How Long Until Sheep Are Ready for Market? The Growth Cycle and Feeding Management Methods for Sheep

I. Compound Feed and Feeding Amounts for Goats

(I) Principles for Formulating Daily Rations

Based on the digestive physiological characteristics and nutritional needs of sheep, and considering palatability, the nutritional value of the feed, and economic benefits, the diet should be based primarily on hay and green grass, with concentrate supplements to make up for any shortfall against feeding standards. Due to the digestive physiological characteristics of ruminants, there is considerable flexibility in formulating feed rations. On the premise of meeting roughage requirements, formulate according to the corresponding feed standards. The principles are:

1. Meet the physiological needs of the sheep body at each stage. Goats of different sexes, ages, body weights, and physiological conditions require different feeding methods and feeding standards. Develop feed formulas based on feeding experience. It takes 6 months from birth to reaching 100 jin for market, they can conceive at 6 months, and the gestation period is 5 months.

2. Feed types should be diversified and palatability should be good. In feed combinations, the more feed types the better, feed quality (nutritional value) should remain relatively stable, consider the relationship between intake and feed volume, and properly balance concentrate and roughage. Do not feed moldy or spoiled feed. ⟦8 3. The daily ration should be based primarily on high-quality green and roughage, with appropriate concentrate supplementation, having a certain volume while ensuring dry matter content.

3. The daily ration should be based primarily on high-quality green and coarse feed, appropriately supplemented with concentrated feed; it should have a certain volume while also ensuring the dry matter content.

4. Feed selection can use local materials according to local conditions; at the same time, feed prices should also be considered to reduce feeding costs.

5. For lambs, do not feed feed that is too bulky or too high in moisture; for ewes in early lactation, the diet should be based primarily on high-quality hay and green grass, with appropriate amounts of concentrate and succulent feed; for ewes in peak lactation, in addition to feeding high-quality hay equivalent to 1.0-1.5% of body weight and a certain amount of concentrate, feed as much green grass, silage, and root/tuber feed as possible; for breeding rams, the diet should be based primarily on high-quality mixed grass hay and fresh green grass from grasses and legumes. During mating, supplemental mixed concentrate should be fed. During peak mating, appropriately increase feeding of protein feeds such as milk, eggs, or fish meal.

(II) Formulas

1. Lamb feed formula: (1) Corn 50%, wheat bran 15.0%, soybean meal 20%, mineral trace elements 1%, hemp seed meal 12%

calcium stone powder 1%, salt 1.0%. (2) Corn 55%, wheat bran 20%, rapeseed cake 10%, soybean cake 10%, bone meal 1%, salt 0.5%, fish meal 3%, trace element and other additives 0.5%.

2. Fattening sheep feed formula: Corn 62%, wheat bran 10.0%, soybean meal 12.5%, hemp seed meal 12%, calcium stone powder 1%, salt 1.0%. Mineral trace elements 1%, baking soda 0.5%. Ready for market at about 15-20 kg.

3. Growing sheep feed formula: (1) Corn 54%, wheat bran 13.0%, soybean meal 18%, hemp seed meal 12%, calcium stone powder 1%, salt 1.0%. Mineral trace elements 1%. Growing rams grow fast, feed more. (2) Corn meal 64%, soybean cake 10%, rapeseed cake 15%, wheat bran 10.2%, salt 1.0%. (3) Corn meal 50%, soybean cake 15%, wheat bran 19.0%, rice bran 15%, salt 1.0%.

4. Ewe feed formula: Corn 49%, wheat bran 18.0%, soybean meal 24%, hemp seed meal 6%, stone powder 1%, salt 1.0%. Mineral trace elements 1%,

5. Breeding ram feed formula: Corn 55%, wheat bran 12.0%, soybean meal 21%, hemp seed meal 9%, calcium stone powder 1%, salt 1.0%, mineral trace elements 1%.

(III) Feed Feeding Amounts

1. Concentrate feeding amount.

The daily feeding amount of concentrate is 1/15-1/10 of the sheep's body weight. Based on the feeding standards for sheep and the nutritional composition of the concentrate, combined with the actual situation of the farm (household), the daily concentrate supplement amounts for sheep are set as follows:

(1) Rams: Non-mating period: 0.3-0.5 kg daily (fed in two portions); mating period: 0.8-1.0 kg daily (fed in three portions).

(2) Ewes: 0.3-0.5 kg daily; among these, early pregnancy 0.4 kg daily; late pregnancy: 0.5 kg; ewes about to lamb reduce feed by 1/3; lactating ewes 0.5 kg (lamb nursing period 2-3 months);

(3) Lambs: 20-30 days of age, 50-70 g daily; 1-2 months of age 100-150 g; 2-3 months of age 200 g; 3-4 months of age 250 g.

(4) Fattening sheep: 0.2-0.6 kg.

2. Roughage feeding amount:

Feed containing more than 18% crude fiber is collectively called roughage. Roughage dry matter should account for 60-70% of total ingested dry matter. Insufficient roughage feeding will seriously affect the normal metabolism of sheep and cause decreased production performance.

Goats have a large rumen volume and a strong ability to utilize green hay. The daily feeding amount of green hay is 3-4% of the sheep's body weight. Green succulent feed is rich in vitamins and calcium, nutritious, and palatable. When fed only green succulent feed, the daily intake is about 12% of the sheep's body weight. However, when feeding legume green grass, it should be controlled, otherwise it easily causes bloat and death.

The daily roughage feeding amount per adult sheep is: green grass 4 kg, green hay 0.6-0.8 kg to 1 kg. Or under conditions with concentrate supplementation, adult sheep green grass 3 kg; accounting for about 6.7% of body weight. Other roughage is fed freely.

The amount of roughage needed for raising sheep is determined by the daily feeding amount, the number of sheep, and the number of feeding days. For example:

Roughage amount = daily feeding amount x feeding days x number of sheep.

The actual feeding amount should also be flexibly adjusted according to the breed, sex, age, body weight, purpose, physiological condition, and other factors of the sheep.

3. Each sheep should have at least 20 jin of concentrate and 300 jin of hay prepared for winter and spring.

II. Key Technical Points for Goat Barn Feeding

Goat feeding technique is a key technology for raising goats well. When properly implemented, it can prompt goats to increase feed intake, improve digestibility, promote effective feed conversion, and promote goat health. In production practice, commonly used feeding techniques include:

(I) Group feeding. The principle is to group by size, strength, illness, pregnancy, male, and female standards, to avoid the big bullying the small, the strong bullying the weak, and sick or pregnant sheep being unable to get feed and starving to death. Generally, goats can be divided into ram groups, ewe groups, male lamb groups, female lamb groups, young ram groups, young ewe groups, healthy sheep groups, and sick sheep groups. Ewes and replacement sheep should be grouped and penned by stage and body weight. Lambs nurse from their mothers for 1-2 months before weaning, and after weaning are transferred to the replacement sheep group. Fattening sheep groups should not be too large; 20 per group is appropriate.

(II) Fixed-time, fixed-frequency feeding. That is, fix the feeding times for goats, with intervals as equal as possible, which helps goats form good conditioned reflexes; it is beneficial for goats' rest, feeding, and rumination. The specific schedule varies by time and location. Fully barn-fed goats are generally fed 3-4 times per day. Semi-grazing semi-barn-fed goats are fed once each at noon and in the evening. Grazing goats only need supplementary feeding after being brought back in the evening. In addition, concentrate is fed in separate portions, generally twice a day. Set up water troughs for free drinking.

(III) Quantitative feeding. That is, feeding a stable amount of feed within a certain period, with the principle of goats eating their fill without waste.

(IV) Quality-controlled feeding. That is, the feed fed to goats must be guaranteed in quality, requiring freshness and cleanliness; do not feed rotten, spoiled, or moldy feed, and do not feed feed with off-odors or that has been trampled on. Feed different amounts according to the nutritional needs of different sexes, ages, and physiological stages. Concentrate supplementation should be scientific to ensure nutritional balance of the daily ration. Pasture grass is the main daily ration for sheep, but it has the drawback of incomplete nutrition; relying solely on pasture grass cannot fully meet the nutritional needs of rapid growth in meat sheep. Therefore, while meeting the pasture needs of meat sheep, concentrate must be supplemented.

To supplement protein deficiency, urea can be added to the concentrate of goats after 3 months of age. Because urea tastes bitter, a 5-day transition period is needed when feeding urea to let sheep adapt. The method is to feed 3 to 4 grams daily initially, mixed into the feed, then gradually increase. The maximum feeding amount for ewes can reach 8-13 grams per day; for growing sheep over 6 months of age, 8-12 grams. Also note that water should not be given one hour before and after feeding, otherwise rapid absorption of urea will cause poisoning. If products with slower ammonia release such as biuret (dicyandiamide) or isobutylidene diurea are used instead, safety is higher and the effect is better than urea.

The above formula feeds are designed for penned goats. Penning makes fattening easier than grazing or semi-grazing. For sheep grazing outside during peak grass season, the concentrate feeding amount can be reduced by 50%. But no matter how abundant the green grass, evening supplementary feeding is still necessary. Only in this way can the rapid growth of fattening sheep be ensured.

Note that the intake of concentrate must not be too large; generally it should only account for within 30% of the daily ration. When you cannot formulate it yourself, concentrate can generally be prepared with grains at 40%-60%, protein feeds at 10%-25% (the proportion of protein feeds should be higher during growth and lactation periods), bran at 20%-30%, and minerals at 3%, of which salt is 0.5-0.7%, and urea can be added at a ratio of 1%. Concentrate feeds such as corn, wheat, beans, and cakes should all be crushed into fine particles and thoroughly mixed before feeding.

For roughage, mainly referring to mature crop straws, chaff, etc., the feeding amount should be less than 30%. Where conditions permit, ammoniation and alkalization treatment should be carried out. Dry roughage based mainly on crop straw should be crushed into fragments (like coarse wheat bran), and can be sprayed with a small amount of 0.5% salt water before feeding; to avoid malnutrition, the main feed should be determined for a period of time, and after that, according to nutritional deficiencies, other feeds can be appropriately supplemented. In winter and spring, with crop straw as the main feed, 1.0-1.5 kg per sheep per day of artificially planted high-quality grass and legume green grass should be added, or a certain amount of vegetable outer leaves, carrots, and other succulent feed should be fed daily, while at night 0.3-0.7 kg per sheep of mixed concentrate should be supplemented. The physical condition of the feed greatly affects full intake. Green succulent feed should be cut or crushed into 2-3 cm lengths before feeding; forage should be diversified, with green and dry combined, rough before fine, and chopping short and crushing should be maintained to improve forage utilization and reduce feeding costs. Hay should be placed on racks for feeding, with small amounts given frequently, avoiding trampling and contamination that cause waste. Concentrate should be placed in long troughs and fed at fixed times and amounts, striving to ensure every sheep can eat its rightful share of concentrate.

(V) Combined feeding. That is, according to the feeding habits, digestive characteristics of goats, and the characteristics of the feed, select a variety of feeds to compose the goat's daily ration to strengthen nutritional complementarity. Legume forage should not be fed alone or in large amounts, but should be fed with other grass forages in proportion (legume 2 : grass 8 or 3 : 7), otherwise it leads to excessive gas production and acute bloat; and because the feed contains saponins, pectin, and other components, or bacterial-produced mucopolysaccharides, etc., the liquid viscosity increases, making it difficult to break down, resulting in foamy gas. In mild cases it causes rumen or reticulum atony; in severe cases it inhibits cardiovascular and respiratory system functions, easily causing suffocation and death.

(VI) Feeding in sequence. Grass first, then feed; rough first, then fine; feed small amounts frequently, let the goats wait for grass, do not let grass press the trough. The method is to feed in the order of roughage -> green feed -> concentrate -> succulent feed. Forage should be cut into 1.5-2.0 cm small segments; concentrate can be fed directly, or if powdery, it is best to mix with water into a wet mash (squeezed by hand without dripping is ideal); drinking water should always be kept clean, warm in winter and cool in summer.

(VII) Prepared feeding. According to the different conditions of different feed types, wash, slice, cook, mix evenly, and air-dry to improve appetite, promote digestion, and achieve disease prevention. Bean feed needs to be stir-fried until nine-tenths cooked to destroy protease inhibitors (reduce trypsin activity), etc., otherwise it will reduce protein digestibility and cause pancreatic enlargement. Rapeseed cake must be cooked before feeding to eliminate the toxic components contained in rapeseed cake. Each sheep should also be supplemented daily with 4-5 grams of salt and 4-5 grams of bone meal or shell powder, mixed into the concentrate and fed. Green grass, hay, and crop stalks (peanut vines, sweet potato vines, corn stalks) serve as the basal diet, fed freely at will. If feeding silage, add 5 grams of baking soda to the daily feed. Feeding sheep with this new technique until 6 months of age, body weight can reach over 25 kg. Compared with traditional extensive feeding methods, growth speed is doubled, and it is possible to achieve lambing in the same year and marketing in the same year.

(VIII) Gradual transition when changing feed. Whenever increasing or decreasing feed amounts or changing feed types, a gradual, step-by-step method should be adopted. Do not suddenly disrupt feeding habits, to avoid sheep becoming unaccustomed, digestive function disorders, or causing constipation or diarrhea, and in severe cases causing gastric dilation, intestinal blockage, or even death.

(IX) Careful feeding. Observe the feeding situation of goats; observe the shape, smell, and color of goat feces. Be observant and provide careful care, adjusting the daily ration and feeding method in a timely manner according to the situation.

(X) Provide sufficient clean drinking water. Drink water 2 times daily, once in the morning and once in the evening, or provide free access to water. The daily water intake per fattening sheep is 3-5 kg. Water intake should be increased in summer, and warm water should be given in winter. Special note: within 1 hour before and after feeding urea, drinking water is strictly prohibited to prevent poisoning.

III. Feeding Methods for Various Types of Sheep

(I) Feeding nursing lambs. Colostrum is rich in protein, vitamins, and mineral elements; it contains immunoglobulins that protect the lamb's body from external bacterial invasion and can prevent diarrhea. Lambs should receive colostrum within 30 minutes after birth. Therefore, early and abundant colostrum intake by lambs is of great significance for strengthening the lamb's constitution and disease resistance. Ewes with multiple lambs may lack milk and need a foster ewe to supplement milk or artificial feeding. Secondly, timely supplementary feeding is needed. At around 10-12 days, beans are stir-fried, crushed, and scattered in the feed trough to entice the lambs to eat. Once the lambs are accustomed, mixed concentrate such as soybean cake, wheat bran, and corn meal is fed as supplement. At the same time, feed fresh tender green grass or high-quality hay. After lambs are 1 month old and eating vigorously, grass-based feeding with concentrate supplementation is the main approach, with 50-100 grams of concentrate per lamb per day, insisting on small amounts fed frequently to prevent overeating. Add salt and bone meal as required. Lambs a few days after birth can move freely with the ewe in the pen, which helps strengthen the constitution and bone development. More sunlight exposure helps increase vitamin D and cholesterol levels in the body.

In addition to requiring warmth in winter and coolness in summer, the sheep barn should be kept dry and clean year-round. The feeding area outside the barn should be cleaned frequently and disinfected regularly. Boer goats must be vaccinated according to a planned schedule and dewormed regularly. Currently, vaccination mostly uses a five-way vaccine, which can prevent goat black disease, braxy, sudden death, enterotoxemia, and lamb dysentery; for eliminating internal and external parasites of goats, subcutaneous injection of ivermectin is mostly used, or broad-spectrum deworming drugs such as levamisole, albendazole, avermectin, etc., can be chosen, conducted once each in spring and autumn.

How to feed normal milk to goat lambs?

Normal milk refers to the milk produced after the colostrum secreted in the first 7 days after the mother goat gives birth. Normal milk is the main source of early nutrients for nursing lambs, so lambs should be allowed to drink enough and good normal milk. Good normal milk is milk secreted by healthy mother goats. Milk secreted by ewes with mastitis should not be used to feed lambs, otherwise it easily causes diarrhea in lambs.

How to supplement feed for goat lambs? When is the best time to wean lambs? What weaning methods are used?

1. Lamb supplementary feeding. At 15-20 days after birth, lambs should be trained to eat grass and feed. Tender legume and grass hay and young twigs and leaves are the best forage for lambs and should be made available for free consumption as early as possible. Feeding method: If barn-fed, tie high-quality hay or young twigs and leaves into a small bundle with rope and hang it in the nursing lamb pen; it can also be cut short or chopped and placed in the lamb supplementary feed trough for free consumption.

Mixed concentrate supplementation can begin at 20 days after birth. The composition and feeding amount of mixed concentrate vary depending on feed quality and lamb nursing amount. Initially, easily digestible starch feed should be fed, gradually increasing bean feed and high-fat feed. Before 50 days after birth, protein nutrition mainly comes from mother's milk; after 50 days, protein nutrition should shift to forage, so soybean cake etc. should be added to the daily ration to raise the protein level. When feeding mixed concentrate, feed small amounts in multiple meals, feed frequently and add frequently, eat full without waste, and it must be fresh.

2. Lamb weaning. Generally at about 4 months after birth. Well-developed lambs or ewes that produce two litters per year can be weaned appropriately earlier; poorly developed lambs or lambs kept for breeding can be weaned appropriately later. If single lamb, use one-time weaning; if twin or multiple lambs with uneven development, use staged weaning, weaning the well-developed lambs first and leaving the poorly developed ones to continue nursing from the mother.

Before weaning, lambs should be trained to eat large amounts of pasture grass so that their growth and development are not affected by weaning. After weaning, lambs should graze on high-quality pasture to consume large amounts of grass to supplement their nutritional needs. After weaning, the environment should remain stable, otherwise lambs will feel uneasy and bleat constantly, affecting their health.

(II) Feeding breeding rams

Breeding rams used for mating should have medium or above-medium body condition, be healthy, lively, energetic, with strong libido and good semen quality. Breeding rams that are too fat or too thin are both unfavorable for mating.

1. Feeding breeding rams. Feed for breeding rams can use local materials. Feed should have high nutritional value, be easy to digest, and palatable. Ensure breeding rams can consume sufficient amounts of diverse green and roughage daily. During the mating period, feed rich in protein such as soybean cake, peanut cake, and eggs should be given, along with mineral-rich feed such as salt and bone meal to ensure nutritional needs. Breeding rams should be grazed in separate groups, and on pastures with good grass quality. During the mating period, breeding rams should especially adhere to grazing, and on the basis of grazing intake, supplement with protein- and mineral-rich feed. The supplementary feeding method is: after returning from grazing, add high-quality green feed and mixed concentrate.

2. Management of breeding rams. Breeding rams should have 6-7 hours of exercise daily, including grazing. Insufficient exercise will cause reduced appetite, weakened digestion, or constipation in breeding rams, affecting semen volume and sperm vitality.

In addition, pay attention to controlling mating frequency. Generally, mating or semen collection 1-2 times daily; for individual healthy breeding rams, a maximum of 3 times daily is appropriate.

When barn-fed, breeding rams should be separated by sex in individual pens. When grazing, males and females should also be grazed in separate groups on different pastures. Absolutely avoid mixed grazing of males and females, as this easily leads to early mating, indiscriminate mating, and affects grazing and intake. In hot weather, create cool conditions for breeding goats to improve their reproductive capacity. Breeding rams should have their body surface brushed daily to facilitate cleanliness and promote blood circulation.

(III) Feeding breeding ewes

Breeding female goats can be divided by physiological stage into: non-pregnant period, early pregnancy, late pregnancy, and lactation period.

1. Non-pregnant period: the aim is to maintain good body condition so the ewe can estrus, ovulate, and conceive normally. For this, grazing is mostly used; as long as grazing is well managed, no supplementation is needed. If body condition is too thin, short-term flushing (improved feeding) measures should be taken.

2. Early pregnancy. Fetal development is relatively slow, and nutritional needs are not greater than during the non-pregnant period. Generally, grazing is sufficient; as long as pasture grass is abundant, the nutrients from the grass consumed during daily grazing can meet needs. However, during the dry grass season, hay can be supplemented and provided for free consumption by ewes in early pregnancy.

3. Late pregnancy. The fetus grows rapidly; 80% of birth weight is gained during this period. If the ewe's nutrition is insufficient, lamb survival rate is low, disease resistance is low, and death is very likely; if nutrition is unbalanced and calcium and phosphorus mineral feed is lacking, it can also easily cause postpartum paralysis in ewes. Therefore, on the basis of grazing, feed high in protein, rich in minerals, and rich in vitamins such as high-quality green feed and mixed green feed must be supplemented (a reference formula is: corn 50%, wheat bran 12%, soybean cake 20%, barley 15%. Salt 1%, bone meal 2%). Ewes in late pregnancy should not graze during the rainy season, and feed that is small in volume, easy to digest, and high in nutritional value should be gradually increased. Within 1-3 days before lambing, it is best not to feed concentrate, only hay, to prevent indigestion or mastitis.

Pregnant ewes should be protected against miscarriage and separated from the flock, carefully cared for, and not grazed far away or on slopes or hollows. Prevent rapid walking, running, butting, and strenuous activity. It is strictly forbidden to hit pregnant ewes. In management, attention should also be paid to maintaining clean and dry environmental conditions, and cleaning and disinfecting pens and equipment.

4. Feeding lactating ewes

During lactation, lamb nutrition mainly depends on the ewe. The nutritional level of pregnant ewes directly relates to fetal development and postpartum milk production capacity, affecting the normal growth and development of young lambs. For pre- and postpartum ewe feeding, in addition to good grass and good feed, succulent feed (carrots, etc.) and minerals (such as 1% bone meal and 0.8% salt) and vitamins should be supplemented, ensuring diverse feed for ewes with good palatability and easy digestion.

IV. General Management Techniques for Goats

(I) Transitional feeding

This is mainly a measure for barn-fed goats. For goats that need to be raised in barns, when newly introduced, if the goats from the original source were raised by grazing, then when the sheep are introduced, adaptive domestication for barn feeding should be carried out first. The method is: for the first two days after introduction, graze according to the original source's feeding method; from the third day, reduce daily grazing time by one hour compared with the previous day, until grazing is completely stopped and full barn feeding is implemented.

In addition, after newly grouping sheep, there should also be an adaptive feeding stage, which helps sheep adapt to the new environment and forage feed. In particular, the adoption of new facilities must go through about one week of training to train them to adapt to the new facilities and become accustomed to eating the formulated diet.

(II) Group feeding: Group and pen sheep by sex and different physiological stages for convenient feeding management. Such as rams, non-pregnant ewes, pregnant ewes, ewes about to lamb, growing sheep, fattening sheep, etc. Implementing group feeding can reduce economic losses caused by improper management.

(III) Castration: Rams identified as unqualified (at 2 weeks to 1 month of age) and culled adult rams should be ligated and castrated in a timely manner. Surgical methods or rubber band ligation methods are generally used. A sharp pain is better than prolonged pain, so the surgical method is superior to the rubber band ligation method. After castration, rams have reduced feed consumption, improved feed conversion, and increased body fat accumulation ability. At the same time, wethers (castrated sheep) are also very popular in the market and command higher prices.

(IV) Disbudding: Should be carried out at 1-2 weeks of age; for rams, preferably not exceeding 10 days of age. Disbudding helps reduce fighting.

(V) Hoof trimming: Goat hooves grow quickly, especially under barn feeding or low-exercise conditions. If hooves are not trimmed in time, it can often lead to body deformation and difficulty walking. Hoof trimming should be done after rain when the hoof shell is moist. First clean out dirt from the hoof shell, then cut off excess hoof shell.

(VI) Brushing and shearing: Brushing can promote blood circulation in the skin, and can also make goats more docile and easier to raise. For rams, because urination often deposits urine on the long hair, skin, or beard of the front legs and chest, causing unpleasant odor, it is best to cut off the long hair. For lactating ewes, long hair around the udder and on the inner sides of both legs should be cut to ensure udder hygiene and reduce the occurrence of lamb diseases.

V. Reproduction and Mating of Goats

(I) Puberty

Puberty refers to the period when ewes first come into estrus and ovulate, and rams first release sperm. It is the initial stage of sexual maturity. The puberty of female goats is affected by breed, temperature, nutrition, and other factors, generally appearing at 4-8 months of age. Goats should not be mated during puberty; even if mated, they usually cannot conceive normally.

(II) Sexual maturity and age for first mating

When the reproductive organs of goats reach full development and mature sex cells begin to form in the gonads, this is called sexual maturity. After sexual maturity, the sexual activity of goats is usually called estrus.

The age for first mating of goats is determined by breed, growth and development status, feeding management conditions, and production needs. Mating too early affects lamb growth and development; mating too late is unfavorable for production. Generally speaking, under good feeding management conditions, ewes can be mated at 6-8 months of age; under slightly poorer feeding management conditions, mating at 8-10 months of age is appropriate; mating can also begin when body weight reaches about 70% of adult sheep body weight. For rams at 6-10 months of age, individuals with excellent physical development can take on light mating tasks, with a workload of half that of adult rams. First mating

The reproductive lifespan of goats is generally 8-9 years, with the optimal reproductive age being 3-6 years.

(III) Estrus period and sexual cycle

The interval from the start of one estrus to the start of the next estrus in ewes is called the estrous cycle. Generally, the estrous cycle of goats is between 18-24 days, with an average of 21 days.

Goats can come into estrus throughout the year, but mainly in spring and autumn, with autumn being the most concentrated. They can come into estrus and mate again 20-40 days after lambing.

Ewes show estrus through changes in three aspects: First, behavioral changes: excitement and restlessness, reduced appetite, butting with other sheep in the group, cessation of rumination, bleating, tail wagging, desire to mate, actively approaching rams, standing still when chased or mounted by rams, and mounting other ewes. Second, reproductive tract changes: relaxed, congested, and swollen vulva, erect clitoris, congested and relaxed vagina with mucus secretion. The cervix is relaxed, congested, swollen, and secretes mucus. Third, ovarian changes: 2-3 days before estrus, ovarian follicles develop rapidly, theca interna thickens, follicular fluid increases, follicles protrude from the ovarian surface, and the egg is surrounded by granulosa cells. Multiparous ewes generally show estrus 2-3 days after lamb weaning and should be promptly brought to the ram for mating. In daily management, for replacement ewes entering the breeding period, they should be allowed to "socialize" with mature rams on the exercise yard for 1-2 hours daily to stimulate estrus and timely mating.

(IV) Timely mating and mating methods

The estrus duration of goats is 24-48 hours. Ovulation generally begins 30-40 hours after the start of estrus, and the appropriate mating time is 12-24 hours after estrus. Generally, if a ewe is found in estrus in the morning, mate once that afternoon and once again the next morning. If found in estrus in the afternoon, mate once the next morning and repeat once in the afternoon. This is more reliable for successful mating. Within half a month before mating, in addition to providing sufficient high-quality forage, each ewe should also be supplemented daily with a certain amount of mixed concentrate to ensure adequate nutrition, timely estrus and mating, and guarantee more twin lambs. For large-group pen feeding, planned mating should be implemented. Spring mating should be concentrated in March-April, with lambing in autumn, so lambs can successfully pass the winter, ensuring fattening lambs do not go through more than two winters.

Mating methods include natural mating, hand mating (assisted mating), and artificial insemination.

(1) Natural mating. Also called free mating, this means raising rams and ewes separately under normal circumstances. During the mating season, form groups with a ratio of 4-6 rams per 100 ewes for free mating.

(2) Hand mating (assisted mating). Hand mating means raising rams and ewes separately under normal circumstances. When a ewe comes into estrus, mate under manual control with a pre-selected excellent ram. This method can reduce the number of breeding rams kept; each breeding ram can mate 60-80 ewes.

(3) Artificial insemination. Artificial insemination is a more advanced mating method that uses instruments to collect ram semen by artificial means, and after semen quality inspection and a series of processing, uses instruments to inject the semen into the reproductive tract of the estrous ewe to achieve conception.

VI. Do a Good Job in Epidemic Prevention and Hygiene to Reduce Disease Occurrence

Under barn feeding conditions, the resistance of goat flocks is relatively weaker than in wild grazing, so epidemic prevention and disease elimination are especially important.

1. Improve environmental hygiene. Clean the sheep barn daily, wash feed troughs and water troughs. Fill in waterlogged areas around the barn and on the exercise yard, ensure urine drainage ditches flow smoothly without accumulated urine. Use high-efficiency, low-toxicity mosquito killers or smoke fumigation to repel mosquitoes. In spring, summer, and autumn each year, spray the sheep barn and exercise yard with 0.02% fenvalerate solution to eliminate mites and ticks.

Disinfect pens regularly, once a month. New pens should be disinfected before goats are placed inside; old pens should be disinfected inside while goats are out for activity. Regularly rotate and alternate disinfecting pens and equipment. Generally use 30% hot wood ash water, or strong disinfectant powder, or "Anlixiao" diluted to 1:1000-1500 as a water-based spray disinfectant. Or use 2% caustic soda solution, or 3% carbolic acid, or 2% formalin solution, or 10%-20% lime milk for spray disinfection. Flame spraying can also be used to kill pen parasites.

2. Vaccinate on schedule. Determine which diseases to immunize against based on local epidemic conditions. Generally, the focus is on vaccine inoculation and comprehensive prevention and control of important infectious diseases such as goat pox, braxy, contagious pleuropneumonia, lamb dysentery, streptococcosis, brucellosis, "Disease No. 5", and contagious ecthyma. Generally, a general vaccination is done once each year in March-April to ensure the vaccination rate for the above vaccines reaches 100%. Sick sheep appearing in daily management should be isolated and treated promptly; dead sheep should be deeply buried promptly, and the cause of death should be identified. Various vaccines are introduced as follows:

(1) Sheep colibacillosis inactivated vaccine, subcutaneous injection, 2 ml per adult sheep, 1 ml for those under 3 months of age, immunity period half a year. Store at 2-8°C, valid for 18 months.

(2) Sheep streptococcosis inactivated vaccine. Vaccinate once each in March and September annually, immunity period half a year, subcutaneous injection at the tail base 5 ml, 3 ml per sheep within 6 months of age.

(3) Sheep pox chick embryo attenuated vaccine. To prevent sheep pox, inoculate in March-April each year, immunity period 1 year, regardless of size, inject an average of 0.50 ml per sheep.

(4) Sheep four-way vaccine (braxy, sudden death, enterotoxemia, lamb dysentery). Immunize once each from late February to early March and in September, inject 5 ml subcutaneously or intramuscularly per sheep.

(5) Sheep contagious pleurisy aluminum hydroxide vaccine, subcutaneous or intramuscular injection. 3 ml per sheep within 6 months of age, 5 ml per sheep over 6 months of age, immunity period 1 year.

(6) Lamb dysentery aluminum hydroxide vaccine, specifically for injection into pregnant ewes, so that lambs obtain passive immunity through nursing. Inject twice at 20-30 days and 10-20 days before birth, subcutaneously on the inner side of both hind legs with 2 ml and 3 ml respectively, immunity period 5 months.

(7) "Disease No. 5" foot-and-mouth disease vaccine:

3. Persist in regular deworming. Parasites not only consume large amounts of nutrients from sheep but also secrete toxins that damage the digestive system function of sheep, so deworming should be carried out. There are many parasites affecting the growth of meat sheep, mainly:

(1) Nematodes, roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes parasitic in the digestive system. Especially in the south, where it is dark and damp, digestive system parasites are more common. Different deworming methods are used for different parasites. Use the highly effective deworming drug levamisole, injected intramuscularly at 8 mg per kg body weight, which can eliminate various nematodes and roundworms in the sheep body; use albendazole, mixed with water and administered orally at 15 mg per kg body weight, which can eliminate liver flukes and tapeworms; levamisole tablets and albendazole tablets can also be used alternately. Levamisole tablets (oral 10 mg/kg body weight, once daily for 6-10 consecutive days) and albendazole (oral 10-20 mg/kg body weight, once daily for 3 consecutive days), ivermectin (subcutaneous injection at 0.2 mg/kg), etc. Medication should be administered on an empty stomach in the morning, and water and grass can only be given 3 hours after medication. After medication, observe carefully and promptly rescue if symptoms of poisoning or discomfort are found. Use diminazene, injected intramuscularly at 2-3 mg per kg body weight, which can eliminate Eperythrozoon in the blood. In areas where flukes are prevalent, deworm once each year at the Xiaoman and Shuangjiang solar terms using niclofolan tablets, at 7 mg/kg body weight, administered orally in one dose. To achieve ideal deworming results, a scientific deworming program must be established. Deworm the flock twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn. While deworming the entire flock, comprehensive egg-killing disinfection of the sheep barn and surrounding environment must also be carried out.

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