Sheep Health Management Disease Prevention is the Key to Success

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Sheep Health Management Disease Prevention is
the Key to Success

• Dean Oswald
• Animal Systems Educator
• Macomb Extension Center
• 309-836-2265

oswaldd_at_mail.aces.uiuc.edu
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Sheep and Lamb LossesUS -1994 - USDA
All Causes Predators Other Than Predators
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(No Transcript)
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Health Management Calendar60 Days Before Breeding

• Shear the ram
• Trim his feet / Use a foot-bath
• Protect from heat stress
• Measure scrotal circumference

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30 Days Before Breeding

• Vaccinate ewes (If problem is present) -Viborio
  (ovine form) -Leptospirosis -Chlamydia -
  Enzootic abortion of ewes -Soremouth (rams
  also) -Foot Rot (rams also)
• Deworm ewes and rams
• Trim feet and run through footbath

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14 Days Before Breeding

• Flush ewes by increasing the level of nutrition
• Turn in teaser ram

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Breeding Time

• Measure Scrotal Circumference -compare with
  earlier measurement
• Remove Teaser Ram
• Use fertile ram with a marking harness

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60 Days After Ram Is Turned In

• Deworm all ewes and rams

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30 Days Before Lambing

• Shear ewes if you have adequate protection
• Deworm all ewes and rams (read labels)
• Adequate salt-mineral mix (no copper)
• Increase energy level (1lb. corn)
• Vaccinate pregnant ewes - Multivalent
  Clostridium bacterin (CDT-toxoid)

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30 Days Before Lambing

• Use a coccidiostat through weaning (deccox)
• Clean barns to bare ground Add 4 - 6 inches
  limestone (Ag Lime) Cover with fresh bedding

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10 Days Before Lambing Begins

• Set up lambing Pens and Cubicles
• Check Equipment and Suppliesfeeding tube
  castration docking tools injectable vitamin E
  selenium (Bo-Se) heat lamp disposable
  syringes 7 iodine surgical soap delivery
  equipment

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Lambing Time

• Place ewe and lambs in lambing pen
• Check udder and teats (wash - soap H2O)
• See that lambs nurse apply iodine to navels
• Give lambs clostridium CD antitoxin if ewes were
  not vaccinated / Deworm ewes
• Inject with vit E and Bo-Se
• Check for inverted eyelids
• Use heat lamps only if necessary / Dont overuse
• Start Production Records

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Lambing Time Continued

• Leave in lambing pens 1-3 days (depending upon
  strength of lambs and mothering ability)
• Dock lambs when they are removed from the lambing
  pens (tetanus antitoxin if ewes not vaccinated)
• Consider castrating male lambs at this time
• Vaccinate for soremouth if it has been a problem
• Group ewes and lambs (small groups)
• Later group ewes and lambs by single twin or
  triplet feed accordingly

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1 Week After Lambing Begins Set Up Creep Feeding
Area

• Use high protein palatable ration
• Place a light over the creep area
• Provide leafy legume hay
• Keep will bedded
• Make several openings for the lambs
• Protect feeders from lambs feet
• Provide water in or near the creep area

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30 Days After Lambing

• Vaccinate lambs 30 days old with clostridium CDT
  toxoid
• Give booster 2-4 weeks later
• Deworm Ewes and Rams

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1 Week Before Weaning

• Remove grain and protein supplement from ewes
  diet
• Allow the ewes access to water twice daily
  starting 2 days before weaning day of weaning
  and day after weaning

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60 Days After Lambing

• Wean lambs at about 60 days of age
• Leave ewes on roughage (no grain)
• Weigh lambs at weaning

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2 Weeks Before Going to Pasture

• Deworm ewes rams and all lambs that you plan to
  keep for replacement or sell as breeding stock
• Trim feet and run through a footbath
• Vaccinate for foot rot if a problem
  exists(follow label recommendations)

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Miscellaneous Items

• Consider Breeding ewe lambs to lamb at 12-15
  months of age. Maintain as a separate group
• Dip spray or dust for external parasites after
  shearing.
• Keep production records
• Use managed rotational grazing crop residues to
  extend grazing and reduce feed cost
• Clip pastures if needed to control weeds
• Develop an efficient sheep-handling unit for your
  farm