[Chris H]

I am getting my first sheep in July, they will be on land that has not had stock for a number of years, well fenced. They will be kept for wool only, not moved, lambed or eaten (I know, crazy). How often would I need to worm? and can I keep two goats with the three sheep? if so would the mineral licks be the same? I should say (with thanks to Julia) that the sheep and goats will already know one another!
As to dipping, what do readers use? I want to get this right

[colliewoman]

If they were mine, I would worm in the trailer and pen them for 24 hours BEFORE turning them out. This is what I have done and as yet have not needed to worm again in nearly a year
Although I have in the past let my sheep into the goat's paddock to eat the grass down, I hoof em out again at mealtimes as the goats have copper and the sheep don't. If you can feed seperately (I put the minerals in the feed) I don't see why not if the goats have shelter etc.
I don't use dips so can't help there sorry!

[jaykay]

Worm them before they come onto your land. You'll never get totally worm free sheep but the burden should be pretty low in the circumstances you describe, so you won't need to do them often at all. Are you going to rotate the grazing at all. I'd recommend that you did, since that also helps. I'd watch for mucky bums and not worm until.

Yes you can keep sheep and goats together but: Goats need shelter when it rains, sheep don't. Goats need copper, it's poisonous to sheep if they get too much. So - you could provide a field shelter they can all get inside (cos whilst sheep don't need one they still prefer not to get wet). And you could drench your goats with Coppavit every month or so which would allow you to feed the same feed and give the same mineral buckets as the sheep.

Dectomax injection for sheep scab (it worms too) and Crovect pour on for flies and lice.

Are you going to milk the goats? Do you have anywhere they can live in overnight?
If yes to both, I might put the goats out in the field with the sheep during the day and bring them in at night - allows you to milk, feed differently, provide the extra shelter etc.

[Chris H]

Knew you guys would help
We will be moving them to new ground periodically, just need to get the fencing done, each area will have a shelter I hoped they could share, i know sheep can be out but we get bitter winds here on lewis and I want to spoil them as much as poss.

[Fleecewife]

Hi Chris
I used to keep a fleece flock too, which consisted of seven wethers of various breeds and crosses, kept purely for their fleece.  I kept them in with the stock tups but away from the ewes, purely for convenience.

As the others have said, worm your sheep on arrival (or ask the breeder to worm them as they go into the trailer.  Keep them on hard standing for 24 hours so any dropped worms will fall on bedding which can be burned.  Hopefully you will not need to worm them again, but as the others have said, watch them for scouring.  Depending on your land though you may well need to give them a flukicide in the autumn - check with other sheep keepers in the area or your vet as to the prevalence of fluke, which has a snail as vector so can be a bit mobile.

For an anti fly strike product, Crovect seems to be the easiest to use (it's a spray) and the most effective.  However, don't apply it within three months before shearing as it is by its nature persistant, but will have gone by shearing time from the previous years application.  Flies can become active in early May, so watch your sheep carefully, dag them so there is no muck around them and bring them in for a close-up check if you have any doubts at all.  Check their tails and under their tails, up between their back legs, over the back at the top of the tail, over the shoulders and down to behind their front legs and on top of their heads - just about everywhere then  ) Open the wool right down to the skin when you check.  Once they are shorn, spray with Crovect (I do it every 6 weeks until late Sept, or early Oct in a bad fly year)

I don't agree about sheep not needing shelter.  They do have lanolin which protects to an extent against the weather, but sheep kept for fleece are likely to have fine coats which could do with some protection against the worst wet.  We had a ewe who was a DorsetxPolwarthxRyeland whose fleece went pink in wet winters, from a type of algae.  Also, the tips of all fleece will dry out and become harsh when exposed to a northern winter, so although I wouldn't coat the sheep, I would provide them with a field shelter.