Seasons Bleatings - February - SHEEP

"Still lie the sheltering snows, undimmed and white;
And reigns the winter's pregnant silence still;
No sign of spring, save that the catkins fill,
And willow stems grow daily red and bright.
These are days when ancients held a rite
Of expiation for the old year's ill,
And prayer to purify the new year's will."
- Helen Hunt Jackson, A Calendar of Sonnet's: February

FOR SALE

HMFF Rapunzel - act fast if you want this one!

Silver Border Leicester ewe born in 2002 out of HMFF Bartholemew (silver BL) and HMFF Rachel (black BL) . Twinned last year. All her lambs have been black over the past 5 years. Bred to HMFF White Knight (white Border Leicester... photos on request) Shearings each year average 6.5 # ... all gorgeous. Her fleeces have sold readily for $12-14 per pound. This is the only bred Border Leicester ewe I will be selling this year. I showed her as a ewe lamb in 2002 at Heart of America Show and she took 1st in her class. Good mom. Lambing soon. She would be unrelated to any of the rams below and a package deal could be arranged for a great little starter flock! $400

HMFF White Knight

White fullblood Border Leicester herdsire out of HMFF Jupiter (silver badger pattern) and HMFF Guenevere (white BL). Proven: uysed here for the last two years with great offspring. Sheared 13# fleece last spring with a 12 inch staple length which sold for $180! Easy going. Halter broke. Born 2004. $300

HMFF White Wizard #207w

[no photo]

White 3/4 Border and 1/4 Bluefaced Leicester. Born in 2006 to HMFF White KNight and HMFF Golden Ticket (a lovely white Hybrid ewe). This should be a NICE ram... like White Knight, only a bit finer and softer thanks to the infusion of BFL. $225

HMFF Silver Fox #220y

3/4 Blueface Leicester and 1/4 Border. A truly lovely ram! I put him on a few ewes this past fall. He was born in 2006 out of Beechtree Blackpark (GC Colored ram at Michigan) and HMFF Danielle ( a stylish and prolific Hybrid Leicester with a gorgeous fleece). Silver Fox has inherited the best of both. Pale silver fleece like moonlight and selling for $80 last year. $300

HMFF Dartmoor #225y

The white twin to Silver Fox above. Great uniform fleece, blue skin, classic lines. Very stylish ram. Long, straight and sound. Looks like a BFL, but with a heavier fleece. $300

HMFF Grant #0261

another 3/4 BFL / 1/4 BL with great promise. Super purled fleece. Blue skin. Grant was a big lamb born in 2007 to GC Beechtree Blackpark (silver BFL) and HMFF Gwendolyn (white Hybrid). $250

HMFF GrisGris #217y

rare silver fleece in a badger (blackbelly) pattern. He is a Hybrid Leicester ( BFL x BL) born in February 2006 to GC Beechtree Blackpark (silver BFL) and HMFF Guenevere (white BL). GrisGris has a very uniform purled fleece and was used as a yearling ram on 6 ewes this past fall. I can hardly wait to see his offspring. Hybrids are probably my fastest and hightest selling fleeces on the farm. $400

NOTE: Many people ask about the temperment of the rams. As a rule Leicester rams are easy to get along with... non-aggressive in my experience even during rut. I keep them with the ewes most of the year, only separating them in late summer before breeding season.

A 50% deposit via Paypal will hold your choice for 30 days . Balance due when you come to pick them up. 5 generation pedigrees are provided and all animals will be current on vaccinations, worming and foot trimming. For more information on any of the sheep listed, contact Kathy at hmffarm@fidnet.com

Coccidiostats

From our customers: I am writing because I have a sheep feed question. We purchase our feed from MFA ..., and in August, they stated that the sheep feed no longer contains antibiotics. One of our friends who raises sheep for show is concerned about this, and thinks we should be feeding this antibiotic feed to the ewes at least during pregnancy. I don't know. We vacinate, worm, and we do use antibiotic if need be, but all the time in thier feed? What do you do or suggest? I only have 6 sheep. I have been doing some research and I can't find an answer. Thanks for your help!

This is a great question on a number of levels. First of all, I do not have a PhD in animal nutrition, nor am I am vet (the disclaimer), but it does not take a rocket scientist to realize that we are heading down the path of disaster by feeding antibiotics routinely and/or inappropriately.

#1 The very organisms that the antibiotic is intended for will for the most part, be controlled (ie die) but SOME , which are not affected by the antibiotic will survive and proliferate. Then we have a strain of antibiotic resistant organisms to contend with.

#2 antibiotics should never be used to routinely compensate for poor environmental or management conditions.

Most antibiotics in sheep feed are targeted towards controlling Coccidia, the silent thief in your flock that retards growth in lambs. Coccidiosis ( the disease) can be of significant economic importance to the sheep producer, because it affects the bottom line: the number and the weight of the lambs that go to market. Of course there are other reasons for us to wish our sheep to be healthier and other ways to accomplish this.

Perhaps alittle homework on Coccidiosis is in order, so that we can formulate a better approach to raising healthier sheep.

Infection vs Disease

Coccidia is a very common parasite of sheep and goats and should be considered to be present in them from birth onward. They are consumed at an early age by close grazing (which sheep do) on pastures that have infected manure on them. Most adult sheep are asymptomatic and relatively unaffected by it. Lambs or immuno-compromised adults are the most susceptible to developing disease. However, unaffected sheep are taking a part in the proliferation of the coccida, by shedding the spores in their feces that will be shared eventually (by ingestion) with the rest of the flock.

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract that can be caused by a wide range of coccidian protozoa. It affects a wide range of livestock (and humans) as well, but is considered, for the most part, to be species specific. Because the protozoan lives in and affects the intestine, intestinal function (ie nutrition) can be affected... sometimes severely enough to cause retardation or stunting of growth. Runty lambs and diarrhea is the primary symptom of severe disease and death can result.

Control

Since we must assume that our sheep all carry and spread the protozoa, our management techniques are geared towards control rather than eradication.

1. cleaning out the feeders before putting new feed in each day (my flock manages to deposit fresh manure in their feeders daily... doesn't yours?) I use large heavy pipe as a feeder that is open on the downhill side . These are easy to sweep or hose out . I prefer to sweep rather than hose, to avoid getting wet areas .

2. regularly cleaning out the water tanks (my flock manages to get manure in the water tanks too sometimes... <sigh> ).

3. Antibiotics in the feed are one way to try to keep the numbers of coccidia down, but is not the most efficient use of antibiotic in the long run. Longterm use of the same antibiotic will eventually breed antibiotic resistant organisms. Perhaps a better control would be to target specific times of year to treat the herd... like right before lambing and/or when lambs are young and the grass is lush and green/ perhaps during the rainy season in your area, possibly any time the sheep are under stress (ie extreme weather changes, transportation, etc) .This would cut down the number of shed organisms at a time that the sheep would be the most susceptible to disease. Check with your vet for their ideas on this subject, dosing, etc. You can treat them via the feed or water. I prefer water treatment myself. Feed is not always equally consumed (the healthiest, most vigorous sheep will get the lions share). Bottle lambs can often be treated via their bottle.

4. The more animals we have confined to an area/pasture/paddock , the greater their chances of contracting parasites and disease from each other. Those with larger flocks will always be at higher risk than those with small flocks on a large acreage.

5. Try to maintain dry areas where the sheep tend to congregate... ie good drainage

6. Monitor your sheep for diarrhea. You can have stool samples checked for coccia counts (or other parasites) at your local veterinary office. Diarrhea can also be from other parasites and the treatment can be different from parasite to parasite. Treat appropriately when you must.

7. Rotation of pastures would theoretically be helpful as well, but perhaps an even more important consideration would be to avoid short grazing as much as possible. Grazing different kinds of livestock alternately may also help since the coccidia that affects one class of livestock may not find a host in another class of livestock.

8. Some people treat lambs at weaning so they won't miss a beat and keep growing to market size. The stress of weaning can make your lambs more susceptible to disease.

9. Consider treating new sheep that comes to the farm. #1 because they may be stressed from relocation #2 to avoid importing someone else's parasites

This is a great time of year to start thinking about this and make a plan so that your 2008 lambs will be the best crop ever!

from the university extension in Vermont comes this excerpt:

"Coccidia in sheep are very common parasites. Most sheep are infected with several different types from an early age. Young lambs are highly susceptible to infection and clinical disease. Older animals are more resistant to disease but are often infected. Clinical coccidiosis is seen commonly in young lambs at the time of weaning, in confined conditions, or shortly after entering feedlots and in sheep which have been physically stressed by weather, handling, and shipping. Sheep on intensive grazing programs may suffer from coccidiosis. Lambs become infected with coccidia by ingesting the coccidia oocysts (eggs). This occurs by eating feed contaminated with manure, drinking dirty water, or grazing pastures heavily contaminated with manure. The consumed oocyst then begins its life cycle. Through a complicated process the tiny parasite divides and enters gut cells with more and more damage done to the gut lining. Eventually, the parasite produces new oocysts which pass out in the manure. These oocysts need two to five days exposure to a wet damp environment before they become infective.

If a lamb is infected with a sufficient number of oocysts, the damage to cells in the gut wall may be extensive. This results in watery diarrhea, occasionally containing blood and mucus. Dehydration and weight loss often occur. If the condition is left untreated, lambs may die. Lambs surviving clinical disease will have their growth potential severely compromised. Coccidiosis can be diagnosed in a live animal by clinical signs and demonstrations of large numbers of oocysts in feces.

Control

Coccidiosis in sheep is usually related to stress, overcrowded conditions, and manure contamination. Frequent cleaning, proper sanitation, and the use of feeders and waterers designed to prevent manure contamination greatly reduces the infection rate and the incidence of clinical disease.

The administration of anticoccidial drugs before anticipated outbreaks can significantly reduce or eliminate clinical outbreaks of coccidiosis in sheep. Products containing the following anticoccidial drugs are commercially available : lasalocid, monensin, decoquinate and sulfaquinoxaline...If clinical coccidiosis develops in a flock, sulfa antibiotics or amprolium may be prescribed by a veterinarian under the extra-label drug provisions since no product is approved to treat clinical coccidiosis. "

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/sheep/410-027/410-027.html