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Author Topic: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo  (Read 5714 times)

sheep lady

  • Joined Jan 2016
"Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« on: July 22, 2016, 08:48:00 pm »
I went to muck out the sheep shed this morning and there was some soft greenish poo with a white rice like substance in it and a separate more jelly green poo with what looked like a piece of tagliatelle running through it.  Neither the "rice" nor "tagliatelle" was moving so I'm not sure whether this could be worms or just some digested substance passing through - saw the sheep (Shetlands) eating young tree branches last night.  All sheep happy, eating as normal and still running up for cuddles so no unusual behaviour.  All 9 were wormed before arriving on our 'clean' 4 acres in May.  Any ideas?  I'm new to this so don't want to keep calling out the vet to everything that seems abnormal.  :farmer:

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2016, 08:54:18 pm »
Tapeworms not a problem , if it bothers you then white wormers or levitape

ladyK

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Conwy Valley
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2016, 08:56:58 pm »
I'm no expert but I would very much suspect worms if I found something long and whitish in sheep poo.
Your 'tagliatelle' and 'rice' description fits tapeworm- either a whole worm (tagliatelle) or segments (rice) which is common with tapeworms being excreted.
If you search for 'tapeworm sheep dung' and check the 'images' section you will find quite a few quite graphic images you could compare with what you found. As far as I am aware (and just confirmed by shep53 crossposting) tapeworms are not harmful to sheep, but if in any doubt take a poo sample to your vet.
"If one way is better than another, it is the way of nature." (Aristotle)

sheep lady

  • Joined Jan 2016
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2016, 09:49:01 pm »
Thank you for your help and reassurance.  Is it reasonable to advise the collection of sheep dung around the gate where the sheep gather in the evening?  The grass is getting quite lush presumably due to the additional nutrients.

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2016, 11:47:53 pm »
Do you have a few hurdles?  What we do is to set up a small pen on clean ground, then keep the sheep in there for an hour or so. Then we just let them out and collect a little bit from each poo until we have about half a jamjar full. This ensures that it's nice and fresh for the vet (we know we must be doing this right, because the vet's receptionist is always sooo pleased to see me arrive with my jars  :roflanim: )
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Hellybee

  • Joined Feb 2010
    • www.blaengwawrponies.co.uk
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2016, 01:07:31 am »
Pen six up on boards or new tarp, let them settle put some hay in with them and they ll soon go  :thumbsup: :innocent:

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2016, 03:00:51 pm »
Even if they were wormed before going onto your clean pasture you can't be sure the worming regime on the original farm was effective.

irenemcc

  • Joined Sep 2013
  • H
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2016, 09:33:55 pm »
And it depends what drug group they were wormed with. Not all drug types cover for tapeworm.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2016, 12:51:00 am »
And it depends what drug group they were wormed with. Not all drug types cover for tapeworm.

Partly because it's regarded as not clinically significant ;)
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Hellybee

  • Joined Feb 2010
    • www.blaengwawrponies.co.uk
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2016, 10:57:39 am »
From what I've learnt they more nutrional than destructive.  I know in horses though they can cause blockages :(

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2016, 11:32:44 am »
You can't extrapolate tapeworm from one species to another. You'd never leave them untreated in dogs, either, but in sheep they're just part of the environment.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Hellybee

  • Joined Feb 2010
    • www.blaengwawrponies.co.uk
Re: "Tagliatelle" and "rice" in sheep poo
« Reply #11 on: July 30, 2016, 03:03:53 pm »
Just saying what they do to another species  :innocent: :hug:

 

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