Problems of lamb fattening In Jordan

Technical Report Submitted In Partial Fulfillment Of Special Training In

Animal Production Course (602493)

By Mohammed Moosa Jehad Moosa Imtairah

Department Of Animal Production
School Of Agriculture
The University Of Jordan

Instructors
Prof. Mahfouz Abuzanat
Dr. Mohammad Jalal

December 13, 2022

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Abstract:
The amount of red meat produced in Jordan is declining year after year at the same
time it is increasing Per capita consumption rate, making Jordan more and more
dependent on imported meat. In this paper we will cover the problems that affect lamb
fattening in Jordan. These issues include seasonal breeding, nutritional ingredients,
animal health, and lack of feed supplies, management, and biosecurity.

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Table of Content
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................................4
Methodology:.............................................................................................................................................5
Results:......................................................................................................................................................5
Problems in lamb fattening:.................................................................................................................6
1 - Seasonal breeding..........................................................................................................................6
As a solution for Seasonal breeding...................................................................................................6
2 - Animal health & Management.......................................................................................................6
General recommendations:.............................................................................................................7
3 - Biosecurity........................................................................................................................................7
4 - Diseases would occur when fattening..........................................................................................8
Discussion:..............................................................................................................................................11
Conclusion:..............................................................................................................................................12
References:................................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction:

Lamb fattening:

The primary goal of the fattening process is to profit from the growth of the sheep, and
thus the sheep themselves. To be fattened, it must grow quickly and steadily. The
Awassi sheep must grow at a rate of 250-300 grams per day for this process to be
profitable. When they arrive, the growth processes are at their peak. The sheep reach a
weight of 38-40 kg, and the growth rate during this period may reach 350 grams.
However, the percentage of fat during this period is high, owing to the fact that this is
the best weight at which sheep can be sold in our region, ensuring that the carcass
composition is optimal at a weight of 36-38 kg. In Jordan University's experiments, the
conversion efficiency and growth were the best possible at this weight. Conversion
efficiency is defined as the ratio of feed given to 1 kg of live growth obtained. The
majority of published research refers to conversion efficiencies ranging from 5:1 to 6:1
in fattening mixtures based on concentrates.
By converting roughages into meat, wool, and skin, sheep contribute to food production,
rural employment, and the gross national product. Mutton demand is increasing, and
there is potential for meat exports.
The country's lamb and young animal slaughter weights are lower under the current
small ruminant production system, and the average age of maturity is substantially
higher. Despite being a cost-effective method, growing lambs for meat while grazing
and supplementing their diet has not been widely adopted by farmers because of their
difficult economic situation and long-standing customs. Grazing with supplements has
the potential to increase output even more. The main benefit of this arrangement is that
sheep owners can only raise their animals for six months instead of a full year. After six
months, he will reap a sizable profit, comparable to lambs raised for 11 to 12 months
under a system of substantial grazing. With the use of this technology, farmers may
shorten the lambing season from 11 to 12 months while still earning almost the same
per animal. They could also minimize the risk of death and the needless year-round
lambing.

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The process of fattening is essentially a business, and if it is not founded on the right
assets, then Loss is a reality. Since projects are undeniably successful when they
generate a profit, anyone thinking about beginning a sheep fattening business would
bring up this issue, Despite the fact that there are numerous factors that determine
profitability, the answer to this issue is not straightforward, however with the information
now available, the minimum is between 15% and 20% of the value of the money
invested over a period not to exceed five months

Methodology:
I got to the following results after consulting academic publications, industry experts in
agricultural engineering, veterinarians, medical professionals, and university of Jordan
professors in the field of animal production.

Results:
There are several causes for making the fattening process unprofitable, but one of the
most notable may be the shrinking and deterioration of the pastoral lands. Due to the
scarcity and high cost of filling animal food, ewe numbers have decreased during
drought years. On the one hand, and on the other, to the early sale of lambs weighing
between 12 and 20 kg. It is evident that raising sheep for meat has become essential to
the country's economy. The development of well-researched plans to assist projects
connected to sheep fattening Special units merits the attention of officials, taking into
account the support of these projects in the areas of feed, veterinary care, and
marketing.

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Problems in lamb fattening:
1 - Seasonal breeding
In Jordan lambs are born in med January to med February and fattening program takes
from 90 to 120 days and in these time lambs are brought to markets and soled in
consideration when the price well be high to gain the most profit but, having lambs for 1
season effects negatively on the farm
All the process takes about 120 to 150
As a solution for Seasonal breeding
- As in New Zealand the herd are distributed among the year by having quarters from
example
First period: from 1 – 3
Second period: from 3 – 6
Third period: 6 – 9
Fourth period: 9 -12
Repeatedly every year so, to maximize the profit
– Using Intravaginal Sponges

2 - Animal health & Management

Preventative health management:
A vaccination program provides inexpensive insurance against common sheep
diseases. It is generally recommended that all sheep and lambs be vaccinated for
clostridial diseases. CDT provides protection against the most common clostridial
diseases: clostridium perfringins type C & D (overeating disease) and tetanus.
Covexin®-8 confers protection for additional clostridial diseases. The use of Covexin®-8
and other vaccines depends upon the disease risk and diagnosis of particular diseases
in the flock.

Vaccines are available for sore mouth, caseous lymphadenitis, vibrio and chlamydia
abortion, epididymitis, and rabies. There is limited availability of a vaccine for foot rot.
Some vaccines (e.g. sore mouth, caseous lymphadenitis) should not be used unless the
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disease is already present on the farm because vaccination will introduce the disease to
the farm. Such vaccines are advocated to reduce the incidence of disease, not prevent
it entirely.

General recommendations:
- Provide clean water at all times.
- Provide salt and mineral mix at all times.
- Rotate pastures as necessary.
- Monitor parasite level.
- Observe sheep daily while they are quiet.  It is easier to detect sick sheep at this time;
early detection is very important to survival or recovery from sickness.
- Design a flock health program with the assistance of your veterinarian.

3 - Biosecurity
Biosecurity refers to the management practices that are undertaken to prevent the
introduction and spread of diseases. Healthy animals are the cornerstone of a
successful sheep enterprise, regardless of the reasons for sheep ownership.
These days, there is a heightened awareness of biosecurity due to the risks of
bioterrorism and the fear of introducing foreign diseases such as foot-and-mouth
disease into the United States. Individual states are also interested in keeping diseases
from within their borders.
Biosecurity is important no matter what size flock or farm you have. It only takes one
sheep to introduce a new disease and one farm to start a disease epidemic. The
introduction of new animals poses the single greatest risk to biosecurity on a sheep
farm.

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4 - Diseases would occur when fattening.

Enterotoxaemia Type C & Type D:

Type C, There are a few types of enterotoxaemia caused by a bacterial infection. These
bacteria live in the soil and often in the guts of healthy animals. Enterotoxaemia type C
infects very young lambs and causes bleeding in the small intestine. The infection often
follows a change in feeding. Treatment of this disease is not very helpful, so it is best to
vaccinate the ewe before lambing time.
Type D, or overeating disease, is one of the most common diseases in sheep
throughout the world. The infection is likely to strike lambs that are growing very quickly.
When lambs eat too much, too fast, the bacteria that are already present in their guts
suddenly proliferate, causing a dangerous infection. As with type C, a vaccination in the
ewe is recommended. You should also monitor the feeding of your lambs, especially
after one month of age, and try to avoid overfeeding.

Copper Deficiency: While sheep are susceptible to copper toxicity, lambs are more
likely to be copper deficient because milk is low in copper. If they are deficient, they will
show signs such as difficulty standing or walking. You can correct the problem by
administering a copper supplement like copper sulfate to the affected lambs.

Scours: Scours is another name for diarrhea and is often a symptom of an illness
rather than an illness itself. If you see diarrhea in your lambs, you should be considering
what might be causing it. Possible reasons for scours include infection, dietary changes,
and stress. Testing a sample will identify any infections or parasites. Consult with a
veterinarian to determine the reason for diarrhea and in the meantime give the lamb
fluids with electrolytes to avoid dehydration.

Goiter: A goiter occurs when the thyroid gland in the neck swells to a larger size. You
will see this in a lamb if its neck appears larger or has a lump sticking out from it. Lambs
born with a goiter often have no wool and are weak and at risk of dying from starvation.
If the goiter is not too advanced, the lamb can survive. The cause of a goiter is iodine

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deficiency in the ewe’s diet. To avoid goiters, you can add iodized salt to the ewe’s feed
while she is gestating. A milk goiter is different and occurs sometimes in the lambs of
hair sheep that are well fed. It is not a health concern.

Hypothermia: Hypothermia is a very common cause of death in young lambs. They

can become chilled and die if their body temperature dips to 98 degrees or below.
Lambs cannot regulate their temperature for the first day and a half and need to be kept
warm. You can prevent losses due to hypothermia by making sure the lambing area is
well-sheltered and warm, confining the ewe and lamb for a day or two so that they bond,
and making sure the lamb is getting adequate amounts of colostrum. If you suspect a
lamb is too cold, check its temperature. If it is too cold, remove it from the ewe and keep
it warm with a warming box until its temperature returns to normal, above 102 degrees.

Acidosis: Young lambs are susceptible to acidosis, which is a build-up of acid in the
gut and bloodstream from overfeeding on grains. Untreated, this can be fatal. The
affected lamb will have an upset stomach, diarrhea, and possibly a fever. To treat
acidosis, neutralize the acid. Give the lamb water with baking soda by drenching their
feed with it. You can also give it aspirin to reduce the fever.

White muscle disease (WMD): is caused by a deficiency of selenium and/or vitamin E.

It is a degenerative muscle disease found in all large animals including sheep and
goats. Generally, it is not known which. Selenium (Se) deficiency is associated with
selenium deficient soils and the inadequate uptake of selenium by forages grown on
these soils. Certain areas of the U.S., including Michigan, are considered low in
selenium levels. Vitamin E deficiency is independent of soil type and more closely
reflects forage quality. Fresh legumes and pasture are good sources of vitamin E and
stored feeds tend to be poor sources of vitamin E. Stored feeds can lose up to 50
percent of their vitamin E a month. All breeds of sheep and goats are susceptible to
WMD and it is most common in newborns or fast growing animals. Kids are more
susceptible than lambs, possibly because they have a higher requirement for selenium.

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The disease can affect both the skeletal and cardiac muscles. Skeletal muscles
symptoms vary from mild stiffness to obvious pain upon walking or an inability to stand.
Lambs/kids may tremble in pain when held in a standing position. Hunched animals with
a stiff gait are common. Affected lambs/kids may remain bright and have normal
appetites until they become too weak to nurse. When the problem occurs in newborns,
they are born weak and often cannot get on their feet. Sudden exercise may trigger the
condition in older lambs and kids. In adult animals deficient animals may have poor
conception rates, abortions, stillbirths and miscarriages, retained placentas, or deliver
weak kids or lambs. Cardiac symptoms can be very similar to pneumonia.  They include
difficult breathing, frothy nasal discharge, and fever. Heart rate and respiratory rate are
elevated and irregular. Both types of WMD often occur at the same time. When WMD
affects the skeletal muscles it can be treated with supplemental selenium and vitamin E
and animals should respond within 24 hours. Cardiac muscle damage is often
permanent.

Ringworm:
Also known as club lamb fungus, ringworm is a contagious fungal infection of the skin.
This most often occurs with show lambs because they are sheared often and the fungus
is passed on by the shears. The infections presents as lesions mostly on the back,
neck, and head. You can treat it with a fungicide, but take care. The infection can be
passed to people.

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Discussion:

Lambs are fed on milk from (60-90) days in intensive breeding or (90-100) days in field
breeding, then weaned (16-18 kg).
The amount of red meat produced in Jordan is declining year after year at the same
time it is increasing Per capita consumption rate, making Jordan more and more
dependent on imported meat. It has reached the amount Meat imported by the Ministry
of Supply in 2017 is approximately 697,316 tons, while in Jordan local production is
approximately 15,529 tons meaning that production constitutes is 2.18%

Reasons for the low interest in fattening in Jordan:

Scarcity of pastoral spaces
High feed costs
Low economic returns from fattening

The importance of fattening:

The ability of sheep to adapt to different climatic conditions more than other types of
animals
Low investment cost
High yield of fattening compared to other types of breeding
The existence of additional sources of income such as manure and wool
Increasing the self-sufficiency ratio of meat / animal protein

Fattening systems used in Jordan:

Feeding on pastures (Natural pastures)
Fodder mixtures of green fodder (peggia - barley) or annual lobe

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Features :
- Lower production cost
- Reduction of weaning age
- Avoiding nutritional diseases
- It takes a long time ,and It can be shortened using some types of additives
(concentrates)
- The pastoral load is 3 lambs/dunum
- The average daily increase is 150-180 gm/head/day
- You must pay attention to grazing methods and choose the best method

Conclusion:
Having problems while fattening mostly depends on management and sources of feed If
it is not based on assets, the fattening process is essentially a profit-oriented enterprise.
The loss is genuine, it is true, and in order for us to conduct the fattening programs
successfully, the sector must adopt this process with the encouragement and
assistance of the relevant ministries. The success of the sheep fattening programs may
be attributed to the establishment of cooperative societies for the industry. These
organizations offer unique services including fodder insurance, health care, and
marketing initiatives in collaboration with governmental organizations. we must have a
full fattening plan by working on monitoring rangelands and having the right mix of feed
and focusing on the biosecurity and health standards and monitoring of the flock with
good management to achieve the goal of fattening at the right time scheduled.

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References:

Engineer (Ghanam.O 2022)

Tel: 0787074674

Doctor in the university of Jordan & Nutrition specialist (Dr. Irshaid.R)

Tel: 0796194030

Email: r.Irshaid@ju.edu.jo

Doctor and professor at the University of Jordan (Titi. H)

htiti@ju.edu.jo;

Veterinary doctor (Alnajar.K 2022)

Tel: 0795375454

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https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/sheep-health-and-management.html

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https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0377840121000079?
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921448816300943

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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349303147_tsmyn_alkhraf

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