Follow your dream farm

SHANA APPEARS IN NEW 2010 BABYDOLL SHEEP CALENDAR

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:15:19 -0600

Shana's picture is one of the 12 selected by the North American Babydoll Sheep Association to appear in the 2010 calendar. Here's the link:

http://www.lulu.com/product/calendar/babydoll-sheep-2010/5620749

She is "Miss February" - the cat she is checking out is our previous barn cat in California - he stayed with the barn when we moved. Shana was only about 4 days old when this picture was taken.

SAMMY'S WILL TO LIVE; HALLOWEEN IN VIRGILINA

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:47:26 -0500

SAMMY

Our Sammy is a study in courage. He never fails to amaze us. A couple of weeks ago, without warning, Sammy could not get up - he could not use his hind legs. My girlfriend Dee and I rushed him to North Carolina State Vet hospital where they administered every test known to dog kind - including two different MRI's. The result - nothing - no conclusion at all. There were two theories however. The first - Degenerative Myolopythy - a condition from which he would never recover the use of his hind legs. The second - a stroke to the spinal cord - a piece of disc material broke off and created a block. If so - recovery would be certain - at least partially anyway.

We took him in Thursday and by Saturday he was ready to be released - but he couldn't use his hind legs and it took 4 people to manage him. Fortunately - there are now such things as rehab clinics for dog - complete with hydrotherapy, massage, accupuncture etc. The hospital recommended Animal Rehab Clinic in Durham NC - run by Dr. Kevin Jones (vet and certified canine rehab practioner) and Jessica Sheets (physical therapist and also certified canine rehab practitioner). We took Sammy to them and prayed. If she showed improvement over next 2 weeks it was a stroke and he would regain some, if not all, use of his hind legs. If not - well - we didn't want to face that decision just yet.

Sammy settled in and began a program of water therapy and exercise. Here are some photos - you can see that he looked perfectly normal - just could not use his hind legs.

That's Kevin and Jessica with him. Kevin's the one with the great legs :) Here's a photo of all three of them. Kevin and Jessica are miracle workers in my book.

For a real treat here is a video of Sammy in the water tank.

Untitled from sharon kinsey on Vimeo.

Yesterday we brought Sammy home. He has severe weakness in his right hind leg but he is walking mostly on his own, and can even pull himself up to a sit and and a stand. We keep the halter on him all the time now so we can help, but he is doing it on his own most of the time. Hopefully he will continue to improve but even if he doesn't - he can get around and that's what's important. His spirit is as strong as ever. It's like he doesn't know he has these disabilities. What a guy!

HALLOWEEN IN VIRGILINA

We live in a remote area (ya think?) so its not possible to let kids roam around trick or treating from farm to farm. Most of the churches around here do what is called "trunk or treat" where members of the church decorate the trunks of their cars and pull in a semi circle in the church parking lot. Each person has candy or treats and the kids go from car to car. Some of the adults dress up. Well - not one to miss a chance to dress up - Dee and I put on our scary best and joined the party. Not only that - but Bailey and Solomon - unwillingly joined the fun. Here are a few pictures - I think you'll be able to tell which one is Dee and I. You can tell from Bailey's face that he is thoroughly mortified. The kids enjoyed them immensely though.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM FARM AT THE COUNTY FAIR

What good is living in the sticks if you don't participate in the local fair. This year I took the goats and the 4 unsold babies from this year's lambs just to exhibit - no judging. They were a huge hit. No one had ever seen miniature sheep much less black ones. One couple stopped by the pen and the woman exclaimed: "look honey at the baby buffalo!" I'm not making this up. Her husband thought that they might be sheep but she corrected him by saying that no sheep that color and size existed. I thought about trying to sell her a couple of "baby buffalo" but thought better of it.

Fall is well under way here and the weather has been wonderful. Dee and I are riding when we can. Even took Kate out for a spin. She needs some work :) On Monday tossed Gideon in with the girls. He wasted no time - he thinks he's died and gone to sheep heaven! In closing this update - here is a picture of Sammy and his best friend joshua hanging out together. No question that it was Joshua who missed Sammy the most the past 2 weeks. Everyone take care and God Bless.

AUTUMN FARM UPDATE

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:12:54 -0500

BREEDING SEASON

Well its my favorite time of year again - great riding weather. More important its breeding season. Yup, time to pick the lucky bachelor. This year the lucky guy is Gideon a 2008 ram that I saved for this occasion. Gideon is the smallest black ram so far. In my effort to keep breeding down in size - Gideon is perfect. We'll see how he does with the ladies.

When the weather turns cool - somehow the rams just seem to know its breeding season. They start with the head butting tournaments which sometimes makes me wonder if they will all come out alive. Sometimes 2 or 3 will gang up on another and the chase is on. Sometimes Elka jumps in to break them up. Sometimes I think she likes the entertainment.

SHEEP AT THE FAIR

4 of the 2009 babies along with the 4 goats got to participate in the 2009 Halifax County Fair. Well - they didn't really do anything - just stood around looking cute. And they did that very well indeed. For 99.9% of the folks that came through the livestock barn had never seen miniature sheep much less black ones. It was fun to watch their reactions. Of course the kids went nuts. One couple though is worth mentioning. They walked up to the pen with the sheep and the wife said "look honey at the baby buffalo..." I'm not kidding. I almost fell off my chair. I thought about trying to sell them one at a great premium - they'd be the first on their block to have a "baby buffalo."

There was no judging this year - maybe next year - surely my babies would have walked away with any prize!

BLACK SHEEP SCUPPERNONG WINE

No, I'm not going into the commercial wine making business but since we inherited a Scuppernong grape trellis I thought I'd try my hand at it. I thought it would be relatively easy - crush the grapes throw in some yeast and there you have it. Not exactly. I should be able to bottle my first batch in late November and I have another load of grapes I froze from last year to do it again. With this particular wine you have to let it "age" - a couple of years is recommended. Here's a copy of our official label which I just ordered.

BARN KITTIES

All 15 of the barn kitties are doing well. It's kitties, kitties everywhere. The older ones treat the young ones with disdain - never missing an opportunity to coil up and hiss.

The newest additions are getting ready for the big fix. I'm not interested in starting my own barn cat breeding program. Most of the kitties have resigned themselves to the fact that they will never be indoor cats. No more sad faces pressed up against the living room door - no mad dashes to get inside. Of course, when they come face to face with the 3 giants (dogs) who inhabit the house - I believe they thank their lucky stars that they have a confy existence far away from those big paws and teeth.

I hope the new guys adapt to winter living as the older ones have. The hay stall is very cozy. I've noticed several prefer sleeping with the donkeys or horse. To each his own. It never fails to amaze me how the other animals treat the kitties as if they were a fixture - its as if they were supposed to be hanging out in the pasture or curled up in the corner of a stall. I love watching them.

BABE AND KATE

There is a bit of rivalry I think between these two. Kate looks longingly when I take Babe out to ride. Babe snorts and shakes her head when I take time to hug or groom Kate. Babe is definitely alpha although Kate trumps her in sheer size. I think that should they find themselves in the same pasture Babe would hold her own but stay out of the way of Kate's immense hooves.

OPAL

There is no question that Opal thinks Babe is her mom. She trails her everywhere and gets very upset when Babe goes out for a ride. I'm thinking of taking Opal along on a ride soon - just pony her. It's cute to see how Opal dotes on Babe - sleeps with her - eats with her - and nuzzles her. One day I took Babe out to tack her up and didn't get the door shut fast enough - Opal ran out. At first I panicked - not sure what to do since Opal is fast. Then it dawned on me. I put Babe back in the stall and Opal went right in. I have actually haltered Opal twice for the farrier and although she did not stand perfectly still as Babe does - she did not try to kick or buck either.

RUBY, JADE AND DUDE

I am fairly certain that Dude has had his way with both Ruby and Jade and that babies should follow next summer. Of course once the babies hit the ground the problem then becomes where to put Dude. I can't put him in with Babe and Opal and I can't leave him with Ruby and Jade. I wonder if they make chastity belts for equines? It's possible that the rams will get a new playmate - not sure how Elka will feel about that.

EGGS, EGGS AND MORE EGGS

Well, I guess if you live in a cage 8 feet in diameter cooped up with a bunch of feather brains - there is not much else to do but procreate. And that's what the doves have been attempting to do. Every week it seems they lay a few more eggs - I take them and donate them to the "Slinky food bank" (remember Slinky the snake?) and a couple weeks later there are more eggs. Right now I have 3 doves sitting on one nest. Paternity will definitely be hard to prove. I suspect you could eat these eggs - I'd guess about 12 dove eggs might equal one chicken egg - but I can't bring myself to do it. Better that slinky enjoys them from afar rather than helping himself.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful fall and lets all pray for snow shall we!

DONKEY BASEBALL AND MORE

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:22:23 -0500

Some say that we in the sticks don't have enough to do - maybe so. Last Saturday night I went to my first donkey baseball game. It's exactly what it sounds like it is. A game of baseball riding donkeys. Because there is no real way I can explain what this looked like, I have a couple of short video clips we took. Enjoy.

Donkey Video 2 from sharon kinsey on Vimeo.

Donkey Baseball 1 from sharon kinsey on Vimeo.

Feeding Time At The Farm

Feeding time is always exciting around here - for the animals that is. It is clear to me that almost alll of the animals live from meal to meal. The barn kitties don't really have to worry since they have food available 24/7 - something the dogs aspire to.

Right now everyone is on pasture - well not the dogs - so no supplemental hay is required. Just because its not required doesn't mean the inmates don't demand it. Both Babe and Kate wait for me every morning and then each has her own way of demanding food. Babe kicks at the door - to which I respond to closing the top part of the door - a sort of time out. Kate starting kicking at the door until she saw the consequences for Babe and decided a differeent approach was needed. She lets out one of her very strange bray/whinny noises. It starts as a donkey bray and then ends up as a huge whinny as if she were calling another horse. Neither strategy works but I do take pity once in a while and toss them a flake of hay to chew on. The rams know any begging is futile. Opal gets to share the gift of hay with Babe. Ruby, Jade and Dude along with the goats who share the pasture with Kate can only get near the hay if they put on full battle gear. A kick from Kate would be like stepping on a land mine. You don't cme out of it in one piece. So they just fume in private.

The real problem comes with trying to feed Bongo and Golda. Elka has her flock trained and they approach her food bowl at their own risk. Golda and Bongo however are pushovers and although Golda is reasonably good at defending her bowl, Bongo is a total failure. When the ewes see me come get the dog bowls from wherever the dogs have carried them - they all run to me as if I were their savior. They act as if they are starving, pushing and shoving to get close to me. In some ways I've created this mess myself. In order to have a prayer of feeding Bongo and Golda I have to toss some grain around so that they are distracted while I give the dogs their bowls.

You may be wondering why I need to fend off the sheep from dog food. Idon't know except that my supposed herbavores are really omnivores - they love dog food. In fact, when I used to feed the dogs a raw diet (had to stop due to cost - it was either their raw food or my clothing allowance -- guess who won). Anyway - when I fed them raw - the sheep would run over each other to get to the food bowls. I even saw one of the sheep steal a chicken leg from one of the bowls and try to run off with it. It makes no sense - but there you have it. The problem is that even though I toss a bunch of grain around for them - the smart ones ignore that and follow me with the dog bowls. When I put the bowls down, they rush in and start to gobble kibble before the dogs can say "hey." So I have to stand guard and shove them away until the dogs decide to begin to eat. Once they start any sheep that gets too close gets barked at and nipped if necessary. I even tried turning a water hose on the sheep to scare them away but they just stood their ground. I guess dog kibble is important enough to endure an unexpected shower.

The house dogs are way easier. For sure they live meal to meal and eacch meal is like they've never eaten before. At least they don't have to defend their meals from sheep :)

JJIM's ASS

You asked for it - here are two pictures of Jim on Kate. Notice in one of the pictures he is tryiing to explain to Kate that the object of the exercise to put one hoof in front of the other and move forward. Kate and Jim and well suited to one another :) What do you think - is Kate a candidate for Prozac or what.......(yawn)

NEW WEB PAGES, NEW BARN KITTIES AND MORE

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:58:58 -0500

So far its been an incredible summer. For those of you who live in Virginia, you will recall the two+ weeks of 100+ degree weather last year. This year has been a "normal" summer. It's still hot and oh so humid- but wonderful anyway.

NEW WEBSITE PAGES

If you signed up for email updates you already know that I've added 4 new pages to the website. I often get asked a zillion questions for how to care for sheep. I was in that position myself once and it takes a long time to figure it all out. The pages I added are "Caring for Sheep, "Handling Sheep," "Sheep Behavior," and "What Is A Ruminant?" I will keep updating these pages as I discover new information or have personal experiences to share. I'd love any feedback on these pages and also if there are other things I should add to my website.

NEW BARN KITTIES

Some of you may think I've lost my mind - but I went back to the local shelter and brought home 6 more barn kitties. There is solid logical thinking behind this decision. The original kitties (now almost 1.5 yrs old) have decided that they prefer living in the woods and hanging out in the pasture. They come to the barn to eat and often go on long excursions for days at a time. They love to play in the pasture and tease the sheep. It will be interesting to see if they decide to live in the barn during the winter. The second 3 grey year old kittie I got about a month ago (well only 2 actually - one immediately took off for parts unknown) are very personable and do hang around the barn. Our shelter is no kill - that's the good news. The bad news is they are no kill and extremely overtaxed. I have two barns with tons of room for cats to live, play and hunt. I'd rather have the kitties I bring home disappear due to natural predators than to be caged at the shelter. At least they can live and die free. (sounds like something Paul Revere said?)

Anyway - these are very little kitties. And they all have varying degress of an upper resipiratory infection which I hope will clear with good food and care. The following are some of the pictures we took the first day - you get the added bonus of seeing my very cute grandsons. It's a miracle those kitties have any fur left after these boys got through loving on them! You've never seen 3 boys so in love with kitties. They wiped their eyes every day they were here. Unfortunately, they are a tough act to follow - I do not spend 4 hours a day playing with them. They'll get over it I'm sure.

If you look carefully you will see that the little black and white one playing with the cat toy only has 3 legs. He is missing his right front leg. You'd never know it by the way he zips around. I call him Tripod. I'll add more pictures in another week or so.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE PASTURE

The ewe pasture is only about 1.5 acres and is beginning to look a little like the top of my husband Jim's head - spotty. Oops - that crack will cost me my pin money for the week!

I've been wanting to fence in the front pasture and connect them so I can move the sheep between the two but money keeps getting in the way (or should I say the absence of). Anyway, yesterday as I was staring at the piece of land immediately behind the ewe pasture it hit me that with my temporary fencing I could fence off a small area and let the sheep clear out some of that grass so I wouldn't have to mow it. Let's see, I have sheep and goats and I'm mowing grass? What's wrong with this picture?

So that's what I did. I had to lure the sheep out of the gate with a bucket of grain. Yesterday they spent a little time "on the other side." This morning I lured them over again and all of a sudden they were eating vines hanging off the cedar trees. Eating vines! These are sheep who turn their noses up at anything that looks different than a pure blade of fescue. They almost looked like goats. Go figure.

Unfortunately, they are still conditioned to come back to the barn for hay and some grain. I want to break them of that. It may take a while. The really good news is that for the first time in a year - Bongo and Golda got to eat a meal without having to fend off sheep. They were so busy eating vines they didn't notice when I feed the dogs. I doubt they'll make that mistake again.

KATE AND HER ADMIRER

Kate has settled in nicely. The weather has not cooperated enough to allow for getting her saddled up - although Jim did get himself a nice saddle and everything else he needs. Still have not figured how we're going to get him onto her. Slingshot maybe? Lower him on from a tree?

One of Kate's stablemates has taken quite a shine to her - I'm speaking of course of Dude - resident stud. I'm not sure Dude realizes that Kate is, well, uuh, you know, not able to have children. In fact, I'm not sure Kate realizes that either. There has been a lot of hanky panky going on in the pasture and Kate is not innocent in all of this. Of course I do worry that should Dude decide to take some action he might hurt himself..... Here are a few pictures of Dude making his move:

NOTICE THE SUBTLE TECHNIQUE!

THIS IS DUDE'S LOVE LORN PUPPY LOOK

I THINK HE'S SMILING AT HER

IT'S HARD TO ACTUALLY SEE BUT KATE WAS FOLLOWING DUDE AROUND - LICKING HIS NECK AND BACK. NOTICE THE MINOR DIFFERENCE IN SIZE? THERE ARE TIMES WHEN SIZE DOES MATTER.

Well, that's it from the farm right now. Please send me comments - I love to hear from everyone who follows our adventures.

WHAT IS A RUMINANT?

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:21:51 -0500

Part of the sucess in raising and keeping sheep is understanding how their systems work. Many problems that crop up are associated with feeding. If you understand how their unique stomachs work, you have a better chance of preventing a problem. Again thanks to Susan Schoenian of the University of Maryland Extension for all of the valuable information. You can find her web sites at www.sheepandgoat.com. It is the best site you will ever find on sheep and goats.

Sheep belong to the ruminant classification of animals. Ruminants are characterized by their "four" stomachs and "cud-chewing" behavior. The cud is a food bolus that has been regurgitated.

There are about 150 different domestic and wild ruminant species including cows, goats, deer, buffalo, bison, giraffe, moose and elk. Ruminant animals are further classified by the foraging behavior: grazers, browsers, or intermediate grazers. Grazers, such as cattle, consume mostly lower quality grasses while browsers such as moose and mule deer stay in the woods and eat highly nutritious twigs and shrubs. Intermediats, such as sheep, goats, and white tail deer, have nutritional requirements midway between grazers and browsers. Of this group, sheep are more of a grazer, while goats and deer are browsers.

The primary difference between ruminants and simple-stomach animals (called monogastrics), such as people, dogs, and pigs is the presence of a four-compartment stomach. The four parts are the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. Often it's said that ruminants have four stomachs. In reality, their "stomach" has four parts.

Camelids (llamas and alpacas) are called "pseudo-ruminants" because they have a three-compartment stomach instead of four like ruminants. Horses are not ruminants. They have an enlarged cecum that allows them to digest fibrous materials. Animals of this type are called "hind-gut fermenters." A rabbit has a similar digestive system.

The rumen occupies a large percentage of the abdominal cavity of the ruminant. It is a large storage space for food that is quickly consumed, then later regurgitated, re-chewed, and re-swallowed in a process called cud chewing. Rumination or cud chewing occurs primarily when the animal is resting and not eating. Healthy mature sheep will chew their cuds for several hours each day.
The rumen is also a large fermentation vat. It contains billions of microorganisms, including bacteria and protozoa, which allow ruminants to digest fibrous feeds such as grass, hay, and silage that other animals cannot efficiently utilize.

Fermentation in the rumen produces enormous quantities of gas that ruminants get rid of by belching (burping). Anything that interferes with belching is life threatening to the ruminant and may result in a condition called bloat. Mild cases of bloat can usually be successful treated with an antacid.

The reticulum is closely associated with the rumen. Contents mix continually between both sections. The reticulum looks like a "honey comb" in appearance. Relatively little digestive activity occurs in the omasum. It is called "many piles" because it contains many layers of tissue. The abomasum is the "true" stomach of the ruminant. It has a similar function as the stomach of a non-ruminant: secretion of enzymes and acids to break down nutrients.

At birth, the lamb's rumen and reticulum are not yet functional. As lambs begin to nibble on dry feeds, these two compartments become inoculated with microorganisms. As the microbes multiply and begin to digest feed, they stimulate the growth and development of the rumen and reticulum. The lamb's rumen and reticulum are usually functional by the time the lamb is 50 to 60 days old.

Because lambs are not born with a functioning rumen, supplemental feeds such as creep feed, need to be highly digestible. Creep rations typically consist of feedstuffs that have been cracked, rolled, ground, or pelleted. Creep feeding enhances development of the rumen in the young lamb.

Though ruminants can digest grain (starch), their more natural diet is forages: grass, weeds, browse, hay, and silage. If too much grain is consumed at one time by the ruminant, a large amount of lactic acid is produced in the rumen and the pH of the rumen drops. This can be a fatal condition to the ruminant animal. Grain must be introduced slowly to the diet of ruminants to give the rumen time to adjust.

Sheep "love" the taste of grain. It's like "candy" to them. They will overeat if grain consumption is not regulated. If grain is slowly introduced to the ruminant's diet, grain can be supplemented and in some cases replace some of the forage in the diet. Whole grain is better for sheep because it requires them to do their own grinding of the grain. Digestive upsets are less common with whole grain as compared to processed grains (ground, rolled, or cracked).

Some forage should always be fed to ruminants to keep their rumens functioning properly and to keep them content.

One of the global impacts of ruminant livestock production is that when ruminants belch, they produce methane, one of the greenhouse gases. A small amount of methane is also produced by manure. Scientists are currently study ways to reduce methane production from ruminant livestock. For example, it is known that livestock fed certain plants produce less methane. Australian scientists are testing a vaccine to reduce methan production. "Fart" taxes have been proposed to help fund the research. They have not been implemented.

HANDLING SHEEP

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:59:23 -0500

It is usually necessary to handle sheep several times per year for various reasons (trimming/shearing, hoof trimming, administer medicines, butt cleaning, physical inspection, etc.) Learn how to handle your sheep or all of you will be miserable.

An understanding of sheep behavior is the first step towards your goal – catching and restraining a sheep.

Flight zone

One of the most basic concepts in handling sheep and other livestock is the flight zone. All animals have a flight zone. A flight zone is an animal's personal space. It is where the animal feels comfortable and unthreatened. When a person is outside the animal's flight zone, the animal will turn and face the handler.

It is best to work on the outside of an animal's flight zone. If the flight zone is penetrated too deeply, animal behavior can be unpredictable and dangerous. Sheep are not large, but they are quick on their feet and strong for their size. Pile-ups can result in small enclosures, causing injury to the animals, especially the small or weak ones.

The size of an animal's flight zone varies. It depends how wild or tame the animal is. Sheep that have not had much human contact will have a large flight zone, whereas pet sheep may not have a flight zone. Sheep confined to a small space will have a smaller flight zone than sheep confined to a large area. Frequent, gentle handling tends to diminish the size of the flight zone. At the same time, sheep have excellent memories and can remember rough handling.

Point of balance

Point of balance is another important livestock handling concept. The point of balance is at the animal's shoulder. All species of livestock will move forward if the handler steps behind the point of balance. They will back up if the handler stands in front of the point of balance. Many people make the mistake of standing in front of the point of balance while trying to get livestock to move forward through a chute. Sheep will usually refuse to move if they see people up ahead.
Moving sheep

Very often, you need to move sheep, to bring them in from a pasture or to move them to another pasture. If you don't have a herding dog to fetch the sheep, you can train the sheep to come to a vocal command or rattle of the feed bucket. Most sheep will come when they think they are going to get grain to eat.

If these don't work, it will be necessary to go out to the field to get the flock and either drive them from behind or lead them with a feed bucket or lead sheep. Pet sheep are difficult to drive and make good lead sheep. If the sheep aren't familiar with where you want to move them, you may need several people to act as herders. Always move sheep slowly, calmly, and quietly. Do not allow splinter groups to develop.

To move individual sheep, hold the sheep under its jaw and push its dock ("go-button"). Small numbers of sheep can be halter-broken for ease of moving and handling. Attempting to lead a sheep that is not halter-broken is usually a futile exercise.

Catching sheep

There are situations in which you need to catch an individual sheep. Use the portable panels I mentioned under sheep care (fencing) to make a small catch pen. You should make the pen small enough so that you do not have to chase the sheep. The smaller the catch pen, the easier it will be to catch the sheep. No one likes to chase sheep and the more you chase sheep, the harder it will become to catch them, not to mention the unnecessary stress you are causing both of you.

Once the sheep are in the catch pen, maneuver them into a corner and use your arms or a portable gate to form a visual barrier. Always approach sheep calmly and slowly. Cup your hand under the jaw of the sheep you want. Grab the bony part of the jaw, not the throat. Point the sheep's nose upward to stop its forward motion. If you keep the sheep's head up, you will be able to maintain control of it. Sheep have a lot more power when their head is down. You can also use a shepherd's crook to catch a sheep by the neck.

If you cannot get close enough to the sheep to grab it under its jaw, you can reach for its hind leg or rear flank. Reach for the hind leg above the hock, then move your other hand up to control the head as soon as possible. Adult sheep are able to kick strongly, so this method works best for small sheep or young lambs. To catch an adult sheep, it is better to grab the rear flank. A leg crook can also be used to catch a sheep by the leg. The leg crook is especially useful in open areas.

You should never catch a sheep by its wool. Not only is it painful to the sheep, but it can cause bruising to the carcass.

Tipping sheep

If you want to trim a sheep's hooves or gain access to its underside you'll want to set the sheep on its rump. Setting a sheep on its rump is called tipping. Sheep in this position struggle very little and are easy to work with (although they do kick). To rest comfortable on its rump, the sheep should be off center, so that it is sitting on its hip and not is dock. If the sheep struggles, you can place a hand on its brisket to move it into a better position. There are several ways to tip a sheep. The method you use often depends upon the size of the sheep. Here's a common method for tipping sheep.

         1. Stand to the side of the sheep.
         2. Hold the sheep's head in your left hand by placing your hand under its jaw.
         3. Your left knee should be near or just behind the sheep's left shoulder.
         4. Your right leg should be touching the sheep's side near its left hip.
         5. Place your right hand on the sheep's back over the hips.
         6. Turn the sheep's nose away from you towards its shoulder.
         7. You should feel the weight of the sheep lean against your legs.
         8. Put pressure on the hips with your right hand so the sheep cannot pick its back feet off the floor.
         9. Take a step back with your right leg.
        10. The hind leg of the sheep should start to go down.
        11. Continue to bring the head around until the sheep is sitting down with its back leaning against your legs.

Tipping larger sheep can be more difficult. A large sheep can be tipped by reaching underneath its body and grabbing its farthest legs, until it drops to its rump. Sometimes, this is a two-person job. Small sheep or lambs can usually be tipped by holding them under their front legs, lifting them, and using your knee to push their rumps out.

Restraining sheep

There are many different ways to restrain a sheep, depending upon what you need to do to it. Once you've caught the sheep, you can press it against a wall or straddle it to limit its movement. A halter is one of the easiest ways to restrain a sheep for treatment or close inspection.

There are a variety of restraining devices on the market. I think I’ve tried most. A gambrel restrainer is a device made out of PVC plastic. It is placed over the sheep's neck and has slots on either side to hold both front legs of the sheep. Without the use of its front feet or the ability to raise its head, the sheep is immobilized. I have used this with limited success.

A sheep "chair" holds a sheep on its rump in the shearing position. The chair consists of a metal frame with a plastic netting or mesh that is attached to the top and bottom of the chair. The frame is hooked over a gate or leaned against a building. The sheep is backed into the chair, until it "sits." The primary purpose of a sheep chair is to position and restrain a sheep for hoof trimming; however, in this position many other things can be done to the sheep. The chair provides easy access to the sheep's ears, mouth, brisket, udder, and testicles. It can also be used for a caesarian section. The size of the sheep will determine the success in using this. Also sheep will kick.

There are also trimming stands, tilt table squeezes and sharing tables. Unless you have a large flock don’t bother with these. They cause stress for the sheep, you really have to be quick and agile to use these and well – I just don’t think they are worth it.

SHEEP BEHAVIOR

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:53:03 -0500

If you are going to raise or own sheep, you should try to understand them. A good understanding of what is normal behavior will allow you to handle them for effectively and also to spot a problem before it gets too serious. The information contained in this document comes from a variety of sources including the University of Maryland website for ruminants as well as a variety of how to books for sheep.

Flocking

Sheep have a strong instinct to follow the sheep in front of them. When one sheep decides to go somewhere, the rest of the flock usually follows, even if it is not a good "decision." The flocking and following instinct of sheep is so strong that it caused the death of 400 sheep in 2006 in eastern Turkey. The sheep plunged to their death after one of the sheep tried to cross a 15-meter deep ravine, and the rest of the flock followed.

Even from birth, lambs are taught to follow the older members of the flock. Ewes encourage their lambs to follow. The dominant members of the flock usually lead, followed by the submissive ones. If there is a ram in the flock, he usually leads. This instinct is "hard-wired" into sheep. It's not something they "think" about.

Social

Sheep are a very social animal. In a grazing situation, they need to see other sheep. In fact, ensuring that sheep always have visual contact with other sheep will prevent excess stress when moving or handling them. According to animal behaviorists, a group of five sheep is usually necessary for sheep to display their normal flocking behavior. A sheep will become highly agitated if it is separated from the rest of the flock.

In addition to serving as a protection mechanism against predators, this flocking and following instinct enables humans to care for large numbers of sheep. It makes sheep easier to move or drive and enables a guardian dog to provide protection for a large flock. Domestication and thousands of generations of human contact has further strengthened this trait in sheep.

Domestication has also favored the non-aggressive, docile nature of sheep, making it easier for people, especially women and children, to care for sheep. Sheep were one of the earliest animals to be domesticated, and they have been thoroughly domesticated. It is doubtful they could survive in the wild, if a predator risk existed.

Prey Behavior

Sheep are a prey animal. When they are faced with danger, their natural instinct is to flee not fight. Their strategy is to use avoidance and rapid flight to avoid being eaten.

After fleeing, sheep will reform their group and look at the predator. They use their natural herding instinct to band together for safety. A sheep that is by itself is vulnerable to attack.

Sheep tracks are never straight. The winding of trails allows sheep to observe their backside first with one eye, then the other. Sheep can spot dogs or other perceived forms of danger from 1,200 to 1,500 yards away.

Sheep Senses

Sight

Sheep depend heavily upon their vision. Behavior scientists speculate that the placement and structure of the sheep's eyes are due to nature's designation of sheep as a prey animal. Sheep have a very large pupil that is somewhat rectangular in shape. The eyeball is placed more to the side of the head, which gives sheep a much wider field of vision. With only slight head movement, sheep are able to scan their surroundings. Their field of vision ranges from 191 to 306 degrees, depending upon the amount of wool on their face.

On the other hand, sheep have poor depth perception (three dimensional vision), especially if they are moving with their heads up. This is why they will often stop to examine something more closely. Sheep have difficulty picking out small details, such as an open space created by a partially opened gate. They tend to avoid shadows and sharp contrasts between light and dark. They are reluctant to go where they can't see.

For many years, it was believed that sheep and other livestock could not perceive color. But, it has since been proven that livestock possess the cones necessary for color vision. Research has shown that livestock can differentiate between colors, though their color perception is not equal to humans.

Hearing

Sheep have excellent hearing. They can amplify and pinpoint sound with their ears. In fact, sound arrives at each ear at a different time. Sheep are frightened by sudden loud noises, such as yelling or barking. In response to loud noises and other unnatural sounds, sheep become nervous and more difficult to handle. This is due to the release of stress-related hormones. To minimize stress, the handler should speak in a quiet, calm voice. Sheep should not be worked in the presence of barking dogs.

Smell

Sheep have an excellent sense of smell. Their olfactory system is more highly developed than humans. Sheep know what predators smell like. Smell helps rams locate ewes in heat. It helps ewes locate their lambs. Sheep use the sense of smell to locate water and detect differences in feed and pasture plants. Sheep are more likely to move into the wind than with the wind, so they can use their sense of smell.

Touch

Since most of their body is covered with wool or coarse hair, only the sheep's lips and mouth (and maybe ears) lend themselves well to feeling behavior. This is why electric wires on a fence need to be placed at nose height of the sheep. The sense of touch is important in the interaction between animals. Lambs seek bodily contact with their mothers. Ewes respond to this touching behavior in many ways (e.g. milk letdown). Groups of animals that have body contact remain calmer.

Taste

Sheep have the ability to differentiate feedstuffs and taste may play a role in this behavior. There is no evidence to suggest that sheep can balance their own ration when provided with a variety of feedstuffs; however, they may be able to seek out plants that make them feel better.

Pain

Sheep have an amazing tolerance for pain. They do not show pain, because if they do, they will be more vulnerable to predators who look for those who are weak or injured.

Normal sheep behavior

Changes in normal behavior can be an early sign of illness in sheep. The most obvious example of this relates to the sheep's most natural behavioral instinct, their flocking instinct. A sheep or lamb that is isolated from the rest of the flock is likely showing early signs of illness (unless it is lost). Even the last sheep through the gate should be suspected of not feeling well, especially if it is usually one of the first.

Appetite

Appetite is another strong indicator of health. Healthy sheep display normal eating and cud-chewing behavior. They will chew their cuds for several hours each day. Healthy sheep are eager to eat. They are almost always hungry. They will overeat, if we let them. Sheep bleat in anticipation of being fed and will rapidly approach the feeding area.

Lack of appetite is probably the most common symptom exhibited by a sick sheep. At the same time, food is an excellent motivator. Next to a good herding dog, a bucket of grain is usually the best way to gather and move sheep. Grain feeding tends to make sheep friendlier and less intimidated by people.

Sleep/Waking

Sheep spend about fifteen percent of their time sleeping, but may lie down and rest at other times. Upon rising, they often defecate and stretch. A sheep that is reluctant to get up is probably in pain. A sheep takes a long time to lay down is probably in pain. A sheep that cannot relax is under stress. Teeth grinding is another common sign of pain in sheep.

Healthy Lamb Behavior

Healthy lambs nurse frequently, one to two times per hour during the first few weeks. A lamb that bleats all the time is probably hungry and not getting enough to eat. A healthy lamb usually stretches when it rises. Healthy lambs sleep 8 to 12 hours per day. At naptime, they seek out their mothers and will sleep as close to her as possible.

Healthy lambs are usually very active. Group play is very common. Lambs love to climb. They are naturally curious of their surroundings. This curiosity can lead to barnyard accidents, if there are risks present. As lambs get older, they spend less time with their mothers and more with their peers. They spend more time foraging for food. Play wanes after about four months.

Ram Behavior

While sheep are generally a docile, non-aggressive animal, this is not usually the case with rams, especially during the breeding season. Rams can be very aggressive and have been known to cause serious injuries, even death, to people. A ram should never be trusted, even if it is friendly or was raised as a pet. It is important to always know where the ram is and to never turn your back on him. Children should be restricted access to rams during the breeding season.

Head butting is both a natural and learned behavior in sheep. Classic head butting among rams is highest during the rutting season which precedes the onset of heat in ewes. It is a way for rams to get into physical shape for the breeding season and to establish (or re-establish) the dominance hierarchy. To discourage butting, you should avoid petting or scratching a ram on the head. Otherwise, the ram may see this as a challenge or aggressive behavior. In general, the ram sees you as part of the flock and wants to dominate you. One of my miniature cheviots broke my ribs when I was kneeling down to fix the mineral feeder and he got me from the side.

The only time ewes may exhibit aggressive behavior is after lambing -- to protect their young.

Smart or Dumb?

Sheep rank in intelligence just below the pig and even with cattle. They react to situations they encounter using instincts that have developed over centuries.
Due to their strong flocking instinct and failure to act independently of one another, sheep have been universally branded "stupid." But sheep are not stupid. Their only protection from predators is to band together and follow the sheep in front of them. If a predator is threatening the flock, this is not the time to act independently.

Hungry sheep on the Yorkshire Moors (Great Britain) taught themselves to roll 8 feet (3 meters) across hoof-proof metal cattle grids to raid villagers' valley gardens. According to a witness, "They lie down on their side or sometimes their back and just roll over and over the grids until they are clear. I've seen them doing it. It is quite clever, but they are a big nuisance to the villagers." [Source: BBC News, July 2004]

A study of sheep psychology has found man's woolly friend can remember the faces of more than 50 other sheep for up to two years. They can even recognize a familiar human face. The hidden talents of sheep revealed by a study in the journal Nature suggest they may be nearly as good as people at distinguishing faces in a crowd.

Researchers say, "Sheep form individual friendships with one another, which may last for a few weeks. It's possible they may think about a face even when it's not there." The researchers also found female sheep had a definite opinion about what made a ram's face attractive

There is a certain strain of sheep in Iceland known as leadersheep. Leadersheep are highly intelligent animals that have the ability and instinct to lead a flock home during difficult conditions. They have an exceptional ability to sense danger. There are many stories in Iceland of leadersheep saving many lives during the fall roundups when blizzards threatened shepherds and flocks alike.

According to researchers in Australia, sheep can learn and remember. Researchers have developed a complex maze test to measure intelligence and learning in sheep, similar to those used for rats and mice. Using the maze, researchers have concluded that sheep have excellent spatial memory and are able to learn and improve their performance. And they can retain this information for a six-week period.

The maze uses the strong flocking instinct of sheep to motivate them to find their way through. The time it initially takes an animal to rejoin its flock indicates smartness, while subsequent improvement in times over consecutive days of testing measures learning and memory.

New research is suggesting that sick sheep could actually be smart enough to cure themselves. Australian researchers believe that sick sheep may actually seek out plants that make them feel better. There has been previous evidence to suggest that animals can detect what nutrients they are deficient in and can develop knowledge about which foods are beneficial or toxic.

CARING FOR YOUR SHEEP

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:22:19 -0500

The following are my suggestions for caring for your sheep. I am not a vet, or a scientist, or any kind of specialist – this information is based on my experience and research. Every situation is different so you should always do your own research and absolutely consult a competent veterinarian concerning health issues.

Also, just like people, every sheep is different. Every farm is different. Every sheep owner's personality is different. There are no cookie cutter approches.

SHELTER

You don’t need a full size barn although it sure is nice. A three-sided shelter is fine. If you have a regular barn with stalls then you should also have an area outside that’s shaded. An overhang off the barn works great (see pictures below).

This is a picture of the ewe stalls - I say stalls because I have two 10 x 12 stalls connected with a door that can be opened and secured to all them free access to both sides or close it off if I need a sick room or an extra lambing jug.

This is a picture of the overhang we built across the back of the main barn. You can see the stalls open up and allow the sheep to go in and out.

In hot climates (is there anywhere in the US that doesn’t get hot at least once in a while? Okay Alaska maybe) it is a good idea to have a fan in each stall and cross ventilation fans in the barn (see pictures). A fan not only gets the air moving but it keeps flies at bay. On very hot days my sheep all line up in front of the fans – it’s a hoot!

The top picture if of the type of fan we put in each stall. The bottom picture is the barn fan we use. There is one mounted on each side.

I use pine shavings in my stalls. Way better than straw. Yes it does stick to their wool a little but so what? I muck out all the stalls 2x a year and replace all bedding. Once a month I sprinkle PDZ in each stall and under the overhang outside. This neutralizes urine. (www.sweetpdz.com.) Hopefully your feed store carries it or can get it for you. Occasionally State Line Tack has free shipping and they sell PDZ at a great price.

I do not lock my sheep up at night.

PASTURE

Mostly sheep eat grass, clover, forbs, and other pasture plants. They especially love forbs. It is usually their first choice of food in a pasture. A forb is a broad-leaf plant other than grass. Sheep are very selective in their grazing habits. Sheep have a split in their upper lip; with this they are able to pick the preferred leaves off the plant.

Sheep will graze for an average of seven hours per day, mostly in the hours around dawn and in the late afternoon, near sunset.

The amount of pasture or range land that it takes to feed a sheep depends upon the quality of the land (soil), the amount and distribution of rainfall, and the management of the pasture. In dry climates, an acre of pasture or rangeland cannot feed as many sheep as an acre of pasture in a moist climate. An acre of pasture in the wet season (spring and fall) can obviously feed more sheep than an acre in the dry season (usually summer)

There are many published guidelines for how many sheep one acre of pasture can support. The real answer is: “it depends.” If you want to maintain good grass growth you will have to rotate pastures by either dividing up one larger pasture or creating 2 or more adjacent pastures. Pasture Management is a big topic – too big for this little article. Check out The Stockman Grass Farmer (www.stockmangrassfarmer.net). It’s a great place to start educating yourself on the various pasture management theories.

FENCING

Fences serve two purposes – keep animals in and keep predators out. Coyotes and dogs are smart - they can dig under, jump over and risk getting shocked by climbing between wires. The type of fence you choose can make the difference between raising your sheep successfully or losing them all to predators. Never say it can’t happen to me.

Any pasture where you will have lambs will require a woven wire fence. Check them out at either Premier1 (www.premier1supplies.com) or Stay-Tuff (www.staytuff.com.)

This is a picture of the woven wire fence for the ewes and lambs. It's a little hard to see I'm afraid.

If you do not plan to have lambs in a particular pasture you can use a high tensile wire fence that you electrify. I use a 7 wire fence as I found anything less allows escapes. You only need to electrify every other wire.

This is our 7 wire high tensile fence for the rams and we use the same thing for our horse and donkeys.

It is a good idea to have portable panels that can be configured into pens for sick animals, new animals, or for use as lambing jugs. I use panels from North East Gate Mfg (www.northeastgatemfg.com.) Check out Lazy J Ranch web site for pictures and ideas using these panels (www.lazyjranch.com.) I purchased extra wall brackets and put them up where I might need temporary pens. I put the brackets on the outside of the stalls under the overhang area and I put 2 sets of brackets in my hay stall. During lambing season I clear out the hay on one side and set up two lambing jugs.

PREDATORS

In 2004, it was estimated that 224,200 sheep and lambs were killed by predators in the United States (USDA, 2007). Predation accounted for 37.3 percent of sheep and lamb death losses for the year. Coyotes were responsible for 51.7 percent of the total losses. However, in terms of number of sheep operations affected, free-ranging or wild dogs may be the most common predator problem.

Each predator species has traits peculiar to it. Coyotes typically attack sheep at the throat. Dogs are usually indiscriminate in how and where they attack. Regardless of the predator or the method of attack, your any attacked sheep will be dead. Most predators go for lambs (for obvious reasons).

A livestock guardian dog (LGD) will pay for itself 10x over. Some of the more common breeds used in the U.S. include Great Pyrenees (France), Akbash and Anatolian Shepherd (Turkey), Komondor and Kuvasz (Hungary), Maremma (Italy), Polish Tatra (Poland), and Tibetan Mastiff (Tibet). Many of the breeds are related.

Unless you can wait for protection and have lots of time to devote to training –do not get a pup. An LGD is born with its guarding instincts but it doesn’t become fully effective until about 2 years old. It’s easy to find LGD’s who need new homes. One group to join to learn more or look for a dog is the Yahoo Group WorkingLGDs.

I found that having one dog is not sufficient. A coyote could easily use a decoy to distract the dog while another coyote circles around and attacks.
Other animals are sometimes used as guardians, i.e. llamas, and donkeys. Donkeys and llamas have an inherent dislike for dogs. In fact, any animal that displays aggressive behavior to intruding predators may be a deterrent.

This is Bongo and Golda. They live with the ewes and lambs.

This is Elka. She lives with the rams.

Running sheep and cattle together has been shown to reduce predator losses, but in order for mixed species grazing to be an effective deterrent to predators, the sheep and cattle must "bond" together. Young lambs can be bonded with cattle by penning them in confinement close to the cattle. When bonded lambs and cattle are turned out to pasture, the lambs will follow the cattle. When they are threatened by a predator, the lambs will run and huddle among the cattle. A mixed group of cattle and sheep is called a "flerd."

FOOD

Hay

If you’ve got a good stand of grass – there is no need to supplement with hay. In summer and in cases where the pasture is not sufficient – you’ll need a good source for hay. I prefer grass hay – alfalfa is too rich (and too expensive). We are lucky here in Virginia – the hay season has been great. We pay about $4 for a 50# bale. That’s a far cry from the $22 for a 100# bale we paid in California.

Again, opinions vary, but I use the guideline of 1.5# of hay per 100# of body weight. I estimate the weight of each sheep – add it up and divide by 100# then multiply by 1.5. I split that into two feedings – am/pm. You may already be wondering how you ensure that each sheep gets its share of the hay – short answer – you don’t. Unless you were to feed each sheep separately there is no way to make sure that a 100# ewe gets 1.5# and a 50# ewe only gets .75#. You just put it out and hope for the best.

Hay racks that have something underneath to catch the droppings are best. Less waste. Otherwise hay racks that hang on a fence are great. Throwing hay on the ground is not a good idea because sheep are not too bright and they will urinate and poop on the hay. Sheep have the wonderful ability to eat and pee or poop at the same time.

Grains

Grain is often fed to sheep with higher nutritional needs, such as pregnant ewes during late gestation, and nursing ewes. Sheep love the taste of grain and can get sick if they eat too much grain too fast. They can die if the bloat is severe. Grain consumption needs to be regulated, introduced slowly and gradually increased.

Grains are unnecessary during normal conditions. Hay, water and minerals are all your sheep need.

Minerals

There are a wide variety of minerals on the market. Many minerals are especially for goats or sheep or horses etc. Since I have horses, donkeys, goats and sheep, I buy a general-purpose loose mineral from Tractor Supply. In order to use a mineral for sheep it must say on the bag that it is safe for sheep. Sheep need copper but too much will kill them. Goats can tolerate much higher degrees of copper.

I keep a mineral feeder in every stall. The animals take what they want. I do not use mineral blocks because they don’t last very long and they don’t get enough of what they need each day by just licking a solid block. You will save money by using the loose minerals.

I also provide free choice baking soda. When they get an upset stomach (all 4 of them and 3 are actually rumens) – they will automatically go to the baking soda.

Water

Fresh water is a must. A typical sheep will consumer a couple of gallons of water each day. For that reason, and because I hate schlepping buckets of water – I use automatic waterers. I bought the heavy black tubs from Tractor Supply and separate float valves that are attached to the tub and a water source. The tub automatically fills itself as the animals drink. Once a week I scrub the tub as it tends to grow algae and I keep a small strainer with a handle nearby to scoop out leaves and bugs.

This is one of the automatic waterers we have set up. Below is a picture of the kind of water outlets we had installed all over the place.

Winter is a bit tricky. The water does freeze – so we have to shut off the water when we know the temp will drop below freezing lest you have burst pipes. So each morning I remove the layer of ice and then schlep buckets of warm water to each water tub. I have a hot water heater in my barn office so if I’m lucky and the lines are not frozen I can get my hot water from the barn. If they are frozen – you guessed it – schlepping buckets from the house to the barn. I carry two 3 gallon buckets at a time and make about 3 trips (I have 5 water tubs.) I repeat the process in the evening. If you are lucky and only have one or two water tubs you can buy a heating device which will keep the water from freezing – I don’t think it actually heats the water though and ice cold water – just like hot water is not high on a sheep’s list of favorites. You will also need an electrical source.

Treats

Sheep seem to love most all fruit as well as carrots. I also keep a large container of animal crackers around – yup – animal crackers. They love them. So do the horses, donkeys, goats and dogs. They are easy to use for training. I use grain sparingly as a treat. Mainly to herd them from one place to another.

GROOMING

Shearing

Sheep are usually sheared once per year, usually before lambing or in the spring before the onset of warm weather. Sheep with long fleeces are sometimes sheared twice a year.

Sheep grow wool continuously. If they are not sheared at least once a year, they become very stressed and uncomfortable, especially when it is hot and humid. Eventually, the wool will become matted and more difficult to remove.
Hair sheep do not require shearing because they lack sufficient wool fibers or because their coats naturally shed. However, crosses between hair sheep and wooled breeds need to be sheared. Therefore the Barbado Dolls do need to be sheared. Their fleece is not good for spinning.

A professional shearer can shear a sheep in less than 2 minutes and will remove the fleece in one piece. The world record for shearing sheep is 839 lambs in 9 hours by Rodney Sutton of New Zealand (2000) and 720 ewes in 9 hours by Darin Forde of New Zealand. The most sheep shorn in an 8 hour period using hand blades is 50 by Janos Marton of Hungary (2003).

Most shearers travel around. A good source for finding a shearer by state is at www.nebraskasheep.com. You’ll pay around $8 or so per sheep just for shearing. It’s well worth the price.

This is a picture of Zach being sheared this year.

Nail Trimming

Hoof growth is affected by the breed and genetics of the sheep, soil moisture and soil characteristics. Sheep grazed on rocky, dry soil may not require the extent of hoof care needed for sheep on soil that is free of rocks and higher in moisture content. Sheep in high rainfall areas will need to have their hooves inspected more regularly than those on dry ground. How often will depend on the specific conditions.

A good pair of shears is important. You can find them on line at almost all livestock supply stores.

I have the shearer trim hooves at the same time he shears. He charges a couple of dollars per animal. Again – well worth the price. I keep an eye on their feet and if I notice overgrowth I trim. Any time I have to handle a sheep for any reason I use the opportunity to check feet. The rate at which hooves will grow out varies with the type of ground they are on and genetics. I know breeders who trim monthly. I think that the more you trim the more the hooves grow – just my own philosophy. Twice a year has been sufficient for my flock and I have not any foot problems.

Crutching

Crutching is a process of shearing or trimming only the area around the anus and also the teats. It is a good idea to do this before lambing starts. I generally have my sheep sheared in Mid-March which is prior to lambing so I don’ t need to trim them again. But if I see their fleece getting dirty around the butt – I trim it down. I also sometimes trim the fleece around the eyes on my Babydolls in order to prevent wool blindness.

HEALTH ISSUES

Parasites

Gastro-intestinal parasites (i.e. worms) are usually the primary disease affecting sheep and lambs. Sheep are more susceptible to internal parasites than most other types of farm livestock for several reasons. Their small fecal pellets disintegrate very easily thus releasing the worm larvae onto pastures. There’s a lot to learn about the different worms. The best place to learn all you need to know is www.wormboss.com. It’s an Australian site. The Aussies have been at the bleeding edge of all sorts of research involving sheep. I would take their recommendations without any reservations.

Sheep graze close to the soil surface and to their feces. They are slow to acquire immunity. It takes 10 to 12 months for most lambs to develop immunity to parasites. Sheep also suffer a loss of immunity at the time of lambing, which does not restore itself until approximately four weeks after lambing.

Heavy stocking rates and insufficient pasture rest periods further contribute to the incidence of parasitic disease in sheep and lambs. Internal parasites tend to be much less of a problem under range-type conditions where sheep do not graze the same pasture twice in the same grazing season. They are also less of a problem in arid regions, because parasites require moisture for their development.

In the past, most breeders relied heavily on anti-parasitic drugs, called "anthelmintics" to control internal parasites in their flocks. But the long-time use and in some cases misuse of these drugs has resulted in parasites that have become increasingly resistant to anthelmintics. Drug resistance has been documented in all three-drug families and is most commonly reported with ivermectin and the benzimidazoles.

In the U.S., few anthelmintics are FDA-approved for use in sheep and lambs, and no new drugs are likely to be developed. As a result, we all must develop more integrated programs for controlling parasites, which do not rely exclusively on drug therapy.

The current recommendations are to only use drugs when worms are found at a sufficient load to be harmful to the animal. How do you know that – you have to have a fecal egg count done. No getting around it.

You can either do your own test or send out samples to a local lab which you can find through your extension office. The labs charge around $8 per sample. To do your own fecal analysis, you need a microscope, flotation solution, mixing vials, strainer, stirring rod, slides, and cover slips. You do not need an elaborate microscope. 100X power is sufficient. You can purchase flotation solution from veterinary supply companies or make your own by mixing a saturated salt or sugar solution. Your mixing vials can be jars, pill bottles, film canisters, test tubes, or something similar. You can use a tea strainer or cheesecloth to strain the feces. The stirring rod can be a pencil or popsicle stick.

If you want to count eggs, you want to get a McMaster Egg Counting slide available HERE. The McMaster slide has chambers that making egg counting easier. The Paracount-EPG™ Fecal Analysis Kit with McMaster-Type Counting Slides is available for $40 from the Chalex Corporation.

Since fecal counts only estimate the parasite load, there is no clear-cut level at which worming is indicated. As a general guide, a level of about 500 eggs per gram of feces would indicate that worming is needed for sheep. A more effective way of deciding when to treat would be to monitor fecals every 4-8 weeks and deworm when there is a dramatic rise in egg counts.

The FAMACHA© system was developed in South Africa due to the emergence of drug-resistant worms. The system utilizes an eye anemia guide to evaluate the eyelid color of a sheep (or goat) to determine the severity of parasite infection (as evidenced by anemia) and the need for deworming. The test is only valid for Barber Pole worms and you cannot get a chart unless you take one of the classes on how to use it.

The best way to manage parasites is to remove the breeding ground which is animal manure. That’s why I clean my pastures every day. I have a great compost pile going. Should be able to provide compost for the entire state of Virginia in another year….

One note here about cleaning pastures. The 2 hours I spend cleaning the sheep pasture and “lounging area,” allows me to observe a lot of things. First, I can observe the overall health of the sheep and the LGDs. I take time to scratch and feel both dogs – looking for lumps etc. I also observe how the sheep walk – does anyone need a pedicure. I check out the manure of the sheep and the dogs looking for anything unusual. I also check out the condition of the fence – looking for breaks or holes. And finally I look for anything in the pasture that the sheep could hurt themselves on. I’m always amazed at what seems to bubble up from under the earth. Glass, pieces of metal, a hairbrush. So I like to walk the pastures regularly.

Tail Docking

Tails are a natural part of sheep. Almost all lambs are born with tails. The length of a lamb's tail is halfway between the length of its mother's tail and its father's tail. In fact, tail length is a highly heritable trait. Eighty-four percent of the differences in sheep tail length are due to genetics.

The purpose of the sheep's tail is to protect the anus, vulva, and udder from weather extremes. Sheep lift their tails when they defecate and use their tails, to some extent, to scatter their feces. The tail does not interfere with breeding or lambing.

Under modern sheep production systems, tails are usually docked (shortened) to prevent fecal matter from accumulating on the backside of the sheep, which can result in fly strike (wool maggots).

I DO NOT DOCK TAILS. FLY STRIKE IS NOT A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE U.S. – IT IS A PROBLEM IS THE U.K., IRELAND AND SCOTLAND.

This is what a real tail looks like - not docked. You can see it comes to about the hocks which is within the recommendations I have read on Australian web sites.

Scours

Scours is the sheep version of diarrhea. Lots of things can cause it – from what they eat to disease. A good self-help book on how to diagnose and treat is important. Most times the problem clears itself but sometimes there is something more serious going on. Pepto Bismal works in sheep as well as people.

You will know your sheep has scours two ways. First by looking at its poop! It’s one of the reasons I clean the pasture – so I can get a good look at what’s coming out the other end of my sheep. The other way to look at their butts which you should do regularly. If they have “poopy butt” (if you have a dog you’ll understand what that is) – then you have a problem. In addition to dealing with the scours you need to get the butt cleaned off because the mess will attract green bottle flies (fly strike).

Vaccines

This is another area of great controversy. There are a number of recommended vaccines for a variety of problems. I don’t do it. I have a closed flock and I don’t take them to shows or petting zoos or to Starbucks. Second, they don’t come in contact with rabid critters unless it’s my LGDs and they are only rabid at dinnertime…..

There is no vaccine for the really deadly diseases like Scrapies. Every sheep owner must do what they feel is best after doing their own research. Most vets will tell you that your sheep need all the vaccines.

Flies

If you have any animal, you have flies. Flies love animals and they love animal poop. As you might already suspect, I do not use any chemicals to deal with flies. There are several good alternatives however – some less painful than others (to you that is.) First, I use fly predators. These are tiny little creatures that love fly larvae. There are several companies that sell these. I use Spaldings (www.spalding-labs.com) but there are others. The principal is the same. You spread them around before fly season gets started and then monthly thereafter through the summer. They do work somewhat.

The other product I’ve found is called Cedarcide (www.cedarcide.com.) It’s a cedar oil product and you can use it to spray the barn stalls and the sheep in fact. I do not go out to the pastures without first spraying myself. You will smell like a cedar closet but there are worse things to smell like…. It seems to work reasonably well – not a miracle product as touted on its web site but good enough. I spray the stalls once a month.

The real trick to getting rid of most of the flies is to get rid of the manure. I have a small enough area (1.5 acres for the sheep plus their veranda) that I can and do clean it every day. I get a muck bucket full of manure each day and I know I don’t get it all. I also clean my horse and donkey pasture every day. Call me crazy but it helps and I’ve lost 15 pounds since moving to the farm.

Teeth

This really isn’t an issue. But its helpful to know how to estimate the age of your sheep if it is one you did not breed yourself.

Telling Age With Teeth

            Lamb     4 pair of Incisors
            1 year     middle pair of Incisors
            2 years     2nd pair of permanent Incisors
            3 years     3rd pair of permanent Incisors
            4 years     4th pair of permanent Incisors
            5 years     all permanent Incisors close together
            6 years     Incisors begin spreading apart
            7-8 years     some Incisors broken
            10-12 years     all Incisors missing

LAMBING

So you think you want to breed your own lambs? Okay but be prepared because in spite of what is often said about Babydolls being “easy lambers” – problems do, and will, come up. You may have to deliver the lamb. Babydolls usually mate in the fall and after a 5-month pregnancy (lucky girls) – they deliver in the Spring.

Ewes usually give birth to 1 to 3 lambs. Twins are common in well-fed flocks and with most breeds of sheep. First-time moms, especially yearlings, are more likely to have single births. Ewes produce their largest litters of lambs when they are between the ages of 3 and 6. Having more than 2 lambs is not a good idea since the mother is only capable of easily feeding 2 and any others may have to be bottle fed (think feedings every 2-4 hours round the clock). In Babydolls, the lambs can weigh anywhere from 4 to 10 pounds. Large lambs are not a good idea.

Under ideal circumstances, the lamb is perfectly positioned and the ewe can easily deliver with no problem. Often you will find the mom and lamb(s) when you go down to feed in the morning. However, if the lamb is not positioned right you may have to assist. I strongly recommend that if you plan to breed you make arrangements to assist a goat or sheep breeder during lambing/kidding season to get some hands on experience.

HELPFUL INFO

Definitions

          Ruminant :   An animal with a multiple-compartment stomach containing microbes (bugs) that are able to digest forages

          Ram:         male of breeding age
          Wether:         castrated male
      Ram lamb:     immature male
          Ewe lamb:      immature female
      Lamb:         newborn
          Flock :      group (3 or more)
          Tupping :       act of breeding
      Lambing:   act of parturition (giving birth)

Biological Traits

        Birth weight            5 - 8 lb.
       Weaning age         2 - 3 months
        Life span                                            6 -14 years (well kept sheep have lived more   than 20 years)
       Chromosome number        54
        Average Temperature      102.5
       Average Respiration Rate 16 breaths per minute
       Average Pulse Rate       75 beats per minute
       Urine               10 - 40 ml/kg body weight
        Teeth                                                   Mature sheep have 32 teeth, including 4   pairs of lower incisors, but none in their upper front jaws; a hard dental paid replaces the absent upper incisors

RESOURCES

The key to being successful is knowing where to look for information and get help quickly. There was a time when I knew nothing about sheep other than you got lamb chops from them (which I no longer eat…)

There are a number of good books to help you muddle through the learning curve and help you in an emergency. Here are my favorites:

Storey’s Barn Guide To Sheep: This is my favorite. It has step-by-step instructions with pictures for doing such things as giving injections, hoof trimming and catching a sheep. I keep this at the barn at all times. If you get nothing else – get this.

Natural Sheep Care by Pat Coleby: If you don’t think much of homeopathic remedies – don’t buy this book. Hers is a common sense and natural approach to caring for sheep.

JIM'S ASS AND OTHER INSIGNIFICANT STUFF

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:01:07 -0500

I know I promised you pictures of Jim ON Kate but there is a small problem - getting Jim on her. As you can see from the pictures, Kate is BIG. Jim is 6' tall so you figure it out. I'm thinking some sort of hydraulic lift. I don't think normal mounting blocks go that high.....we did get a saddle for her so we're getting close to lift off but we will have to figure out how to get Jim's ass onto his ass. (Oh I'm so confused.....)

Kate is peacefully living with the donkeys and goats. The only one that has the guts to approach her is Dude and actually I saw her following him around this morning. I think she kind of likes him. Of course if he trys to have his way with her - he'll hurt himself. Not enough Viagra in the world to help him out with her!

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We often get uninvited gets dropping in on us. That's okay - we like company. However, as you can see from the following pictures we had a surprise guest (or I should say the doves had a surprise guest) drop in that was entirely unwelcome. Enter SLINKY - our official farm snake. He's a black snake and harmless - but he is a snake after all and does anyone like snakes? Well, Slinky apparently had a hankering for eggs for breakfast so he thought he'd drop into the local fast food joint serving eggs - the aviary of course - always a fresh supply on hand. Jim and I were sitting in the living room chatting when I noticed a black hose fall to the bottom of the aviary. It only took a nanosecond to figure out that the black hose was in fact a snake. How he squeezed through those bars I will never understand - a talented snake for sure. Jim came to the rescue and did his best bob and weave with a stick until he got Slinky out the aviary door and heading for home (which by the way is under the house.) The appreciate doves sat on the highest perch and patiently waited for the all clear sign. They say that black snakes kill water moccasins so I guess I should be grateful he's around - let me think about that.....

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So I was out cleaning the sheep pasture when I noticed one of the barn kitties up in a tree. Not unusual - these kitties don't like to wait for meals - they go after what they want. So I assumed he was zeroing in on some hapless bird. I also noticed Simone and Leah hanging out under the tree looking up. Also not a big deal since the sheep are often amused by the antics of the kitties. All of a sudden a crab apple came flying out of the tree missing my ear by an inch. Simone and Leah gratefully dove for the apple. Simone got it first. Not to worry - a minute later a second apple came wizzing down. Leah got that one. Then the kitty emerged from the tree and trotted off to bigger and better things. So do you think the sheep are paying the kitties on the side to deliver apples? Amazing how animals learn to cooperate with each other.

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Speaking of poop (see reference above) - i spend at least 3 hours each day collecting and disposing of animal output. You have no doubt heard that there are only two sure things in life - death and taxes. I'd like to add a third to that one - if you feed them they will poop. In fact, I'm not even sure you have to feed them - I think they'd produce poop anyway. I would like to find a way to make money from what I collect - it could be my ticket to financial security.

There is no question that Babe has held the record for most amount of poop in a single day - until Kate came along that is. Kate's piles well they look a little like Mount Rushmore - lots of interesting curves - and massive. She puts out twice as much as Babe. There must be a world market for this stuff - someone please help me out here!

Donkey poop is no big deal - they are nice and small and firm - kind of the size of a golf ball. They also like to hang together so all I have to do is from the "drop zone" - that's the spot where someone gives a signal to let loose and they all do. Very convenient.

Now the sheep are a different story. They are very talented - they can walk, eat, poop and talk all at the same time. You just try that once - it's an amaziing feat. The fact that they walk and poop at the same time makes cleaning up after them a challenge. The line of output can stretch for 5 or 6 feet. And then if there are several together walking at different angles it can get very confusing. I'd love to train them to stand still but I doubt that will work. Sheep know they are prey animals and the theory is if you keep moving the coyote can't catch you. I guess they haven't quite figured out that they are living in a coyote-free zone. There must be a great use for sheep poop - they are small and perfectly round - like chocoate jelly bellies.

Anyone who comes up with a money making proposition for poop (forget compost - that's so ordinary) - will win a prize - a year's supply of poop !

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Well that's all the news that's fit to print (at least on my blog) - hope everyone is having a great summer. I know I am. Would love to hear from those of you following this blog and anyone who lives close enough - come on over and visit. No charge for the deluxe tour and the opportunity to scoop poop for an hour - you surely don't want to miss out on that!

Blessings to all of you from all of us at Follow Your Dream Farm.