Hill Sheep Research Articles

Investigating hill sheep farmers and crofters' experiences of blackloss in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Hill sheep farming is an important component of Scottish agriculture and comprises a significant land use in much of the Highlands and Islands. However it faces significant challenges due to the natural constraints of the landscape. Hill sheep farming uses hardy traditional breeds, such as the Scottish blackface and North Country Cheviot to graze extensive areas, where the sheep are not housed and tend to lamb on the open hill. Flocks are gathered several times a year for stock checks, husbandry, and health treatments. Between these handling events, stock will disappear and be unaccounted for. These unexplained losses are known as blackloss in the Highlands and Islands. Previously reported figures for annual lamb blackloss give an average of 18.6%. These losses are in addition to the known losses of lambs and represent a significant welfare and sustainability issue. High parasite burdens, predation, a photosensitisation disease known as plochteach or yellowses, and poor nutrition are often given as presumed reasons for blackloss. A questionnaire was developed to assess the experiences, impacts and understanding flock managers have of blackloss. Typology analysis using partitioning around medoids was used to cluster respondents into three distinct groups: 1- very large extensive farms and Sheep Stock Clubs, 2- medium sized farms, and 3- small-scale crofts. The responses of these groups were subsequently analysed to see if their experiences and perceptions of blackloss differed with relation to lamb health challenges and predation impacts. The groups reported similar health challenges, apart from Group 1 which had a significantly higher plochteach challenge. In terms of predators, Group 1 also perceived white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) as a much higher threat to their lambs than the other groups. It was observed that many of the respondents believed blackloss is inevitable and that predators pose a large threat to lambs. However, most agreed that reducing these losses is important and that understanding the causes would enable them to do so.

MFSD2A frameshift variant in Kerry Hill sheep with microcephaly.

Microcephaly is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by reduced skull circumference and brain volume that occurs sporadically in farm animals. We investigated an early-onset neurodegenerative disorder observed in seven lambs of purebred Kerry Hill sheep. Clinical signs included inability to stand or severe ataxia, convulsions, and early death. Diagnostic imaging and brain necropsy confirmed microcephaly. The pedigree of the lambs suggested monogenic autosomal recessive inheritance. We sequenced the genome of one affected lamb, and comparison with 115 control genomes revealed a single private protein-changing variant. This frameshift variant, MFSD2A: c.285dupA, p.(Asp96fs*9), represents a 1-bp duplication predicted to truncate 80% of the open reading frame. MFSD2A is a transmembrane protein that is essential for maintaining blood-brain barrier homeostasis and plays a key role in regulating brain lipogenesis. Human MFSD2A pathogenic variants are associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder with progressive microcephaly, spasticity, and brain imaging abnormalities (NEDMISBA, OMIM 616486). Here we present evidence for the occurrence of a recessively inherited form of microcephaly in sheep due to a loss-of-function variant in MFSD2A (OMIA 002371-9940). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a spontaneous MFSD2A variant in domestic animals.

Genetic associations of ewe body condition score and lamb rearing performance in extensively managed meat sheep

Many small ruminant production systems are relatively low input and rely heavily on animals grazing pastures often in extensive and harsh environmental conditions, unsuitable for any other type of agriculture. New breeding goal traits for lifetime resilience for maternal sheep breeding programmes have been investigated, focusing on body tissue mobilisation phenotypes and their genetic relationships with maternal production traits. Performance records of 8,355 Scottish Blackface ewes, from 2 extensively reared hill sheep flocks, collected over a 20-year period, were used to quantify relationships between body condition score (BCS) and the ewe's ability to successfully rear lambs. Between 14,000 and 25,000 data records per trait were available, measured across the annual sheep reproductive cycle. The pedigree file used for the analyses included sire and dam information for 50,207 animals. Most heritability estimates for the BCS traits - measured at key time points within the annual production cycle, or considering BCS changes between time points - were low, but significantly different from zero, ranging between 0.07 and 0.17. The heritability estimate for the number of lambs at pregnancy scanning was 0.09. Heritabilities for foetal loss from pregnancy scanning to lambing, lamb loss from lambing to weaning and number of lambs weaned were 0.02, 0.02 and 0.06, respectively. These estimates indicate that genetic control over the reproductive and lamb survival traits (expressed as a trait of the dam), is lower than that for BCS (and BCS changes) over the reproductive cycle. The genetic relationships amongst the BCS of ewes at pre-mating, pregnancy scan and at pre-lambing, with litter size at pregnancy scan and number of lambs weaned, were consistent. They indicate that ewes of higher body condition score (potentially over-fat, within the range recorded in these flocks) conceive, and rear, fewer lambs, with genetic correlations ranging between -0.18 and -0.58. However, post-weaning, animals with genetic propensity for greater gain in BCS from weaning to pre-mating produce larger litters and rear more lambs. In addition, the selection of ewes that lose less condition during pregnancy will reduce foetal losses. The results from this study paint a complex picture that should be interpreted in the context of specific management practices for extensively managed hill sheep, at critical times in their reproductive cycle. The traits relating to body tissue mobilisation, as assessed using BCS, are mostly heritable and their inclusion in future breeding programmes, to aid future selection for resilience, should be considered.

Implementation of Single-Step Genomic Evaluations approach on the national evaluation of Hill Sheep breeds

Implementation of Single-Step Genomic Evaluations approach on the national evaluation of Hill Sheep breeds

85. A retrospective cohort study into lamb losses on a hill sheep farm, with a particular focus on the role plochteach plays in lamb performance and blackloss

85. A retrospective cohort study into lamb losses on a hill sheep farm, with a particular focus on the role plochteach plays in lamb performance and blackloss

Understanding the economic barriers to the adoption of agroforestry: A Real Options analysis

Agroforestry has a potentially important role in helping agriculture address both the climate and biodiversity crises. It provides a means of producing additional marketable goods from agricultural land and enhancing biodiversity at the same time as increasing carbon sequestration and, in silvo-pastural systems, reducing carbon emissions if livestock stocking rates are reduced. However, the uptake of agroforestry in the UK has been limited. This paper adopts Real Options techniques to explore how the decision to adopt agroforestry is influenced by the relative levels of returns from agriculture, forestry and the price of carbon under the scenario where there are financial penalties from livestock Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, financial benefits from carbon sequestration in trees and reversibility in land use decisions. The results are compared to the equivalent findings from a Land Equivalent Value capital budgeting approach to agroforestry adoption. Analysis is based on data from a case study upland livestock farm in Scotland, comparing the impacts of introducing agroforestry into the hill sheep enterprise or the low ground cattle and sheep enterprise. The results suggest that the adoption of agroforestry is far less likely than would be suggested by standard budgeting approaches, especially in more extensive upland enterprises (hill area) where sequestration benefits are low relative to more productive farmland areas (low ground area). Upfront support payments are shown to increase the likelihood of agroforestry adoption. They also have the effect of reducing the rotation length of forestry in such systems.

Factors affecting ewe longevity on sheep farms in three European countries

Abstract The ability to identify ewes that can outperform their contemporaries, in terms of how long they remain productive in the flock, will help towards improving flock efficiency and profitability. The main objectives of this study were to: (1) identify the main reasons for mortality or culling within diverse sheep production systems in Ireland, Norway and UK; (2) investigate the influence of early life factors on ewe longevity within each of these systems; and (3) determine whether common approaches or recommendations could be employed to improve ewe longevity. The main reasons for mortality or culling were, in addition to old age, mastitis (Irish and Norwegian sheep) and tooth loss (UK hill sheep). In each country, there were significant differences in age at last lambing due to the year the ewe was born (but in no consistent pattern), and due to her flock of birth (P

Rickets in Scottish blackface lambs on five South West Scotland farms

Vitamin D plays a critical role in the regulation of calcium and phosphate homeostasis and in the development and maintenance of skeletal health. Sheep can obtain vitamin D via either...

Promoting Healing with Therapeutic Use of Clay

Alice McCall Smith, occupational therapist and artist based in North Carolina, provided the cover art for the Summer 2019 issue of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). The piece, titled “Mother and Child,” is an 8-1/4” tall sculpture made from clay. Alice grew up on a hill sheep farm in the Scottish Highlands. She has used many of the skills learned on the farm in everyday life and in occupational therapy practice. After being diagnosed and treated for depression, Alice turned to sculpting to cope with challenging emotions. The therapeutic use of clay was a meaningful part of her healing process.

Drivers of Land Abandonment in the Irish Uplands: A Case Study

Abstract Land abandonment is a complex multi-dimensional process with interlinked economic, environmental and social aspects. This paper presents a case study of an isolated hill sheep farming community in SW Ireland, where a combination of low incomes, ageing population, lack of successors and strong environmental constraints are perceived to be among the main factors leading to their demise. However, the uplands they have grazed for generations are of high nature conservation value, and depend on active management to maintain both their ecology and landscapes. The research, which is based on a combination of interviews and farming systems research, highlights the misfit between what the mountain can produce, light hill lamb, and what the globalised market demands. The paper argues that if ‘farming for conservation’ is the new function of such farming systems, then we should consider decoupling public goods payments from agricultural subsidies, along with integrating agriculture in disadvantaged areas within a broader rural development framework. The research aims to fill the gap between macro policy and the micro reality of an upland community on a self-declared ‘tipping point’.

Investigation of relationship between vitamin D status and reproductive fitness in Scottish hill sheep

There is a growing interest in the influence of vitamin D on ovine non-skeletal health. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between pre-mating vitamin D status, as assessed by serum concentrations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D; comprising D2 and D3] and subsequent reproductive performance of genetically unimproved Scottish Blackface (UBF), genetically improved Scottish Blackface (IBF) and Lleyn ewes kept under Scottish hill conditions. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D2 (25(OH)D2) and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) concentrations were determined in serum samples harvested in November from ewes grazed outdoors. There were no significant differences in 25(OH)D2concentrations amongst the 3 genotypes. Lleyn ewes had significantly higher 25(OH)D3 and 25(OH)D concentrations than both Scottish Blackface ewe genotypes, whereas these vitamin D parameters did not differ significantly between the UBF and IBF ewes. Concentrations of 25(OH)D3 and 25(OH)D were positively associated with subsequent birth weights of singleton and of twin lamb litters. No significant associations between vitamin D status and number of lambs born or weaned per ewe were found. This study demonstrates that concentrations of cutaneously-derived 25(OH)D3, but not of orally consumed 25(OH)D2, differed between breeds. The positive association between ewe vitamin D status and offspring birth weight highlights the need for further investigations.

Effect of breed and castration on production and carcass traits of male lambs following an intensive finishing period.

The practice of crossbreeding using a terminal sire and the use of intact rather than castrated animals has the potential to increase the productivity of lambs produced from the hill sheep sector. The objective of this study was to compare the production and carcass characteristics of purebred Scottish Blackface (SB) and Texel cross Scottish Blackface (TXSB) ram and wether lambs fed on a concentrate diet and slaughtered at different ages. Two hundred spring born male lambs (average birth age ± SD 9.53 d) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two breeds SB (n = 100) and TXSB (n = 100) and two sexes (wether: n = 100 and ram: n = 100). Lambs were harvested following a 36 d ad libitum concentrate indoor finishing period. The study was carried out over five harvest batches between October and April. The mean ages of the lambs at harvest (n = 40; 20 TXSB and 20 SB lambs) in October, November, January, March, and April were 196, 242, 293, 344, and 385 days, respectively The TXSB lambs were heavier at slaughter than SB lambs (P < 0.001), and ram lambs were heavier at slaughter than wether lambs (P < 0.01). Improved ADG (P < 0.001), lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) (which was calculated by dividing total feed intake by total weight gain; P < 0.001), and higher feed intake (P < 0.05) were recorded in TXSB lambs with consistency across the five harvest time points. Rams had greater ADG (P < 0.001) and FCR (P < 0.05) compared with wether lambs, and no differences were observed between sexes for feed intake. The TXSB (P < 0.001) lambs had higher (P < 0.001) dressing percentages compared with SB, while wether lambs had greater dressing percentages compared with rams. The TXSB lambs had heavier carcass weights (P < 0.001) with higher conformation grades (P < 0.001) and less fat cover (P < 0.001) than SB lambs, while ram lambs had heavier (P < 0.001) carcasses than wether lambs. There was greater fat cover on the loin muscles of SB (P < 0.001) and wether (P < 0.001) lambs compared with TXSB and ram lambs, respectively. The results from this study suggest that TXSB lamb’s offer hill sheep farmers a potential strategy for improved lamb production efficiency, while ram lambs offer lamb finishers increased growth rates, higher FCR, and produce a more desirable carcass than do wether lambs.

Milk production and milk composition of the Boutsko bred of ewes in Epirus

A flock of 244 hill sheep of the indigenous Boutsko breed of Epirus (NW of Greece), 1-6 years old, reared under a transhumance system was used to study their milk productivity for a period of 14 months (March - June of next year). In addition three groups of ewes, aged 3 to 4 years (group A with 10 ewes suckling a single male lamb, group Βwith 10 ewes suckling a single female lamb and group C with 10 ewes suckling twin lambs) were kept under the same conditions of nutrition and management with the rest of the above flock. They were studied for a 26-week lactation period (4-week suckling period. 22-week milking period) to assess the effect of sex and number of lambs suckled on milk yield, milk composition and body reserves. The results of the study have been summarized as follows: 1) Lactation period (suckling period=4 weeks, milking period=32 weeks) was very long (36 weeks). Throughout milking period milk production of the ewes was 93.7 Kg. Of this 82.3% was produced during the winter period and 17.7% during the summer period. Persistency of milk production was low. One month after weaning of lambs the milk yield of ewes was reduced by 49% and 44% of the level at weaning for singlesuckled and twin-suckled ewes, respectively. 2) Throughout lactation, milk yield and milk composition were not affected by sex of lambs suckled. However, milk yield of ewes was affected by the number of suckled lambs; twin-suckled ewes produced more milk during the suckling period ( + 15.7%, Ρ &lt; 0.05) and milking period (+21.8%, Ρ &lt; 0.05) than those of single-suckled ewes. Fat, protein and dry matter concentration of milk was lower (P&lt;0.05) in twin-suckled ewes than in single-suckled ewes. Concentration of all milk constituents was affected by stage of lactation (P&lt;0.05).

Morphological and reproductive characteristics of the Boutsko sheep of Epirus

A flock of 244 hill sheep of the indigenous Boutsko breed of Epirus (NW of Greece), 1-6 years old, kept under a transhumance system, was used to study their morphological and reproductive characteristics for a period of 14 months (March -June of next year). The results of the study could be summarized as follows: 1) The Boutsko sheep studied is a rather small indigenous hill breed (mature body weight of ewes=40,7±0,37 Kg and rams = 54,4±l,82 Kg) with hardness, longevity, early maturity and high adaptability to the harsh environmental conditions of being its most important characteristics. 2) The mating period begins relatively early (June) lasts until September, with ewes being mated first, followed by ewe hoggs and gimmers. 3) Pregnancy duration was 144,3 ±0,09 and 146,5± 0,07 days for the ewes bearing twin and single Iambs, respectively (P&lt;0,001) and 144,0 and 145,9±0,12 days for the gimmers bearing twin and single lambs, respectively (P&lt;0,05). Body condition score of animals at the end of pregnancy remained satisfactory (3.25 ±0,14). 4) Fertility of the animals was high. All females were mated and lambed. Lambing rate at birth and at weaning was 1,25 and 1,04, respectively.

Meat production of the Boutsko breed of ewes in Epirus

A flock of 244 hill sheep of the indigenous Boutsko breed of Epirus (NW of Greece), 1-6 years old, reared under a transhumance system was used to study the growth of suckled lambs and their carcass quality. The results of the study have been summarized as follows: 1) Birth liveweight of lambs was 4.3 ±0.12 Kg (single males), 3.9±0,10 Kg (single females) (P&lt;0.05) and 3.6±0.08 Kg (twins) (P&lt;0.01). The corresponding liveweights at slaughterwerell.2±0.25Kg, 10.7±0.23Kg and 11.3±0.36 Kg and their carcass weights 7.1 ±0,17 Kg, 7.1±0,17 and 6.9 ±0.26 Kg. 2) The conclusion drawn from the results of this study is that the Boutsko breed is a useful and well adapted genotype of sheep. However, its meat productivity is very low and could be improved by further within breed selection and/or grazing on improved pasture.

Effect of Breed and Gender on Hematological Parameters and Some Serum Biochemical Profiles of Apparently Healthy indigenous Sheep of Nepal

This research was conducted to investigate the effect of some factors such as breed and sex on biochemical and serum parameters as well as to establish normal physiological reference values for indigenous breed of sheep of Nepal. Blood sample were collected from 25 apparently healthy sheep (11 males and 14 females) from on station flock at Khumaltar, Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC) were used. In case of serum biochemical parameters, overall LS mean for total Protein (TP) was less than physiological range while Albumin (Alb) was recorded higher than normal physiological range. The breed differences were observed in TP where Lampuchhre sheep (lowland sheep) showed the lower value than hill sheep breeds (Baruwal and Kage sheep) taken in the study. The same breed exhibited gender variation in the same parameter with values in males were significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) than females. Comparing LS Mean for Alb and Phosphrous (P) for Nepalese sheep, value recorded for females were found to be significantly higher P (&lt;0.05) than males in case of serum Alb while serum P was significantly lower (P&lt;0.05) in females. For RBC indices, Nepalese sheep exhibited higher Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) was higher than normal physiological range. LYM and NE value was significantly higher in Kage breed in comparison to Lampuchhre and Baruwal. The highly significant gender variation for Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) (P&lt;0.01) and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin MCH (P&lt;0.05) where female showed the higher value than males. The result of the preliminary study revealed the breed and sex variation in case of hematological and biochemical indices Further research with more number of samples is warranted for concrete information which could be used to monitor animal health status to improve the management and conservation of these breeds.

Effects of forage types on digestibility, methane emissions, and nitrogen utilization efficiency in two genotypes of hill ewes.

Thirty-six nonpregnant hill ewes (18 pure Scottish Blackface and 18 Swaledale × Scottish Blackface) aged 18 mo and weighing 48 ± 4.8 kg were allocated to 3 forage treatments balanced for genotype and BW. Each genotype was offered 3 forages (pelleted ryegrass, fresh lowland grass, and fresh hill grass) ad libitum with 6 ewes for each of the 6 genotype × diet combination treatments. Pelleted ryegrass was sourced from a commercial supplier (Drygrass South Western Ltd, Burrington, UK). Fresh lowland grass was harvested daily in the morning from a third regrowth perennial ryegrass () sward. Fresh hill grass was harvested from a seminatural hill grassland every 2 d and stored in plastic bags at 4 to 5°C until offered. The animals were individually housed in pens and offered experimental diets for 14 d before being transferred to 6 individual respiration chambers for a further 4 d, during which feed intake, fecal and urine outputs, and CH emissions were measured. There was no interaction between genotype and forage types on any variable measured. In a comparison of effects of the 3 forages, pelleted ryegrass had the greatest ( < 0.001) values in DMI, GE intake, CH emissions, N intake (NI), and fecal N (FN), urine N (UN), and manure N (MN) outputs, whereas hill grass had the lowest ( < 0.001) values in DMI, energy (GE, DE, and ME) intake, CH emissions, NI, UN, and MN. However, pelleted ryegrass had the lowest ratio in CH emissions per unit DMI ( = 0.022) or GE intake ( = 0.026) or UN excretion as a proportion of NI or MN ( < 0.001). Lowland grass had a greater ( < 0.001) digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF, ADF, and GE and a greater ( < 0.001) ME:GE ratio or retained N:NI ratio than pelleted ryegrass and hill grass. Genotypes of sheep had no effect on any variable in feed intake, digestibility, CH emissions, or N utilization. The CH conversion factors (CH energy/GE) for pelleted ryegrass, lowland grass, and hill grass were 4.4, 5.7, and 5.6%, respectively. All data were then pooled to develop regression equations between CH and DMI or between N excretions (FN, UN, and MN) and NI. Methane emissions and N excretions were positively related to DMI and NI ( < 0.001), respectively. However, increasing DMI could reduce CH emissions per kilogram DMI. These equations add new information in predicting enteric CH emissions and N utilization efficiency and can be used to quantify the environmental footprint of hill sheep production systems.

Investigation of severe coughing and ill thrift in adult hill sheep associated with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae has long been associated with respiratory disease in young sheep and goats. Here, the authors present evidence that it may be a cause of a coughing syndrome and...

Developing farm-specific marginal abatement cost curves: Cost-effective greenhouse gas mitigation opportunities in sheep farming systems

Growing demand for agricultural produce, coupled with ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction present the scientific, policy and agricultural sectors with a substantial mitigation challenge. Identification and implementation of suitable mitigation measures is driven by both the measures’ effectiveness and cost of implementation. Marginal abatement cost curves (MACCs) provide a simple graphical representation of the abatement potential and cost-effectiveness of mitigation measures to aid policy decision-making. Accounting for heterogeneity in farm conditions and subsequent abatement potentials in mitigation policy is problematic, and may be aided by the development of tailored MACCs. Robust MACC development is currently lacking for mitigation measures appropriate to sheep systems. This study constructed farm-specific MACCs for a lowland, upland and hill sheep farm in the UK. The stand-alone mitigation potential of six measures was modelled, against real farm baselines, according to assumed impacts on emissions and productivity. The MACCs revealed the potential for negative cost emissions’ abatement in the sheep industry. Improving ewe nutrition to increase lamb survival offered considerable abatement potential at a negative cost to the farmers across all farms while, lambing as yearlings offered negative cost abatement potential on lowland and upland farms. The results broadly advocate maximising lamb output from existing inputs on all farm categories, and highlight the importance of productivity and efficiency as influential drivers of emissions abatement in the sector. The abatement potentials and marginal costs of other measures (e.g. reducing mineral fertiliser use and selecting pasture plants bred to minimise dietary nitrogen losses) varied between farms, and this heterogeneity was more frequently attributable to differences in individual farm management than land classification. This has important implications for the high level policy sector as no two farms are likely to benefit from a generic one size fits all approach to mitigation. The construction of further case-study farm MACCs under varying farm conditions is required to define the biophysical and management conditions that each measure is most suited to, generating a more tailored set of sector-specific mitigation parameters.

Recent advances in understanding the genetic resources of sheep breeds locally-adapted to the UK uplands: opportunities they offer for sustainable productivity

Locally adapted breeds of livestock are of considerable interest since they represent potential reservoirs of adaptive fitness traits that may contribute to the future of sustainable productivity in a changing climate. Recent research, involving three hill sheep breeds geographically concentrated in the northern uplands of the UK has revealed the extent of their genetic diversity from one another and from other breeds. Results from the use of SNPs, microsatellites, and retrovirus insertions are reviewed in the context of related studies on sheep breeds world-wide to highlight opportunities offered by the genetic resources of locally adapted hill breeds. One opportunity concerns reduced susceptibility to Maedi Visna, a lentivirus with massive impacts on sheep health and productivity globally. In contrast to many mainstream breeds used in farming, each of the hill breeds analyzed are likely to be far less susceptible to the disease threat. A different opportunity, relating specifically to the Herdwick breed, is the extent to which the genome of the breed has retained primitive features, no longer present in other mainland breeds of sheep in the UK and offering a new route for discovering unique genetic traits of use to agriculture.