Complete Guide on Sheep and Goats Production

November 10, 2023 Agric4Profits

Poor nutrition is one of the major factors limiting the productivity of indigenous ruminants like sheep and goats. In order to develop a viable ruminants industry, animals should be fed properly.

Though sheep and goats being ruminants feed mainly on roughage (grasses, legumes, browse etc.). It is necessary to give them supplements in order to improve their production. Proper management of the breeding flock improves productivity and reduces kid/lamb mortality.

1. Feeding Sheep and Goats

Complete Guide on Sheep and Goats Production

Feeding of small ruminants depends the age of the animal, physiological sate of the animal (lactation, pregnancy) and the quantity of the roughage being fed.

1. Feeding of Adult Animals

Hay or crop residue should be provided always in addition 1-2kg. Animal/day of legume hay e.g. groundnut haulms, beans pod, cowpea residue. Animals at this stage need feed for maintenance. It is therefore not necessary to over feed them.

2. Feeding of pregnant sheep and goats

In addition to supply of hay, a farmer should feed good quality legume hay at the rate of 1.5 -2.5kg per animal per day or concentrate can be fed at a daily rate of 200 – 300kg per animal per day.

Additionally, higher levels of feeding can be maintained, especially during the last month of pregnancy when the foetus grows very rapidly and causes an increased demand on the mother’s food supply. Good feeding results in the following.

Provides nourishment for the developing foetus and usually results in a strong kid/lamb at birth. Good feeding enhances the development of the udder and ensure adequate milk production of the dow/ewe.

It builds up body reserves of flesh on dow/ewe and it prepares the dam for the difficult task of parturition. This practice of enhanced feeding just before parturition is referred to a steaming up.

3. Feeding of Nursing or Lactating Females

This group of animals can be fed like pregnant females but the level of feeding should be slightly increase.. This is to ensure that the dam produces enough milk for feeding the offspring. In addition, hay and concentrate supplement should be provided at the rate of 300 -500 gm. per animal, per day.

Adequate feeding of lactating does/ewes increases he survival rate of he kid/lambs. Increases the resistance of diseases of the young-ones and ensure a fast growth rate.

4. Feeding of Growers

A supplement of 0.5 – 1kg legume hay/Animal/day in addition to free choice feeding of roughage is sufficient for this class of animals.

5. Feeding of Breeding Male

When males are not in service, they should be maintained on good grazing or crop-residue ad lib plus 1-2kg legume hay/Animal/day.

About a month to being used for service, they should be place on good grazing or crop residue plus 300gm of concentrate mixture. This practice of enhanced feeding prior to breeding is referred to as flushing.

This has the following advantages;

In males it increases the quantity and quality of semen produced while in females it increases the number of ova shade. Ensures a greater chance of turning/triplets in the dam.

Increases the conception rate. Care should be taken to prevent the overfeeding of the male as this will lead to fattening which is not desired in breeding males.

2. Breeding Management of Sheep and Goats

The reproductive activity of sheep and goats is stimulated by variations in the day length. In Northern heminphere, where day length varies with the season of the year, oestrus takes place mostly from July to October as opposed to the tropics where there is only little variation in the length of day and the oestrus cycle reoccurs through the year.

Does/ewes come on hest (oestrus) at regular intervals of about 18-21 days if not bred (Oestrus cycle). The oestrus period (the only period the female can accept the male)last for about 3 days or 72 hours.

1. Signs of Oestrus

1. Uneasiness.

2. Frequent urination.

3. Tail shaking\ Swollen Vulva with a little mucus discharge.

4. Sometimes the female could be seen mounting other animals themselves.

5. Bellowing.

2. Mating Methods

There are two main mating methods in sheep and goats.

1. Natural Service: This involves the natural copulation of the buck/ram to a doe/ewe. In Nigeria for instance where most females and males are kept together there is no restriction to mating.

Where females are kept separately from males, careful observation particularly in the early morning should be carried out to notice females on heat so as to breed them..

2. Artificial Insemination: This has recently been given more attention but is rarely practiced in Nigeria because;.

There are no enough semen banks, lack of chemicals for large semen preservation e.g. solid nitrogen, lack of enough proven males No adequate technical known-how.

3. Management of Breeding Does/ewes

The management of breeding females is divided to three main phases.

1. Dry period (period between weaning to gestion) This usually last about three months. The doe or ewe is least productive at this period. It is a time the dam recovers from the stress of the previous pregnancy and lactation.

It is also a time when the dam prepares for the nest pregnancy period, ewe/does should be given a higher plane of nutrition. Flushing results in a higher/lambing percentages.

For mating the ratio of buck/ram to does/ewes is 1:20- 40. Hand service (isolating females on heat and introducing them to males) can increase the number of females to 50 under intensive management.

2. Pregnancy (gestation ) period. This refers to the period between successful mating to parturition) in sheep and goats this period is about five months. Foetal development in the first three months of pregnancy is normally slow hence to make appreciable increases in feed supply.

In the last four to six weeks prior to parturition and quality of the feed given should be increase. This is done in order to meet the nutrient requirement of the foetus as well as the dam. This enhanced feeding at period (just before parturition) is called steaming up.

Steaming up ensures the following:

Greater development of udder tissues and high milk yielding potential for the dam.

Low doe/ewe and kid/lamb mortality.

Higher live weight gain in the young thus heavier adult stock.

Water and Minerals should be provided ad lib.

3. Signs of kidding/lambing. Uneasiness i.e. restlessness, the animals is constantly standing up. Sitting down and smelling the ground.

4. Udder Enlargement

There is a significant change in the size of the udder close to parturition. Lack of interest in grazing, the female appears not to show any interest in grazing and legs behind the flock.

The vulva appears slightly swollen with some mucus discharge. When the female is in the process of paturition it should be allowed privacy Assistance should only be given when there are obvious signs of difficulty at which time a veterinarian should be invited.

5. Lactation Period

Feeding of the lactating is aimed at increased milk production to meet the need of the offspring. Normally the feed requirement of a lactating female is greater than during pregnancy.

6. Management kids/Lambs

The dam should be allowed to suckle kid/lamb immediately after birth. This is because at this time the dam’s milk contains colostrums. Colostrum contains antibodies which help to confer initial immunity to the kid/lamb, it also stimulates the alimentary system. Colostrum production ceases around the third or fourth day after parturition.

It is important to check the test of the female to ensure that milk is available for the kid/lamb. If the dam’s milk supply is low, the kid may have to be fed with alternative milker replaces or placed with a foster mother. G.V.. should be applied to the cut naval of the young to prevent infection.

Weaning can be done between 4 weeks to 3months depending on age breed and purpose. However, weaning below the age of 3 month is not advisable for tropical sheep and goats. Weaning can be encouraged by the provision of creep feed. The young animal normally begins to nibble at solid food such as leaves. Grasses at 2-3 weeks of age.

Where a dam dies immediately after parturition artificial colostrums should be provided.

Artificial colostrums is made up of: 0.61 litre of cow’s milk, 1 teaspoon of castor oil, 1 teaspoon cod liver oil and125mg of broad spectrum antibiotics. Normally a quarter (1/4) to 1litre of artificial colostrums is given per day for four days.

In conclusion, Adequate Feeding of small ruminants is necessary for improved productivity. The notion that ruminants can eat any thing and should therefore be allowed to scavenge results in poor performance and low economic returns.

Improper management of breeding flock results in high mortality rate of the young in particular and adults in general. Feeding is one of the important factors in small ruminant production. the feeding of small ruminants varies with the age or physiological state of the animal.

The management of breeding flock is divided into three phases, depending on the different physiological state of he female. Young kids/lamb should be properly cared for in order to ensure their survival and optimum growth.