- Aug 8, 2011
- 1,981
- 40
- 141
YAY! for Dr Sara and you both! there are a couple of things there I'm not familiar with and have to go read up on. MarjieSheep is getting the best that can be done for her I think.
RE: the greens: suggesting hay pellet slurry on that one more time. it works, and it will get some greens in her if she's still not eating.
RE: the shots... if she was a pet before, she will be again, it may just take a little while. I've had some sheep and a couple of goats that got quite wary after being treated with sort-acting shots, but offering treats once they're eating helps... let me know if you have difficulty with that once we're past this crisis, there are some tactics that help.
RE: worm resistance. some breeds of hair sheep have a reputation for being "worm resistant". that may be true, but it's relative to other sheep breeds.... as in more resistant than wool breeds. it's NOT "worm proof". the missouri extension office folks say the current studies indicate it's not a very big difference unless you've got multiple years of breeding for resistance and culling the sheep that aren't as good as the average in your flock.
basically what the folks who are winning on this front say is this:
1) check with FAMACHA once every month.
2) record the FAMANCH score for each sheep every time you check (it's a 1-5 score)
3) treat all sheep that are in the lowest 2 categories.
4) cull any sheep that are in the lowest category more than twice in the same year
5) if more than 15% of your flock is in the lowest 2 categories, treat any sheep that aren't in the highest category.
6) record the lineage of all breeding
7) cull any ewes that produce more than 30% lambs that make the cull list for multiple low scores.
the percentages can be adjusted depending on how agressively you want to cull, size of the flock, etc. with a program like that, it's possible to improve your worm resistance, and that help slow down the rate of medication-resistant worm development.
for your small flock, if you're not actively breeding for better resistance, I'd just do a monthly check using FAMACHA, and treat anytihing in the lower 3 scores. if you've got one that's consistently in the low numbers, you're going to have to consider what that means to the health of your other sheep, and if it's a cull candidate or not.
one of the things the MO Extension Vets are saying is to NOT rotate wormers... use the same one until it stops working (post-treatment fecal does NOT show a 98% or better reduction in worm eggs) and once it stops meeting that standard, change wormers. this is the best current thinking on how to reduce resistance.
the other thing you should be doing is making sure you give a maximum wormer dose for the animal by weight... under dosing is a major contributer to resistance as well. depending on the wormer, you may be able to generalize the weight and dose high, or you may need to be precise within 5 lbs... one of the wormers that is still working can cause neurologic problems or death if it's overdosed. most of them have a wide margin of safety.
there are environmental things you can do that help reduce reinfestation, rotational grazing is one... when you're ready for more info about that, let me know.
In CA, we never wormed more than once or twice a year... it's dry there. here in MO, folks are using the FAMACHA system and worming when it's needed... often 3 or more times a year. because it's humid where you are, that probably will be true about your little flock as well.
RE: selenium. once we're past this, talk with Dr. Sara about once-a-year shots of BoSe as a preventative measure for selenium issues. we used it in CA where the selenium is marginal... some hay producing areas are ok and others aren't... we had two choices - have the hay tested or use the BoSe.
hang in there, I know it's going to be not-enough-sleep for the next couple of weeks, but that's what it takes if you want to fight for her life. I've had to do it more than once... or let's say I chose to. many folks would have done less and let nature take it's course.
you're doing fine.
RE: the greens: suggesting hay pellet slurry on that one more time. it works, and it will get some greens in her if she's still not eating.
RE: the shots... if she was a pet before, she will be again, it may just take a little while. I've had some sheep and a couple of goats that got quite wary after being treated with sort-acting shots, but offering treats once they're eating helps... let me know if you have difficulty with that once we're past this crisis, there are some tactics that help.
RE: worm resistance. some breeds of hair sheep have a reputation for being "worm resistant". that may be true, but it's relative to other sheep breeds.... as in more resistant than wool breeds. it's NOT "worm proof". the missouri extension office folks say the current studies indicate it's not a very big difference unless you've got multiple years of breeding for resistance and culling the sheep that aren't as good as the average in your flock.
basically what the folks who are winning on this front say is this:
1) check with FAMACHA once every month.
2) record the FAMANCH score for each sheep every time you check (it's a 1-5 score)
3) treat all sheep that are in the lowest 2 categories.
4) cull any sheep that are in the lowest category more than twice in the same year
5) if more than 15% of your flock is in the lowest 2 categories, treat any sheep that aren't in the highest category.
6) record the lineage of all breeding
7) cull any ewes that produce more than 30% lambs that make the cull list for multiple low scores.
the percentages can be adjusted depending on how agressively you want to cull, size of the flock, etc. with a program like that, it's possible to improve your worm resistance, and that help slow down the rate of medication-resistant worm development.
for your small flock, if you're not actively breeding for better resistance, I'd just do a monthly check using FAMACHA, and treat anytihing in the lower 3 scores. if you've got one that's consistently in the low numbers, you're going to have to consider what that means to the health of your other sheep, and if it's a cull candidate or not.
one of the things the MO Extension Vets are saying is to NOT rotate wormers... use the same one until it stops working (post-treatment fecal does NOT show a 98% or better reduction in worm eggs) and once it stops meeting that standard, change wormers. this is the best current thinking on how to reduce resistance.
the other thing you should be doing is making sure you give a maximum wormer dose for the animal by weight... under dosing is a major contributer to resistance as well. depending on the wormer, you may be able to generalize the weight and dose high, or you may need to be precise within 5 lbs... one of the wormers that is still working can cause neurologic problems or death if it's overdosed. most of them have a wide margin of safety.
there are environmental things you can do that help reduce reinfestation, rotational grazing is one... when you're ready for more info about that, let me know.
In CA, we never wormed more than once or twice a year... it's dry there. here in MO, folks are using the FAMACHA system and worming when it's needed... often 3 or more times a year. because it's humid where you are, that probably will be true about your little flock as well.
RE: selenium. once we're past this, talk with Dr. Sara about once-a-year shots of BoSe as a preventative measure for selenium issues. we used it in CA where the selenium is marginal... some hay producing areas are ok and others aren't... we had two choices - have the hay tested or use the BoSe.
hang in there, I know it's going to be not-enough-sleep for the next couple of weeks, but that's what it takes if you want to fight for her life. I've had to do it more than once... or let's say I chose to. many folks would have done less and let nature take it's course.
