Sheep breeding starts with good genes and focused attention. Whether you’re planning to buy, sell, or choose sheep from your existing flock, it’s important to know what a veteran sheep farmer is looking for during a visual assessment. Visual assessments are very complex and vary greatly depending on a long list of factors. Extensive hands-on experience and attention to detail, as well as superior lamb care ethics, are required to learn exactly how to evaluate a ewes or ram for breeding. However, there are 15 general aspects of a visual assessment for sheep farming. These include udders, testicles, mouth, teeth, wool, legs and feet, hooves, soundness, conformation, size, volume and capacity, sexual character and general health. Read on for a brief, basic description of each.
Udder
For a sheep or ewe, the udder is one of the most important characteristics. A hard, stiff or bulky udder is not expected to be suitable for breeding. Instead, breeders look for soft, full udders that have two functional, defect-free teats. Large or protruding teats are not considered good for reproductive purposes and are generally avoided. “Supernumerary,” or excessive, teats are also considered a genetic defect.
testicles
Ewe testicles can say a lot about a ram’s reproductive promise. Like the udders of a sheep, they must be physically examined by touch to determine their condition. They should be well developed, uniform in size, firm, without lumps, and move freely within the scrotum. The size of the scrotum varies and is highly dependent on the age, breed, season, and more of the ram. For sheep farming, the recommended scrotal sizes range from 30 to 33 centimeters. This ensures good semen production.
Solvency
A “healthy” sheep is one in good general physical condition and mostly free of physical or genetic defects. Healthy sheep have better productivity and a longer life.
Size
Also called hip height, the size of the sheep’s skeleton is an important characteristic for reproduction. Sheep with larger frames tend to develop faster and stronger, reaching heavier body weights. This is true for both rams and sheep. Although it is best to choose an appropriately sized female, larger ewes are likely to produce larger and heavier lambs.
Volume and Capacity
Like the size, volume and capacity speak to the integrity of the rib spring. This means that a good breeding sheep should have a deep flank, a broad top, and a round body. Sheep with opposite characteristics are less likely to be good producers.
sexual character
The sexual character refers to the stature of a sheep. For rams, breeders want their selections to be stocky and masculine, with horns that grow far from the head. For sheep, breeders look for feminine and refined traits.
Conformation
Like the height of a sheep, conformation speaks to the general shape of the body. However, the proper body shape varies from breed to breed. Breeders look for various indications of good conformation, including straight backs and smooth shoulders. Market lamb bulls are commonly chosen for a level dock, while rams used to sire market lambs should be thick and muscular.
Wool
The type of wool varies from one breed to another. Depending on the intended purpose of the wool, the demand also varies. When the wool is important to the breeder, the specific characteristics of the fleece are evaluated, including fiber diameter, fiber length, uniformity of length and diameter, and the presence of defects. For example, white wool sheep should not have colored fibers.
mouth and teeth
The mouth and teeth are important indications of good genetics. Also, the teeth will tell you the age of a sheep. Breeders look for a correct mouth, which means that the upper and lower jaws are aligned so that the incisor teeth are in line with the upper jaw pad. In industry, “upper” and “lower” jaws, or “monkey mouths”, are avoided. As for the teeth, the molars are more important than the incisors.
Legs, feet and hooves
A healthy sheep has straight, square legs under each corner of the body, and does not limp or limp. Legs that are too close to the knees or hocks are not considered straight enough. As for hooves, breeders avoid ewes and rams with cracked or defective hooves, as well as abnormal or excessive hoof growth. Hoof colors differ between breeds, but colored hooves are generally preferred over light-colored hooves.
Health
Ultimately, breeders want a healthy and capable set of ewes to breed. This makes it the most important criterion of a visual assessment. Sheep that are alert, bright, and social exhibit healthy behavior. They must be free of diseases, diseases, infections and more.