Goat and Sheep Farming II – SS1 Livestock Farming Lesson Note (Second Term)

Goat and sheep health and breeding management is the care that keeps the flock disease-free and producing healthy offspring.

Behavioural objectives

1. State the terms for giving birth in goats and sheep, and the gestation period.
2. Describe the signs that a female is on heat.
3. Describe the signs and control of PPR, foot rot and internal parasites.
4. Explain hoof trimming, castration, ear notching or tagging, and culling.
5. Explain how to care for newborn kids and lambs.

How do goats and sheep breed and reproduce?

Breeding is the mating of a male and a female so that the female becomes pregnant and produces young ones.

• Why it matters: a farmer makes a profit only when the females produce healthy offspring.
• Kidding: the birth of kids by a goat.
• Lambing: the birth of lambs by a sheep.
• Gestation period: the length of pregnancy, about 5 months (roughly 150 days) in both goats and sheep.
• Twinning: goats often have twins or triplets, so the flock grows quickly.

What are the common breeding terms for goats and sheep?

A goat is a small ruminant kept for meat, milk and skin. A sheep is a small ruminant kept mainly for meat and wool. The table gives their breeding terms.

What are the signs that a female is on heat?

Heat is the period when a female is ready to accept the male and can become pregnant.

• Restlessness: she moves about and makes a lot of noise.
• Tail wagging: she wags her tail constantly.
• Vulva changes: the vulva (the opening under the tail) becomes red and slightly swollen.

What are the common diseases of goats and sheep?

The common diseases of goats and sheep are PPR, foot rot and internal parasite infection, which animals pick up from the environment while grazing.

What is PPR?

PPR (Peste des Petits Ruminants) is a deadly viral disease of goats and sheep, often called “goat plague” in Nigeria.

• Cause: a virus, which spreads from sick animals to healthy ones.
• Signs: fever, running nose and eyes, sores in the mouth, and foul-smelling diarrhoea.
• Treatment: there is no cure once it starts.
• Control: vaccinate the animals once a year with the PPR vaccine.
• Isolation: keep sick animals away from healthy ones.

What is foot rot?

Foot rot is a disease of the hoof that occurs when animals stand in wet, dirty mud for too long.

• Signs: the hoof becomes soft, rots and smells very bad.
• Effect: the animal limps and finds it hard to walk to look for food.
• Control: keep the pen dry.
• Foot bath: a shallow tray of copper sulphate solution for the animals to walk through.

What are internal parasites?

Internal parasites are worms that live inside the animal and feed on its body.

• Signs: the animal becomes thin even though it is eating.
• Rough coat: the hair looks dull and rough.
• Bottle jaw: a swelling under the chin.
• Control: deworm every 3 months with medicine recommended by a veterinary doctor.

What management practices should a farmer carry out?

Management practices are the regular tasks a farmer performs to keep animals healthy and productive.

1. Hoof trimming: hooves keep growing like fingernails, and long hooves make walking hard. Trim them flat with sharp shears.
2. Castration: removal of the testicles of male animals not needed for breeding. Castrated males (wethers) grow fatter and give tastier meat.
3. Ear notching or tagging: marking each animal with a notch or number tag. It helps the farmer keep records of sick, pregnant and fast-growing animals.
4. Culling: selling off old females that can no longer have young ones, and animals that are always sick.

How do you care for newborn kids and lambs?

Newborn kids and lambs need colostrum, navel care and creep feed to survive and grow well.

• Colostrum: the thick, yellowish first milk from the mother. It contains antibodies that protect the baby from diseases, so the baby must drink it in the first hours.
• Navel dipping: apply iodine or methylated spirit to the umbilical cord (navel) to stop germs from entering the body.
• Creep feeding: after a few weeks, give the young ones a private corner with soft, high-quality grass and grains. The adult animals cannot reach it.

What is the secret to success in goat and sheep farming?

Success depends on keeping healthy, breeding animals, more than on keeping a large number of animals.

• Example: one healthy goat that has twins is better than five sick goats that have no young ones.
• Vaccinate: give the PPR vaccine every year.
• Deworm: treat for worms regularly.
• Dry floor: keep the pen dry to avoid foot rot.

Evaluation

1. If a goat’s pregnancy starts in January, in which month do you expect her to give birth? (Count 5 months.)
2. Why is colostrum so important for a newborn lamb?
3. State two signs of PPR and how the disease is controlled.
4. What is a foot bath, and which disease does it help to control?
5. Give the name of a castrated male goat or sheep.

Assignment

Observe the goats or sheep in your area and note any that are limping. Write a short report stating the disease you think is the cause, two signs that support it, and the advice you would give the owner.