The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Hartwelljulie on March 04, 2016, 07:19:36 am
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Have any of you any experience in stopping lambs eating their own or eachothers wool? I have a small flock of Herdwicks, 5 in lamb ewes who are not eating wool and have great fleeces, and 3 wether (due for freezer when they are big enough) lambs, in with the ewes, grazing the same grass, getting hay and coarse mix just like the ewes, but they look a dreadful sight! All three are missing fleece to their sides and often are caught with bits of wool at the side of their mouth. All have been wormed, fluked, vaccinated and vitamin drenched. I'm reluctant to separate them out just yet as I'm saving one field for lambing time and have limited paddocks. Help?
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Sounds like lice or scab ...... VET
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Louses :yuck:
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Thanks. Wool isnt rubbed or lost right to the skin, just patches where it's been nibblesd shorter. theres still a good covering, no signs of sore bits, any reddness or even itchiness. I'm beginning to wonder if one of them have developed a habit of wool eating - read it can happen. Will seek professional advice today though. Many thanks for your advice. 5 ewes living with them have beautiful full fleece. All otherwise well.
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As recommended - vet can be accurate in diagnosis but does sound like lice.... and in our experience it's really common that a few sheep 'show' it, whilst the others seem unbothered and have great fleeces... But if lice, then they obviously spread, and can hang around for a while - so any treatment MUST be for the whole flock (also, if you 'spot on' don't expect immediate results - it takes several weeks for the chemicals to take effect....)
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Thank you!
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Wool eating lambs - eek :o :innocent: