SHEEP FARMING TERMS GLOSSARY

by LMS | Feb 9, 2022 | Sheep Farming

Do you know the difference between gelts and gimmers? Are you able to dag, dock, and graft? Sheep farming is a global industry with a long history dating back thousands of years. You may be forgiven for sometimes running into a word in the business that stumps you, from the old to the new. Here’s a glossary to help you understand the phrases used in sheep husbandry.

ACCELERATED LAMBING

A lambing system whereby ewes lamb more than once a year. An alternative to lambing annually.

BELLWETHER

The sheep that leads the flock, often with a bell hanging from its neck.

BREECH BIRTH

A birth in which the lamb is presented backwards, with its rear legs tucked under and only its tail presenting.

CAST

A sheep that’s fallen onto its back and can’t get up again without assistance.

DRAFT EWE

’Draft’ ewes are older sheep that are raised on hill farms and then sold to farmers on lower ground where conditions are less challenging.

COLOSTRUM

The first milk a ewe gives after birth. This milk has a high number of antibodies and protects newborn lambs against diseases.

COMMON GRAZING

Common fells are upland areas where sheep flocks from different farms graze freely without fences or walls.

CREEP FEEDING

Providing supplemental feed to lambs.

CROSS-BRED

Sheep that are a combination of two or more different breeds. This can make them stronger for a certain environment and in some cases more disease resistant.

CRUTCHING (OR CROTCHING)

Shearing wool from around the tail and between the rear legs of a sheep.

CULL EWES

Ewes that have reached the end of their productive life on the farm.

DAG

Sheep’s wool that is clogged with dung. It’s usually formed into teardrop shapes clinging to the wool under the tail and around the anus of the sheep. Without removal, they are a risk for fly strike as maggots can infest the dags and spread to the flesh of the sheep.

DAGGING

The process of trimming away sheep dags. This can made more unpleasant the longer the dags have had time to ferment.

FLEECE

The wool from a single sheep in the shorn grease state.

GELT

An adult ewe that is not in lamb when others are. Usually she has been kept away from the ram due to problems that occurred at a previous lambing. Gelts are usually fattened and sold for meat at a time when lamb is scarce.

GIMMER

A female sheep that has been weaned but not yet sheared. Usually around 6 months to 15 months old.

GRAFT

The act of transferring a lamb to a ewe that is not its mother, also known as mothering on.

GUMMER

A sheep that has lost all of its teeth in old age.

HAND SPINNER

A person who spins wool (twists fibres into yarn) by hand.

HOGGS

Male or female sheep from weaning to first shearing.

JUG

A pen used for keeping a ewe and her newborn lambs so that they can bond.

KED

A wingless fly that is a parasite for sheep.

LACTATION

The production of milk from a ewe.

MOB

A group of sheep that has been run under exactly the same conditions for the entire growing season.

MUTTON

Meat from an older sheep.

NEMATODE

Roundworm.

OVER-WINTERING

When sheep are sent from upland areas of Britain to warmer lowland areas where feed is more easily available over the winter.

OVINE

Relating to sheep.

PELT

The skin of a sheep with the wool on.

RADDLING

Attaching a harness to a ram that contains a paint block. Each ewe the ram mates with will be marked with the paint. This lets the farmer know which ewes have not yet mated and should remain longer with the ram. Paint can also be applied directly to the ram’s chest.

RAM EFFECT

Describes the effect of stimulating non-cycling ewes to ovulate by introducing a ram or teaser ram.

RINGWOMB

Failure of a ewe’s cervix to dilate during parturition.

RIGWELTED

An overturned sheep. Usually when heavily pregnant and broad backed. She may roll over and become unable to right herself.

RISE

A yellowish line on the sheep’s wool caused by the previous winter’s greasy wool being lifted away from the skin by newer, fresh wool that’s easier to cut. The rise is a sign that the sheep are ready for shearing.

SLIME GRAFT

Rubbing the foetal fluids and membrane of a ewe’s lamb onto a different lamb that you want to graft to said ewe.

SHEARLING

A young sheep between its first and second shearing. Sheep are normally sheared once a year.

TEASER

A ram that has been vasectomised to make him infertile.

TUP

A male sheep. Another word for ‘ram’.

PROTECTING YOUR FLOCK FROM SHEEP SCAB: THE SILENT EPIDEMIC

by LMS | Feb 9, 2022 | Sheep Farming

Sheep scab may ruin your revenues by wreaking havoc on your flock. Unfortunately, until it’s too late, the problem might go undetected. Worse yet, misusing treatments may lead to resistance. Here’s all you need to know about it.

SHEEP SCAB: HIDDEN FROM THE EYES

Every farmer depends on their instincts from time to time. Intuition, on the other hand, is an unreliable tool for detecting sheep scab. It might take weeks or even months for the clinical indications of the scab mite to appear once it has infected one of your sheep. In other words, you can’t determine if your sheep are scab-infected just by looking at them. Unfortunately, this implies that many farmers are not taking the essential precautions to protect their flock from the dangers of sheep scab.

KNOW WHO YOUR ENEMY IS…

An infection with the mite Psoroptes ovis causes sheep scab. The disease is prevalent in the Nigeria, with roughly 5,000 cases each year; greater travel and handling of sheep throughout the fall and winter months adds to the risk.

Sheep scab is a severe form of allergic dermatitis brought on by the scab mite’s feces. Infestations can be extremely debilitating, leading to substantial weight loss, secondary infections, hypothermia, and even death.

FIREFIGHTING IS INEFECTIVE.

Because sheep scab is unexpected and frequently undetected, many farmers take a highly reactive strategy to managing it. Unfortunately, the parasite will have taken root in your herd by the time you see clinical indications of sheep scab. This causes you to give therapies that may have been avoided, as well as observe the required meat abstinence periods.

REMEMBER TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR RESISTANCE

An unsuccessful sheep scab control technique has the potential to generate more difficulties than just financial hardship. The inappropriate administration of treatments, such as diazinon plunge dip formulations in non-validated applications such as showers, might result in scab mite resistance. Meanwhile, abuse of macrocyclic lactone (ML) injections for scab management might result in resistant intestinal worms as well as the possibility of scab mite resistance, posing a further threat to your farm’s sheep welfare.

A MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR SHEEP SCAB

Rather of waiting until clinical indications appear on your farm, the safest and most cost-effective method to control sheep scab is to take a proactive approach. Given the difficulty in determining the existence of sheep scab after first infection, it’s preferable to presume that all entering sheep are sick and isolate them for at least three weeks.

Furthermore, checking sheep will help you to determine their scab condition and avoid unneeded treatments.

Because most farms keep just breeding animals at this time of year, winter is often the optimum time to treat your flock. Your flock’s full fleeces are also suitable for plunge dipping, which is possibly the most effective treatment for sheep scab.

Are you unable to dip because to a lack of facilities or funds? With the right injectables, you can also treat sheep scab. It’s important to keep in mind that all macrocyclic lactone therapies are wormers as well. Make sure they’re needed before using them, and don’t take them more than once.

It’s also worth noting that most MLs don’t provide long-term scab protection. Move your flock to pasture that has been free of sheep for at least three weeks after treatment with a non-persistent ML. Scab mites may live for up to 17 days in the environment.

If that isn’t an option, try CYDECTIN®, which provides long-lasting protection for 28 to 60 days depending on the dosage strength. This allows you to transfer sheep to pastures that have recently been grazed, reducing the risk of worms from treating and moving to clean pasture.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

Sheep scab is a bothersomely chronic issue. Many farmers in Nigeria are affected by the parasite, which can lead to poor sheep wellbeing and a severe impact on your bottom line. However, by taking a proactive approach to prevention and treatment, you can guarantee that your flock is healthy, happy, and lucrative. If you have any doubts, visit your veterinarian or drug provider.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR LIVESTOCK FROM CLOSTRIDIA DISEASES

by LMS | Feb 9, 2022 | Beef Farming, Parasite Watch, Sheep Farming

Every farmer’s biggest nightmare is the abrupt death of cattle. It’s not only distressing and stressful, but it’s also highly expensive. Despite this, productive animals are lost on a regular basis to Clostridial infections. The good news is that this does not have to be the case. It is possible to protect your sheep and cattle from harmful Clostridial toxins in a simple, practical, and cost-effective manner.

What exactly are Clostridia?

Clostridia are bacteria that can cause a wide variety of livestock diseases. These germs are common, persistent, and extremely hazardous. Clostridia, for example, can live in soil for years before killing a healthy cow or sheep in hours.

Clostridia’s toxins are among the most dangerous known. When you realize one of your animals is sick, it is sometimes too late for treatment. In fact, Clostridial illnesses can be so lethal that an animal may die before symptoms appear.

Where can you find Clostridia?

Clostridia bacteria are quite common in the natural environment. They are present in soil, rotting plants, decomposing animal debris, surface water, and ruined animal feed. Clostridia bacteria of various sorts are also found in the intestines and other tissues of healthy cattle.

Clostridia bacteria cause sickness in what ways?

Clostridial bacteria are not intrinsically toxic, which explains why an animal may live properly with the bacteria in its stomach. Toxins secreted by Clostridia when they reproduce fast cause sickness. Simple variables such as unhealed wounds, internal bruises, or even dietary changes are examples of triggers.

Clostridia can induce a wide range of deadly disorders. Cattle can become infected with blackleg, tetanus, malignant oedema, and redwater. Clostridia can cause all of the following symptoms in sheep, as well as pulpy kidney, braxy, and struck. Even with immediate veterinarian assistance, these infections are virtually invariably deadly.

Figure 1 – The different species of Clostridia and how & whom they effect

Impact

Your animals are one of your most valuable assets as a livestock farmer. The loss of a productive animal has a direct impact on your bottom line. There’s also the cost of new animals to consider, as well as carcass disposal expenses. It is not implausible that the death of a single productive cow might cost far over $800.000.

Of course, lost cattle has an emotional impact as well. Working on a farm where animals are at danger of suffering or dying from avoidable illness is challenging. Farm workers will have deep emotional relationships with the animals they care for, and lost stock will undoubtedly have a detrimental influence on employee morale.

Early warning indicators

Unfortunately, by the time you identify symptoms of a Clostridial illness in one of your animals, it will be too late to treat. However, there are certain early warning indications on rare occasions. In cattle with blackleg, for example, the thighs may seem bloated and the tail may be elevated. Meanwhile, a lack of coordination may be observed with the commencement of pulpy kidney in sheep, but this is not always the case, and a dead animal is the first sign.

How to Protect Your Animals from Clostridia Disease

Effective vaccinations are available for most common Clostridia. Covexin 10®, for example, protects sheep and cattle against ten important Clostridia bacteria, giving active protection for up to a year.

Cattle and sheep require two subcutaneous injections in the side of the neck four to six weeks apart to guarantee adequate Clostridia protection. Following that, each animal will require a booster shot every 12 months in order to remain protected.

Young calves and lambs are vaccinated by colostrum from vaccinated moms or can be vaccinated as early as 2 weeks of age.

Newborns will be protected against Clostridia through colostrum if cows and ewes are given a booster between eight and two weeks before birth. Passive immunity will be provided for up to eight weeks in calves and up to 12 weeks in lambs. Following then, a primary vaccine round will be required for sustained protection.

To put it succinctly…

Clostridial infections are exceedingly contagious and almost invariably lethal. It is as easy as delivering an effective vaccine to keep your animals safe, with Covexin 10 providing the broadest available range of protection. It’s a tried-and-true, low-cost method of preventing many of the illnesses that cause unexpected death, and it helps farmers safeguard their livelihoods.

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