Maintaining the Health of Horses

Anthrax. Grazing animals are particularly susceptible to anthrax, specially when pasturing land has been recently flooded. The mortality is usually high. The first indication of the disease may be presence of severe symptoms of colic accompanied by high temperature, loss of appetite, muscular weakness and depression. The disease can be prevented by immunization. In the so called anthrax regions vaccination should be performed well in advance or the time when the disease appears. In infected areas, vaccination should be repeated each year.

Equine infectious anemia. It is a very serious blood disease of horses and mules. This disease is prevalent in moist locations, though it may be found in the regions far removed from any swamps. The disease is spread by biting insects, especially flies. There is no preventive vaccination. In order to prevent the disease it is necessary to avoid bites of insects. Animals that are thought to be infected should be separated from the healthy ones. Infected mares or stallions should not be used for breeding purposes.

Equine influenza. It is a contagious disease which is widespread throughout the world. Young animals are very susceptible to influenza. Since one of the first symptoms of equine influenza is a rapidly rising temperature, it is recommended that the temperature of young horses be taken daily. No exercise should be permitted during the period of high temperature. The early use of antibiotics or sulfa drugs may prevent some complications that may follow.

EXERCISES

1. Study the new words:

Susceptible, to be flooded, mortality, indication, in advance, to be repeated, moist locations, contagious, widespread, complications, to follow.

2. Find some more information on the topic and fill in the chart:

Breeding and Improving Horses

Strength and endurance are necessary in most types of farm work. Mares and stallions should be able to transmit desirable characteristics to their offspring.

Light horses are kept for various pruposes. Breeders seek to improve them in accordance with the desired purpose or use. In horses for racing, speed is of greatest importance. In saddle horses and light harness horses, beauty and graceful action are desired. The potentialities for good performance are inherited, but training, feeding and care are needed to develop the inherited qualities. However, the ability to transmit the desirable qualities to the offspring differs with individuals. A study of the pedigrees helps to predict the likelyhood that their offspring will be good. If close ancestors of a mare or a stallion have been good performers, the mare or the stallion is more likely to produce good offspring. This likelyhood is increased if all brothers and sisters of the individual under consideration are constantly good performers.

EXERCISES

1. Translate the text in writing.

2. Guess the word:

a) S…………………… - a seat for putting on the back of a horse or other animal.

b) M…………………..- a female horse or donkey.

c) F………………….. – a young horse.

d) W…………………… - to make a young take food other than its mother’s milk.

e) C………………………… - spreading by contact with an infected person or animal.

REVISION

1. Insert the words into the text:

Indoor Housing

Indoor housing is often used for a … that is being ridden every day in the winter. The old two-storey … is still but it is not suited for horses without a number of innovations. There is the added danger of fire when a large amount of hay is stored above the stalls. Newer single-storey barns are usually easier and cheaper to build and maintain. Hay storage is cheaper when built on the end of the barn rather than on the second storey.

Standing … are used to house horses, especially of draft horse breeds. Horses, which are exercised daily, get along well with standing stalls. The horse can be tied forward with a chain or rope that passes through the manger and is attached to a weighly block of wood. Horses can also be allowed to stand loose in a standing stall with two chains across the open end. If the stalls are wide enough, horses can go into the stall and turn around.

Free-stall, open-sided housing works well to maintain horses in an open-air atmosphere while providing some … from rain. Free-stall buildings are often used to house a band of mares or a group of horses that get along well together.

Indoor … areas are an excellent addition to a horse facility, especially when the horses are housed indoors for a long time regular exercise is essential.

Outdoor Housing

Outdoor … can be a very practical means of maintaining horses. Horses maintain their … temperature (38C) by thermoregulation.

Precipitation, especially rain, increases evaporation heat loss directly by reducing the thermal insulation of a horses’s hair coat and by increasing convection losses. Cold, wet weather reduces a horse’s ability to thermoregulate and is reported to cause weight loss.

The aim of outdoor … is to reduce wind speed and prevent precipitation, especially rain, from causing heat losses from convection. Simple housing designs can provide the necessary … from the elements and can be a very effective means of maintaining horses.

2. Answer the questions:

a) Why is the old two-storey barn not popular nowadays?

b) When is free-stall, open-sided housing used?

c) What is the influence of precipitation on the state of horses?

d) What is the aim of outdoor housing?

3. Give advace to an unexperienced horses breeder.

IV. SHEEP

Selecting Sheep

The breeds can be classified into three main classes:

· long-wool breeds,

· medium-wool breeds,

· fine-wool breeds.

The first two classes are raised for meat purposes, there are referred to a mutton type. The fine-wool breeds were formally raised for wool production, but meat is now of first importance in raising them.

There are many breeds of mutton type of medium-wool class. Nearly all of them originated in England and their names were taken either from the names of English counties or hills. Long-wool breeds are not widely raised in the USA.

The common breeds of the fine-wool type are the Merino and the Rambouillet. They are good grazers and are adaptable to range conditions. The Merino is well covered with wool, and the skin of certain strains carries a number of wrinkles or folds on the body. The hair is white on portions not covered with wool: the ears, nose, and lower parts of the legs. The typical Rambouillet is a fairly large sheep of the fine-wool type. The rams usually have large, heavy, curled horns. The hair on the portions not covered with wool is white. Many breeders are selecting individuals free from wrinkles or folds on their bodies. The sheep that are free from body wrinkles are more easily sheared than wrinkled sheep and produce more clean wool.

There are some other breeds found in different areas of the USA. The Columbia and the Targhee are especially popular. The former was developed from crosses between Lincoln rams, a long-wool breed, and Rambouillet ewes. As a result of careful selection, sheep of this breed are large and vigorous. The lambs grow rapidly and reach market weight at an early age under range conditions. The Columbia can be classed as a medium-wool, mutton breed.

Selecting a Ewe. The main aim is to select an individual that produces good-quality meat, a good quantity and quality of wool and transmits tendencies for rapid growth and desirable market characteristics to its offspring. Select those that have little or no wool around the eyes and on the face. Open-faced lambs are preferred as they gain more rapidly, and open-faced ewes are desired because they are able to raise better lambs owing to heavier milk production. In the fine-wool breed select sheep with few or no wrinkles on the skin around the shoulders and neck. Such sheep are easier to shear and they produce as much or more wool of more uniform quality than sheep with heavy wrinkles of skin. If the ewe has produced lambs, it is good to see them and to know their weight at a given age.

Selecting a Ram. Select a purebred ram that has strong feet and legs. Pay attentiom to his weight at a given age. A ram kept under good conditions can be used up to five years of age. In the case of a tried ram secure information on his prepotency.

EXERCISES

1. Translate and learn the new words:

Long-wool breeds, medium-wool breeds, fine-wool breeds, to refer, mutton type, range conditions, to graze, wrinkles, folds, rams, ewes, careful selection, vigorous, market weight, to transmit tendencies, rapid growth, desirable market characteristics, to gain, to shear, uniform quality, to secure, purebred.

2. Answer the questions:

a) How many types of breeds do you know?

b) Do you know any particular sheep breeds?

c) What characteristics should the breeder pay attention to selecting a ram?

d)  What characteristics should the breeder pay attention to selecting a ewe?

3. Tell the group about any other sheep breeds. Use extra information resources and prepare a report.

Housing Sheep

For a considerable part of the year little or no housing is necessary, because sheep are best fitted by nature to withstand cold weather. Even during cold weather sheep prefer to remain out of doors, except during severe storms. During the lambing period, provide warm quarters, as the lambs are susceptible to chilling for the first few days of their lives. A shed-type building is a satisfactory shelter for sheep. It should be large enough to provide 15 to 20 sq ft of floor space per ewe. There should be doors in the building. An earthen floor is satisfactory if dry and well bedded.

In large flocks keep the rams separate from the ewes throughout the year except during the breeding season. Feed them properly so that they will be in good breeding condition. If a number of rams are allowed to run with a large number of ewes through the breeding season, have one ram for each 40 ewes.

Most sheep shearing is done by specialists experienced in this work. Usually the wool is shorn soon after the ewes have lambed.

Sheep usually remain in compact groups. Herding is a good method of keeping sheep together wherever they are produced in large numbers. One herder especially if he has a well-trained sheep dog with him, can control or drive a flock of several thousand range sheep.

When sheep are kept in small groups, handle them quietly and slowly in order not to make them nervous and frightened.

All the lambs that are not to be retained for use as sires should be castrated when two or four weeks old.

EXERCISES

1. Translate the new words:

To withstand, severe, lambing period, warm quarters, susceptible to chilling, a satisfactory shelter, well bedded, breeding condition, a flock.

2. What are the main rules concerning sheep housing? Are there any similar features comparing sheep and other farm animals? Sum up all the information provided (in writing).

Lambing Time

There are two procedures used in handling ewes and lambs at lambing time:

· open-air lambing,

· shed lambing.

 In warm climates ewes lamb on the open ranges. Sometimes it is possible in cold climates when ewes lamb after the growth of grass has started and they are on pasture at lambing time. The owner should take care of the flock. He helps to the ewe only if the ewe is unable to give birth to the lamb or if the newborn lamb appears weak and unable to care for itself. It is needed to have several small pens that can be set up near the camp wagon in which ewes with twin lambs or with weak lambs can be cared for the first days. If the birth was normal the lamb gains strength quickly.

In cold climate it is necessary to breed ewes to lamb early in spring before the grass has started to grow or the weather has warmed up enough to permit outdoor lambing. In small flocks, it is possible to put ewes into the small pens a day or two before they are to lamb. In large flocks, when the ewe has lambed place her and her lamb in one of the small pens for 1 or 3 days.

Ewes with lambs are usually kept separate from those not yet lambed. Some breeders prefer to have two groups of ewes and lambs, one for the ewes with twin lambs and the other for ewes with single lambs so that ewes with twins can be fed larger amounts of grain.

Feeding Sheep

Sheep are adapted to the consumption of a great variety of feeds, most common are roughages, grain is usually given to ewes during the lambing period or when fattening lambs. Sheep are able to consume different grasses, legumes, weeds, and shrubs that grow on cultivated land. Year-round grazing is desired. During winter months sheep are lacking in nutrients. That’s why supplementary feeds are necessary.

Hays are the standard winter feed for sheep when they cannot be out on pasture or when the conditions of the pastures are not good enough. Legume hay that has been produced on fertile soil and well cured is rich in protein, calcium and vitamins A and D. Sheep may do very well for a considerable period of time when fed no feed other than a good-quality legume hay, salt and water. Where non-legume roughages are fed, special attention should be given to providing a suitable protein concentrate and minerals, especially calcium.

Silage consists of succulent plants which are harvested at an early stage of maturity and compressed into silo. Most sheepmen prefer to limit the silage allowance to 4-6 pounds per head per day with the balance of the roughage ration consisting of hay.

Feeding lambs. Lambs require short, tender, fresh green pasture made up of palatable plants. The grass should be abundant, allowing them to get a fill with a minimum of travel.

Creep feeding of lambs has several advantages:

· it will speed the growth and fattening rate of lambs,

· ewes will not suckle down to become thin and will maintain a milk flow over a longer period of time,

· creep feeding tends to even up twin lambs and single lambs in size,

· lambs will be ready for an earlier market, which often has a price advantage,

· creep feeding enables many sheepmen to produce fat lambs on range that is too poor to produce anything more than feeder lambs unless extra feed is provided.

If lambs are to be creep fed on the range, they should be started when they are about three weeks of age. To teach the lambs to eat grain the latter should be placed in the troughs and left for the day. Each day it should be changed and fresh grain put in the creep.

Lambs will eat an average of about one fourth pound of grain per head during creep feeding period.

EXERCISES

1. Find the equivalents in the text:

Силос, адаптироваться, многообразие, грубая пища, откармливать, питательные вещества, бобовые культуры, сочный, зрелость, нежный, поддерживать, ценовое преимущество, растительная пища.

2. Match the beginning and the end of the sentences:

3. What are the peculiarities of feeding sheep? What kinds of food are necessary? How should a breeder treat lambs? Speak about general care for sheep. Work in small groups. Make a dialogue.