SHEEP AND GOATS

Preventive Medicine

By Brad R. LeaMaster and D. Scott Adams.

SHEEP

It is much more productive and economical to prevent disease than to treat sick animals. Flock health management is a program of cooperation between the owner and veterinarian and should blend with management procedures that occur throughout the year.

Early Spring Lambing. Ewes should be separated in groups based on fullness of the udder (bagging). Increase their nutritional level during the last six weeks of pregnancy. And they should be vaccinated for enterotoxemia types C and D, tetanus, and dewormed. Set up a record system for lambing.

Lambs must be castrated, docked and vaccinated shortly after arrival. Vaccinations vary depending on the geographical location, but enterotoxemia type D and tetanus should be considered. Routinely inspect rams for signs of pneumonia, epididymitis, foot rot, etc. After removal from the ewes, increase the nutritional level.

Late Spring Shearing. After shearing, all animals including lambs must be treated for external parasites by dusting, dipping or spraying. Ewes and rams should receive clostridial vaccine, be dewormed, and have feet trimmed. Dry ewes can be culled.

Late Summer Weaning, and preparation for breeding. Lambs are weaned and the ewes' nutritional level reduced. All ewes should be examined and culled on the basis of mastitis, condition of teeth, age, and production. Replacement ram and ewe lambs should be kept separate from the adult sheep during the first year. Nutritional level of the rams should be increased.

Check Rams

Fall Breeding. Before breeding, rams should be checked for the presence of internal and external parasites and treated if needed. They must have their feet, legs, teeth, eyes and reproductive organs Before breeding, the condition of animals should be checked. This includes examining their feet, teeth, legs and eyes.

examined. Special attention should be directed for the presence of epididymitis. A semen evaluation also is recommended.

Ewes also can be checked for the condition of feet, legs, teeth, eyes, and udder, and vaccinated for the common abortion diseases such as vibriosis and enzootic abortion. A leptospirosis vaccination also may be considered, depending on the area of the country. Three to 4 weeks before breeding, sterile rams can be introduced to increase cycling and conception rates.