Sheep stick to a comparable reproductive strategy to other herd animals. A cluster of ewes is commonly mated by a single ram, who has either been chosen by a breeder or has established dominance through tangible contest with other rams. Most sheep are seasonal breeders, although a number of are able to breed year-round. Ewes by and large arrive at sexual maturity at six to eight months of age, and rams commonly at four to six months. Ewes maintain estrus cycles roughly speaking each 17 days, for the period of which they emit a fragrance and indicate promptness through substantial displays towards rams. A marginal of sheep displays a preference in support of homosexuality (8% on average) or are freemartins (female animals that are behaviorally masculine and lack functioning ovaries).
Without human being intervention, rams fight all through the groove to determine which those could mate with ewes. Rams, especially unfamiliar ones, will additionally fight outside the breeding interval to ascertain dominance; rams can exterminate one another if permitted to mix without restraint. During the rut, even normally friendly rams could turn out to be aggressive towards humans due to increases in their hormone levels.
After mating, sheep own a gestation cycle of more or less five months, and regular labor take one to three hours. Although a number of breeds frequently throw bigger litters of lambs, the majority churn out single or twin lambs. During or soon subsequent to labor, ewes and lambs could be confined to small lambing jugs, small pens designed to aid both watchful observation of ewes and to cement the bond among them and their lambs.
Ovine obstetrics can be problematic. By selectively breeding ewes that construct multiple offspring with advanced birth weights in support of generations, sheep producers have inadvertently caused a number of domestic sheep to have problem lambing; balancing ease of lambing with distinguished productivity is one of the dilemmas of sheep breeding. In the justification of whichever such problems, those present at lambing may perhaps assist the ewe by extracting or repositioning lambs. After the birth, ewes ideally break the amniotic sac (if it is not broken all through labor), and commence licking clean the lamb.
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Kondoo hufuata mbinu ya uzazi inayofanana na ile ya wanyama wengine wa kundi. Kwa kawaida kundi la kondoo-dume huunganishwa na kondoo-dume mmoja, ambaye amechaguliwa na mfugaji au ameanzisha utawala kupitia mashindano ya wazi na kondoo-dume wengine. Kondoo wengi huzaana kwa majira, ingawa baadhi yao huzaana mwaka mzima. Kwa ujumla kondoo-dume hufikia ukomavu wa kingono wanapokuwa na umri wa miezi sita hadi nane, na kondoo-dume kwa kawaida wanapokuwa na miezi minne hadi sita. Kondoo-dume huendelea na mzunguko wa kuota karibu kila baada ya siku 17, wakati huo hutoa harufu nzuri na kuonyesha haraka kupitia maonyesho makubwa kuelekea kondoo-dume. "Wanawake wengi wa kondoo wanaonyesha upendeleo katika kuunga mkono ushoga (kiwango cha wastani cha 8%), au ni ""freemartins"" ( wanyama wa kike ambao ni tabia ya kiume na hawana ovari inayofanya kazi)." Bila kuingiliwa na wanadamu, kondoo-dume hupigana katika njia zote ili kuamua ni nani anayeweza kuoa kondoo-dume. Kondoo-dume, hasa wale wasiojulikana, pia watapigana nje ya kipindi cha uzazi ili kuhakikisha utawala; kondoo-dume wanaweza kuangamiza kila mmoja ikiwa wanaruhusiwa kuchanganyika bila vizuizi. Wakati wa kipindi hicho, hata kondoo-dume wenye urafiki wa kawaida wanaweza kuwa wakali kwa wanadamu kwa sababu ya kuongezeka kwa viwango vya homoni zao. Baada ya kujamiiana, kondoo huwa na mzunguko wa ujauzito wa miezi mitano hivi, na kazi ya kuzaa kwa kawaida huchukua saa moja hadi tatu. Ingawa mara nyingi jamii kadhaa hutoa kondoo-dume wakubwa, wengi wao hutoa kondoo-dume mmoja au wawili. Wakati wa kuzaa, kondoo-dume na kondoo-dume waliweza kufungwa katika vyumba vidogo vya kuzaa, vyumba vidogo vilivyotengenezwa ili kusaidia kutazama kondoo-dume kwa uangalifu na kuimarisha uhusiano kati yao na kondoo-dume. Matibabu ya uzazi ya kondoo yanaweza kuwa na matatizo. Kwa kuzalisha kwa kuchagua kondoo wa kondoo ambao wana watoto wengi wenye uzito wa kuzaliwa wa juu ili kuunga mkono vizazi, wazalishaji wa kondoo wamesababisha kwa bahati mbaya idadi ya kondoo wa nyumbani kuwa na shida ya kuzaa; kusawazisha urahisi wa kuzaa na uzalishaji wa kipekee ni moja ya matatizo ya uzalishaji wa kondoo. Katika kusuluhisha matatizo yoyote ya aina hiyo, wale waliohudhuria wakati wa kuoa kondoo huenda wakamsaidia kondoo-dume kwa kuondoa au kuhamisha kondoo-dume. Baada ya kuzaliwa, kondoo-dume huvunja mfuko wa amniotic (ikiwa haujavunjwa wakati wote wa kuzaa), na kuanza kumlisha kondoo-dume. Unatafuta vidokezo zaidi juu ya uzalishaji wa kondoo? Jifunze kila kitu unachohitaji kujua na jinsi ilivyo rahisi kukuza kondoo wako mwenyewe kwa kutembelea