VMS1001 The Sheep Industry with Breeds PDF

SHEEP PRODUCTION AND THE UK SHEEP INDUSTRY HAYLEY HICKLING BVETMED MRCVS PGCERT VETED FHEA TEACHING FELLOW IN PRODUCTION ANIMAL MEDICINE LEARNING OBJECTIVES Recognise vocabulary relating to sheep production Describe the sheep industry in the UK Identify common breeds o...

SHEEP PRODUCTION AND THE UK SHEEP INDUSTRY HAYLEY HICKLING BVETMED MRCVS PGCERT VETED FHEA TEACHING FELLOW IN PRODUCTION ANIMAL MEDICINE LEARNING OBJECTIVES Recognise vocabulary relating to sheep production Describe the sheep industry in the UK Identify common breeds of sheep LO1: R E C O G N I S E VO C A B U L A RY R E L AT I N G TO S H E E P PRODUCTION SHEEP TERMINOLOGY Breeding Animals Tup/Ram: Breeding Male Ewe: Breeding Female who has had more than one crop of lambs Tupping: mating of a ram and ewe Gimmer: A female ewe lamb from first shearing to giving birth Ewe lamb: A female lamb destined for breeding >1 year Shearling: A lamb (usually destined for breeding) after first shear (1-2 years old) SHEEP TERMINOLOGY Meat Production Animals Fat/finished lambs: lambs that are finished and ready for slaughter within a year from birth Hogg/Hogget: A lamb destined for meat that is between 1- 2 years Other important terms Barren: Ewes that don’t become pregnant after being tupped (usually sold) Broken-mouthed: A sheep which has lost/broken teeth (usually >6years old) Draft ewe: An older breeding ewe, sold off hills to lower ground where conditions are less challenging Teaser: A vasectomised ram, placed among ewes to encourage onset of oestrus LO2: DESCRIBE THE SHEEP INDUSTRY IN THE UK  LO2: DESCRIBE THE SHEEP INDUSTRY IN THE UK » Hill (Highlands and islands of Scotland, mountain areas of Wales). Harsh climates, long winters, relatively poor soil quality Welsh Mountain, Swaledale, Scottish Blackface Upland (Areas of Northern England e.g. Lake District, and SW e.g. Dartmoor) Less harsh than hills, but land and soil still not very productive Blue Faced Leicester, Border Leicester, Teeswater, Longwools Lowland (Some low lying areas of England and Wales, mostly Central and East of England where soil more productive) Least harsh weather condition, more productive soil Texel, Suffolk, Charollais, Romneys, Down breeds HILL BREEDS » Hardy » Thick coated and adapted for harsh conditions » Excellent mothers » Usually have 1 lamb/year UPLAND BREEDS » More prolific than hill breeds (~2 lambs/year) » Do better on lower, easier terrain LOWLAND BREEDS » Grow fast » Heavier frames » More prolific S H E E P S T R AT I F I C AT I O N LAMB LOVE ISLAND Coupled up Hill breed ewes Hill breed Ram Ewe lambs= Kept for pedigree breeding flock Top Ram lambs= Kept for pedigree breeding flock Ram lambs= Slaughter Hill breed babies S H E E P S T R AT I F I C AT I O N LAMB LOVE ISLAND Coupled up Upland breed ewes Upland breed Ram Ewe lambs= Kept for pedigree breeding flock Top Ram lambs= Kept for pedigree breeding flock Ram lambs= Slaughter Upland breed babies S H E E P S T R AT I F I C AT I O N LAMB LOVE ISLAND Coupled up Upland breed Ram Aged ewes prolong life in lower land/better conditions Ewe lambs= COMMERCIAL breeding flock Crossbred Ram lambs= Slaughter ‘Mules’ Larger frame, good milk Hill X Upland crossbred production, prolific, excellent lambs mothers S H E E P S T R AT I F I C AT I O N LAMB LOVE ISLAND Coupled up Mules Lowland breed/ terminal sire All lambs to slaughter Grow fast, heavier frame, good Mule X Terminal sire carcass composition  S T R AT I F I C AT I O N A N D C R O S S - B R E E D I N G Mules = A cross-bred sheep, usually born to upland systems, with a drafted hill breed mother and an upland breed father THE UK SHEEP INDUSTRY THE UK SHEEP INDUSTRY The greatest variety of sheep breeds of any country in the world. EAT WEAR ENJOY Multi-faceted industry Sustainable top-quality meat, dairy and wool products Meat is leading product 296,100 tonnes of meat in 2020  THE UK SHEEP INDUSTRY The average person in the UK eats 1.9kg of lamb a year. The UK’s sheep industry is estimated to employ 34,000 people on farms Contributing £290 million to the national economy The UK has 3-5% of the world’s sheep population Has 20-25% of the sheep in Europe 6th biggest producer of sheep meat in the world ~1/3 of meat produced is exported  E N V I R O N M E N TA L R E L E VA N C E O F THE SHEEP INDUSTRY Around 60% of UK farmland is best suited to growing grass. Sheep and cattle farming is considered the most suitable way to convert this land into healthy food to feed a growing population. Land that can only grow grass is rarely (if ever) cultivated, meaning carbon stores remained ‘locked’ in the ground and not released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. Uplands and farmland in Wales alone may store up to 400 million tonnes of carbon. This land also holds and filters rainwater Improving and safeguarding the countryside by mitigating against climate change, flooding and soil degradation C O N S E R V AT I O N Sheep help maintain grasslands and uplands which promote plant and animal biodiversity Wildfire control In lowland areas sheep help fertilize soil to grow crops (vegetables, cereals) in a natural, low impact way. 21  PRODUCTION CYCLE Put to Ram Oct/ Nov Lambing Mar/ Apr Birth Lamb Ewe Weaning May/ Jun Weaning Ewe ‘flushed’ Early finish Aug/Sep (fed enhanced diet on grass before tupping) Or Slaughter Older lambs finished Jan on roots through winter 22 SHEEP FARMING BREEDING CALENDAR January February March April Scanning for Peak lambing Peak lambing time pregnancy time diagnosis May June July August Weaning & slaughter OR fattening ‘store lambs’ September October November December Preparation for Breeding season Breeding season mating 6-8 weeks 6-8 weeks LAMB Slaughtered ~40kg Deadweight ~19kg 5-8 months old Fully trimmed raw lean lamb contains just 8% fat. When buying lamb look out for the Red Tractor logo, or regional logos such as Welsh Lamb, Scotch Lamb, the Quality Stand Mark England, or Farm Quality Assured Northern Ireland. These logos guarantees the origin of the meat and ensure top standards of traceability, food safety & hygiene, animal welfare and environmental protection have been maintained. 24  MUTTON Meat from a sheep > 2 years/old – different taste and texture compared to lamb Usually produced from ewes that have reached the end of their productive life Available all year round (best from Oct-Mar) Deadweight 25-27kg Heritage sheep movement from NSA 25  C A R C A S E C L A S S I F I C AT I O N Target E, U, R conformation 1, 2, 3L fatness 26 WOOL » Since the Stone Age, it has been appreciated as one of the most effective forms of all-weather protection know to man » Now – Secondary product of sheep farming » Renewable material – one fleece produced per sheep/year » Clothing, hand knitting, carpets, wall insulation… » Shearing cost to farmer → £0.90-£1.00/sheep » Farmer’s get paid between £0.50-£3.00 per fleece (2021= 0.79p/Kg fleece) 27  MILK Higher fat and protein content than » Small industry in UK – Growing! cows milk » Mostly to produce Cheese » One sheep produces ~1.2 litres twice a day (2-3 litres/day) Sheep milk is more expensive » Dairy Breeds: Fresland Lacaune British Milk Sheep  H O B BY S H E E P FA R M I N G Sheep can be kept in very small flock, niche product or local demand Sheep as ‘pets’ – often accompany other species Legal requirements relating to livestock (register holding) Ideally, sheep should not be kept singly https://www.hobbyfarms.com/cutest-sheep-world-u-s-valais-blacknose/ PHOTO: Teton Valais Blacknose Sheep Co./Facebook 29 FA R M A S S U R A N C E S C H E M E Red Tractor is a single scheme accepted by all major buyers They monitor what consumers value the most about their food and understand what they expect from farmers. These values are translated into practical on- farm standards so Red Tractor farmers can demonstrate they are producing what consumers want. Animal welfare Food safety Traceability Environmental protection FA R M A C C R E D I TAT I O N S C H E M E S Premium Sheep & Goat Health Scheme – SRUC/SAC Maedi Visna (MV) Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (EAE) Johne’s Disease Scrapie Caseous Lymphadenitis (CLA) Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE) – Goats  GOVERNMENT DEFRA the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. APHA - safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy. AHDB - The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) helps to make Great Britain’s livestock, dairy and agriculture sectors more successful, providing market information to improve supply chain transparency and stimulating demand in the UK and export markets. AHDB is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by DEFRA. LO3: IDENTIFY COMMON BREEDS OF SHEEP TEXEL White Broad Head Broad body Wide nostrils Tight wool Short and stocky SUFFOLK Black heads White wool Broad heads Large ‘floppy’ ears Thick legs and broad body Large animals BELTEX Very ugly Broad head Double muscling Short neck Short and stout build BORDER LEICESTER Very large upright ears All white Big animals Tight wool BLUE LEICESTER Large animals Big ears Tight wool Similar to the Border ‘blue’ /grey coloured heads SCOTTISH BLACKFACE Black face (REALLY!) White triangle nose Horned Small animals Lose, long wool SWALEDALE Small breed Horned Black face and white nose and eyes Long loose wooled