[plumseverywhere]

Morning!

As many of you know from the members section, I have taken on two new ewes (about 10 months old) They became mine as of Friday after I bought them from a sheep co-op/club who'd been using our land.

I really want to put together a management plan for them so that I know they are being given a good new start but could do with some advice please from you more experienced keepers!

1 - I have the vet coming tomorrow to scan them both as an entire ram was left to run with them from May to November 20th. Not intentionally by me I must add!!  If they are pregnant I know I will need to be on hand as they are young and I am putting plans for lambing experience into action as we speak.

2 - Worming. All of the lambs on my land developed very dark runny bums (one died ? aborting same time) and I got fed up waiting for the owners to deal with it so wormed them all with panacur. Now nearly everyone dried up apart from one of the girls I have here.  Because of the fact she *might* be in lamb I was going to collect some poo and give it to the vet tomorrow for a worm count rather than re-worm her - does that sound OK?

3- Never dagged, never been sheared.  Was going to wait until dry weather June time for shearing? is that ok?  Dagging - was goign to try and do that sooner rather than later due to runny bum situation but waiting for dry days?  Do they need dagging before lambing? (if they are pregnant!)

4 - HeptavacP - 4-6 weeks before lambing or one year from last time (which was april last year) - am I right on that?

5 - I will phone animal health tomorrow. I have a herd number for goats, do I need different flock number for sheep?

6 - still lots of very green grass so not supplementing with hay until/ if we get hit by snow.  They get a few sheep nuts and I will be able to increase/decrease depending on vets findings tomorrow.

Really want to give these girls a chance at a good life so sorry for lots of questions. Have been lent a fantastic book by a friend from here and of course the Tim Tyne one is on my payday purchase list     

[SallyintNorth]

As many of you know from the members section, I have taken on two new ewes (about 10 months old)

Congratulations on your new sheep! 

If they are pregnant I know I will need to be on hand as they are young and I am putting plans for lambing experience into action as we speak.

Godd on yer gal 

Because of the fact she *might* be in lamb I was going to collect some poo and give it to the vet tomorrow for a worm count rather than re-worm her - does that sound OK?

Because you have the vet coming anyway, best thing is probably to ask his/her advice; they'll know what's likely to be about in your area, whether there's any resistance to any drugs, etc.  I would hesitate to advise anyway, conditions where you are would feel like summer to me!   

I assume you are not in a flukey area?  If you are, definitely fluke them both - you can't wait for symptoms with sheep with fluke, you need to keep them fluked - but quite likely fluke is not an issue where you are.  The vet will know.

Was going to wait until dry weather June time for shearing? is that ok?  Dagging - was goign to try and do that sooner rather than later due to runny bum situation but waiting for dry days?  Do they need dagging before lambing? (if they are pregnant!)

Up here generally lambs are not shorn in their first year, they are shorn in their second summer when the fleece is ready (the lanolin is rising), after which they are known as 'shearlings' or 'shearings'. 

I would clean her up (dag her) before she lambs, yes - you want her clean for when the lamb(s) are born and trying to suckle.

HeptavacP - 4-6 weeks before lambing or one year from last time (which was april last year) - am I right on that?

If they're pregnant, they need it before lambing to pass on passive immunity to the lambs.  If they are not in lamb you could wait until April for an annual booster, or do it now, or any time in between - if you are keeping them for breeding, they'll be getting their annual booster before they lamb next year and if you were not going to keep them on after they've had any lambs they're carrying now, they would be away long before next January.

I will phone animal health tomorrow. I have a herd number for goats, do I need different flock number for sheep?

Yes I think so (but I don't have goats so I could be wrong on that.)  You may also need to do some paperwork to transfer ownership to yourself, you will probably have to ask Trading Standards' advice on that one, or just do an AML (movement license) where the holding number stays the same but you sign as 'receiving keeper' at the bottom.

still lots of very green grass so not supplementing with hay until/ if we get hit by snow.  They get a few sheep nuts and I will be able to increase/decrease depending on vets findings tomorrow.

They may need additional sugar in one form or another for the last two months of pregnancy - our grass has nothing like enough at this time of year, being so far north, but yours may well be sufficient.  The vet will advise you.  What they would certainly need up here is a mineral drench and maybe a copper supplement but again I don't know your local conditions and the vet will.

Really want to give these girls a chance at a good life so sorry for lots of questions. Have been lent a fantastic book by a friend from here and of course the Tim Tyne one is on my payday purchase list     

As has been said elsewhere, these ladies are very lucky to have you to care (so much!) for them - and if no-one asked questions what would TAS be for?!! 

I am really looking forward to hearing the vet's verdict tomorrow.

[jaykay]

Morning 

1. Experience with someone else is a great thing when you're expecting yours to lamb. Are you hoping they are or they're not?
2. I think that's sensible, given that the vet's coming out anyway? Is is wet where you are? If so you may need to think about fluke too, but the egg count will tell you.
3. Yes, June shearing where you are is about right. I would dag them before lambing, do them standing so you'll need someone else to hold the front end. Then you stand either astride them or to one side pushing their hips into a wall or whatever - just need to keep the pressure on the actual pelvis bones rather than the belly where the lambs are.
4. Yes, Hepatavac booster about 4 weeks before lambing
5. I'm fairly sure my goat herd, and sheep flock, numbers are the same......(bit vague on this one, animal health know I have goats too)
6. I'd supplement with hay as well as sheep nuts if they are in lamb, as the grass doesn't have a lot of goodness in it at this time of year. If not, work on their condition score - I like my animals toelbe 3-3.5 so feed them to maintain that.

Enjoy them, don't worry too much  The experience you've had was horrible but sheep, despite all the jokes, are really quite sanguine little creatures who will get on and be happy if they are given half a chance 

Ha, Sally's posted while I was typing 

[Anke]

I would offer them some hay, but also check their backbone for condition. You don't want them fat, but there is not much goodness in grass atm, so some hay would be ok. See if they take it, they may not.

Your herdnumber for the goats is the same as for sheep, but I would phone up AH and inform them that you now also keep sheep. Any lambs born on your holding will have your number. What tags have your sheep just now? If they don't have EID tags, but only slaughter tags, ask AH which ones you should replace them with, once they are over 1y they will need EID tags.

If they had the double dose of Heptavac last April, they will only need the booster of 2ml about a month before lambing. If not double shot now.

If you can take a sample from the runny bum I would, and if necessary you will probably need an ivermectin wormer rather than Panacur. Might aso be fluke though?

If they are pregnant I would not da just now, but do it straight after lambing before they go out into the field. If they are not pregnant, I would dag now (on a dry day though).

Enjoy your girls.

[Sylvia]

Plums, is there a sheep farmer near you? They will , I'm sure, advise and help, especially if they know the circumstances. Also, ask if they will dag the sheep and show you how it's done. Good luck. XX

[plumseverywhere]

Hello 

Thanks for all the replies (and for taking the time to read my very long post with all those questions!)

We aren't in a flukey area so I've not fluked goats or sheep.  I will have a long word with AH and also the vet tomorrow and will jot down all my questions so I don't miss any out! 
If I put some runny bum into a jam jar would that be ok?

currently they just have one tag each.  Supplies for Smallholders have been incredibly helpful so I know which tagging applicator and tags to buy - just needed to find out about flock number in order to put my request in (oh its a minefield lol!!)

Jaykay - I would like them to be in lamb - Obviously its not idea in that they are very young so I'll need to keep an eye on weight and nutrition and be prepared for a hands on lambing experience but after feeling how I have this past week, I'd love to see some new life come from them 

Sylvia - there is a sheep farmer opposite who I know I could call on but he is so incredibly busy and my dealings with him up to now have been limited (just me phoning to tell him his sheep had escaped and helping round them up and another time we asked if he could recommend a tree feller)  however my husband's aunt is a sheep breeder about 20 miles from here and has already said she'd like to pop over and see our smallholding and she is lambing soon too so I asked if I could go to hers.

my main worry now is the runny bum as I'd hate for anything bad to happen and I lost a goat with runny bum in the first week - I know I'm paranoid