The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: pauljay on June 22, 2013, 06:31:11 pm
-
We have a mixed flock of Wiltshire Horns and Black Welsh Mountain. The Wiltshire Horns, true-to-breed have lsot their fleeces recently.
This week however one of the Black Welsh has lost virtually all its fleece; back to the skin in places. Otherwise it seems well and content and is eating heartily. We gave it a pour-on to counteract fly-strike and I wonder whether this has been a reaction? Any thoughts would be welcome.
-
How quickly did it loose the fleece? Sounds a bit like wool slip. This is caused by stress, could be a reaction and its put the body under stress or maybe been chased by a dog... who knows!
-
To be honest, many of the sheep around here are casting their fleeces - I just managed to get my Shetlands sheared before one or two of them cast their fleeces entirely.
If the skin underneath looks fine, the new wool is growing back well and she seems happy, it may just be the normal rise which has allowed her to cast her fleece.
Sheep can have a break in their fleeces because of stress, parasites or illness, so that needs checking for.
But the ability to shed their fleeces which has been selected for in Wiltshire Horns, came from somewhere - the genes to do it are in the general sheep flock, wild sheep did it - and some individuals do it more than others.
-
It can also relate back to a stress or illness a while back; the illness affects the wool growth at the time, later as the sheep recovers the wool begins to grow again but there's a line of weakeness where the illness occurred. As the fleece gets heavier, it breaks at that weak spot and comes off.
It's quite common hereabouts to see raggedy baldy ewes with triplets at foot... ;)
-
We had one ewe whose lamb wouldn't suck and had to be stomach tubed (lamb then sucked fine) who lost all her wool with the stress of that, she was very worried about her little lamb! And one other who slipped her fleece for no apparent reason (other than that they are Shetlands so sometimes do).
As SITN says, as long as they don't have any nasties and the fleece below is nice and the skin is fine, I wouldn't worry about it other than it being scattered around!
Don't think the BWMB will be paying me anything for those two fleeces tho :-((
-
Sheep slipping there coats can also be due to them thriving on good summer grass don't forget, all my hoggs have been slipping there coat starting around the neck or on the back thank goodness there sheared now!
Like previously mentioned don't worry unless the skin is irritated or the sheep are unwell and the wool's not growing back.
-
We have a cade ram lamb who lost his fleece in patches, I posted about this a whie back. Reading this thread now I wonder if it's because he had pneumonia as a little lamb? Anyway, (touch wood) he's right as rain now, and his fleece is growing back beautifully and with a lot of crimp!
-
Where did it start first? On the topline (ie top down), or from the neck and undercarriage (bottom up)? or somewhere else?
-
Hi,
It started on the neck and worked down and back and now seems to have stopped halfway along the body.
-
Got a photo? :)
-
Hi there,
Many thanks to all who offered advice. It set my mind at rest that there wasn't too much to worry about, so I stopped panicking. Number 24 is still munching contentedly and the loss has stopped. Aprt from the semi-baldness, she looks in great condition.
Once more: Grateful thanks
Paul
-
If the sheep got very wet over the winter (and what didn't) it could've been rain scald. Usually seen in horses but a few of our young ewes got it last Spring - I just sprayed the bare bits with blue spray (they looked a bit like the Earth from space for a while) but no ill effects and were all fine this year.
-
Sheep slipping there coats can also be due to them thriving on good summer grass don't forget, all my hoggs have been slipping there coat starting around the neck or on the back thank goodness there sheared now!
Like previously mentioned don't worry unless the skin is irritated or the sheep are unwell and the wool's not growing back.
That is found more in sheep that have a propensity to shed - my woolshedders need to be doing well to shed and the first cross Wilts x Lleyns will shed more of the fleece when they are doing well.
-
that is interesting and food for thought. I have found nearly all my ouessants have a definate break in their fleece. With attention and the right timming I can get a large number of these to roo completely - where by I need to pluck the fleece to remove it but many having been rooed will shed more eaisly the next year.