Sheep - Agriculture

Duration: 100 hours

Method of Learning: Online, CD-ROM or correspondence (paper based)

Start: Anytime! And from anywhere in the world!

Qualification: Certificate

COURSE STRUCTURE

There are 8 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction; Terminology and Breeds
2. Selection and Breeding
3. Nutrition of Sheep
4. Diseases of Sheep
5. General Management of a Commercial Flock
6. Care of the Lamb
7. Wool
8. The Marketing of Sheep and Sheep Products

WHAT YOU WILL DO IN THIS COURSE

• Collect information about different sheep breeds which are being farmed or could be successfully farmed in your region.
• Compare the different characteristics of sheep breeds in terms of appearance, hardiness, commercial potential.
• Select breeds for three different purposes, including wool production and meat production, in your locality.
• Inspect at least two sheep, ideally, from separate flocks, and determine their age by looking in their mouths.
• Define the following different sheep breeding terms: Oestrus, Gestation, Weaning, Flushing, Wet ewes, Teasers.
• Design a "breeding record form" which includes all necessary factors.
• List criteria to be used for selecting sheep for different purposes, including for replacement and for slaughter.
• Develop a standard form, which considers both meat and wool, to use for judging sheep.
• Talk to at least two experienced sheep farmers about "condition scoring" of sheep.
• Compare the differences in food required by different types of sheep, including: rams; breeding ewes at different stages of pregnancy; sheep being fattened for meat.
• Prepare a collection of ten pasture plant species from at least two different sheep properties and comment on the suitability of the pasture for sheep.
• Distinguish between the different categories of sheep health problems, including: viral, bacterial, metabolic, protozoal, poisoning, parasites.
• Describe how to perform different pest and disease control tasks, including: drenching, injecting, hoof trimming, docking.

AIMS

A Sheep are an important agricultural livestock that are bred for meat and wool worldwide. Careful and informed management of your flock will ensure increased productivity and efficiency. Aimed at professional and amateur graziers, the course provides you with the knowledge to run your sheep effectively and productively and will help you to develop your ability to independently analyse and make decisions about the management requirements of sheep.

The course offers you the chance to understand more about the care and management of sheep. It covers a diverse range of topics relating to sheep such as: breeds; selection and breeding; nutrition; diseases of sheep; commercial flock management; lamb care; wool ;and the marketing of sheep and sheep products.

• Select appropriate breeds of sheep for different purposes.
• Explain the techniques used in sheep commercial breeding.
• Select sheep to be used for different production purposes.
• Explain the techniques used in the management of a commercial flock of sheep.
• Explain the processes involved in handling wool after shearing.
• Explain the procedures used in managing the health of sheep.
• Explain the techniques used in managing the marketing of sheep and sheep products.