Sheep Shearing/Dipping
1. WHY
SHOULD WE SHEAR SHEEP?
Shearing must be practiced for the health and hygiene of each individual animal.
Unlike other animals, most sheep are unable to shed. If a sheep goes too long
without being shorn, a number of problems occur.
-
The excess
wool impedes the ability of sheep to regulate their body temperatures. This
can cause sheep to become overheated and die.
-
Urine, faces
and other materials become trapped in the wool, attracting flies, maggots
and other pests. This causes irritation, infections and endangers the health
of the animal.
-
Sheep with
large amounts of wool can become immobilised by physical obstacles in their
path and are more susceptible to predator attacks.Preparation
for Shearing
o Don't use any non-approved non-scourable marking
crayons or colour sprays in the weeks leading to
shearing.
o Don't use any insecticide chemical on the fleece for 6 weeks
before shearing.
o Remove all collars from pet sheep.
o Remove any foreign material from the fleece (leaves, pieces of
wire, hayseeds, etc.)
o Warn shearers of any ear tags.
The Act of Shearing, and there after
o
Shearing can be stressful
for sheep.
o
Shearing requires skill to
shorn efficiently and quickly, without causing harm to sheep or
shearer.
o
Try not to feed sheep
the night before shearing so their stomachs are empty making it
more comfortable for them while being shorn.
o
Because newly shorn sheep
become colder faster, place them in paddocks with windbreaks and
plenty of pasture.
o
The best time to apply louse
and fly strike prevention treatments is right after shearing.
o
Providing sheep with coats
or covers are a good option on small farms when the weather is
cold or wet.
"To
be a good shepherd is to shear the flock, not skin it"
2.
SHEARING OF SHEEP
Sheep make a valuable contribution to the livelihood of the
economically weaker sections of the society especially in the
mountainous areas by its multifaceted utility of producing wool,
meat, hides and manure etc. Wool is an important product of
sheep which continuously grows on it and its utility and value
depends upon its quality. The fibre fineness and the staple
length are two very important characteristics of the wool
determining its value and utilisation. The finest wool with good
staple length is used in the worsted system of yarn production
and for manufacture of best quality suiting. Kashmir Merino
developed in Kashmir is a fine wool breed of sheep comparable to
the best wool breeds of the world. Its wool has a fibre diameter
of 21 to 22 microns which is considered as the best by all
standards.
The act of cutting or removal of wool from the body of sheep is
termed as shearing. Sheep are washed at least two days before
shearing in order to remove dirt, suint and grease which hinder
shearing. Shearing is generally done twice a year in Kashmir
during spring and autumn months. Some producers prefer to shear
pregnant ewes before lambing. If ewes cannot be completely shorn
before lambing, they should be “crotched out†by shearing
the wool from the udder and dock area and from the head and eyes
of those breeds with wool on the face. This will make lambing
and nursing easier. Shearing before breeding in summer season
tends to increase the heat loss from the body and cools the ewe
and ram, thus inducing oestrus in the ewe and stimulating
spermatogenesis in the ram. The traditional way of clipping
wool is the hand shearing by using shearing scissors. It is now
an out dated practice and is getting replaced by machine
shearing.
Shearing doesn't usually hurt a sheep. However, shearing
requires skill so that the sheep is shorn efficiently and
quickly without causing cuts or injury to the sheep or shearer.
Most sheep are sheared with shears or shearing machines. The
fleece is removed in one piece. Some sheep are sheared manually
with scissors or hand blades. While some farmers shear their own
sheep, many hire professional sheep shearers. In many countries,
including the United States, there is a growing shortage of
qualified sheep shearers. Many states hold annual sheep shearing
schools. A professional shearer can shear a sheep in less than 2
minutes. The world record is 37.9 seconds. It was set in 2016 by
Ivan Scott from Ireland.
"It is the duty of a good shepherd to shear his sheep, not to
skin them". (Tiberius)
3. METHODS OF SHEARING:-
1 Hand shearing
2 Machine shearing
Hand shearing:
Blade shears consist of two blades arranged similarly to
scissors except that the hinge is at the end farthest from the
point (not in the middle). The cutting edges pass each other as
the shearer squeezes them together and shear the wool close to
the animal's skin. Blade shears are still used today but in a
more limited way. Blade shears leave some wool on a sheep and
this is more suitable for cold climates such as the Canterbury
high country in the South Island of New Zealand where
approximately half a million sheep are still shorn with blade
shears each year. For those areas where no powered-machinery is
available blade shears are the only option. Blades are more
commonly used to shear stud rams.
Machine shearing:
Machine shears, known as handpieces, operate in a similar manner
to human hair clippers in that a power-driven toothed blade,
known as a cutter, is driven back and forth over the surface of
a comb and the wool is cut from the animal. The original machine
shears were powered by a fixed hand-crank linked to the
handpiece by a shaft with only two universal joints, which
afforded a very limited range of motion. Later models have more
joints to allow easier positioning of the handpiece on the
animal. Electric motors on each stand have generally replaced
overhead gear for driving the handpieces. The jointed arm is
replaced in many instances with a flexible shaft. Smaller
motors allowed the production of shears in which the motor is in
the handpiece; these are generally not used by professional
shearers as the weight of the motor and the heat generated by it
becomes bothersome with long use.
Advantages of Machine Shearing over hand shearing:
-
It is less time consuming as it requires just 4 to 5 minutes for shearing of
each animal against 20 to 30 minutes by hand shearing.
-
It causes a smooth or uniform shave over the animal body as against hand
shearing where the wool cut is irregular.
-
Staple length is more in mechanical shearing than in hand shearing.
-
Chances of injuries and wounds in mechanical shearing are less than in hand
shearing.
-
It does not exert stress on and is convenient for the animal as compared to
hand shearing.
-
Machine shearing is a value addition to the wool and it fetches more prices.
-
Prevent buildup of manure and urine that can lead to parasitic infection.
4. PROCEDURE OF MACHINE SHEARING IN SHEEP
1) The sheep must be held properly in a comfortable position to
prevent its struggling during shearing. Most shearers use the
method in which the sheep is set upon its rump and supported
firmly between the shearer's knees.
2) The skin should be stretched so that it is smooth in the area
being shorn.
3) Wool fibres should be cut only once next to the skin to avoid
"second cuts" or short fibres of reduced value.
4) Belly wool, leg wool and tags have a lower value and should
be kept separate from the higher-quality wool from the back,
neck and sides.
5) The fleece should be removed in one piece so that it will
remain together when tied.
6) The fleece should be tied only with paper wool twine to
prevent contamination.
Step by Step Procedure of Shearing
|
Catching and Holding |
Start at the top of the brisket |
Move to the first back leg |
Don't forget the tails |
The undermine |
The neck |
The Shoulders |
The long blows |
Cheek and right front leg |
The Final Sweeps |
5. PRECAUTIONS DURING MACHINE SHEARING OF SHEEP
1) Cutters and combs should be sharp; and they should be
cleaned, resharpened and lubricated after each job of shearing.
2) The shearing floor should be clean and free of straw or
chaff. It should be swept clean of second cuts and manure tags
after each shearing.
3) Sheep must be dry before shearing. Wet wool tends to heat up
and become discoloured.
4) Be extremely careful when shearing around the udder, scrotum,
sheath, loose skin of the flank and hamstring.
5) Never lift the unshorn fleece with the left hand and attempt
to shear it off. This lifts the skin as well, which will be cut
in shearing. Instead, use your left hand to stretch the skin
away from the shearer.
6) Use a shearing glove on the non-shearing hand to protect
yourself against injury from the handpiece.
7) Keep the electric cord of the shearer behind you so that it
cannot be cut, thus preventing electric shock.
8) Do not rush through the shearing procedure in an attempt to
increase speed. The appearance of the shorn sheep (which should
have a minimum of cuts) and the condition of the fleece are as
important as speed. An experienced shearer can shear a sheep in
5 minutes or less, which works out to about 100 sheep per day.
9) Newly shorn sheep should be protected from the cold and rain
until they have had time to regrow some wool cover.
6. PREVENTION OF WOUND BREAKDOWN IN SHEEP SHEARING WOUNDS
Shearers should take care to avoid causing shearing wounds.
When stitching a large shearing wound, shearers can minimize the
risk of contamination and assist the healing process by taking
the following steps:
- Keeping needles and cotton in antiseptic
solution
- Washing the wound site and your hands with a suitable
antiseptic solution
- Keeping stitches less than 3cm apart
- Spraying the stitched wound with a suitable antiseptic
spray
- Marking the sheep so it can be easily identified and the
healing wound can be assessed. Usually, a wound is completely
healed between two and four weeks, depending on its size and
location. Severe wounds that involve more than the skin layer
(deep hamstring wounds or open belly wounds) and wounds to
sensitive areas (the pizzle and teats) are painful and stitching
must not be attempted. Seek immediate veterinary advice or
humanely euthanase the animal.
Sheep suffering pain or distress from any severe wounds or
wound infections must not be transported. If you are unsure
whether or not the animal is fit to load, seek veterinary
advice.
DIPPING
Dipping means putting or washing animal in medicated water in
order to cure or prevent from ectoparasites, sheep scab, mange,
get clean wool, remove waste materials and dung from fleece and
keep away sheep blow flies. It is usually done once in a year
before post winter shearing or before post autumn shearing. It
is also done when the incidence of ectoparasites is high. After
about 10 days shearing is followed by dipping.
Methods of Dipping:
A.
Hand bath: it is used for
small flock. Sheep are lifted one by one into a tank of
galvanized iron (1.2 x1.0x0.5 m) and kept for 2 minutes. Sheep
are then placed on drain board to drain off surplus dip back
into tank.
B.
Swim bath: it is used for
large sized flock. Two to three sheep are dipped at a time.
Examples:
-
Injectibles: Ivermectin, Doramectin and Moxidectin (@200
μg/kg b.w s/c ) in Late spring (1 to 31
May) and late autumn (1st to 30th November ).May be repeated
after 7-15 days, if needed, in case of severely affected
animals.
-
Insecticides: like Diazinon (0.01%), Flumethtrin (0.5%),
Coumaphos (0.1%). Spraying or dipping with insecticides may
be repeated in case of heavy infestations as per
circumstantial evidences
Precautions:
1.
Avoid dipping in advanced
stage of pregnancy.
2.
Always water the sheep
before dipping to avoid drinking of dip solution.
3.
Avoid dipping on rainy days
so that dip may not be washed off.
4.
Avoid dipping of sick
animals, animals with wounds and young lambs.
5.
Avoid dipping in rams in
breeding season to guard from injury to pen
Achievements of Department
Major Achievements
-
Around 85%
of sheep are of improved variety (Cross Breeds)
which produces finer wool and are fast growing.
|
-
Ours is
the finest wool producing region in the country.
|
-
35% of
Mutton demand is met locally.
|
Contribution to Economy
|
2020-21 |
|
Item |
Quantity |
Value |
Approx. Cost |
|
Mutton |
114
(Lac kgs) |
Rs. 600 Crore |
Rs.
535 per kg |
|
Wool |
33
(Lac kgs) |
Rs. 16 Crore |
Rs.
50 per kg |
|
Total: Rs. 616 Crore |
Demand and Supply
(2020-21)
|
Product |
Local
Demand |
Local
Produce |
Imports |
|
Mutton |
310
lac kgs |
114 lac kgs |
196 lac kgs |
|
Wool |
Nil |
33
lac kgs |
Nil |
|
Hides |
Nil |
8.5
lacs |
Nil |
Current Scenario
Huge local demand for
mutton and wide gap between demand and supply
↓
Focus is on increasing the mutton production and sustaining the
gains (fineness etc) already achieved in wool.
↓
Emphasis on growth and weight gain characteristics for obtaining
a progeny with traits of more and quick growth.
Accelerated Breed
Improvement
In order to boost the
ongoing breed improvement programme and to negate the ill
effects of inbreeding, which have crept-in for last several, the
department has just imported 420 sheep of Merino breed from
Australlia. These shall be bred in departmental farms and their
progeny supplied to field for dessemination of high quality
germplasm with ultimate aim of significantly increasing the
mutton and wool production.
New Technological
Interventions
Introduction of Assisted
reproductive techniques in Sheep & Goats.
-
Introduction of Embryo
Transfer /A
-
Artificial Insemination techniques to enhance
reproductive rates and productivity is in pipeline.
-
Sufficient trained
manpower has been developed in such techniques.
-
Civil works for ETT and
AI laboratory have been completed. Only pendency is
strengthening of laboratory in terms of equipments.
-
The techniques are
expected to be introduced shortly.
Promoting Multiplicity
Project for increasing
twin/triplet births through introgression of Fec-B gene, has
been underway at Sheep Farm Goabal for last several years.
Department is now propagating
Fec B gene in field, through supply of Fec B Rams, for better
returns to farmers in terms of twin/triplet births.
Infrastructural Strengthening
For ensuring better delivery
of services to farmers and timely health care to livestock, the
department constructed 42 structures like centres, dispensaries,
hospitals & laboratories during last ten years. Additional 9
such structures are under construction.
PROPOSED TARGETS OVER THE
NEXT 7 YEARS
-
Increase mutton
production by about 60 percent from present 114 lac kgs to
175 lac kgs.
-
Increase wool
production by about 40 percent from present 33 lac kgs to 50 lac kgs.
-
Creation of about
thousands of jobs through sheep farming via establishment of
units in private sector.
Technical Papers
Acute Fasioliasis in
Flocks of District Srinagar
Dr. Syed Moin ul haq
The
susceptibility to the diseases is always higher in exotic or improved breeds
than the native or local ones, and ever since the exotic blood was introduced in
the sheep flocks of J&K, prevalence of the diseases also increased. The
department of sheep husbandry responded well and a very good mechanism of flock
health care with more emphasis on preventive medication and disease control was
set in position. The department has been laying more stress on control of
parasitic diseases and more than half of the budget allotted for drugs and
therapeutic agents is utilized on anthelminthic drenching and rightly so as
these infestations not only sometimes cause heavy mortality among the flocks but
also cause great economic losses due to reduction in production.
Srinagar district though more than eighty percent urbanised has a substantial
and good quality crossbred sheep population reared in around 110 peripheral
villages or suburbs. Topographically, the district can be divided grossly into
three sheep rearing zones.
Hilly areas in east and south east of Srinagar like Dara, Faqirgujree, Brane,
Nishat, Khimber, Khanmoh, Zewan and Zawoora etc
-
Plain and marshy areas in the west
and north west like Mujgund, Panzinara, Malroo, Laweypora, Palpora and
Sangam etc.
-
Plain and orchard areas of central
Srinagar like Zakura, Gulabbagh, Batpora Saedpora, Telbal, Noubugh and
Umerhair etc.
In the marshy lands of west and northwest of the city, with about sixteen
thousand sheep population, some big flocks of sheep are reared and during spring
and autumn maintained by grazing on the banks of the river Jehlum. Acute
Fascioliasis associated with Black Disease has been affecting and causing deaths
in these flocks for many years.
TABLE SHOWING VILLAGE WISE MORTALITY DUE
TO ACUTE FASIOLIASIS
YEAR 2009
| Name of the
village |
Total sheep
population |
No. of
deaths recorded |
Percentage
mortality |
| Palpora |
1650 |
18 |
1.0 |
| Goripora |
1200 |
25 |
2.0 |
| Cochun |
500 |
5 |
1.0 |
| Bakshipora |
350 |
3 |
0.85 |
| Mujgund |
700 |
8 |
1.1 |
| Panzinara |
600 |
7 |
1.1 |
| Total |
5000 |
66 |
1.32 |
YEAR 2010
| Name of the
village |
Total sheep
population |
No. of
deaths recorded |
Percentage
mortality |
| Guzarbal |
400 |
8 |
2.0 |
| Shunglipora |
1800 |
30 |
1.6 |
| Palpora |
1800 |
7 |
0.3 |
| Goripora |
1700 |
34 |
2.0 |
| Chochun |
575 |
18 |
3.1 |
| Bakshipora |
420 |
4 |
0.9 |
| Sangam, Bajiwudri |
1750 |
21 |
1.2 |
| Malroo |
850 |
8 |
0.9 |
| Total |
9295 |
130 |
1.3 |
YEAR 2011
| Name of the
village |
Total sheep
population |
No. of
deaths recorded |
Percentage
mortality |
| Chochun |
530 |
2 |
0.3 |
| Sangam |
730 |
8 |
1.0 |
| Bajiwudri |
1000 |
2 |
0.2 |
| Total |
2250 |
12 |
0.5 |
Acute fascioliasis is
caused by Fasciola hepatica which has liver as its site of predilection. The
intermediate stage involves snails. The two primary requirements for
establishment of the liverflukes are snails and an environment that suits fluke
eggs, the snails and the larval flukes such as slow moving streams with marshy
banks, irrigation channels and seepages. The affected areas in Srinagar present
optimal conditions and in the months of late autumn, November and December,
mortality was recorded during the years in question. Deaths in almost all the
cases were peracute. Post mortem examination conducted in most of the cases by
experts of Disease Investigation Laboratory revealed liver damage caused by
migrating young flukes and severe haemorrhage with blood in abdomen. The
condition was associated in almost in all cases with Black disease as the damage
by young flukes provides suitable environment for germination of spores of
Clostridium novyi type B.
 |
 |
 |
|
Liver of ram showing acute
fascioliasis and juandice |
Liver of an ewe showing damage
due to acute fascioliasis |
Liver damage due to Black
Disease associated with |
Control measures adopted:
The department being sensitive to the losses that
occurred during the previous year's took appropriate
measures during 2011 and the flocks in the risk areas
were given strategic drenching of oxyclozanide and
closantal during the months of September and October and
then Triclabandazole @ 10mg/kg body wt. every three
weeks during November and December in the high risk
villages where deaths due to the disease had previously
occurred. Flocks in the area were also given MCC
vaccine. Farmers were also sensitised and advised to
improve the plan of nutrition during winter months and
both morbidity and mortality drastically reduced during
the season.
ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH
IN PURCHASED RAMS OF DISTRICT SRINAGAR
Dr. Andleeb Rafiq
Technical Officer
District Sheep
Husbandry Office, Srinagar
District Srinagar, which is
spread over an area of 293 sq. kms is about 80% urbanized with
very little agriculture and allied activities. Out of a total of
136 villages in the peripheries, sheep rearing is practiced in
about 110 villages with farmers having average holding of 30-40
sheep. Sheep have multi-faceted utility including meat, wool,
skin, manure, and to some extent milk & transport and thus helps
it to play an important role in the agrarian economy. District
Srinagar has an important history as the cross breeding
programme in the state has started from the Zakura area of
Srinagar and this area has always been rich in sheep farming and
some prominent sheep farmers have been from this area. The cross
breed sheep population in the district is almost 100% percent
and the Departmental activities including further upgradation of
the flocks in terms of mutton and wool growth are continuing.
Since the flocks in Srinagar are quite superior in terms of
productivity than the rams from the Departmental farms, the
Department as its one of the most important programmes provides
the flocks with good quality rams for genetic improvement and up
gradation of the flocks. The Department has in absence of any
foreign importation of rams in the recent past and least likely
to be in near future, developed a policy of introducing "elite"
or the best amongst the best Rams obtained from the local gene
pool into the flocks. These elite rams with phenotypic
characteristics of quick growth without compromising on the wool
quality are identified, selected and purchased from local sheep
farmers on encouraging and good remunerative prices and kept
under local conditions with the flocks.
In District Srinagar, the purchase and use of such rams started
during December, 2009 when 12 rams were purchased upto March,
2010 under Centrally Sponsored scheme RKVY. Out of the 12 Rams,
8 were Milk tooth (age group of 11-14 months) and 4 Ram were two
teeth (age group of 18-21 months).
The body weight statistics of the Rams at the time of purchase
was:
Mean body weight of MT Rams =40.8 kgs
Maximum body weight =49 kgs
Minimum body weight =36 kgs
Mean body weight of 2T Rams =46.66 kgs
Maximum body weight =49 kgs
Minimum body weight =43 Kgs
During the month of November 2010, 26 more rams were purchased
under another Centrally Sponsored Scheme, SWIS and were put in
the field for breeding. 12 rams purchased were milk tooth (MT)
and rest 14 rams were two teeth (2T), age group of 18-22 months.
The body weight statistics of the Rams at the time of purchase:
Mean body weight of 12 MT Rams =36.8 kgs
Maximum body weight = 43 kgs
Minimum body weight = 33 kgs
Mean body weight of 14 2T Rams = 47.90 kgs
Maximum body weight = 64 kgs
Minimum body weight = 41 kgs
Furthermore, during the month of October 2011, 15 more rams were
purchased under RKVY and 5 rams under SWIS and again put in the
field for the purpose of breeding. 6 rams purchased were MT, 5
rams were 2T, and out of the remaining 4 rams, 2 were 4T and 1
ram was 6T.
The body weight statistics of the Rams at the time of purchase:
Mean body weight of 6 MT Rams =55.25 kgs
Maximum body weight =67 kgs
Minimum body weight =40 kgs
Mean body weight of 14 2T Rams =60 kgs
Maximum body weight =63 kgs
Minimum body weight =58 kgs
In September 2012, 9 rams were purchased again under RKVY; out
of which 1 ram was MT and rest 8 rams were 2T.
The body weight statistics of the Rams at the time of purchase:
Body weight of one MT Ram =50 kgs
Mean body weight of 8 2T Rams =51.75 kgs
Maximum body weight =57 kgs
Minimum body weight =50 kgs
All the purchased animals were kept with the local flocks in
field conditions doing unrestricted breeding, shifted to high
land pastures mostly in the Sonamarg sector during summer months
and adjusted with breeders during winter months of 2009-10,
2010-11 and 2011-12. The farmers during winter months feed the
livestock with fodder mostly straws and hay, tree toppings and
concentrates mostly wheat bran and rice bran in very little
quantities.
The body weight (in kgs) of all these rams was recorded in the
following intervals for the assessment of growth and the
statistics as under:
OBSERVATIONS ON GROWTH OF RAMS FOR A PERIOD
36 MONTHS
|
S. No |
Age group at the time of purchase |
Mean B Wt. at the time of purchase |
Max. B wt. |
Min. B wt. |
Mean B wt. after 3 years |
Max. B wt. |
Min. B wt. |
GAIN |
|
1 |
MT |
40.8 |
49 |
36 |
49 |
55 |
44 |
+8.2 kgs |
|
2 |
2T |
46.66 |
49 |
43 |
48 |
50 |
47 |
+1.34 kgs |
OBSERVATIONS ON GROWTH OF RAMS FOR A
PERIOD 24 MONTHS
|
S. No |
Age group at the time of purchase |
Mean B Wt. at the time of purchase |
Max. B wt. |
Min. B wt. |
Mean B wt. after 3 years |
Max. B wt. |
Min. B wt. |
GAIN |
|
1 |
MT |
38.13 |
49 |
33 |
45.20 |
51 |
42 |
+7.07 kgs |
|
2 |
2T |
47.64 |
64 |
41 |
49.92 |
70 |
43 |
+2.28 kgs |
OBSERVATIONS OF GROWTH OF RAMS FOR A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS
|
S. No |
Age group at the time of purchase |
Mean B Wt. at the time of purchase |
Max. B wt. |
Min. B wt. |
Mean B wt. after 3 years |
Max. B wt. |
Min. B wt. |
GAIN |
|
1 |
MT |
41.73 |
67 |
33 |
42.9 |
53 |
35 |
+1.17 kgs |
|
2 |
2T |
49.82 |
64 |
41 |
48.47 |
55 |
44 |
-1.35 kgs |
OVERALL OBSERVATIONS
The data reveals that the overall
body weight has shown an increasing trend in both the
categories of rams i.e. rams purchased as milk tooth as
well as those purchased as two teeth. The body weight
recording in Milk tooth rams for a period of 36 months
has shown an overall gain of +8.2 kgs and with
substantial increase of 6 kgs in maximum body weight and
a 8 kgs gain in the minimum body weight. Similarly,
recordings of 23-24 months period have shown an overall
gain of +7.07 kgs in the body weight in Milk tooth rams
with maximum body weight showing a gain of 2 kgs and the
minimum body weight showing an increase of 6 kgs,
indicating a satisfactory growth pattern of these rams.
In case of 11-12 months recording of body weight, there
was a growth of 1.17 kgs in Milk tooth rams with a
negative gain in the maximum body weight and an increase
of 2 kgs in the minimum body weight.
In case of 2T rams, over the period
of 36 months, there has been a growth of 1.34 kgs with
maximum body weight showing an increase of 1 kg and
minimum body weight showing an increase of 4 kgs in
weight. In a period of 23-24 months, a growth of 2.28
kgs was recorded with a gain of 6 kgs in maximum body
weight and a gain of 2 kgs in the minimum body weight.
However, in 11-12 month period, there was a negative
growth of 1.35 kgs with a decrease of 9 kgs in the
maximum body weight and an increase of 3 kgs in the
minimum body weight. The decreases could possibly be
attributed to breeding stress as these mature rams were
continuously in the flocks during breeding season.
|
PERIOD |
MILK TOOTH |
TWO TEETH |
|
|
Gain in avg. b. wt. |
Gain in avg. b. wt. |
|
36 Months |
+ 8.2 kgs |
+1.34 kgs |
|
24 Months |
+ 7.07 kgs |
+2.28 kgs |
|
12 Months |
+ 1.17 kgs |
-1.35 kgs |
Further, the raw data also revealed that the mortality
was more in two teeth rams as compared to the milk tooth
rams.
CONCLUSION:
It appears from the study that the animals purchased as
MT have grown better during 1st, 2nd and the 3rd year of
their purchase as compared to those purchased as 2T
during these years. It also appears from the study that
animals purchased with less body weight have shown more
increase in body weight during the 1st, 2nd and the
3rd year of their purchase probably due to reason that
heavier rams might have undergone stress due to more
breeding.
EFFICACY AND ACCEPTANCE OF COMMONLY USED ANTHELMINTIC FOR
CONTROL AND TREATMENT OF SHEEP PARASITES IN DISTRICT BANDIPORA
IN DISTRICT BANDIPORA
