And COVID-19 looks likely to affect the annual Hajj pilgrimage and Eid al-Adha religious holiday, when our sheep meat is in high demand. My group's new research provides insight into the heat stress faced by sheep exported in recent years and casts further doubt on the industry's future. Sheep producers understand the need for forward planning, which can also be applied to heat management. When shearing in hot weather, ewes should be brought into the shearing area in small batches, allowing a period of rest before shearing. Your opinions are important to us. This suggests more sheep will die as a result of the shorter ban. Click here to sign in with In the short term, some are turning to alternative livestock, such as prime lamb or beef cattle for domestic consumption or export as carcasses. Providing adequate space allowance per ewe is sound management and will reduce the risk of heat stress. The content is provided for information purposes only. Science X Daily and the Weekly Email Newsletter are free features that allow you to receive your favorite sci-tech news updates in your email inbox. Ships docking at Doha sit in the sun for about a day and a half while some sheep are unloaded, exposing those left on board to high temperatures. or, by Clive Phillips, The Conversation. This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, and provide content from third parties. However, it is important to remember that shearing deprives the ewe of the insulation provided by the fleece and whilst reducing the risk of heat stress will make the ewe more susceptible to cold stress and energy deficiency in adverse conditions. Increased lamb mortality - where ewes are under moderate heat stress for prolonged periods the result may include a reduction in lamb birth weights and milk yields, both of which contribute to increased peri-natal mortality. The flock should be moved at a reasonably gentle pace particularly if the ground is rough. They should always be shorn in the early summer and provided with shade and water. Meza-Herrera CA(1), Vicente-Pérez A, Osorio-Marín Y, Girón-Gómez BS, Beltran-Calderon E, Avendaño-Reyes L, Correa-Calderon A, Macías-Cruz U. We do not guarantee individual replies due to extremely high volume of correspondence. Your feedback will go directly to Science X editors. Angora goats have a decreased ability to respond to heat stress as compared to sheep and other breeds of goats. In these circumstances, remove excess wool from the scrotum at least 6 weeks before mating begins; always provide shade and consider housing the rams during the hottest part of the day so that peak mating activity is in the early morning and / or evening. The future of Australia's live sheep export industry appears bleak. Heat Stress in Sheep | North Carolina Cooperative Extension Heat stress reduces libido and can cause sperm damage, reducing fertility which will affect flock production. The welfare risk to sheep from heat stress is highest on voyages departing Australia in our winter, and arriving in the Persian Gulf in the Northern Hemisphere summer. The committee recommended measures to ensure sheep experienced heat stress on fewer than 2% of voyages. However my group has shown this does not produce representative results. You can be assured our editors closely monitor every feedback sent and will take appropriate actions. In the long term, farmers would do well to look at the rising popularity of vegetarianism and veganism, and the threat to conventional meat production posed by "clean" meat grown in labs. Severe heat stress exposed Australia to the Middle East is one of the world's longest sea transport routes of live sheep for slaughter, usually taking about 20 days. This allows higher stocking rates and has shown to lead to increased birthweights of lambs. Early-lambing ewes which are shorn in November at housing need shelter in the summer and may even need to be shorn again in May or June to avoid heat stress over the summer months, particularly if there is a need to gather them frequently. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. There is no quick fix to the problems facing live sheep exports from Australia. However, goats tend to tolerate heat better than sheep. Heat stress is not a problem under normal conditions in the British climate but it can pose a significant risk to the welfare of sheep under some circumstances. Compounding this, COVID-19 looks set to force the cancellation of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia culminating in Eid al-Adha—a sheep-eating festival usually celebrated by millions of Muslims. Considerable stress, including heat stress, may be imposed on sheep when driven from the pasture to the collection area. However, goats tend to tolerate heat better than sheep. The internal temperature will quickly rise once the air flow, due to vehicle movement, ceases. Lambs shorn at housing should, however, be sold on a dead-weight basis (a small deduction will be made for lack of fleece). Clinical signs of heat stress include continual panting, rapid breathing, weakness, inability to stand, and an elevated rectal temperature (over 105ºF/40.6ºC). Read the original article. The role of the fleece in the development of heat stress cannot be overstated. Reduced voluntary food intake - ewes under heat stress are lethargic and have a reduced appetite. However, if body heat production is suddenly increased (for example, due to muscle activity when the animal is driven) it can have difficulty in losing sufficient heat to maintain a constant body temperature and may become heat stressed.
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