CARE OF YOUNG STOCK
Purpose : Young lambs and kids should be taken care of to the maximum extent during the early period of life. Efforts should be made to have maximum care for optimum growth during early period of life of lamb. This will ensure better survival and future growth.
1. Ensure proper suckling of the lambs. Examine udders for blindness of teats or mastitis.
2. Take care of indifferent mothers and arrange suckling of lambs by restraining such types of ewes.
3. Provide creep feed (good quality hay with or without concentrate mixture) to suckling lambs in addition to suckling of milk from tenth day to weaning age.
4. If possible, make available green leguminous fodder or fresh tree leaves to lambs to nibble during suckling period.
5. Perform 'lamb marking' operation (comprising ear tagging/tattooing, tail docking and castration of male lambs) at the age of 2-4 weeks.
6. Weaning should preferably be done at 90 days, although in breeds with low milk production or where re-breeding is desired, it can be done around 60 days.
7. Supplementary feeding and good clean pastures must be provided.
8. Weaned lambs should be drenched against gastro-intestinal parasites by the first month, and vaccinated against enterotoxaemia and sheep pox.
9. Weaners should not be grazed on poor, burry and thorny types of pasture since it could cause skin irritation, injury to the eyes and damage to the wool.
10. They should be protected against predation and the vagaries of climate.
Castration : Surplus males are castrated to check indiscriminate mating, to make the males more docile and to make mutton of superior quality. However, in India, the market demand most often favours the intact male. Castration is usually done by using a castrating knife, Burdizzo castrator/emasculatome or elastrator.
1. Burdizzo/emasculatome method
§ Secure the lamb and place it on its rumps with tail placed along the floor.
§ Manipulate the testes and slightly pull out the scrotum.
§ Hold the spermatic cords tightly on both sides making sure that it does not slip.
§ Apply tincture iodine at the site.
§ Place the jaws of the emasculatome over the spermatic cords and press the handles completely; hold for a few moments before releasing.
§ Repeat the process about 1 cm below the first crush.
§ Apply additional antiseptic and watch the animal for infection for a few days.
§ Precautions : The emasculatome must be clean and disinfected, and its jaws must be clean and smooth. The testes must be protected from injury. The scrotal skin folds must not be crushed.
2. Elastrator method
§ As this method is bloodless and painless, it is the most preferred.
§ Secure the lamb and make it lie down on one side.
§ Place the rubber ring with the help of the elastrator over the spermatic cord, a little above the testes.
§ The constant pressure shuts off the blood supply to the testes and causes testicular atrophy and sloughing off in about 2-3 weeks.
3. Incision method
§ Secure the lamb on a clean floor and make it lie down on one side.
§ Disinfect the surgical site and make an incision on the lower side of the scrotum with a sharp knife.
§ Remove the testes and as much of the spermatic cord as possible.
§ Disinfect thoroughly and take adequate post-operative care.
Docking : Docking or removal of the tail is not common in India. That part of the tail remaining on the body is referred to as the dock. This process is necessary in most sheep breeds for the following reasons:-
a) To improve sanitary conditions, since the long wool on the tail will become saturated with feces and urine and become a target for fly strikes or screwworm infestation.
b) To increase productivity in ewes, in which the tail may interfere with breeding and lambing.
c) To improve the appearance of sheep for exhibition in the show ring.
d) To increase the value of market lambs.
For best results, lambs should be docked before they are 2 weeks of age. Docking is accomplished by severing the tail, preferably between the vertebrae. The tail should be removed at the end of the caudal folds on the underside of the tail, one inch from the body. Docking can be done in a number of different ways viz. a sharp pocket knife, an emasculator, emasculatome (Burdizzo), elastrator (rubber rings), hot docking irons and "All-in-one" pliers and pruning shears.
1. Elastrator method
2. Surgical method
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Disclaimer : The information on this site is meant as an aid to students and fellow veterinarians and should be used for educational purposes only. The views expressed are solely that of the author and should not be construed to be that of his employer or any other organization.