The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: lars64 on February 22, 2018, 05:43:49 pm
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I've been keeping sheep for a couple of years, but am still very much a novice, so am after a bit of advice. Two of my small mixed flock are ryeland wethers. Bought at the same time and coming up to 2 years old. One is big and healthy, the other a lot smaller. Through the winter the sheep have ad lib (2017) hay supplemented with a bit of dry sheep feed. I've been slightly concerned about him for a while as he's smaller, but he's been bounding up for his food, the same as the rest of them. A couple of days ago, I felt that he was a bit slower than the rest of them and lethargic. At the same time, I noticed he'd been scouring, so decided to bring him inside for a bit of TLC. When I came out again to move him, I noticed him limping, which was a bit strange as I hadn't noticed that earlier.
I brought him inside the day before yesterday and gave him a check over. I can't see anything wrong with him and his feet are fine. He's just much skinnier than all the others. They were all wormed last year (skipped the previous year due to a low FEC). Anyway, the little beggar wasn't limping by then and seemed bright and active. I gave him hay, a bit of concentrate and water and he noshed into the lot. So, I decided to keep him in for a while, keep an eye on him and feed him up.
Which brings us to today. He's still bright and active and his droppings are solid, however he doesn't seem to be eating much. There was some concentrate left in his feeder and he hasn't made much of an impression on the hay.
I'll take him down to the vet if I get really concerned, but can you advise what else might be up with him and what else I should do?
He's currently in a pen in my polytunnel (don't worry, completely open with the wind blowing through it end to end) right next to the field with the flock currently in it, but I realise that this still amounts to "solitary confinement" for a flock animal. However, he is so skinny, I'd like to build him up a bit before putting him back out.
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When was he last wormed? And fluked? Has he always been appreciably smaller than the other or did he slow down as the other grew?
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They were all wormed together last spring, I need to check my records to be exact on the date. It was a combined worm & fluke treatment.
He's always been smaller, but has definitely lost condition recently. Are you thinking I should get another FEC done, or just dose the lot of them again?
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Whilst adult non breeding sheep rarely need worming they will still need fluking throughout the autumn and winter if you’re in a flukey area especially. Use a narrow spectrum product I.e not a combined fluke and wormer. It would be best to get your vet to look at him and go from there
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Speak to your VET and take faeces sample with you to make sure . There are worms that can infect sheep in winter Black Scour & Barbers Pole worms , yes a fit adult sheep can keep worms under control but if they start loosing condition or are stressed than this control weakens
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Yes what others have said - worms & fluke are first bets. But if they are ruled out don't underestimate the effect of trace element deficiency - selenium and cobalt. We have a real problem with tup lambs which the vets didn't suggest TE deficiency but that turned out to be the cause - drenches and/or boluses to treat. Ask neighbours to see if they have the same problem.
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Thanks all. Well he’s now eating very well & very bright, so I’m less concerned. Will be getting a FEC done as a precaution and will dose per the vets recommendation if necessary.
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Glad he's improving :relief:
I just thought it worth mentioning, as you say you are still a novice and are giving them some concentrate... It is a feed that is suitable for tup and wethers, is it? All ewe feeds and some general purpose feeds (including some feed and mineral blocks, I've discovered), are not ideal for male sheep as they can result in urinary calculi.
I suspect that Ryeland wethers with good hay to go at really don't need any concentrate ;) - but it's all the more worrying, therefore, that he's skinny.
We had a one doing poorly, and they'd previously been on horrid wet ground (so wet, I'd been putting out straw to make a dry bedding area for them :o), so after discussion with the vet I gave that batch a flukicide. A couple of days later, the difference in spirits of the whole flock was very marked - lots of skipping and jumping, playing and so on, which they hadn't been doing at all before they were dosed. The one poorly one is still rather poor, so it may be that the dose was a bit late for him, but he's still with us and eating, so perhaps he'll pick up when the grass really starts to grow. :fc:
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I don't know where you are but if there is any chance of fluke then they all need to be drenched 2-3 times a winter, with a flukicide (not a combined one). Ask your vet for recommendation of flukicide .