The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Primitive Sheep => Topic started by: Dans on April 23, 2016, 11:59:08 pm
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Hi all,
This is carried over from my crovect thread.
Two of my CMM have spots on their back just behind their shoulders where the fleece is coming away. At first I thought they were just shedding as some fleece came away from their rear ends very easily when I was dagging.
I did notice them get very wet one of the first weekends we had them, one of the sheep's wool had parted on her back. Could it be damage from rain. I checked them for lice but didn't find anything and they don't seem to be itching like mad, just the occasional head scratch or kick up at the belly.
I've attached a couple pictures, they aren't great though, the girls are still a bit skittish.
Dans
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I have recently had to treat my sheep for lice after noticing the fleece coming out in random clumps, mostly at the back end. I couldn't find any lice either but there was a sort of yellow residue just above the skin.
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Can't see the pic clearly but that looks like healthy new growth coming through underneath, pushing the old fleece off. If there was a problem I think the skin would be bare.
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Perhaps you could have your vet take a sample of wool or a skin scrape.
It doesn't sound too severe, but as there is some itching, it might be worth checking before any irritation gets worse.
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is it out of season? they should be starting to shed soon....doesnt happen in one day.
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Castlemilks dont always shed do they ? :sheep:
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Ours are doing the same. Our ewes who have just lambed started shedding about a month ago. We have some whethers in another field, not adjoining, who have also started shedding. I'm assuming it's just normal - unless someone tells me otherwise?
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Hi Dans- that looks like a very normal start to natural shedding or moulting. They will itch a bit and will rub to get it off (and sometimes with their own horn or someone else's!). Some CMM's will start losing patches now- mine are (and if left some may lose most of their fleece- looking a real mess in the interim). Some do not and hold onto their fleece for much longer and don't really shed it much (probably genetically controlled). You may also see on their faces that they will be losing the longer hair replacing it with short. IMO no need to treat for lice. They look well!
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Not all of mine shed but those that do are starting now.
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Sorry it took so long to reply. Baby has reached the age where the laptop is very interesting!
Thanks guys, feel a little more at ease. The vet checked them all over for lice when he was here not long ago as I was a bit worried (one got a bald spot but t turned out to be an abscess).
Their faces have lost the long hair already. I had just started to be able to identify them by their facial 'markings', came back from the weekend away and their faces were all different!
They had started this a week or two ago, I guess they just got going a bit earlier. Booking a shearer in this week for mid-late May. Should I roo what is coming away or wait until the shearer comes?
Dans
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Hi Dans- mine are in various stages of early moulting. In terms of rooing...if you want to keep all the wool then do so...but it is a bit early and you may only get what is loose around that small patch...don't pull too hard...so prob. not worth catching them up for it yet. Certainly no husbandry issue to leave them until shearing. It would be interesting to hear what your vet said about the abscess (PM if you like).