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Author Topic: Sheep/goats/land help!!  (Read 3239 times)

Draygor

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Soar, Brecon, Powys
Sheep/goats/land help!!
« on: August 25, 2012, 10:19:16 am »
Hi all,

Apologies in advance for sounding like a total newbie!  ???

I'm in need of a little guidance if someone can help me?

We've been on our smallholding now since March, and we have 2 goats (recently posted hoof issues in goats forum), and 3 sheep. The numbers are so low as we only have a 1 acre field (at the moment). All animals seem happy, healthy and integrated with each other very well. I don't intend breeding with the ewes until next year (they are yearlings at the moment)

My question is 2 fold

1) What medication/treatment regime should I follow for the sheep - now, before during and post lambing. What frequencies will they need worming, fly strike treatment etc. (The farmer I bought them off said he would advise, but I would prefer to be more self sufficient in the matter anyway)

2) There are areas of the field that I have electric fenced off to avoid the goats escaping. The grass beyond the fence is lush and green, whilst the main field where they are grazing is starting to look a little tired. I hoped the fact that so few animals grazing it meant it wouldn't be an issue. (The goats mainly forage in the hedgerows anyway). What/how can I treat the grass, and can I do it while the animals are in there?

Next year if we haven't got another field, I will split it in 2 and rotate them between.

I would be very grateful for any help in these matters.  :excited:

Tim
« Last Edit: August 25, 2012, 10:22:06 am by Draygor »

Bramblecot

  • Joined Jul 2008
Re: Sheep/goats/land help!!
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2012, 10:50:17 am »
 :wave: Hi and welcome!  I am sure you will get lots of replies and help so this is just for starters with  :sheep:    :D .

1.  Re medicines.  Check out your local vet and find a practice that does farm animals.  Ask if they have a nurse dedicated to advising smallholders and will the nurse (cheaper than vet) discuss a flock plan/health check with you (sometimes for free). 
Would they supply vaccines and wormer in individual doses - some share out a bottle between folk with very small flocks.  (eg Heptavac comes in 25 dose bottles and most wormers are even larger sizes).  Not everyone agrees with vaccines but Heptavac Plus protects against clostridial diseses and pasturella.  Two jabs initially then a yearly booster.
Take a faecal sample and ask for a worm count- this gives you an idea when to start a worming programme or indeed, if necessary.
Re flies - there are several products with varying degrees of chemical nastiness and withdrawal periods, all are expensive - but fly strike is horrible and potentially fatal, so the choice is yours.

2. Fence your paddock as soon as practicable, then split it and alternate the grazing area to keep it clean.  Enjoy your animals :thumbsup:

Draygor

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Soar, Brecon, Powys
Re: Sheep/goats/land help!!
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2012, 11:17:53 am »
Thanks so much Bramblecot!

I have a vet in the nearby town of Hay on Wye, which deals with farm animals too. I'll ask them the questions you suggested. :)


Much appreciated

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Sheep/goats/land help!!
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2012, 12:23:23 pm »
It is usually recommended NOT to co-graze sheep and goats. They do suffer from the same worm species,but adult sheep can often tolerate a certain worm burden, but goats cannot. That would then mean that yo have to worm more often leading very quickly to resistance. So get a worm count done on the goats and sheep (separately) and discuss with the vet how to respond to the findings.
Did your animals get wormed when they first arrived? If your land has been out of grazing sheep for at least 12 months you could regard it as clean, and if your animals were wormed on arrival, then kept inside/onm hard ground you would probably not have a worm problem.
The only other issue is feeding - sheep concentrates are lower in copper, and goats need more copper in their diet. Also you may find that if your horned goats have to compete with the female (horned?) sheep for feed in the same trough you could get some nasty fights. Not sure how they would interact with any tup that would come into the field...
All in all I personally don't have my goats sharing a field with the sheep, but they get to know each other through the fence!

Draygor

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Soar, Brecon, Powys
Re: Sheep/goats/land help!!
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2012, 12:19:41 am »
Hi Anke,

Both goats and sheep were wormed before we took ownership of them (2 months ago), and the land hadn't been grazed for approx. 2 years before they arrived.
They are fed at opposite ends of the field, and during feeding time, the goats are tethered from their collars to the gate. (This is only for half an hour).
I use general mix for the goats, and sheep pellets for the sheep. The goats have a mineral lick (inc Copper) high up in their shed, while the sheep have a suitable lick in their small shed (Although the goats can lick this too - there is no way the sheep can reach the goats).

I have also started using Verm-X natural wormer for sheep and goats in their mix. (Any views on this product?)

I will get a worm count done, what do I do, just contact the vet?

Thanks again

Tim

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Sheep/goats/land help!!
« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2012, 08:30:51 am »
Hi Tim


we have sheep and goats and in the past had sheep break into the goat paddock where I just let them cohabit (happily) for a bit but milking the nanny with an 8 month old Texel on my lap (literally) got too much  ;D


Verm-X - Personally I don't use any Verm x products for worming as I am not sure of its ability to break down a substantial wormload. We alternate between clear and white wormers and have panacur for any tapeworm we might have.


to get a worm count you could take a sample to the vet or you can buy a kit from Supplies for SMallholders (talk to Gareth on there, he's very helpful)


One good thing about mixing the 2 is that you'll have some efficient grazing with the goats browsing and nibbling tops of the grass and sheep taking it down low but do you have fields to rotate them  :)  this helps with keeping worm burden down too

[size=78%]Lisa [/size]
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

 
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