[Chris H]

I have 10 sheep all over 2 years old, they were clipped and foot treated in the summer, I am still new to the whole sheep thing and wonder what I need to do now? I am not breeding from them and they look fine. My vet said to drench? what else?? They have a shelter that they use and we have just started given a little sheep crunch in the evening. Some help from the more experienced would be appreciated.

[SallyintNorth]

What drench did the vet suggest?  Wormer?  Flukicide?  Minerals? Or all three? 

If you're not breeding and have grass they won't need any hard feed so don't overdo the 'crunch'.  Just enough to keep them tame, a very small handful every now and again

Do you know what breed they are?

Have they been vaccinated?  They'll need an annual booster if so, and an initial course of two jags if they are not vaccinated.

Whereabouts are you?

You will probably need some hay for them when the winter really kicks in, but hereabouts (north Cumbria, usually cold  and wet  ) we generally don't give them any extra feed at all until after Christmas, and that's pregnant ewes. They only get hard feed before lambing if there's snow, the ground is frozen solid, or other extreme conditions.  They get hay if they need it from about Christmastime onwards, and they usually have some mineral licky buckets available - we're copper cobalt and selenium deficient around here.

[SteveHants]

Wouldn't give sheep a shelter, personally - it increases the risk of disease transfer.

[SallyintNorth]

Wouldn't give sheep a shelter, personally - it increases the risk of disease transfer.

There speaks a man in Hampshire!

I know what you're saying, Steve, but up here they need shelter from the worst of the weather.  Natural is best, though - reshes, trees, walls, etc.  If they only have one small bit of shelter then yes they trample it and it can lead to more problems.   It's maybe better to give a small number a lean-to and keep it clean with fresh straw if the only alternative is no shelter, or all huddled under one tree 

[Chris H]

I have Blackface, Boreray and Hebridean. They do have a little hay come December and the crunch is just to keep them tame. My vet said for fluke, I am worried about the drench as we have not done it before and I don't want to get it wrong . I know locally they are gathering the hill sheep for a dip? I assume this is for ticks?? I appreciate the question over shelter, but it does blow wet and cold here, they only use it when it is blowing a gale and wet. Forgot to say we are on the Isle of Lewis.

[Anke]

Depending on how many you have it may be best to either ask your vet to give you a smaller bottle (decanted from a big one) or more likely ask your farming neighbours for some FASINEX drench, this is the only flukicide that kills all three stages of fluke in the sheep. You probably will have to re-dose early in the new year again.
I would also check if they have a mucky backend - if yes it would suggest a worm burden (get it confirmed by faecal count) and then drench with a wormer, probably an ivermectin (or inject if that's easier to get in smaller doses). But they may not need worming.

[Chris H]

Lots of mucky bottoms locally but mine are fine. Will ask my vet for a small amount. So am I right I just need to dose for fluke and worm? next question how easy is it to dose? could I not just put something on a digestive biscuit

[SallyintNorth]

could I not just put something on a digestive biscuit

No.

You can either use a syringe or a dosing gun, or a special syringe with a dosing nozzle from Cox Agri.

It's not difficult but as with many things it's all about technique and confidence.

There is a gap in the side of a sheep's mouth, between the front and back teeth.  Just behind that there is a lump in the tongue.  You want to have the sheep's head horizontal or slightly above the horizontal and get the dose over/past that lump on the tongue - it can then only go one way.    

If you use a syringe you have to tilt the head up (not too high but above the horizontal), lie the syringe along the tongue pointing at the back of the throat, push it in far enough to be sure it's past the lump in the tongue, and press.  There is a risk, especially if you are using a large-ish syringe with sharp shoulders, that you may scrape the roof of the mouth, so take care.

If you have a drenching gun or nozzle, it is much easier.  The nozzle is softly rounded so less likely to cause damage even if you do bump the roof of the mouth or the back of the throat.  The nozzle is shaped so that you can insert it between the front and back teeth, in that gap, and it bends so that the dose is delivered past that lump in the tongue.

There's a good document The Eblex Parasite Control Guide.  You can download it and other publications from their website here.

[SallyintNorth]

Also you haven't said whether they've been vaccinated.  The clostridial diseases are silent swift killers, so you want to be protecting them against those.

If these sheep were vaccinated as lambs they may need a booster.  If they've never been vaccinated then they should have an initial course of two jags.

Dipping is for sheep scab as well as for ticks and lice.  If there is scab in your area you may need to protect them against this.  Some of the tick-borne diseases are also killers, so it may be wise to give them protection from ticks.

There are injections you can use instead of dipping.  Best to get the vet's recommendation as they may be able to supply you with a small amount for your small flock, and will also know the local risk factors.