happy acres
Loving the herd life
I may have a chance to get a lamb, still being bottle fed. Should I go for it? I'd like some sheep for wool. But I know less than nothing about them! Any advice is welcome!
total newb here
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- #2
happy acres
Loving the herd life
So, I've decided to get the lamb! Now I've got some learning to do! I'm reading everything I can find. What else should I do?
norseofcourse
Herd Master
Do you have a place to put it that is safe and big enough? They grow fast. Someone else will have to answer what all you need for a bottle lamb - milk and bottles and nipples, but I don't know what else. How old is it? Has it had any shots, did it get colostrum for its first few feedings, do you have a vet nearby that works on sheep, do you have another person nearby with sheep that would be willing to help you out and answer questions?
Sheep do better with other sheep, are you getting two?
Sheep do better with other sheep, are you getting two?
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- #4
happy acres
Loving the herd life
Yes, getting two. Have a place for them. Don't know about the colostrum. We have a vet. And I don't know of any others nearby for helping. I thought I could get all my supplies at the co-op. And I have lots of blankets and things to make sure they don't get chilled.
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- #5
happy acres
Loving the herd life
Another question : what are barber pole worms, and how do I prevent them?
Barber pole worms are the type of worm sheep are most commonly afflicted with. They are a blood sucking internal parasite so you can usually tell if the sheep becomes anemic, thin, etc. The best way to check for barber pole worms is checking the color of the bottom eyelid (it should be a bright red; a pale pink or even white signify the sheep is anemic). There are FAMACHA classes you can take to be trained to determine how anemic your sheep is. However keep in mind that there is more than one cause for an anemic sheep, and not every anemic sheep will have barber pole worms. You need to account for other symptoms the sheep is experiencing and make a decision for treatment based on that.
Really there isn't a way of preventing them (you can have "parasite resistant" stock--though I hate that term...if they are resistant they wouldn't have them at all...they "resist" infestation; often they still have them they just aren't affected by them...so I think a better term would be "parasite tolerant" stock...end rant lol), though many people rotate pastures. However I think that the time spent setting up fences/moving stock/making sure there is shelter and water isn't worth it. I would rather continuously graze my flock on the same tract of land to encourage them to reinfest themselves with whatever worms are in their digestive systems so they can build natural immunity to it. My neighbor did that and my flock traces back to his stock...my 2006 ewe I got from him has never been dewormed in her life. However, doing this, some sheep become overburdened by their parasite load and start to show it...or if you don't catch it in time they die.
Really there isn't a way of preventing them (you can have "parasite resistant" stock--though I hate that term...if they are resistant they wouldn't have them at all...they "resist" infestation; often they still have them they just aren't affected by them...so I think a better term would be "parasite tolerant" stock...end rant lol), though many people rotate pastures. However I think that the time spent setting up fences/moving stock/making sure there is shelter and water isn't worth it. I would rather continuously graze my flock on the same tract of land to encourage them to reinfest themselves with whatever worms are in their digestive systems so they can build natural immunity to it. My neighbor did that and my flock traces back to his stock...my 2006 ewe I got from him has never been dewormed in her life. However, doing this, some sheep become overburdened by their parasite load and start to show it...or if you don't catch it in time they die.
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- #7
happy acres
Loving the herd life
If I deworm them won't they just get reinfested?
Ruus
Ridin' The Range
Unfortunately yes, but it takes a while for the worms to build up to a problematic level.
Checking parasite load is just one of those routine things you need to do periodically, like trimming hooves and giving vaccines. It's not a super hard thing to do though, really. If you think your sheep might be wormy, you can take a fecal sample to your vet and they'll check it for worm eggs.
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- #9
happy acres
Loving the herd life
Oh! I was thinking the vet would have to come to me.
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- #10
happy acres
Loving the herd life
some pictures of my lambs. The one further away is Belle, the one in front is Honey.
