UNP-0068 Basic Preventive Herd Health Management Strategies for Sheep
Basic Preventive Herd Health Management Strategies for Sheep
UNP-0068 New August 2005. Jacqueline Umstead Johnson, V.M.D., Extension Veterinarian, Professor, Food and Animal Sciences, Alabama A&M University
Flock Size Ratio of Rams:Ewes
To develop a pasture breeding system, a reasonable ratio of rams to ewes is one ram for every 35 to 50 ewes. A ram can be used to breed more ewes in a hand-mating system. Remember, ram lambs are less capable than mature lambs of breeding and successfully settling ewes. A favorable ratio for using ram lambs in a pasture-breeding program is one ram for every 15 ewes.
Culling Procedures
Culling procedures should be followed when certain conditions exist. Indications for culling males would be when Breeding Soundness Examinations have identified testicular and epididymal lesions suggesting
possible Brucella ovis or Actinobacillus seminis infections; chronic lameness resulting
in an inability to mate; conformational and limb deformities; poor libido; and poor semen quality. Indications for culling females include poor mothering ability; poor lamb production record; little or no milk
production to nurse offspring adequately; repeated abortions; general unthrifty body conditions despite adequate health care; and infertility. Replacement ewes should come from your own flock when possible.
Foot Rot Prevention/Treatment
For foot rot prevention or treatment, use a 10 percent Formalin footbath changed daily or try a 5 percent Formalin footbath changed 2 to 3 times daily in combination with antibiotic (penicillin/streptomycin or
tetracycline) injections.
Treatment therapy
Treatment therapy must be instituted for 30 days, followed by preventive therapy. For prevention, therapy may need to be as frequent as once or twice weekly or as infrequent as once a month to three to four
times per year. Commercial bacterin may or may not be used; however, efficacy is quite variable.
To minimize the incidence of foot rot, avoid heavy traffic patterns where animals are continually in wet, muddy areas. Keep feet trimmed and provide routine foot care.
Tetanus antitoxin given at birth or at the time of castration or tail docking is recommended. IBR-PI3 intranasal vaccine can be used at birth, but administer onehalf the dose of the cattle vaccine.
Administer clostridial 7-way or 8-way plus tetanus at 8, 12, and 14 weeks of age. For replacement lambs, use clostridial plus a tetanus booster and any other vaccines adults get.
Pastures
Rotate pastures for grazing and lambing purposes. Pastures that are used for lambing, or where lambs frequent, should not be heavily contaminated with feces, especially from mature animals.
Keep pastures as feces free as possible to minimize the parasitic burdens that may result from infrequent deworming. Clip pastures to prevent grasses from over seeding and weeding and to minimize trauma to the eyes (prepuce, males) while grazing.
Deworming Program
Monitor levels of worm infection by fecal examinations of your flock. Deworm every 6 to 8 weeks during the winter months and every 4 weeks during the spring, summer, and fall months. Use ivermectin as lambs
are born and again in mid-July. Rotate dewormers to prevent parasite resistance. Keep all weaned lambs on coccidiostats to minimize coccidiosis infection outbreaks.
When rotating anthelmintics (dewormers) in your herd program, choose those that are currently licensed and approved for use in sheep in the United States. These are thiabendazole levamisole, piperazine,
phenothiazine, and ivermectin.
Consult your local veterinarian for assistance in establishing an effective parasite control program for your flock or contact your Alabama Cooperative Extension System veterinarian for more information.
Preventive Vaccination Program
A preventive vaccination program should be implemented with annual boosters administered at least 2 weeks before lambing. Recommended vaccination guidelines and suggested vaccines
incorporated into your herd should include immunization against the following:
- Clostridial diseases, including tetanus
- Enzootic abortions caused by an organism called Chlamydia psittaci
- Leptospirosis
- Vibriosis
- Blue tongue disease, also called catarrhal fever
- Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)
- Contagious Ecthyma (Orf or soremouth)
You may consider incorporating a specific preventive health program against these conditions depending on your locale and the history of disease prevalence in your flock.
Semen Evaluate Rams
Semen evaluate rams and check for breeding soundness at least 45 days before putting them in with the breeding ewes. Separate pastures should be maintained for rams during the nonbreeding period.
Other Recommendations
For better management and production, adhere to a set of goal parameters for record-keeping and management; follow vaccination and deworming guidelines as outlined and continue to provide a good
quality nutrition program for your herd.
Twice-A-Year-Lambing
Good fertility by 50 days postpartum can lead to the production of two-lamb crops per year on a flock basis with three-lamb crops in 2 years on a ewe basis. Fertility, however, is usually very low during the
first 30 days postpartum due to lactational anestrus, nursing, and uterine involution.
If accelerated lambing programs are to be successful, lambs must be weaned at 35 to 45 days of age to ensure the ewes' early return to estrus and conception at first estrus service. (Rule indicators: wean lambs at least 30 days old and at least 30 pounds).
Goal Assessment
Re-evaluating your goals is just as important as setting them. Be sure the goals for managing your livestock operation are measurable and tangible. Set new goals to replace those you have successfully achieved. Where you fell short in accomplishing other goals, try to determine what went wrong and make
modifications for improvements.
Your local veterinarian can assist you in developing a herd-health management plan for your production operation and goals. For more information on basic herd health management strategies, contact your local
veterinarian, local Extension agent, or Extension veterinarian.
Trade names are used only to give specific information. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System does not endorse or guarantee any product and does not recommend one product instead of another that might be similar.
For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and
home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related
acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama
Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn
University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal
opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.
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