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Ensuring a Healthy Flock and Management System
The health and safety of our flock is one of the most important values for our company. To do so, we look to employ proper biosecurity measures and also prevent various infections and diseases that could be transmitted to the flock. Some of the various management practices we employ include:
Keeping hay and grain off the ground and in feeders
Keeping water high enough so animals can't defecate in it
Feeding high protein diets for dry animals to strengthen immune systems
Separate lambs in groups with no more than 2 weeks differences between youngest and oldest
Keep pens clean and dry
Keep water troughs clean
We utilize a de-icer and automatic watering system to provide our sheep with constant access to water throughout the cold winters.
FAMACHA score animals every 3-6 weeks to determine anemia
Conduct BCS and check to make sure the animal's coats are shiny
Check animals for bottlejaw and diarrhea
Culling animals that present with consistently high egg counts and animals who require deworming 2 or more times a year
If not culled, they are not bred to prevent passing down highly susceptible parasitic genes to future generations
We utilize a pasture rotation system to allow our pastures to regrow
Soil and Nematode analysis
Trimming hooves as needed
Our company actively vaccinates ewes and lambs to prevent infections
CD&T
Vibrio and Chlamydiaia
Enterotoxemia
While some farms choose to dock tails, the breed standards state that Katahdins don't need to dock tails
We determined that castration is only deemed necessary if our ram lambs are marketed before they reach puberty or if they are capable of being reared separately from female lambs.
New Animals
Before entering the farm, all new animals have biosecurity testing conducted with negative results confirmed along with a veterinary examination. When bringing in new animals, we make sure to quarantine all new animals for 30 days on a dry lot/quarantine pen. Utilizing a dry lot not only allows to host animals who are currently undergoing deworming treatment, but it also helps ensure that new animals aren't spreading any parasites or infections to the rest of the flock. While we selectively choose sheep to deworm that are currently in our flock based on FAMACHA readings, we deworm all new animals with a dewormer from two different classes as a safety precaution at twice the normal dose, except for levamisole. We also perform fecal checks before allowing new animals to join the main herd to help prevent and mitigate against possible egg shedding. Finally, new animals have their hooves dipped in a zinc sulfate solution and trimmed if necessary.
Deworming Protocol
When deworming, we opt to use oral dewormers as subcutaneous injections can cause resistance to occur more quickly. To ensure that the full dose is delivered to the rumen, we use a drenching technique over the back of the tongue. Since resistance is a big concern, adult animals that have a FAMACHA score of 4 or 5 are dewormed while lambs are dewormed if they have a 3-5 FAMACHA score. Animals who present with poor body conditions, are moving slowly, have dull hair coats, diarrhea, or bottle jaw are dewormed regardless of their FAMACHA. It is important to note that we do not deworm all animals in the herd at one time, and instead leave some untreated animals with parasites susceptible to deworming to help dilute the genes of resistant worms. When animals have been dewormed, they are placed on a dry lot and fed hay to help pastures regrow and reduce infective larvae. Finally, every 2-3 years, we make sure to conduct fecal egg count reduction tests to ensure the current dewormer we use works.
Tagging our Sheep
To ensure effective identification of a lamb's birth year, sex, and flock ID from a distance, we employ a two-tag system. For personal record keeping, we use a color flock EID in one ear to denote the sex, while the opposite ear receives the scrapie tag. For our company, we designated the right ear for females and the left ear for males. Tags are placed approximately 1/3 of the distance from the head on the softer middle part of the ear, secured with pliers, and dipped in a disinfectant solution. State laws dictate that lambs must be tagged within 9 months of birth (or within 6 months if housed overnight or before they leave the holding area). We have chosen to tag our lambs 3 weeks after birth with their flock ID tag and scrapie tag approximately two weeks later. We allow a break between tagging sessions to help minimize stress on the flock. While lambs destined for slaughter don't technically need a tag, the flock ID tag is a valuable tool for personal record keeping.
Set up for Health Management
Set up for Health Management
Within the barn, there is a section reserved for management. There you will find our Marweld system, including a digital scale with a head gate and a working chute and crowing tube. This facilitates the procedures of the health management practices described above.
Working Chute and crowding Tub
Helps to efficiently crowed the sheep, reducing their stress, to facilitate the usage of other management equipment.
Digital Scale with Head Gate
Allows for weighing and processing of the sheep
Spin trim Chut
Facilitates the process of deworming, vaccination, and tagging as it has a. self cathing head gate and is adjustable to the size of eahc sheep
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