The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Remy on February 28, 2012, 07:28:47 pm
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One of my ewe lambs (well she's nearly a year now) has started to shed her fleece ???. It's just dropping off her and she's probably ripe for shearing except it's not quite the right time! None of my others have ever done this, just this one ewe lamb. Is it normal? I almost feel should shear it all off but she'd then need a coat! ;D
She was also one of the poorly lambs of mine who was affected by worms but recovered. Not sure if this has any bearing on it, but Tiny (the Gotland who nearly died) isn't losing hers in the same way.
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Hi Remy,
It's probably the stress from having worms, stress causes the fleece to weaken and break as the sheep are putting all their energy into keeping condition, rather than the fleece.
You could shear her and she probably wouldn't need a coat, I have been shearing since the first week in January and as far as I know none of the lambs I have done have had coats on.
Hope that helps,
Philip :sheep:
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Thanks Philip, I may try it once I have help, i could probably pluck most of it off by hand tho :D
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is that show sheep you are shearing philip :farmer:
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HI Remy - is it definately not biting lice? Some of mine have had this (and we've generally had a lot of this around here) and they didnt seem to be itching, no evident wounds, just fleece falling out and new stuff growing underneath. When you look in the fleece though you can see tiny buff coloured 'bits' which look like lanolin but on longer look move! Spect you know all this but thought I'd post for Newbies like me! Was prescribed coopers 'spot on'.
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what breed its it if shetland ect they do this if not it will be when it was ill the wool stops growing causeing a break in it it then sheds after a bit of new growth has a shearling jacob do this after going down hilll and loseing her lambs other year left it too all fall off and she looked better than any other sheep on the farm then lol no shearing marks
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as posted look for lice has few hear bought in coopers has worked well 2nd time round but if its not itching though it will be as my first post if it is lice you will have to treat all your sheep that have been anywhere near it!
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Hi Robert,
Some are show sheep and there are some longwools and Angora goats that I shear twice a year.
Philip :sheep:
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It's a Zwartbles. She hasn't been scratching at all, but yes I will look for lice (esp as I've now put some more in with her!! ::) ::) ). I'm hoping it was stress as she was quite poorly, but is now looking really good (apart from the raggedy bits of black wool hanging all over her!).