Lecture for Animal Science 101 class at UMCP. Feb. 14, 2017.

1. Animal Science 101
All About Sheep and Goats
SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shāy-nē-ŭn)
Sheep & Goat Specialist
Western Maryland Research & Education Center
University of Maryland Extension
sschoen@umd.edu – sheepandgoat.com – wormx.info

2. Sheep and Goats
 Among the earliest animals to be domesticated
(first dairy animals). 6,000 to 7,000 BC
 Multi-purpose animals: meat, milk, fiber, skins,
fur, manure, research, vegetation control
 Taxonomy
 Kingdom: Animalia
 Phylum: Chordata
 Class: Mammalia
 Order: Artiodactyla
 Family: Bovidae
 Genus: Ovis - Capra
 Species: aries – hircus
 Classified as small ruminants, along with
cervids (deer) and sometimes camelids
(pseudoruminants - 3-chambered stomachs)
Sheep Ancestor: Mouflon
Goat Ancestor: Bezoar

3. Are sheep and goats the same?
 Sheep and goats are often not
differentiated from one another.
 Some languages do not have
different words for sheep and
goat(s).
 The media frequently
misidentifies sheep and goats.
 Statistics for sheep and goats are
often combined.
 Sheep and goats have many
similarities, but also many
differences.
Was it the year of the sheep or goat?

4. Differences: physical
Sheep
 Most sheep are polled.
 Horns are more curvy
 Sometimes have a mane
 Split upper lip
 Face or tear glands
 Foot or scent glands
between toes.
 Deposit fat externally
(except hair sheep)
 Heavier muscled
 Faster growing
Goats
 Most goats have horns.
 Horns are straighter
and narrower
 Sometimes have a
beard
 More agile
 Deposit fat internally
(around organs).
 Lighter muscled
 Slower growing

5. What is the easiest way to tell the difference
between a sheep and a goat?
Goat tails go up - sheep tails go down
Angora goat
Barbados Blackbelly sheep

6. Differences: behavior
Sheep
 Distant and aloof
 Easily “spooked”
 Stronger herding instinct
 Grazers: prefer to eat
grass and forbs.
 Graze close to the soil
surface.
 Prefer short, tender grass
 Rams charge
Goats
 Curious and independent
 Less gregarious
 More likely to seek shelter
 Browsers: prefer to eat
shrubs, twigs, and vines.
 Top-down grazers
 Like to get on hind legs
to eat.
 Bucks rear up before
charging.

7. Differences: production
Sheep
 Reproduction
Shorter estrus cycle - 17 days.
Complicated cervix
Few visible signs of heat
More difficult to AI
[AI=artificial insemination]
 Nutrition
Lower maintenance requirements
Lower copper requirements
More susceptible to copper toxicity
 Lactation
Produce less, but better quality milk.
Shorter lactation period.
Goats
 Reproduction
Longer estrus cycle - 21 days.
More obvious signs of heat
Not difficult to AI
Buck has odor, esp. during rut
 Nutrition
Higher maintenance requirements
Require a more nutritious diet
Higher copper requirements
Less susceptible to copper toxicity
 Lactation
Produce more milk (weight, volume)
Longer lactation period.

8. The mating of a sheep and a goat
will not result in a fertile pregnancy.
Goats - 60 chromosomes
Sheep – 54 chromosomes

9. Sheep/goat hybrid
Sheep/goat chimera – “geep”
Wattles in sheep

10. An overview of the sheep and
goat industry
Boer goats

11. World livestock inventories
Chickens 23,243,345,000
Cattle 1,482,144,415
Sheep 1,209,908,104
Goats 1,006,785,725
Pigs 986,648,755
Buffalo 195,098,316
Horses 58,913,957
Camels 27,777,346
Other camelids 8,894,140
Source: FAO STAT, 2014

12. World sheep and goat
population
Sheep Goats
Source: FAO Stat, 2014
Oceania

13. World sheep and goat inventories
Country Sheep
China 185,000,000
Australia 75,547,846
India 75,500,000
Sudan 52,500,000
Iran 50,220,000
Nigeria 39,000,000
New Zealand 30,786,761
United Kingdom 32,856,000
Pakistan 28,800,000
Turkey 27,425,233
Mexico 8,477,000
USA 5,335,000
Canada 892,000
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 2013
Country Goats
China 182,890670
India 162,000,000
Pakistan 64,900,000
Nigeria 58,250,000
Bangladesh 55,600,000
Sudan 44,000,000
Iran 22,100,000
Mali 19,126,806
Indonesia 18,576,000
Mongolia 18,000,000
Mexico 8,700,000
USA 2,811,000
Canada 30,000

14. U.S livestock inventories
Chickens 1,917,000,000
Turkeys 240,000,000
Cattle 89,299,600
Pigs 64,775,000
Horses 10,350,000
Sheep 5,335,000
Goats 2,811,000
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 2013

15. U.S. Livestock Slaughter
Species 2016 Avg. live wt.
Cattle 30,565,200 1363
Calves 487,600 265
Hogs 118,202,800 282
Sheep and lambs 2,233,7000 137
Goats 577,700 67
USDA-NASS , 2017

16. U.S. sheep inventory - top 10 states
1 Texas 700,000
2 California 585,000
3 Colorado 395,000
4 Wyoming 360,000
5 Utah 275,000
6 Idaho 255,000
7 South Dakota 250,000
8 Montana 230,000
9 Iowa 175,000
10 Oregon 170,000
Other states 148,000
Maryland 19,265*
USA 5,200,000
USDA-NASS , 2017 (*2012 Ag Census)

17. U.S. goat inventory - top 10 states
USDA-NASS , 2017 (Maryland, 2012 Ag Census)
Meat Dairy Fiber
1 Texas 790,000 Wisconsin 44,000 Texas 80,000
2 Other states 182,000 California 41,000 Arizona 35,000
3 Tennessee 110,000 Other states 33,300 Other states 23,100
4 Oklahoma 92,000 Iowa 30,500 New Mexico 10,500
5 California 87,000 Texas 22,000 California 3,400
6 Georgia 67,000 Pennsylvania 15,000 Maryland 446
7 Missouri 75,000 New England 14,200
8 Kentucky 56,000 New York 13,700
9 North Carolina 50,000 Oregon 12,600
10 Kansas 46,000 Michigan 12,500
Maryland 7707 Maryland 2592
US
A
2,115,000 373,000 152,000

18. Maryland livestock inventories
Broilers 64,192,426
Layers 2,364,942
Cattle and calves 194,524
Horses and ponies 28,662
Hogs and pigs 19,869
Sheep 19,265
Goats 10,745
Llamas and alpacas 2038
Source: 2012 Census of Agriculture

19. Maryland sheep and goat inventory
SHEEP
County # sheep # farms
Carroll 3556 85
Harford 3293 49
Washington 2449 61
Frederick 1975 94
Baltimore 1053 50
Howard 1048 34
St. Mary’s 856 52
Garrett 633 23
Montgomery 666 45
Kent 577 8
MD Total 19,265 663
GOATS
County # goats # farms
Washington 1343 67
Frederick 1260 77
Carroll 1194 113
Montgomery 732 56
Baltimore 675 55
Garrett 555 54
Cecil 504 44
Prince George’s 502 37
Kent 450 5
Harford 413 51
MD Total 10,745 903
2012 Census of Agriculture

20. Trends in U.S. sheep industry
 56 million head in 1945.
 Downward trend since end
of World War II.
 Making the transition from
tradition
 Minor industry
 Less emphasis on wool
production
 Small dairy sheep industry
 Growing importance of ethnic
markets and direct marketing.
 More hair sheep
 Sheep for vegetation control.
Merinos

21. Increase in hair sheep

22. Trends in U.S. goat industry
 Has always been a small industry,
focused mostly in Texas.
 Meat goat industry grew for many
years, but has leveled off in recent
years.
 There is some increase in dairy
goat production.
 Fiber industry (Angora goats)
continues to decline.
 Increasing use of goats for
vegetation control.
Kiko buck

23. Challenges faced by industry
 Lack of infrastructure - medicine,
veterinary expertise, shearers,
research$
 Low consumption/use of products
 Lack of new product development
 Competition from imports
 Concentration of slaughter (lambs)
 Lack of slaughter capacity (goats)
 Predators of all shapes and sizes
 Burdensome regulation
 Tradition - failure to adopt new
technology and/or use recommended
practices (lack of productivity
improvement).
 Labor

24. Reasons for optimism in industry
 Lack of supply
Failure to meet demand
 New markets
 New uses for products
 Growing ethnic demand
 Creative marketing
 Preference for fresh product
 Preference for local.
 Infusion of youth and women into
industry.
 Opportunity for greater use of
technology to improve
productivity and reduce labor
requirements.

25. Segments of U.S. sheep industry
 Range operations
 Farm flocks
 Feed lots
 Dairy
 Other
Romney

26. Range operations
Texas and Western U.S. (mountain states) – most sheep in US
 Fenced or unfenced range
Herders used on unfenced range
 Public or private land
Ranchers pay a fee to use and
maintain public lands
 Large flocks
1 band = 1,000 ewes + lambs
 Sheep with strong flocking instinct
favored: Rambouillet, Targhee,
and Columbia
 More emphasis on wool production,
especially fine wool, though meat
still accounts for most income.
 Sell mostly feeder lambs, some fats.
 Predators (esp. coyotes) are a major
problem.

27. Farm flocks
All 50 states
 Fenced pastures
 Cultivated or improved
pastures
 More intensive management
practices
 More emphasis on meat
production
 Higher lambing rates
 Variable size flocks, but many
small flocks.
 Includes flocks that produce
seedstock, show stock, and
club lambs.
 More breeds raised
 More direct marketing Katahdin x Dorper

28. Lamb feeding industry
 Concentrated in Texas, Colorado,
California, with smaller feed lots
in the Midwest.
 Approximately 50 percent of
lambs are finished in lamb feed
lots.
 Some lamb processors own their
lamb feed lots.
 Feed lots are the primary source of
heavy, over-fat lambs which can
have negative impact on lamb
prices and consumer acceptability.
 Many producers feed their own
lambs or finish them on grass or
other feedstuffs.

29. U.S. dairy sheep industry
 U.S. is the largest
importer of sheep
cheese in the world.
 About 200 dairy sheep
farms in US.
 Most farms are in
Wisconsin or Vermont.
 One farm in Maryland.
 Average flock size is 144
ewes
 Only 3 dairy sheep breeds
in U.S. (East Friesian,
Lacaune, Awassi) Dairy sheep research program at
University of Wisconsin ended in 2016.

30. Other sheep enterprises or uses of sheep
 Vegetation Control
 Biomedical
 Research models
 Blood
 Drug “factories”
 Organ “factories”
 Hides and skins
 Fur
 Agrotourism

31. Segments of U.S. goat industry
1) Meat (and other)
2.1 million
2) Dairy
373,000
3) Fiber
152,000

32. U.S. meat goat industry
 Largest segment of
U.S. goat industry.
 ~80 percent of goats
in U.S. are classified
as meat (or other).
 After many years of
growth, the industry
has leveled off, due to
similar challenges as
sheep industry.
Boer x Nubian

33. U.S. dairy goat industry
 ~18 percent of U.S. goat
population.
 Top 8 states: California,
Wisconsin, Texas, Iowa,
Pennsylvania, New York,
Missouri, and New England.
 There are a handful of certified
goat dairies in Maryland.
 Milk regulations vary by state;
raw milk and raw milk cheese
legal in some states.
 Greatest economic potential?
Saanen

34. U.S. fiber goat industry
 Angora goats comprise
~7 percent of U.S. goat
population.
 5.7 lbs. of mohair per
goat in 2016.
 Average price:
$4.56/lb.
 Small number of
Cashmere goats.
 4 oz. of down per year
Cashmere

35. Other goat enterprises or uses of goats
 Vegetation Control
www.eco-goats.com
browsinggreengoats.com
 Biomedical
 Research models
 Blood
 Drug “factories”
 Hides and skins
 Agrotourism

36. Sheep and goat products

37. Sheep and goat products
 Meat
 Milk and dairy products
 Fiber
 Fur, hides, and skins
 Biomedical products
 Vegetation control

38. Meat
Lamb
 Red meat with similar nutrient
profile as beef and pork.
 Naturally tender - no need to age
 Less marbling than beef and pork.
 Easy to digest
 Favored for various Christian,
Muslim, and Jewish religious
holidays.
 Distinct flavor; meat gets flavor
from its fat.
Goat
 Lean red meat
 Lower in fat than other red
meats and poultry.
 Milder flavor than lamb; tastes
more like venison, due to its lack
of intramuscular fat.
 Typically marinated or cooked
with spices.
 Age of animal less of a concern.
Sheep meat
Lamb - under 1 year of age
Mutton - over 1 year of age
Goat meat
Chevon - French
Cabrito - Spanish

39. Lamb
 Average dressing percentage
is ~50%.
Carcass weight ÷ live weight
 Average slaughter weight is
137 lbs.
 Almost all lambs grade USDA
Choice or Prime.
 Lambs for ethnic markets are
usually lighter (< 100 lbs) than
lambs for commodity markets.
 Per capita consumption is less
than 1 lb. per person.
 35% of Americans have never
eaten lamb.

40. Meat goats
 Average dressing percentage
is ~44%.
Carcass weight ÷ live weight
 Average slaughter weight is
66 lbs.
 USDA grades for yield, but
no quality grading: a goat is a
goat is a goat.
 No records on per capita
consumption of goat meat.
 Not traditionally consumed
by most Americans,
especially those of Northern
European descent.

41. Compared to imports
Imported product comprises a significant portion of the market for both species.
U.S. Lamb
 Fresher
 Milder flavor
 Larger cuts
 Usually fatter
(often grain-fed)
 More expensive
U.S. Goat
 Fresher
 Younger
 More tender
 More expensive Most imported goat is from feral goats in Australia.

42. Ethnic markets
People that share a common culture, language, religion, or nationality.
Most lamb, almost all goat consumed by ethnic markets.
Lamb
 Muslim (Halal)
 Orthodox Christian
 Jewish (Kosher)
 Hispanic
 Greek
 Italian
Goat
 Muslim (Halal)
 Orthodox Christian
 Jewish (Kosher)
 Hispanic
 African
 West Indian
 Asian
Despite low per capita consumption,
population growth and population
demographics favor an increase in the
demand for sheep and goat meat.

43. Fiber
Wool comprises 1.2% of world fiber production.
Sheep
 Wool and coat type
 Fine
 Medium
 Long
 Carpet
 Hair
 Sheep are sheared annually,
usually before lambing
 Fleece weights range from
2 to 30 lb.
 Avg. fleece wt. in 2016
was 7.2 lbs.
 Avg. price in 2016 was
$1.45 per lb (greasy).
Goat
 Mohair (Angora goats)
 Kid hair is more valuable
than adult hair.
 Gets coarser as goats get
older.
 Cashmere - Fine down grown
by all goats except for Angoras
 Angora goats are usually
sheared annually.
 Cashmere goats are
sheared (and dehaired) or
combed.

44. Wool
 Fine wool
 Crossbred wool
 Medium (meat) wool
 Long wool
 Carpet wool
 Hair
Fiberdiameter
(Staple)lengthofwoolfiber
$$VALUEasacommodity
Lanolin(grease)content

45. Mohair and cashmere
 Cashmere down
 Kid mohair
 Adult mohair
Fiberdiameter
VALUE
Fiberyield
Softer than wool

46. Dairy
Sheep milk
 Made mostly into
gourmet (branded)
cheeses.
 Roquefort
 Pecorino Romano
 Feta
 Manchego
 Twice the cheese yield
as goat and cow milk
(higher fat content)
 Can freeze for later use
Goat milk
 For fluid consumption of
manufacturing.
 Similar nutrient profile as
cow’s milk
 Stronger taste
 Naturally homogenized
 Considered more healthful
(is it?)
 Some people that can’t drink
cow’s milk can drink goat’s
milk.
 Favored for infant formula.

47. World milk production (year 2000)
Species
Production
1,000 tons
Percent
of total
Cow 493,828 87.7
Buffalo 69,248 11.9
Goats 12,445 2.13
Sheep 7,808 1.34

48. World sheep and goat milk production
(FAO United Nations, 2009, tons)
Goat
India 4,114,290
Bangladesh 2,226,900
Sudan 1,475,000
Pakistan 719,000
France 623,460
Greece 484,000
Spain 473,000
Iran 429,082
Somalia 394,873
Niger 276,091
Sheep
China 1,150,000
Greece 780,000
Turkey 734,219
Syria 706,023
Romania 600,444
Italy 599,500
Iran 577,030
Sudan 513,000
Spain 506,700
Somalia 465,710

49. Questions? Comments?
SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shāy-nē-ŭn)
Sheep & Goat Specialist
Western Maryland Research & Education Center
University of Maryland Extension
sschoen@umd.edu
sheepandgoat.com - wormx.info