Breeds of Sheep and Goats

Intro to Agriculture

Mr. Graf

Background Information Sheep and Goats in Texas

Majority of goats are raised under extensive conditions

Number of goats in Texas is increasing at the rate of 9% each year

90% of the mohair produced in the United States is produced in Texas

Sheep and Goats in Texas

There were over 1,050,000 head of sheep and lambs in Texas in 2002.

Sheep and Goats are an excellent complement to beef cattle enterprises Sheep and Cattle each use a different

proportion of grass, forbes, and browse

Sheep Production Systems

Majority are raised under extensive conditions

Guard Dogs are common to protect against predators Ex: Great Pyrenees

Southwestern Range Operations

Utilize fine-wool Rambouillet ewe is used

Producers strive to produce high quality fine-wool fleeces, fast growing lambs, and high lamb crop percentages

Very little supplemental feed is offered

Southwestern Range Operations

Factors influencing profitability

Amount of rainfall Predators Price of lamb and wool

Northwestern Range Operation

Similar to Southwestern Operations

Greater abundance of feed

Larger, heavier shearing ewes are utilized

Intensive Management Systems

Farm Flock Operators Common in Midwest

Operation is smaller in size

Primarily concerned with lamb production

Intensive Management Systems

Lamb Feedlot Industry

Lambs are concentrated in a small area and fed diets that vary from 30-90% concentrate (corn or milo)

Colorado is the leading lamb feeding state, followed by Texas

Goat Production Systems

Hair Production Angora goat is primary fiber producing goat in

the world

Mohair – long lustrous fiber noted for durability and brilliant color when dyed

Meat Production

There is no grading system for meat goats Greater inconsistency in palatability of the

product

Generally marketed at local market auctions in goat producing areas

Wool

Properties of Wool Water resistant Good insulation Elastic Strong Felting properties – ability of fibers to interlock

Global Production

Ranking of major wool producing and exporting countries:

1. Australia 2. New Zealand 3. South Africa 4. United States

Sheep Breeds – Fine Wools

Merino (Spain) Most dominant breed in the worldwide sheep

industry

Typically smaller than other wool breeds

Excellent flocking instinct

White faced breed with very fine fleece

Merino

Fine Wools

Rambouillet (France) Able to survive under poor conditions

Dominant range ewe in western U.S. and Texas

White – faced breed that is not extremely prolific under range conditions

Rambouillet

Crossbred Wool Breeds

Columbia (United States) Based on a crossbred foundation of Lincoln

Rams on Rambouillet ewes

Ewes are relatively prolific and productive Lambs are fast growing White-faced, polled breed

Columbia

Medium Wool (Meat Breeds)

Hampshire (England): Face, ears, and legs of the Hampshire are dark

brown to black Have a wool cap on the head One of the most popular sire breeds in

commercial industry

Medium Wool Breeds (meat breeds)

Dorset (England): Horned and polled strains Has ability to breed out of season Mature early sexually and compositonally White faced sheep

Medium Wool Breeds (meat breeds)

Finnsheep (Finland) Noted for incredible prolificacy ( 3+ lambs) Great maternal instincts Slow growing, light muscled

Medium Wool (meat breeds)

Southdown (England) Smallest of Medium wool breeds Imported into U.S. in 1803 Light brown face and legs Farm flock breed used to produce meaty light-

weight carcasses

Medium Wool (meat breeds)

Suffolk (England): Used as sire breed in commercial production Black head and legs Free of wool on the head and legs Lean muscular carcass Produce very poor fleeces

Long Wool Breeds

Lincoln (England) Large, coarse, slow maturing, heavy fleeced Heaviest breed in the world Face, ears, and legs are covered with wool White-faced and polled