Maintaining the Health of Sheep

Sheep seem to be less susceptible to contagious diseases than cattle or hogs, but they may be affected with tuberculosis, brucellosis, anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, and several other diseases. Several internal as well as external parasites that may at times be very damaging infect sheep. But parasites are seldom fatal and by proper measures all of them may be kept under control and eliminated from a flock in a comparatively short time.

Paralysis in preganant ewes. This disease may occur in a flock one year and does not appear for several years. It affects only ewes that are pregnant. Symptoms are that the ewe does not want to eat, lies down most of the time, gets to her feet with difficulty at first and then becomes paralysed and is unable to get up at all. The lambs are usually born a few days earlier. The affected ewes are nearly always carrying twin or triplet lambs which are usually born dead. Some ewes die before lambing, some shortly after lambing, some recover. The disease is thought to be caused be improper nutrition.

Pneumonia and colds. The main cause of this disease is poor shelter where sheep become wet from rain or snow. The only preventive measures are to provide sanitary shelter and to feed well enough to maintain good general thrift and vitality in the flock.

The stomach worm. This parasite is probably responsible for a greater loss to sheep raisers throughout the world than any disease or any other parasite of sheep. Stomach worms are most damaging to young lambs. The only measure against this parasite is to practice rotational grazing on small pastures.

Sheep ticks.The sheep tick is a large insect that lives in the fleece. It lives by biting into the skin and sucking blood. To control ticks sheep are to be dipped within a few days following shearing each spring.

EXERCISES

1. Translate the new words:

Contagious diseases, to be affected, internal and external parasites, to damage, to infect, to eliminate, to occur, pregnant, to become paralysed, preventive measures, general thrift and vitality, a loss, rotational grazing, sheep tick, stomach worms, to be dipped.

2. What other diseases are sheep susceptible to? Prepare reports. Fill in the table.

Breeding and Improving Sheep

The breeder of sheep is interested in two products from his flock: lambs and wool.

Selection of ewes and rams is especially important. They should be able to transmit to their offspring the desired characteristics of rapid growth, good market type, and heavy fleeces of good-quality wool. The breeder is also interested in a high lambing percentage, so he should strive to secure a 125 per cent crop or more. Under range conditions, 90-95 per cent would be a good result. The average annual production of wool per sheep for the mediun-wool breeds is 7-9 lb or less. In fine-wool breeds the general average is about 9-11 lb.

Careful selection of ewes and rams is the key to improvement of a purebred flock. For purebred flocks of sheep, secure proved rams. In selecting a ram, give preferance to the one of a pair of twins, as most flock owners wish to increase the number of twins in order to boost the lambing percentage. While the ram has little or no influence on the number of twins among his immediate offspring, he may transmit the tendency of twinning in later generations.

Choose ewes that produce heavy fleeces of good quality and that breed regularly. Pay attention to the tendency for producing twins and to the characteristics of the offspring, including their rate of growth and amount and quality of wool. Obtain the weight and quality of a year’s growth of wool of each ewe.

In selecting ewe lambs, pay attention to the twinning characteristics, as continued selection for twinning is likely to increase the number of twins in succeding generations.

EXERCISES

1. Practice back translation. Be ready for the dictation.

2. Sum up the text briefly (4-6 sentences).

REVISION

1. Check if you have learnt all the words:

Wool, a breed, to breed, to refer, mutton, range, conditions, to graze, wrinkles, folds, a ram, a ewe, selection, vigorous, weight, to transmit, a tendency, rapid, growth, desirable, market, characteristics, to gain, to shear, to secure, purebred, to withstand, severe, lambing, period, a quarter, susceptible, chilling, breeding, a flock, contagious, a disease, internal, external, a parasite, to damage, to infect, to eliminate, to occur, pregnant, to be paralysed, preventive, measures,thrift, vitality, a loss, rotational, grazing, a tick, a worm, to dip.

a) Group them according to the parts of speech:

b) Guess the chainword:

1) a type, variety of species; 2) injure or hurt; 3) a female sheep; 4) outside; 5) giving birth to the offspring (sheep); 6) to eat grass.

1) to take place; 2) alternation (adj.); 3) something that is lost; 4) to cut wool from a sheep; 5) a male sheep; 6) the flesh of sheep used as food.

2. What new information have you learnt about breeding sheep? Ask and answer the questions with a partner:

3. Imagine that you are going to breed sheep. What is necessary to make the business successful? What kind of equipment do you need? What food is most preferable? What breeds do you give preference to? Speak with the partner.

4. What type of farm animals would you like to have if you had your own farm? What is necessary to make a profit if we speak about mass production? What factors can influence the business?. Give your ideas.

Glossary

A

ability – n, способность

abundance – n, изобилие

adjacent – adj, смежный

advisable – adj, предпочтительный

affect – v, воздействовать, поражать

ancestor – n, предок

appearance – n, внешние характеристики

artificial – adj,искусственный

average – adj, средний

B

barley – n, ячмень

barn – n, загон для животных на ферме

bedding – n, подстилка

beef – n, говядина

birth – n, рождение

boar – n, самец

body reserves – n pl, резервы организма

breed – n, порода; v, разводить

build up – v, составлять

C

carcass – n, туша

caretaker – n, хозяин

cattle – n, крупный рогатый скот

chilling – n, простуда

close – adj,близкий

complications – n, осложнения

conceive – v, забеременеть

concern – v, заботаться

concrete – n, бетон

constitute – v, составлять

consume – v, потреблять

contagious – adj,заразный

contain – v, содержать

cottonseed – n,хлопковые семена

D

dairy – adj, молочный

dam – n, самка

damage – v, повреждать, наносить урон

dense – adj, плотный, густой

desirable – adj, предпочтительный, желаемый

disease – n, болезнь

drain – v, дренировать

E

eliminate – v, устранять

excessive – adj, усердный

external – adj, внешний

ewe – n, овца

F

farming – n, фермерство

farrow – v, давать потомство (о свиньях)

feed – v, кормить

feeding – n, кормление

flesh – n, плоть

flock – n, стадо

foal – n, жеребенок; v, давать потомство (о лошади)

fold – n, складка

G

gain – v, набирать

gestation – n, беременность

grass – n, трава

graze – v, питаться растительной пищей

growth – n, рост

H

handle – v, обращаться

hesitation – n, промедление

hog – n, боров

hold – v, содержать

horse – n, лошадь

housing – n, уход

hurdle – n, препятствие, барьер

I

infect – v, заражать

internal – adj, внутренний

J

jaw – n, челюсть

L

lamb – n, ягненок

lambing – v, давать потомство (об овцах)

lard – n, сало

linseed – n, льняное семя

litter – n, потомство

loin – n, филейная часть

loss – n, потеря

M

manage – v, управлять (ся)

management – n, управление

mare – n, кобыла

market – n, рынок, продажа

measures – n, меры

moist – adj, влажный

mortality – n, смертность

mutton – n, баранина

muzzle – n, морда

N

need – n, потребность, необходимость

nutrient – n, питательное вещество

nutrition – n, питание

O

oats – n, овес

observant – adj, наблюдательный

observe – v, наблюдать

obtain – v, получать

occur – v, случаться, происходить

offspring – n, потомство

oil – n, масло

overactive – adj гиперактивный

overbalance – v, превышать

P

pain – n, боль

paralysed – part, парализованный

parasites – n, паразиты

parturition – n, роды

pasture – n, пастбище

pedigree – n, родословная

performance – n, производительность

permanent – adj, постоянный

pincers – n, пинцет

precaution – n, предосторожность

pregnant – adj, беременный

preliminary – adj, предварительный

preparation – n, приготовление

preventive – adj, профилактический

pull – v, тянуть

purpose – n, цель

premature – adj, преждевременный

prepotency – n, преобладание, доминирование

prepotent – adj, преобладающий, доминирующий

production – n, производительность

profit – n, выгода

prolificacy – n, плодовитость

protection – n, защита

provide – v, обеспечивать

purebred – part, чистокровный

Q

quarter – n, четверть, загон

R

raise – v, выращивать  

ram – n, баран

rapid – adj, быстрый

ration – n, питательный рацион

record – n, pl записи

refer – v, относиться

resist – v, сопротивляться

ride – v, ездить верхом

riding – part,езда верхом

rooting – n, врастание

rotation – n, чередование

roughage – n, грубая пища

S

saddle – adj  ездовой ,

secure – v, обеспечивать

select – v, отбирать

separation – n, отделение

severe – adj, сильный

shear – v, стричь

sheep – n sing овца, pl  овцы

shelter – n, кров, укрытие

silage – n, силос

sire – n, самец, производитель

slaughter – n, убой

sorghum – n, сорго

soybean – n, соевые бобы

sow – n, свинья, свиноматка

stall – n, стойло

sterility – n, бесплодие

stock – n, крупный рогатый скот

stomach – n, желудок

strain – n, порода

strength – n, сила

sufficient – adj, достаточный

supplement – n, дополнение

supply – v, снабжать

susceptible – adj, подверженный

swelling – n, опухоль

T

tendency – n, тенденция

thrift – n, бережливость, экономия

tick – n, клещ

tight – adj, плотный, тугой

tile – плитка, черепица

transmit – v, передавать

tusk – n, клык

U

udder – n, вымя

use – v, использовать

V

vaccinate – v, прививать

vaccination – n, вакцинация

value – n, ценность

vigorous – adj, энергичный

vitality –  n,жизнеспособность

W

weak – adj, слабый

weight – n, вес

wheat – n, пшеница

widespread – part, распространенный

withstand – v, переносить, выносить

work – n, работа; v,  работать

worm – n, червь

wrinkle – n, морщина

NOTES

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