“Skanky” Sheep and Goats

            

                    I like sheep, and I like goats, and I’m not afraid to admit it.  One of my good neighbors calls my sheep “prairie maggots,” and that’s okay-he just hasn’t come to appreciate them like I have.  A lot of people do, though, and more and more sheep and goats are being raised in this area.  They make excellent 4-H and FFA projects, are easy to raise on small farms, and frankly, do not pose the same physical threat that larger cows and horses do.  Young and old alike can take part in caring for them on the homestead.

                        This time of year I see many cases of young lambs and kids that are not doing well.  They appear to stop growing compared to their contemporaries, are thin and often have wool or hair that is disproportionately long for their body size.  For lack of a better term, I refer to them as “skanky.”

                        Almost all of them are heavily parasitized, meaning their intestines are loaded with worms or another common parasite, coccidia.  These microscopic coccidia cause a condition called coccidiosis, which usually results in diarrhea- but not always.  I have seen many fecal samples from animals with stools that look normal, but microscopically are packed with coccidia and worm eggs. Young lambs and kids can be wasting away from such parasites and not have diarrhea.  If you have some animals that look like this, take their manure to your veterinarian to be examined-the sooner the better.  The earlier these animals are treated, the greater their chance of returning to normal growth and of not being stunted.

                        Some of these “skanky” lambs and kids are also suffering from chronic pneumonia.  Depending on the amount of damage to their lungs, these animals may or may not survive long enough to be productive.

                        One of the main causes of this “poor-doing” condition is the timing of birth.  Usually, they are among the youngest of the lambs and kids.  As the lambing or kidding season progresses and the weather warms up, the environment they are born into becomes more and more saturated with parasites and pneumonia-causing bacteria.  These young animals are then very susceptible to contracting these infections.

                        Another factor involved is the mother of these “skanky” animals.  Often, it is the younger ewes and does that are having these later offspring, and their colostrum, the antibody-rich first milk, is simply not as nutritious as the colostrum of older mothers. An older mother’s colostrum tends to have more antibodies which help prevent disease in the newborn, compared to a younger mother’s colostrum.                       

                        One way to deal with this colostrum problem is to save and freeze the colostrum from older mothers to supplement the offspring of the first-time ewes and does.  Prior to use, this frozen colostrum should be thawed at room temperature or in a warm water bath.  Do not microwave colostrum, as this will denature the antibody protein and render it useless.                        
                                                 
                         Of course, if there is concern about diseases such as OPP, CAE, and Johne’s in your flock, then using colostrum from other ewes or does should be avoided. In this case, commercially available colostrum could be used. I don’t know how well these products work, but I do know they can.

                        Also, talk to your veterinarian about implementing an effective parasite preventive program.  Intestinal worms can be treated with various anthelmintic drugs, while coccidia can be treated and prevented with various feed and water medications.  Work with your veterinarian to make these “skanky” lambs and kids a thing of the past.

 

Author:  Dr. John Jones
Image courtesy of Kantapat Putthiprasitkul at FreeDigitalPhotos.net