SHEEP PRODUCTION IN ARAGON
In the Aragon region in the north east of Spain, sheep are reared in a semi-extensive productive system. Sheep are grazed outdoors until the last month of pregnancy, when they are moved indoors to feed them properly. During lambing, sheep are fed with grain and hay or straw. The lambs are weaned at 45 days of age and ewes are sent outdoors for another mating season. Lambs are kept indoors until they reach slaughter weight averaging 22 kg at 2-3 months of age. During this time, they are fed pellets and straw.
This production system results in a different disease spectrum to that seen in Australian sheep. It is easy to imagine that fox predation is not a problem in Spain but respiratory diseases are important. The average mortality in lambs is around 10-12% and the main causes of mortality are summarized in figure 1.