Continued from page 35 ~ Body
Condition Scoring of Sheep
Lean or thin
Trials over a long period by DEFRA in the UK have shown that thin ewes (below condition score 2) and fat ewes (above condition score 4) will never perform to their full ability, because: At Mating: • They do not come on heat when the rams are first turned in. • They have erratic heat periods, shedding fewer eggs. • They may stay barren or become so in early pregnancy due to foetal resorption. In mid to late pregnancy: • They are more prone to twin-lamb disease (pregnancy toxaemia). • They are more likely to die when out-wintered. • They are more liable to vaginal prolapse, especially over-fat ewes fed ad lib roughage or arable by-products. and at Lambing: • They may have difficult births. • They produce fewer and weaker lambs, resulting in higher lamb losses • They have a poor colostrum and milk supply. Different breeds of sheep will also tend to have a range of different standard criteria for assessment of condition according to this five-point scale. In the Somali (blackhead Persian) and other fat-rumped sheep, an additional indicator of condition is the size and fat covering in the rump and tail. Good condition
This fat-rumped ewe from western Kenya has lost condition, most likely as a response to lactation. The backbone is prominent. The angular appearance clearly shows reduced muscles with little or no fat cover. In particular the rump has more or less no remaining fat cover. (Compare with the animal to the left). Ewes in this condition should be provided with supplementary feed. OSN Sources Cissé, M., M’Baye, M., Sane, I., Corréa A. & N’Diaye, I. (1994). Seasonal changes in body condition of the Senegalese Sahel goat: relationship to reproductive performance. In: Proceedings of the Second Biennial Conference of the African Small Ruminant Research Network AICC, Arusha, Tanzania, 7-11 December 1992. International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA)/Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA) P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia DEFRA: Welfare of sheep. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Suiter, J. (1994). Body condition scoring of sheep and goats. Department of Agriculture, Western Australia. Farmnote 69/1994 Thompson, J. & Meyer, H. (1994). Body Condition Scoring of Sheep. Oregon State University Extension Service. Winter, A. & Charnley, J. (1999). The Sheep Keeper’s Veterinary Handbook. The Cotswold Press.
In contrast, another animal from the same group, and without a lamb, has a smooth spine with full muscles and moderate fat cover. The rump and tail show increased fat cover compared to the thin ewe illustrated to the right. 36
OSN M a r c h 2 0 1 2
Photo: Jillian Craig