NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Sheep Production Manual A Guide for 4-H Leaders and Beginning Farmers Sheep Production Manual Table of Contents Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................. 5 Thank you .............................................................................................................................. 5 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 6 Section 1: Selecting an Animal ............................................................................................... 7 What to Look For .................................................................................................................... 7 Conformation .......................................................................................................................... 8 General Appearance ........................................................................................................... 9 Physical Soundness ............................................................................................................ 9 Body Conformation ............................................................................................................. 9 Hindquarters ......................................................................................................................10 Forequarters ......................................................................................................................10 Head and Neck ..................................................................................................................10 Fleece ................................................................................................................................10 Breed Type ............................................................................................................................10 Dairy Breeds ......................................................................................................................10 Maternal Breeds.................................................................................................................11 Meat Breeds ......................................................................................................................11 Prolific Breeds ....................................................................................................................11 Wool Breeds ......................................................................................................................11 Sheep Breeds ........................................................................................................................12 Bluefaced Leicester ...........................................................................................................12 Border Cheviot ...................................................................................................................12 Border Leicester.................................................................................................................12 Charollais ...........................................................................................................................13 Clun Forest ........................................................................................................................13 Cotswold ............................................................................................................................13 Dorper ................................................................................................................................14 Dorset (Polled and Horned)................................................................................................14 East Friesian Dairy .............................................................................................................14 Hampshire .........................................................................................................................15 Icelandic ............................................................................................................................15 1 Ile de France ......................................................................................................................15 North Country Cheviot........................................................................................................16 Oxford ................................................................................................................................16 Polypay ..............................................................................................................................17 Rideau Arcott .....................................................................................................................17 Romanov ...........................................................................................................................18 Southdown .........................................................................................................................18 Suffolk ................................................................................................................................18 Texel ..................................................................................................................................19 Section 2: Care and Management ..........................................................................................20 Code of Practice ....................................................................................................................20 Housing .................................................................................................................................20 Types of Housing ...............................................................................................................22 Feeders and Waterers ...........................................................................................................23 Bedding and Manure Management ........................................................................................23 Ventilation .............................................................................................................................24 Predators ...............................................................................................................................24 Sheep Management ..............................................................................................................25 Extensive Sheep Production ..............................................................................................25 Intensive Sheep Production ...............................................................................................25 Farm Flock .........................................................................................................................25 Feedlot Production .............................................................................................................26 Handling Sheep .....................................................................................................................26 Sheep Behaviour ...............................................................................................................26 Handling Techniques .........................................................................................................26 Transporting Sheep ...........................................................................................................26 Traceability ............................................................................................................................27 Identification ..........................................................................................................................29 Shearing and Crutching .........................................................................................................30 Castration ..............................................................................................................................30 Tail Docking...........................................................................................................................30 Hoof Trimming .......................................................................................................................31 Dehorning/Horn Trimming .....................................................................................................31 Section 3: Nutrition .................................................................................................................32 What is a Ruminant? .............................................................................................................32 2 Essential Nutrients.................................................................................................................33 Energy ...............................................................................................................................34 Fibre ..................................................................................................................................34 Carbohydrates ...................................................................................................................34 Fats ....................................................................................................................................34