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Meat Goats vs. Hair Sheep vs. Wool Sheep: Which One...
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Meat Goats vs. Hair Sheep vs. Wool Sheep: Which One Do You Want to Raise

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Small Ruminants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2022) | Viewed by 9341

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Joan Burke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
USDA ARS Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, Booneville, AR, USA
Interests: genetic and genomic selection; gastrointestinal parasite control; sheep and goats; specialty forages
Prof. Dr. Govind Kannan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Interests: animal welfare; meat quality and safety; small ruminants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Global meat goat production has steadily increased in recent decades, with the highest populations recorded in Asia and Africa. Because of increasing consumer tendency toward the use of synthetic fibers instead of wool, there has been a decline in wool sheep production. Consequently, hair sheep production is on the rise and is the fastest-growing segment of the sheep industry in the US. The purpose of this Special Issue is to compile original research or review articles addressing the advantages and/or disadvantages of meat goat, hair sheep, and/or wool sheep farming to benefit the stakeholders.

The issue will focus on management methods that improve animal wellbeing, health, productivity, and meat quality, including genetics and genomics, control of internal parasites, diets and forages, and animal handling methods. Articles relating management systems and sustainability of farms or addressing industry policies will also be within the scope of this collection. We believe this issue will add to the current body of work on small ruminant management systems and expect it to benefit the scientific community, extension and communication personnel, industry, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.

Dr. Govind Kannan
Dr. Joan Burke
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • goats
  • internal parasites
  • meat quality
  • sheep
  • stress

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 290 KiB  
Article
A Cross-Sectional Study of Commercial Ewe Management Practices for Different Sheep Breeds across Southern Australia
by Amy L. Bates, Shawn R. McGrath, Maxwell B. Allworth, Susan M. Robertson and Gordon Refshauge
Animals 2023, 13(3), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030388 - 23 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2515
Abstract
The management of ewes across southern Australia may vary with breed and can change over time and, as such, a greater understanding of producer management practices and the motivations that influence these practices is required. A cross-sectional study was performed by telephone interview [...] Read more.
The management of ewes across southern Australia may vary with breed and can change over time and, as such, a greater understanding of producer management practices and the motivations that influence these practices is required. A cross-sectional study was performed by telephone interview with sheep producers managing Composite, Maternal, Merino or shedding ewe breeds mated in either spring, summer, or autumn. The surveyed producers were a unique subset of southern Australian producers. A large proportion of the surveyed producers followed current best practice guidelines for ewe mating and lambing nutritional management; however, some producers did not align with these targets. Further, some producers did not see the value in attaining the current recommendations. Pregnancy scanning was widely practiced, likely an artefact of the recruitment process; however, a few producers did not utilize this information for nutritional management at lambing time. Finally, most producers were active in their search for new information, seeking information regularly from a wide range of sources and reported making management changes within the last five years. Further work is required to understand why some producers are not adopting best practice where possible and to understand current barriers for adoption. Management guidelines for all sheep breeds are required to best manage sheep across southern Australia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meat Goats vs. Hair Sheep vs. Wool Sheep: Which One Do You Want to Raise)
13 pages, 409 KiB  
Article
Effects of Low-Fat Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles Supplementation on Growth Performance, Rumen Fermentation, Blood Metabolites, and Carcass Characteristics of Kiko Crossbred Wether Goats
by Khim B. Ale, Jarvis Scott, Chukewueme Okere, Frank W. Abrahamsen, Reshma Gurung and Nar K. Gurung
Animals 2022, 12(23), 3318; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12233318 - 28 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1875
Abstract
Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) produced in US are predominately low fat, as the economics favor separating as much oil as possible for sale as renewable diesel feedstock and also for use in swine and poultry feed. This study aimed to evaluate [...] Read more.
Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) produced in US are predominately low fat, as the economics favor separating as much oil as possible for sale as renewable diesel feedstock and also for use in swine and poultry feed. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding different amounts of low-fat DDGS (LF-DDGS) on growth performance, growth efficiency, rumen fermentation, blood metabolites, and carcass characteristics of Kiko crossbred wether goats. Twenty-four goats, 5–6 months of age, were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental diets (n = 6/diet), 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% LF-DDGS on an as-fed basis, and fed for 84 days. Data collected were analyzed using an orthogonal contrast test for equally spaced treatments. Average total gains, average daily gains, and gain-to-feed ratios were similar among the treatments (p > 0.05). Rumen acetate, propionate, and butyrate concentrations and acetate: propionate ratios were similar (p > 0.05) among treatments. There were no differences (p > 0.05) among treatments for dressing percentage, rib eye area, and backfat thickness. Findings suggest that at least up to 30% LF-DDGS can be included in diets of castrated male goats without affecting production performance and carcass characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meat Goats vs. Hair Sheep vs. Wool Sheep: Which One Do You Want to Raise)
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16 pages, 660 KiB  
Article
Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Tannin-Rich Sericea Lespedeza Hay on Relationships among Linear Body Measurements, Body Condition Score, Body Mass Indexes, and Performance of Growing Alpine Doelings and Katahdin Ewe Lambs
by Wei Wang, Amlan Kumar Patra, Ryszard Puchala, Luana Ribeiro, Terry Allen Gipson and Arthur Louis Goetsch
Animals 2022, 12(22), 3183; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12223183 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1623
Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess the effects of the dietary level of a condensed tannin-rich forage on linear measures, body condition score (BCS), body mass indexes (BMI), and performance and relationships among these variables in growing dairy goats and hair [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to assess the effects of the dietary level of a condensed tannin-rich forage on linear measures, body condition score (BCS), body mass indexes (BMI), and performance and relationships among these variables in growing dairy goats and hair sheep raised for meat. An experiment with a 2 × 3 factorial treatment arrangement was conducted, with two species and three diets. Diets were 25% concentrate and 75% forage, which were alfalfa hay, condensed tannin-containing Sericea lespedeza hay, and a 1:1 mixture of both hay sources. Twenty-four Alpine (ALP) doelings and 24 Katahdin (KAT) ewe lambs were used in the 173-day study, consisting of four measurement periods. Variables included BCS, linear measures, BMI, and performance variables such as average daily gain (ADG) and dry matter intake (DMI, g/day). Linear measures were length from the shoulder point to pin (Pin) and hook (Hook) bones, height at the withers (Wither), circumference from heart girth (Heart), and width at the hook bones (Rump). Different BMI were based on the Wither, Hook, Pin, Heart, and various combinations. Heart, Rump, and all BMI were affected by species, whereas linear measures and BMI based on Wither and the combination of height and length measures were influenced by diet. There were positive (p < 0.05) correlation coefficients (r) between BCS and body weight (BW) and linear measures as well as BMI for both species, and correlations were greater for KAT than for ALP. Body condition score was correlated with BW, ADG, and DMI for KAT (p < 0.05). For ALP, the correlation between BCS and BW (p < 0.015) was much lower than for KAT (0.49 vs. 0.91), and there were only tendencies for relationships between BCS and ADG and DMI (p < 0.10). Body weight and ADG were positively correlated (p < 0.05) with all BMI for both species, and most correlations were greater for KAT than for ALP. Correlations involving BMI based on combinations of two linear measures with BW and ADG were in most instances greater than for BMI calculated from one or three linear measures. For ALP, DMI was related to BMI based on Wither and Pin (r = 0.43), Heart and Hook (r = 0.44), and Heart and Pin (r = 0.61), whereas for KAT, correlations were similar (0.72–0.75) for each of the four BMI based on two linear measures (i.e., Wither and Hook, Wither and Pin, Heart and Hook, and Heart and Pin). Therefore, it appears that each of these four BMI, preferably based on Heart and length, could be appropriate for better livestock management over BCS and in predicting animal performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meat Goats vs. Hair Sheep vs. Wool Sheep: Which One Do You Want to Raise)
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21 pages, 666 KiB  
Article
Effects of Restricted Availability of Drinking Water on Blood Characteristics and Constituents in Dorper, Katahdin, and St. Croix Sheep from Different Regions of the USA
by Ali Hussein Hussein, Amlan Kumar Patra, Ryszard Puchala, Blake Kenyon Wilson and Arthur Louis Goetsch
Animals 2022, 12(22), 3167; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12223167 - 16 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2307
Abstract
Different hair sheep breeds originated from diverse climatic regions of the USA may show varying adaptability to water deprivation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effects of restricted availability of drinking water on blood characteristics and constituent concentrations in [...] Read more.
Different hair sheep breeds originated from diverse climatic regions of the USA may show varying adaptability to water deprivation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effects of restricted availability of drinking water on blood characteristics and constituent concentrations in different breeds of hair sheep from various regions the USA. For this study, 45 Dorper (initial age = 3.7 ± 0.34 yr), 45 Katahdin (3.9 ± 0.36 yr), and 44 St. Croix (2.7 ± 0.29 yr) sheep from 45 farms in 4 regions of the USA (Midwest, Northwest, Southeast, and central Texas) were used. Ad libitum water intake was determined during wk 2 of period one, with 75% of ad libitum water intake offered during wk 2 of period two, and 50% of ad libitum water intake offered for 5 wk (i.e., wk 5–9) in period three. Water was offered at 07:00 or 07:30 h, with blood samples collected at 08:00 and(or) 14:00 h in wk 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 9 for variables such as hemoglobin and oxygen saturation and wk 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9 for concentrations of glucose and other constituents. The blood oxygen concentration at 08:00 h was 4.86, 4.93, and 5.25 mmol/L in period one and 4.89, 4.81, and 5.74 mmol/L in period three for Dorper, Katahdin, and St. Croix, respectively (SEM = 0.160; p = 0.001). Blood oxygen at 14:00 h was 4.37, 4.61, and 4.74 mmol/L in period one and 4.66, 4.81, and 5.46 mmol/L in period three for Dorper, Katahdin, and St. Croix, respectively (SEM = 0.154; p = 0.003). St. Croix were able to maintain a higher (p < 0.001) blood oxygen concentration than Dorper and Katahdin regardless of water availability. The pattern of change in blood concentrations with advancing time varied considerably among constituents. However, concentrations of glucose (55.3 and 56.2 mg/dL; SEM = 0.84), lactate (24.1 and 22.5 mg/dL; SEM = 0.79), total protein (7.08 and 7.17 g/dL; SEM = 0.0781), and albumin (2.59 and 2.65 g/dL in wk 2 and 9, respectively; SEM = 0.029) were similar (p > 0.05) between periods one and three. Conversely, concentrations of cholesterol (56.2 and 69.3 mg/dL; SEM = 1.33) and triglycerides (28.6 and 34.5 mg/dL in wk 2 and 9, respectively; SEM = 0.98) were greater (p < 0.05) in period three vs. 1. In conclusion, water restriction altered almost all the blood variables depending upon severity and duration of restriction, but the hair sheep breeds used from different regions of the USA, especially St. Croix, displayed considerable capacity to adapt to limited drinking water availability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meat Goats vs. Hair Sheep vs. Wool Sheep: Which One Do You Want to Raise)
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