Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and you believe them to be in perfect health, new animals should still
be quarantined. The person you bought them from may have an illness
starting within the fl ock and not even know it. This is the voice of experi-
ence talking: We purchased calves one time from a farmer we knew well
and respected completely, but a disease was just starting in his herd. The
farmer and I discovered it about the same time, and it cost both of us
money and some calves, not to mention causing lots of aggravation. Guess
what — the disease was brought into his herd by some calves he purchased
from someone he knew well, who had bought sick calves from someone
he knew well. It was a vicious cycle, which any of us could have broken by
following the quarantine rule, but we knew and respected the people we
were buying from!
8. Treat all new animals.
The day you bring a new critter onto the farm,
deworm it then and again exactly 14 days later, or if possible, deworm at
the seller's location 24 hours before picking up the animal. Also, make
sure you know what the seller's deworming program was, so you will be
able to evaluate which products might be most effi cient, as parasite resis-
tance to dewormers is rampant around the country. Also on the fi rst day,
trim the hooves and administer foot-rot spray (10 percent zinc sulfate in
water is very effective and doesn't stain wool). Vaccinate new sheep as
appropriate. If you're bringing home your very fi rst sheep, ask the seller
to help you deworm and take care of the feet before the sheep are loaded
in the trailer. This gives you the opportunity to learn how to do these pro-
cedures from an experienced hand.
9. Isolate animals that appear ill.
If one sheep seems to be coming down
with something, try to isolate it until you're sure. Again, you may prevent
a disease from running through the entire fl ock by isolating the fi rst one
or two cases you see. And you'll be able to make good treatment decisions
when a sheep is isolated in a controlled environment.
10. Vaccinate.
Where you live and your goals for the fl ock will have bearing
on your vaccination procedures. For example, if you plan on showing ani-
mals, you'll need a different regimen than if you plan on running a closed
fl ock and never taking them anywhere. (A closed fl ock is one in which no
new animals are introduced from outside the fl ock.) Your veterinarian can
help you decide on an appropriate vaccination program that suits your
goals and geographical location.
11. Maintain a closed fl ock if possible.
Once you have healthy animals,
one of the easiest ways to keep them healthy is to avoid unnecessarily
