Ruminant Animals Health and Nutrition

Health

• Temperature of sheep: 102-104 degrees Fahrenheit, with lambs at 102.5-104 degrees Fahrenheit
• Heart rate of sheep: 60-120 beats per minute
• Respiratory rate of sheep: 12-20 breaths per minute

Nutrition

• Sheep require six basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins, and water

Digestive System

Ruminant Defined

• A ruminant is an animal with four distinct compartments in its stomach that swallows food unchewed, regurgitates it, chews it thoroughly, and reswallows it
• Examples of ruminants include cattle, sheep, and goats

Four Compartments of the Ruminant

• Reticulum: honeycomb-shaped compartment, 5% of capacity
• Rumen: paunch-shaped compartment, 80% of capacity
• Omasum: manyplies-shaped compartment, 7% of capacity
• Abomasum: true stomach-shaped compartment, 8% of capacity

Meat

• Grades for lamb: Prime, Choice, Select, and Commercial
• Three maturity grades: Lamb (less than 1 year old), Yearling mutton, and Mutton
• Quality grades reflect differences in eating quality of meat based on marbling scores and maturity scores
• Most lambs are grade Choice
• Wholesale cuts are larger cuts of meat that are shipped to grocery stores and meat markets, e.g., fore quarter or chuck containing roasts, stew meat, etc.

Wool

• Growth of wool, hair, and mohair occurs in the root bulb of a follicle in the outer layers of the skin

Signs of a Sick Lamb

• Bloating
• Lethargic behavior
• Loss of appetite
• Quick breathing
• Diarrhea
• Cold mouth
• Pale gums
• Gasping
• Coughing
• Swelling or redness of the navel

Predominant Breeds

Meat Type Breeds

• Dorset
• Suffolk
• Hampshire

Wool Breeds

• Columbia
• Corriedale
• Merino

Hair Breeds

• Barbados Blackbelly
• St. Croix
• Katahdin

Production

• Meat production in sheep is more efficient due to twinning, with a frequency of 40-60%
• Many lambs (30-40%) can be marketed as fat lambs at 5-7 months of age
• Fat lambs average 100-130 lbs at marketing condition or finish
• Wool production and value is another asset characteristic only of sheep, representing less than 20% of the gross return
• Lamb is responsible for 80% or more of the gross return in fine wool breeds

Health

• Temperature of sheep: 102-104 degrees Fahrenheit, with lambs at 102.5-104 degrees Fahrenheit
• Heart rate of sheep: 60-120 beats per minute
• Respiratory rate of sheep: 12-20 breaths per minute

Nutrition

• Sheep require six basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins, and water

Digestive System

Ruminant Defined

• A ruminant is an animal with four distinct compartments in its stomach that swallows food unchewed, regurgitates it, chews it thoroughly, and reswallows it
• Examples of ruminants include cattle, sheep, and goats

Four Compartments of the Ruminant

• Reticulum: honeycomb-shaped compartment, 5% of capacity
• Rumen: paunch-shaped compartment, 80% of capacity
• Omasum: manyplies-shaped compartment, 7% of capacity
• Abomasum: true stomach-shaped compartment, 8% of capacity

Meat

• Grades for lamb: Prime, Choice, Select, and Commercial
• Three maturity grades: Lamb (less than 1 year old), Yearling mutton, and Mutton
• Quality grades reflect differences in eating quality of meat based on marbling scores and maturity scores
• Most lambs are grade Choice
• Wholesale cuts are larger cuts of meat that are shipped to grocery stores and meat markets, e.g., fore quarter or chuck containing roasts, stew meat, etc.

Wool

• Growth of wool, hair, and mohair occurs in the root bulb of a follicle in the outer layers of the skin

Signs of a Sick Lamb

• Bloating
• Lethargic behavior
• Loss of appetite
• Quick breathing
• Diarrhea
• Cold mouth
• Pale gums
• Gasping
• Coughing
• Swelling or redness of the navel

Predominant Breeds

Meat Type Breeds

• Dorset
• Suffolk
• Hampshire

Wool Breeds

• Columbia
• Corriedale
• Merino

Hair Breeds

• Barbados Blackbelly
• St. Croix
• Katahdin

Production

• Meat production in sheep is more efficient due to twinning, with a frequency of 40-60%
• Many lambs (30-40%) can be marketed as fat lambs at 5-7 months of age
• Fat lambs average 100-130 lbs at marketing condition or finish
• Wool production and value is another asset characteristic only of sheep, representing less than 20% of the gross return
• Lamb is responsible for 80% or more of the gross return in fine wool breeds

This quiz covers the health and nutrition of ruminant animals, including their temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate, as well as the six basic nutrients they need.