mysunwolf - four acres and some sheep

[Mike CHS]

I've seen the data that shows the dormancy periods and I don't know enough about how fast they come out of dormancy to have an answer. We do fairly fast rotations and other than two months in winter, we don't have sustained moisture that breaks the dormancy so I think that has worked in our favor. I wish I was more expert but we just started looking at this seriously in the last year. On a side note, a friend of ours has been working on another study about small ruminant parasites with a doctor in Texas testing a new wormer for the blood sucking parasites but he couldn't give me much info.

We don't get 90 days off of most of our paddocks so our sheeps resistance has still been the best preventative for us.

 

[Mike CHS]

One thing I meant to add is that I cut and spray all of our fields at least once a season so that more than likely has much to do with our fairly low worm load if the studies are correct.

 

[Baymule]

Just throwing this out there for thought and conversation..... What about running another species in the pasture, like a steer or two, being grown off for slaughter, to consume the grass, and hopefully help break the worm cycle? Rotate the pastures like you are already doing, but maybe dry lot the sheep for a short period inbetween the sheep/cattle grazing.

 

[mysunwolf]

Yes we definitely rotate cattle through, as well as chickens (and this year turkeys). Doesn't seem to make any difference here. I think mowing, haying, and/or drylotting is a good bet.

 

[Baymule]

You are doing all that you know to do. I like @Mike CHS research and actions on spraying the pasture with a weak bleach solution, then nitrogen fertilizer.

 

[Mike CHS]

Yes we definitely rotate cattle through, as well as chickens (and this year turkeys). Doesn't seem to make any difference here. I think mowing, haying, and/or drylotting is a good bet.

We dry lotted our sheep the first winter we had them and had the lowest egg count ever.

 

[Bruce]

Which kinda suggests those nasty worm eggs can live a long time in the pasture without a mammal host doesn't it? Must have been a reasonably long time between whenever the last animals were there and when you bought, improved and then brought in sheep.

 

[Mike CHS]

Our worm count is still low for the sheep on pasture. We have only had to worm 3 out of the 47 that we had at one point. Our property has never been used as pasture in the memory of any of those that have been her for their lifetimes.

 

[Bruce]

So where did the barber pole worms come from? Maybe a small load with your first ewes?

 

[Mike CHS]

Deer are carriers also and of course some could have came with the sheep.