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Wool-shedding sheep like Wiltshires are bred to put less energy growing wool and more growing their flesh. They are also easier to look after, with no shearing, and less risk of fly-strike (maggot-eaten around the anus) as there is no wool around the crutch, or belly or head.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Worms: Sheep are prone to intestinal worms. The worms also become resistant to drenches (antithelmic fluid given orally). Conduct a faecal worm egg count to test levels of worm infestation before and after drenches, to help decide on drench type. Warm, wet weather generally means more worms in the ground.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Ruminant bacteria: Sheep digestive bacteria alter slowly to cope with different foods, so dietary changes need to be slow. For example, start with 50-100g of pellets per sheep per day, increasing slowly.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Neophobia: Sheep refuse to eat or drink things they're unfamiliar with. Make changes gradually.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Breeding: Allow female lambs to grow to a full two years' maturity before breeding. Otherwise, their growth will be stunted, as their energy is put into the suckling lamb.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Vaccinations: Pregnant sheep should be vaccinated three weeks before parturition, so the lamb can benefit from the mother's antibodies. A vaccine booster for lambs follows several months later, then by annual boosters. Multipurpose vaccines deal with a range of sheep diseases, like pulpy kidney from overeating.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Winter feed: Watch a grazing sheep to see what it prefers to eat. For example: chicory, plantain, clover, then grasses. Knowing its preferences, provide good quality dried grasses (hay) during winter. Supplementing with minerals (not copper) and sheep pellets can also help.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Castrating: Most male lambs are castrated a few weeks after birth by placing a rubber ring at the top of the scrotum sack ensuring both testicles are included. They become wethers. This is to control the gene pool. Wethers can be killed for meat when weaned off the ewe, or can live in the ram's paddock to reduce the ram's aggression.
kellyjones00 (593)
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