The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Hillview Farm on April 23, 2015, 11:21:23 am
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As the title says. How often should I rotate my ewes and lambs? Is it within a worm cycle?
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I'm no expert but it will probably be easier for those that are if you let them know approx how much land they are on and how many sheep you have.
I only have a couple of acres, split into 4. My 6 girls get rotated every week.
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6 (or more) paddocks, moved weekly. I think it depends more on the height of the grass though, as the nasties live at the base of the leaves, so if you don't graze too hard that would be better.
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I've got low stocking density so I was thinking I might get away with two weeks apart. Hopefully
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We have quite a low density, but generally keep them on a field for three weeks - grass is still not very very short when they move. We let a field have a break for between 3 and 5 weeks before it's grazed on again... Having said that, from September, when we wean and then after have the ram in, some sheep will be in the same field for much longer. Still, not yet had to worm, after regular FEC tests...
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This is one of those things where science meets art meets experience. You have to balance how long the grass is (more than three leaves and it will start to die at the bottom) with the weather with how much condition the sheep need to put on before tupping with whether you plan to cut for hay with the mix of grass types and how well they'll withstand a dry summer with .....
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Ok, could somebody please give me a hand here? ???
From the diagram below, if an infected sheep passes worm eggs, these hatch and grow into the infective L3 stage larvae in 4-10 days (maybe a little longer in the UK - the diagram comes from an Aussie website (http://www.wormboss.com.au/worms/roundworms/roundworm-life-cycle.php) :) ).
So, if "most L3 larvae die within three (summer) months to six (winter) months, with some living {and remaining infective} for over a year", surely they'll just sit in the pasture waiting until the sheep come round on their next rotation and eat them!? ???
(http://www.wormboss.com.au/images/pages/worms/roundworms/roundworm-life-cycle/thumbs/Lifecycle_roundworm_1.jpg)
I totally get how rotations of 6 months or more would be really effective in worm control, but that's not possible for most smallholders.
So, if we can only rotate our pasture on a 4-8 week cycle say, does that actually help with parasite control at all?
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6 (or more) paddocks, moved weekly. I think it depends more on the height of the grass though, as the nasties live at the base of the leaves, so if you don't graze too hard that would be better.
Sorry not so , all information says that larvae climb up the grass in dew so that they can be eaten on the choice leaves ( a sheep will naturally wander and only eat the grass tips given freedom, so the parasites had to develop a stratergy to cope or become extinct ) . A 3mth gap between grazing can reduce worm numbers or a rutter ring system ( 1 year cattle only 1 year sheep only 1 year crop only ) in most cases both not practicle
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*sigh* we are all doomed then :)
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...the best course of action is to regularly rotate so that you get the most out of the grass that you have, and regularly FEC to cull out those animals that suffer from the highest worm burdens. After a few years, in theory, you should have to worm less, if at all.
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6 (or more) paddocks, moved weekly. I think it depends more on the height of the grass though, as the nasties live at the base of the leaves, so if you don't graze too hard that would be better.
Sorry not so , all information says that larvae climb up the grass in dew so that they can be eaten on the choice leaves ( a sheep will naturally wander and only eat the grass tips given freedom, so the parasites had to develop a stratergy to cope or become extinct ) . A 3mth gap between grazing can reduce worm numbers or a rutter ring system ( 1 year cattle only 1 year sheep only 1 year crop only ) in most cases both not practicle
Sad but true