Basic Sheep and Goat Husbandry for Land Managers

Topics for today’s presentation

Sheep vs. goats Reproductive basics Nutrition basics Health care and

diseases Predator control Additional resources

Sheep vs. goats: There are differences: choose the right animals for your goals.

SHEEP Grazers Prefer forbs, grass Easier to contain (fencing) Usually no horns Aloof, reserved, gregarious Better adapted to climate Easier to handle, manage

GOATS Intermediate grazers Prefer browse Harder to contain (fencing) Usually horns Curious, independent Less adapted to climate

What about shearing?

Hair sheep do not require shearing, crutching, or docking.

Other sheep require annual shearing and the tails of their lambs should be docked.

Hair sheep crosses may require shearing and their fleeces should be discarded.

Most goats do not require shearing (exceptions: Angora and Cashmere goats and their crosses).

Advantage of crossbred animalsRegardless of species, crossbred animals are preferable to purebreds.

More available Less expensive Less valuable Hardier Healthier More disease-resistant More productive

Reproductive basicsLandscape management can be combined with production.

SHEEP Puberty at 5-12 months Seasonally polyestrous Short-day breeders 17-day estrus cycle 24-36 hour estrus 5 month gestation 1 to 3 offspring 1 ram: 35 ewes

GOATS Puberty at 3-7 months Seasonally polyestrous Short-day breeders 21-day estrus cycle 24-48 hour estrus 5 month gestation 1-3 offspring 1 buck: 35 does

Nutrition basics

Sheep and goats are ruminants: a majority of their diet should be composed of forage: grass, forbs, browse, hay, etc.

Supplements may be required to meet nutritional requirements not met by forage diet. Late gestation Lactation Growth Poor quality forage

Rumen is adaptable to different feeds, but it needs time to adjust; always make changes to diet gradually.

Free choice minerals

To meet nutritional deficiencies in forage diet.

As a behavior modifier.

Loose minerals preferred to mineral blocks.

Feed appropriate mineral mix to sheep and goats, due to differences in copper requirements and sensitivities. Goats - goat minerals Sheep - sheep minerals

Health care of sheep and goats

Routine management

Vaccinations Parasite control Hoof care Biosecurity

Common diseases Internal parasites Foot rot and scald Respiratory Digestive

Vaccinations for sheep and goats

There are numerous diseases for which sheep and goats can be vaccinated.

In production situations, it is common to vaccinate for specific clostridial diseases (CD-T). Ewes/does 3-4 weeks before parturition Lambs/kids at 6-8 and 10-12 weeks of age

In certain circumstances, rabies vaccination may be warranted. There is a rabies vaccine for sheep.

Parasite control

Sheep and goats can be affected by numerous internal and external parasites.

External (ecto) parasites include flies, ticks, lice, and mites.

Internal (endo) parasites include helminths (worms) and single-cell protozoa.

External parasite control

Some dewormers (macrocylic lactones, e.g. Ivomec®) have efficacy against some (biting) external parasites.

Many insecticides are labeled for external parasite control in small ruminants. They are administered as sprays, dusts, or pour-ons.

Some external parasites can be vectors for other diseases.

Internal parasites

Sheep and goats can be infected with numerous gastro-intestinal parasites.

It is normal for sheep and goats to have parasites in their guts and parasite eggs in their feces.

The two parasites of primary concern are the barber pole worm and coccidia.

The barber pole worm

The barber worm is a blood-sucking round worm.

The primary symptom is anemia (paleness of mucous membranes) and sometimes edema or “bottle jaw” (accumulation of fluid under jaw).

Diarrhea is not a common symptom of the barber pole worm.

Effect of parasitism may be hyper-acute (sudden death), acute (clinical and treatable), or chronic (sub-clinical)

Internal parasite control

Routine deworming is NOT recommended.

The worms have developed varying degrees of resistance to ALL dewormers.

Sheep and goats should be dewormed on an as-needed basis, based on the observation of clinical signs (e.g. FAMACHA© scores). By itself, a fecal test is not diagnostic!

Internal parasite control

Sheep and goats should always be dewormed with oral formulations of dewormers (called drenches).

All dewormers should be administered by mouth using a syringe with a long metal nozzle (deposit drug over tongue).

Dosage should be based on an accurate weight; under-dosing should be avoided.

Goats metabolize dewormers more quickly and require 1.5-2x the sheep dose.

Using a dewormer that is in any way inconsistent with the product label requires extra-label drug use and a veterinary prescription (Rx).

Integrated parasite control (IPM)

Pasture-rest and rotation Zero grazing Protein supplementation Browsing Alternative forages Minimum grazing height Resistant breeds Resistant genetics Copper oxide wire

particles

Control of coccidia

Coccidia are single-cell protozoa that typically cause diarrhea in young lambs and kids.

Mature animals are largely immune to coccidia, but serve as a reservoir of infection.

Coccidia control starts with good sanitation and management.

Coccidiostats (Bovatec®, Rumensin®, Deccox®, or Corid) in the feed, mineral, or water can help to prevent outbreaks of clinical coccidiosis.

Coccidiosis is treated with amprolium (Corid) or sulfa drugs (Rx).

Hoof care

Hoof care is an important aspect of sheep and goat management and welfare.

Lameness can be a sign of disease.

Hooves should be inspected regularly for disease and excess growth.

Sheep and goats are susceptible to numerous hoof diseases.

Hoof trimming

The need for hoof trimming varies by species, breed, genetics, nutrition, and environment (soil texture and moisture).

From every few months to less than once per year.

Proper hoof trimming requires proper restraint, equipment, and technique.

Common hoof diseases

Foot rot Foot scald

Infection in horny tissue of hoofStrong odor

Infection in skin between claws.

Common hoof diseases

Foot rot Caused by interaction

of two bacteria; the second bacteria that causes disease must be introduced to the farm or herd.

Bacteria that causes foot rot can only live outside the animal for 14 days.

Highly contagious

Foot scald Caused by bacteria that

is present wherever there are sheep and goats; lives in soil.

Environmental: not contagious.

Is a precursor to footrot and other hoof diseases.

Treating hoof diseases

Trim and inspect feet Isolate infected

animals Foot bathing with

zinc sulfate Antibiotic treatments

(sprays and injections)

Vaccinate CULL chronically-

infected animals.

Preventing hoof diseases

Do not introduce the bacteria that causes foot rot to your farm via:

a) Contaminated animalsb) Contaminated transportc) Contaminated equipmentd) Contaminated footwear

Do not buy animals from farms that have lameness or footrot.

Do not buy animals from sale barns or other places with questionable animal health.

Quarantine all newly-purchased sheep and goats and assume they have footrot (trim feet and treat).

Can use dry chemicals and absorptive pads to help prevent disease outbreaks.

Biosecurity

1) Breeding stock2) Quarantine3) Disease management4) General management5) Other

Biosecurity is the steps taken to prevent the introduction or spread of disease(s) on a farm. University of Maine and Maryland Extension have collaborated to develop an online template for creating biosecurity plans for sheep and goat farms.

http://www.sheepandgoat.com/biosecurity/

Respiratory problems

Symptoms Nasal discharge, though

not all nasal discharges are problematic (e.g. clear mucous discharge).

Fever, usually over 104°F. Raspy breathing. General ill thrift

Isolate and treat Anti-inflammatory drugs

(Rx) Antibiotics (OTC and Rx) Supportive therapy

Common digestive problems

(Froth) bloat can be caused by the sudden intake of leguminous or succulent pastures.

Acidosis is caused by the sudden intake of readily digestible carbohydrates, usually grain or by-product feeds.

Polio is a thiamine (vitamin B1 deficiency) caused by the consumption of feeds with thiaminase inhibitor.

Common digestive problems

Pregnancy toxemia is caused by an inadequate intake of energy by the pregnant female.

Milk fever (low blood Ca) can be cause by both in adequate and excess Ca in the late gestation diet.

Diarrhea (scours) is not a disease; it is a symptom with both infectious and non-infectious causes.

Common digestive problems

Copper toxicity can occur (sheep) if diets contain toxic levels of copper. Acidic soils Pasture fertilized with pig or swine mature Copper in supplements fed to sheep

Copper deficiency can occur (goats) if diets contain inadequate copper. Copper deficient soils Excess Mo or sulfur Sheep supplements fed to goats

Plant poisonings can cause many symptoms. Clinical signs vary with toxin and can be non-specific.

Sick sheep or goat: what to look for

TemperatureNormal is 102-103ºF

Body conditionNormal is 2-4 (5)

FAMACHA© scoresNormal is 3 or better (5)

AppetiteHealthy sheep and goats are always hungry!

Coat condition Pain

Teeth grinding can be a sign of pain

Dags (scours)

Predator controlAn important aspect of sheep and goat husbandry.

All sheep and goats are vulnerable to predators of many types: domestic dogs, wild dogs, coyotes, foxes, bears, vultures, eagles, etc.

Horns do not protect goats from predators.

All sheep and goat owners should consider predation to be a significant risk to their operation and implement a program to prevent and/or minimize predation.

Predator control

Starts with a good fence Multi-strand high tensile electric Woven wire with electric off-set wires Electric netting Polywire Electric wire

Livestock guardians

1) Livestock guardian dogsGreat Pyrenees, Akbash, Maremma, Anatolian Shepherd, Komondor, Polish Tatra, Tibetan Mastiff (and their crosses).

2) Other livestock guardiansa) Donkeys (miniature ?)b) Llamas (alpacas ?)

Each guardian animal has pros and cons.

Other methods of predator control

1) “Flerds” (catte + sheep/goats)2) Night penning3) Indoor lambing and kidding4) Good neighbor relations5) Lethal methods

Additional (web) resources Maryland Small Ruminant Page

www.sheepandgoat.com

Sheep 201: A Beginner’s Guide to Raising Sheepwww.sheep101.info/201/

UME Small Ruminant Program on Facebookwww.facebook.com/MDSmallRuminant

UME Shepherd’s Notebook blogmdsheepgoat.blogspot.com

Meat goat test blogmdgoattest.blogspot.com

Other PowerPoint presentationswww.slideshare.net/Schoenian or .../SusanSchoenian

Questions?

Thank you for your attention.