rams separate from the ewes throughout the year except during the breeding season. Feed them properly so that they will be in good breeding condition. If a number of rams are allowed to run with a large number of ewes through the breeding season, have one ram for each 40 ewes.

Most sheep shearing is done by specialists experienced in this work. Usually the wool is shorn soon after the ewes have lambed.

Sheep usually remain in compact groups. Herding is a good method of keeping sheep together wherever they are produced in large numbers. One herder especially if he has a well-trained sheep dog with him, can control or drive a flock of several thousand range sheep.

When sheep are kept in small groups, handle them quietly and slowly in order not to make them nervous and frightened.

All the lambs that are not to be retained for use as sires should be castrated when two or four weeks old.

Exercises

1. Translate the new words:

To withstand, severe, lambing period, warm quarters, susceptible to chilling, a satisfactory shelter, well bedded, breeding condition, a flock.

2. What are the main rules concerning sheep housing? Are there any similar features comparing sheep and other farm animals? Sum up all the information provided (in writing).

Lambing Time

There are two procedures used in handling ewes and lambs at lambing time:

• open-air lambing,

• shed lambing.

In warm climates ewes lamb on the open ranges. Sometimes it is possible in cold climates when ewes lamb after the growth of grass has started and they are on pasture at lambing time. The owner should take care of the flock. He helps to the ewe only if the ewe is unable to give birth to the lamb or if the newborn lamb appears weak and unable to care for itself. It is needed to have several small pens that can be set up near the camp wagon in which ewes with twin lambs or with weak lambs can be cared for the first days. If the birth was normal the lamb gains strength quickly.

In cold climate it is necessary to breed ewes to lamb early in spring before the grass has started to grow or the weather has warmed up enough to permit outdoor lambing. In small flocks, it is possible to put ewes into the small pens a day or two before they are to lamb. In large flocks, when the ewe has lambed place her and her lamb in one of the small pens for 1 or 3 days.

Ewes with lambs are usually kept separate from those not yet lambed. Some breeders prefer to have two groups of ewes and lambs, one for the ewes with twin lambs and the other for ewes with single lambs so that ewes with twins can be fed larger amounts of grain.