Sections
project - Research and innovation
SheepNet : SHaring Expertise and Experience towards sheep Productivity through NETworking (2 of 2)
SheepNet : SHaring Expertise and Experience towards sheep Productivity through NETworking (2 of 2)
Context
The EU is only 85% self-sufficient in sheep meat and is the largest importer of sheep meat worldwide. An increase in EU ewe productivity by 0.1 lambs reared per ewe joined would increase self-sufficiency in sheep meat to 92%. Ewe productivity is one of the main factors impacting on profitability of prime lamb production.
Objectives
SheepNet is an EU network about practice-driven innovation to improve productivity meat sheep (the number of lambs reared per ewe joined) and the milk sheep (the number of milking ewes per ewe joined): a critical component of farmers’ income and therefore of the sustainability and attractiveness of sheep farming. SheepNet will establish durable exchange of scientific and practical knowledge among researchers, farmers and advisors across Europe. By a multi-actor and transdisciplinary approach, SheepNet will promote the implementation and dissemination of innovative technologies and practices.
Objectives
See objectives in English
Activities
Six main sheep producing EU countries (Romania, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, France, Ireland), plus Turkey are involved in SheepNet. The project aims to: 1)produce a scientific, technical and practical knowledge reservoir; 2)foster cross-fertilization through multi-actors workshops at national and international levels; 3)develop an easily understandable support package of communication and learning material, web-based tools, interactive platform. This network is widely open to all EU countries, stakeholders, sheep famers. In order to participate or to be informed, contact us via our website!
Additional information
SheepNet is an open and easy access network, Stakeholders are fostered to participate, propose solutions and innovation via our interactive platform and via the different social medias.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Horizon 2020 (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Type of Horizon project
- Multi-actor project - Thematic network
Location
- Main geographical location
- Haute-Garonne
EUR 1 991 289.00
Total budget
Total contributions including EU funding.
75 Practice Abstracts
The construction made by this farmer is aesthetic, quiet and particularly effective. It is inexpensive: 1.5 € per place on feeding fence not counting labour. The sheep lifts up the tube to have access to food. Even at the end of lactation, lambs do not pass through without having cleaned the pen.
L’aménagement réalisé par cet éleveur est esthétique, silencieux et particulièrement efficace. Il est peu couteux : 1,5€ par place de cornadis sans compter la main œuvre. Les brebis soulèvent le tube pour aller manger. Et même en fin de lactation, les agneaux ne passent pas sans avoir curé le parc.
Whenever they notice, some farmers try to recall the attention of sheep for these initially refused lambs. To do so, shepherds try to modify the smell and flavor of the outer layer of the lamb by spreading salt, perfume, or the remainings of placenta or amniotic liquid, or some other fragrant agent.
This solution may also be used to facilitate the adoption of a lamb born from another sheep
Cuando lo detectan, algunos granjeros intentan llamar la atención de las ovejas hacia estos corderos inicialmente rechazados. Para hacerlo, los pastores intentan modificar el olor y el sabor de la superficie exterior del cordero extendiendo sal, perfume o los restos de placenta o líquido amniótico, o algún otro agente fragante.
Esta solución también se puede utilizar para facilitar la adopción de un cordero nacido de otra oveja.
The rubber joint is then removed once the lamb does not require any further particular attention.
Rubber joint for preserve jars are available in every supermarket, with best size 85-90 mm in diameter. They are moreover reusable, and can be easily disinfected in boiled water.
Ce type d’élastique se trouve dans toutes les grandes surfaces et c’est le modèle le plus courant (bocaux d’un litre). Les élastiques sont réutilisés et peuvent être désinfectés si besoin en les faisant bouillir.
To evaluate the mass of IgG available in the colostrum, IgG colostrum concentration is often measured. However, there is no relationship between the IgG concentration of the dam colostrum and the serum IgG concentration of its lambs at 48 h of age. In fact, to have mass, you need concentration AND volume, and volume of colostrum is variable and difficult to estimate.
According to the available literature, some factors affect IgG colostrum concentration (*), or colostrum volume (°), or production in general (p): breed*, age of ewe*°, feeding during gestation p, litter size*°, water supply° at lambing, udder health° p and other genetic factors* p.
To evaluate the mass of IgG available in the colostrum, IgG colostrum concentration is often measured. However, there is no relationship between the IgG concentration of the dam colostrum and the serum IgG concentration of its lambs at 48 h of age. In fact, to have mass, you need concentration AND volume, and volume of colostrum is variable and difficult to estimate.
According to the available literature, some factors affect IgG colostrum concentration (*), or colostrum volume (°), or production in general (p): breed*, age of ewe*°, feeding during gestation p, litter size*°, water supply° at lambing, udder health° p and other genetic factors* p.
J’ai tout sous la main : les boucles dans un premier bac, le matériel de soin dans un second (élastiques, sélénium, pinces, bombe…). Le carnet d’agnelage est maintenu sur un chevalet avec une pince. J’ai bricolé une porte-volet avec tendeur pour maintenir l’agneau et l’empêcher de bouger. L’agneau est toujours dans le même sens. Je ne risque pas de me tromper d’oreille pour la pose des boucles. C’est très pratique ! »
For example when :
- a lamb needs asistance to drink because the ewe has got big teats or a bad udder
- a lamb needs a bottle of colostrum because the ewe has no milk
- a lamb or a ewe has got a treatment to do again in the coming days.
- a lamb can’t go out of the lambing pen yet because he is too small or not strong enough
All those informations are likely to decrease the lamb mortality rate. On top of each lambing pen, a board is painted with blackboard paint. This paint is easy to find in every DIY shop and will last for a long time. This paint also resist to the barn washing with a power hose.
When the ewe is out of the lambing pen, you can easily remove the inscription with a handful of straw wetted in the water trough. The blackboard is ready again for the next ewe to enter the lambing pen.
- une aide indispensable à la tétée des agneaux parce que la brebis a de grosses tétines ou bien un seul quartier,
- une buvée de colsotrum à renouveller au biberon car la brebis n’a pas de lait,
- un traitement à renouveller à la brebis ou aux agneaux,
- une sortie de case à différer car l’agneau est peu vigoureux ou trop petit.
Toutes ces notations sont succeptibles de diminuer le taux de mortalité des agneaux.
Au dessus de chaque case d’agnelage, le bardage ou la barre d’auge sont peintes à la peinture à tableau noire. La durée de vie de cette pienture que l’on trouve dans tous les magasins de bricolage est très longue. Elle résiste au lavage des bergeries.
Lorsque la brebis est sortie de case, l’inscription est facilement effacée avec une poignée de paille trempée dans l’abreuvoir. Et l’écriteau est prêt pour la prochaine brebis qui va rentrer en cases.
The ram effcet: The presence of the rams can stimulate ovulation of ewes through chemosensory cues due to the pheromones present in the ram’s fleece. It may not be effective enough with females in deep anoestrus. Otherwise, the ram effect helps to advance the start of the breeding season by several weeks, and can improve the efficacy of oestrus synchronisation or induction as well, between 19 and 25 days after the males introduction. It is a useful alternative for organic farming, which does not allow the utilisation of hormones.
Prostaglandin F2α: This method can only be used to control or manage the ovarian cycle within the breeding season, and requires the use of 2 injections of prostaglandins separated 9-10 days for optimum synchronization.
Melatonin implants cause a short day-like response by lengthening the duration of the melatonin signal. Elevated blood concentrations of melatonin for at least five weeks are necessary to advance the start of the breeding season; the melatonin treatment is usually implemented together with other techniques, such as the ram effect or sponges, principally.
Progestagen: is a synthetic hormone which produces a similar effect to progesterone, can be administered by different methods, but the most useful is through intravaginal sponges inserted into the vagina and remain for 12-14 days. Progestagen must be supplemented at the time of the removal of the sponges with a follicle stimulating treatment (eCG), to induce follicular growth, oestrus (heat) and ovulation. Ewes begin to come into oestrus from around 24 to 48 hours after sponge removal, and the ovulation occurs around 36 and 60 hours after sponge removal. Artificial insemination can be performed with this protocol at 55 hours after removal of the sponges.
Pogesterone: produces better quality oocytes and is considered to be cleaner and more hygienic, since the withdrawal of the CIDRs is not accompanied by the fluid discharge which occurs with the sponges
El efecto macho: la presencia de los carneros puede estimular la ovulación de las ovejas a través de señales quimiosensoriales debido a las feromonas presentes en el vellón del carnero. Puede que no sea lo suficientemente eficaz con las hembras en anoestro profundo. De lo contrario, el efecto macho ayuda a adelantar el inicio de la temporada de reproducción varias semanas y puede mejorar la eficacia de la sincronización o inducción del estro, entre 19 y 25 días después de la introducción de los machos. Es una alternativa útil para la agricultura ecológica, que no permite la utilización de hormonas.
Prostaglandina F2α: este método solo se puede usar para controlar o administrar el ciclo ovárico dentro de la temporada de reproducción y requiere el uso de 2 inyecciones de prostaglandinas separadas de 9 a 10 días para una sincronización óptima.
Los implantes de melatonina causan una respuesta parecida a los días cortos al alargar la duración de la señal de melatonina. Las concentraciones elevadas de melatonina en la sangre durante al menos cinco semanas son necesarias para adelantar el inicio de la temporada de reproducción; El tratamiento con melatonina generalmente se implementa junto con otras técnicas, como el efecto macho o las esponjas, principalmente.
Progestágeno: es una hormona sintética que produce un efecto similar a la progesterona, puede administrarse por diferentes métodos, pero el más útil es a través de esponjas intravaginales que se insertan en la vagina y permanecen durante 12 a 14 días. El progestágeno debe complementarse en el momento de la extracción de las esponjas con un tratamiento de estimulación del folículo (eCG), para inducir el crecimiento folicular, el estro (celo) y la ovulación. Las ovejas comienzan a entrar en celo alrededor de las 24 a 48 horas posteriores a la extracción de la esponja, y la ovulación se produce alrededor de las 36 y 60 horas posteriores a la eliminación de la esponja. La inseminación artificial se puede realizar con este protocolo 55 horas después de retirar las esponjas.
Pogesterona: produce ovocitos de mejor calidad y se considera más limpio e higiénico, ya que la extracción de los CIDR no se acompaña de la descarga de fluidos que se produce con las esponjas
More information : http://www.sheepnet.network/node/210
Contacts
Project coordinator
-
Project coordinator
Project partners
-
Project partner
-
Project partner
-
Project partner
-
Project partner
-
Project partner
-
Project partner
-
Project partner
-
Project partner
-
Project partner
Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine "King Michael I of Romania" gavojdian_dinu@animalsci-tm.ro Researcher