Sheep Production

Sheep Production Terms for understanding •

Ram

– non-castrated male sheep •

Wether

– castrated male sheep •

Ewe

– female Sheep

Suffolk • Medium Wool Breed • Mainly used for meat • England • White Wool with

solid

black face and legs • Large Frame

Hampshire • Medium wool breed • Used mainly for meat • England • White wool with black face and legs, which has patches of white wool growing on the face and legs • Med to large frame

Southdown • Medium wool breed • Used mainly for meat • White with a mousey brown face and leg • England •

Very

small framed • Very meaty

Ramboulliet • Finewool breed • Used for meat and wool production • France • White with a white face and legs • Large framed

Dorset • Medium wool breed • Used for meat • England • White with white face • Very meaty • Very Large framed

Sheep Production Classifications for Sheep @ Ellis County Livestock Show •

Fine wool

•

Finewool Cross

•

Medium Wool

•

Southdown

•

AOB (All Other Breeds)

• Ramboulliet

Fine wool

Finewool Cross

• Any thing atleast a ½ crossed with Ramboulliet

Medium Wool

• Hampshires and Suffolks and crosses of the two

• Southdowns show as a breed of their own, mainly due to size differences

Southdowns

AOB (All Other Breeds)

• Mainly Dorsetts and Dorset Crosses

Sheep Production Reproduction •

Estrus – Occurs every 16 days and last for 3 days

Sheep Production Reproduction •

Gestation Period – 148 days

Sheep Production Feeding •

Ruminants like cattle

•

Feed a quality brand name 18 % protien feed

•

Most feeders feel a textured feed is more desirable than a pellet