![]() A self-feeder is better in that the risk of crushing small lambs with bunk feeding or abandonment of newborns if one to two pounds of grain is fed per day.įAMACHA is patented system of comparing a standard eyeball pictures with varying degrees of anemia of the ewe or lamb. Some producers have successfully used self-fed soyhulls as a means of supplementing ewes and lambs on pasture. This matches the needs of the grazing flock because lambs start to compete with their dams for dry matter intake under short pasture condition. Another advantage legumes offer is increase productivity in the hot summer months. Incorporating legumes also improves the nutritional status with more energy and protein dense forage. This can be done by managing the plants so that they are vegetative and highly palatable resulting in maximum intake. To improve the productivity of lactating ewes one needs to insure high quality feed from the pasture. ![]() ![]() Additionally, young lambs are trying to grow so that they have a higher nutritional requirement. Young lambs have not developed any resistance to internal parasites so they are at a huge risk. Lactating ewes are more susceptible because their immune system is compromised by the high nutritional demands for lactation. Lactating ewes and young lambs are much more susceptible to internal parasites. Dry ewes on good pasture may not need to be treated again the remainder of the grazing season. So it is good to remove this worm burden so that we minimize the stress on the ewes and all her consumed nutrients can go to making milk for feeding her lambs rather than to mount an immune response to fighting internal parasites. The hormonal changes associated with lambing sends a message to the internal parasites and they become active and start laying eggs. Alternatively, use an injectable for internal parasites. Make sure the animal’s chin is level and that the nozzle dispenses behind the tongue. Proper drenching procedure is essential for dewormer efficiency. Winter born lambs that are pushed hard and kept in confinement should not need to be dewormed. Sheep maintained in drylot should not have to be de-wormed. The exception to this is if we need to control tape worms. Another new fact is that we generally do not want to rotate anthelmintics. Other new facts on the parasite issue: Twenty percent of the ewes shed 80% of the eggs, so routinely treating the whole flock to treat 20% is not good use of anthelmintic and may lead to more rapid build up to resistance. ![]() ![]() So ewes may have some worm load in the spring even though they have not consumed eggs for six months. Lastly, some worms hibernate over winter in the sheep’s gut and become active egg layers in the spring. The warmer the weather the faster they use up their food source and perish. Larvae also have enough nutrients that they can exist for one to two months in the infective stage. Under ideal conditions it takes 24 to 35 days from the time eggs are shed in the feces and deposited on the pasture until the larvae reach infective stage. About twenty-five percent of the worm eggs shed last fall survived the winter and will hatch and develop into infective larvae. We need to realize that our pastures are not parasite larvae free. A few facts on parasites will help us realize how important a strategic attack is for combating these organisms. As we consider the reasons that make raising sheep a challenge, internal parasites (worms) are right up there towards the top of the list. ![]()
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