CaseysTunis.com

Written by: Elliza Casey

The sheep is an incredibly interesting animal. From its’ wool to its’ desired meat, the sheep has many efficient uses in the world today. Many individuals see the sheep as the cute hopping lamb that is a simple animal, but although many people are ignorant of this fact, a sheep is an intricate woven web of medical genius.   To raise sheep it takes patience, money, and an abundance of time. A shepherd must be dedicated to give these animals the care they must have to live; worming, vaccinations, lamb and foot care, and proper wool management are only a few of the many farm duties that must be concluded for a sheep to lead a healthy and happy life.
            The most common and well known disease in the domestic sheep is the intestinal worm. Although it is most commonly found in young lambs, the intestinal worm can create a life threatening hindrance in any flock. The most common worm found in the sheep intestine is the barber pole worm (the stomach worm); the stomach worm attaches itself to the lining of the sheep’s stomach, sucking blood, and causing anemia (Sheep 101 Worms).   One way to tell if a sheep is anemic is to check the animal’s membrane color; one must routinely check and see if the sheep’s mucus membranes in its’ eye are red and full of veins. If the sheep’s eye appears pale or lacking veins, the sheep most likely is infested with worms.
  Although sheep, like most animals, naturally have some parasites in their intestines it is lethal to let them get out of hand. If a sheep is left for an extensive amount of time infested with worms, it will develop bottle jaw (Sheep 101 Worms).   Bottle jaw is the collection of fluid under the chin, it eventually becomes bulbous and noticeable, but when infestation reaches this point it is difficult for a sheep to have a fighting chance.   To control and prevent a plague of worms a shepherd must worm his or her sheep every few months, and move the sheep from pasture to pasture to prevent the sheep from ingesting worm eggs from feces (Sheep 101 Worms). Once the worm challenge conundrum is eliminated, it is possible to have a lifelong productive flock.
            To have a healthy and happy flock, a shepherd must vaccinate his or her sheep every year; vaccines are one of the the only ways to insure that the flock will not become contaminated with diseases. One of the most important vaccines that sheep should receive is the CD-T Vaccine. CD-T provides three-way protection against 2 different types of enterotoxemia (overeating disease caused by types C and D of Clostridium perfringins), and tetanus (lockjaw) caused by Clostridium tetani (Schnoenian Vaccines).   CD-T is the most common vaccine given to the sheep; without its’ assistance having a flock of sheep may be incredibly difficult. Like many grazing animals sheep tend to eat continuously, but due to their sensitive digestive tract it can cause many problems. The bacterium that causes the overeating disease, Clostridium perfringins, is normally found in small increments in the digestive tract, but when overloaded with starches and sugars it reproduces at a deadly rate (Schnoenian Vaccines). The excessive growth causes the bacteria to create fatal amounts of toxin that are absorbed into the blood stream, commonly resulting in death.
            Tetanus, or lock jaw, is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. This disease’s most common symptoms are stiff muscles and joints, difficulty in walking, difficulty in eating, and excitability. These early symptoms are similar to those of white muscle disease, polyarthritis, and erysipelas (Sheep production). Few lambs tend to recover fully from this disease, and many do not live at all. With proper vaccinations a flock will never have to face these monstrous diseases. A true shepherd will always be sure that their sheep are in excellent condition and always prepared to take on diseases presented to them.
            Caring for a lamb can be an incredibly difficult task; one must go through a series of steps to ensure lamb growth and stability. The miraculous birth of a lamb is a fantastic event if everything goes correctly, but there are numerous problems that can make a simple typical birth turn into a disaster. If a pregnant ewe is in labor for more than four hours without progress, something is wrong (Florence). When a lamb is born it comes out head and front feet first, but it possible that complications can arise. Normally if a ewe is struggling, the lamb is turned wrong in the birth canal; if the lamb is in the wrong direction, the shepherd will have to assist in the birthing process by turning the lamb the correct way and pull (Florence).
            The lambing process is not over once the lamb is out of its’ mother. The shepherd must then clip and sanitize the umbilical cord, keep the lamb warm, and make sure the lamb is nursing (Florence). After birth the lamb is completely wet; if born in the early months of the year, this can be a problem due to hypothermia. If the lamb appears chilled or cold, they may have to be warmed using a hair dryer or a heat lamp. In severe cases, the shepherd may have to raise the lamb’s dextrose level by giving it a sub-Q (under the skin) injection to revive the lamb. (Florence). Once the lamb is awake and stumbling around, it is time for it to eat for the first time. The lamb has a natural instinct to find a nipple, but they may be looking in the wrong place. It is up to the shepherd to assist the lamb in the quest of the nipple and point it in the right direction. Once the lamb is sucking steadily, let them drink as much as they want. The lamb needs to gain as much strength as possible to grow and flourish.
  When the lamb is born, the umbilical cord is severed from the mother. Although it is not attached to the mother, the umbilical cord is long and may drag the ground (Florence). It is the job of the shepherd to cut the umbilical cord to a shorter length and soak it in iodine to dry it up and prevent infection; after a few days, the umbilical cord will dry up and fall off painlessly.
As the lambs grow older their tails must be clipped and certain males must be castrated. There are many different methods in castration and tail docking, and each method just depends on the farm preference. Some of the many methods include, but are not limited to, banding, emasculating, and electric docking (Schoedian dockcast). Banding is considered to be the bloodless way to get rid of a bodily extremity. The shepherd simply attaches a rubber band at the base if the tail and or testicles to cut the circulation off. The extremity eventually looses all access to blood, and the tail and or testicles rot off. The second method used in the sheep world is using the emasculator. The emasculator uses the crush and cut method; it crushes the blood vessels to stop bleeding while chopping the unwanted body part off of the animal (Schoedian dockcast) . The third most common technique of castration and tail docking is the electric docking method. The electric docking method uses the cut and burn process to quickly sever the unwanted part and cauterize the vessels (using electricity) to stop the bleeding (Schoedian dockcast). How each farm chooses to handle their lambs is all based on preference; each of these methods has been classified humane and almost painless.
            Foot care and wool management are two of the most important tasks that must be completed to ensure proactive productivity in a flock. If ignored, they can hinder a flock’s health and cause multiple problems that maybe cannot be repealed (Sheep101 shearing).   A sheep’s wool is a miraculous fiber, but left untrimmed it can affect a sheep’s health drastically. A sheep’s wool grows without stop. If a sheep is left unattended, wool can keep growing until the sheep is uncomfortable and overheated. Eventually the wool will grow so incredibly matted that it will be nearly impossible to trim (Sheep 101 shearing).
            Although they may often be over looked, a sheep’s feet are incredibly important to their way of life; if not properly managed, the hoof can open the door to many horrific diseases and problems. Sheep must have their hooves properly inspected and trimmed to prevent any diseases from getting out of hand (Sheep 201). How often a shepherd should trim feet depends on their geographical location. If a flock is located in an extremely rocky and dry area, they will have to trim feet less than a shepherd in a wet soft-grounded area. If hooves go untreated, they can develop numerous diseases; the most common is foot rot. Foot rot is a devestating disease in the sheep industry; it is caused by bacteria getting trapped within the foot due to low sanitation (Sheep 201). The bacterium is transferred from sheep to sheep until all are infected.   With proper and routine foot care, diseases such as foot rot can be prevented and treated before they spread, thus saving countless lives.
Although many are ignorant of this fact, sheep are high maintenance. They require hours of care and patience, but it can be worth the time if done correctly. Without proper treatment and care, the sheep can become ill, wounded, or dead in a short period of time. A shepherd must be dedicated to give these animals the care they must have to live; worming, vaccinations, lamb and foot care, and proper wool management are only a few of the many farm duties that must be concluded for a sheep to lead a healthy and happy life. If done correctly, these tasks can create a productive and lucrative flock for any shepherd.

Works Cited

Florence, Ronald. "Lambing FAQ." Sheep's creek. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sheepscreek.com/

Schoenian, Susan. "The welfare of docking and castrating lambs." Maryland Small Ruminant Page (www.sheepandgoat.com). The University of Maryland, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/welfaredockcast.html>.

Schnoenian, Susan. "Vaccinations for Sheep and Goats." Maryland Small Ruminant Page (www.sheepandgoat.com). University of Maryland, 23 Dec. 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/flockvaccinations.html>.

"Sheep 101: Shearing." Sheep 101 Home Page. N.p., 27 Jan. 2010. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sheep101.info/shearing.

"Sheep 101 - Sheep Diseases: Worms." Sheep 101 Home Page. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sheep101.info/sheepdiseases.html>.



	Written by: Elliza Casey The sheep is an incredibly interesting animal. From its’ wool to its’ desired meat, the sheep has many efficient uses in the world today. Many individuals see the sheep as the cute hopping lamb that is a simple animal, but although many people are ignorant of this fact, a sheep is an intricate woven web of medical genius. To raise sheep it takes patience, money, and an abundance of time. A shepherd must be dedicated to give these animals the care they must have to live; worming, vaccinations, lamb and foot care, and proper wool management are only a few of the many farm duties that must be concluded for a sheep to lead a healthy and happy life. The most common and well known disease in the domestic sheep is the intestinal worm. Although it is most commonly found in young lambs, the intestinal worm can create a life threatening hindrance in any flock. The most common worm found in the sheep intestine is the barber pole worm (the stomach worm); the stomach worm attaches itself to the lining of the sheep’s stomach, sucking blood, and causing anemia (Sheep 101 Worms). One way to tell if a sheep is anemic is to check the animal’s membrane color; one must routinely check and see if the sheep’s mucus membranes in its’ eye are red and full of veins. If the sheep’s eye appears pale or lacking veins, the sheep most likely is infested with worms. Although sheep, like most animals, naturally have some parasites in their intestines it is lethal to let them get out of hand. If a sheep is left for an extensive amount of time infested with worms, it will develop bottle jaw (Sheep 101 Worms). Bottle jaw is the collection of fluid under the chin, it eventually becomes bulbous and noticeable, but when infestation reaches this point it is difficult for a sheep to have a fighting chance. To control and prevent a plague of worms a shepherd must worm his or her sheep every few months, and move the sheep from pasture to pasture to prevent the sheep from ingesting worm eggs from feces (Sheep 101 Worms). Once the worm challenge conundrum is eliminated, it is possible to have a lifelong productive flock. To have a healthy and happy flock, a shepherd must vaccinate his or her sheep every year; vaccines are one of the the only ways to insure that the flock will not become contaminated with diseases. One of the most important vaccines that sheep should receive is the CD-T Vaccine. CD-T provides three-way protection against 2 different types of enterotoxemia (overeating disease caused by types C and D of Clostridium perfringins), and tetanus (lockjaw) caused by Clostridium tetani (Schnoenian Vaccines). CD-T is the most common vaccine given to the sheep; without its’ assistance having a flock of sheep may be incredibly difficult. Like many grazing animals sheep tend to eat continuously, but due to their sensitive digestive tract it can cause many problems. The bacterium that causes the overeating disease, Clostridium perfringins, is normally found in small increments in the digestive tract, but when overloaded with starches and sugars it reproduces at a deadly rate (Schnoenian Vaccines). The excessive growth causes the bacteria to create fatal amounts of toxin that are absorbed into the blood stream, commonly resulting in death. Tetanus, or lock jaw, is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. This disease’s most common symptoms are stiff muscles and joints, difficulty in walking, difficulty in eating, and excitability. These early symptoms are similar to those of white muscle disease, polyarthritis, and erysipelas (Sheep production). Few lambs tend to recover fully from this disease, and many do not live at all. With proper vaccinations a flock will never have to face these monstrous diseases. A true shepherd will always be sure that their sheep are in excellent condition and always prepared to take on diseases presented to them. Caring for a lamb can be an incredibly difficult task; one must go through a series of steps to ensure lamb growth and stability. The miraculous birth of a lamb is a fantastic event if everything goes correctly, but there are numerous problems that can make a simple typical birth turn into a disaster. If a pregnant ewe is in labor for more than four hours without progress, something is wrong (Florence). When a lamb is born it comes out head and front feet first, but it possible that complications can arise. Normally if a ewe is struggling, the lamb is turned wrong in the birth canal; if the lamb is in the wrong direction, the shepherd will have to assist in the birthing process by turning the lamb the correct way and pull (Florence). The lambing process is not over once the lamb is out of its’ mother. The shepherd must then clip and sanitize the umbilical cord, keep the lamb warm, and make sure the lamb is nursing (Florence). After birth the lamb is completely wet; if born in the early months of the year, this can be a problem due to hypothermia. If the lamb appears chilled or cold, they may have to be warmed using a hair dryer or a heat lamp. In severe cases, the shepherd may have to raise the lamb’s dextrose level by giving it a sub-Q (under the skin) injection to revive the lamb. (Florence). Once the lamb is awake and stumbling around, it is time for it to eat for the first time. The lamb has a natural instinct to find a nipple, but they may be looking in the wrong place. It is up to the shepherd to assist the lamb in the quest of the nipple and point it in the right direction. Once the lamb is sucking steadily, let them drink as much as they want. The lamb needs to gain as much strength as possible to grow and flourish. When the lamb is born, the umbilical cord is severed from the mother. Although it is not attached to the mother, the umbilical cord is long and may drag the ground (Florence). It is the job of the shepherd to cut the umbilical cord to a shorter length and soak it in iodine to dry it up and prevent infection; after a few days, the umbilical cord will dry up and fall off painlessly. As the lambs grow older their tails must be clipped and certain males must be castrated. There are many different methods in castration and tail docking, and each method just depends on the farm preference. Some of the many methods include, but are not limited to, banding, emasculating, and electric docking (Schoedian dockcast). Banding is considered to be the bloodless way to get rid of a bodily extremity. The shepherd simply attaches a rubber band at the base if the tail and or testicles to cut the circulation off. The extremity eventually looses all access to blood, and the tail and or testicles rot off. The second method used in the sheep world is using the emasculator. The emasculator uses the crush and cut method; it crushes the blood vessels to stop bleeding while chopping the unwanted body part off of the animal (Schoedian dockcast) . The third most common technique of castration and tail docking is the electric docking method. The electric docking method uses the cut and burn process to quickly sever the unwanted part and cauterize the vessels (using electricity) to stop the bleeding (Schoedian dockcast). How each farm chooses to handle their lambs is all based on preference; each of these methods has been classified humane and almost painless. Foot care and wool management are two of the most important tasks that must be completed to ensure proactive productivity in a flock. If ignored, they can hinder a flock’s health and cause multiple problems that maybe cannot be repealed (Sheep101 shearing). A sheep’s wool is a miraculous fiber, but left untrimmed it can affect a sheep’s health drastically. A sheep’s wool grows without stop. If a sheep is left unattended, wool can keep growing until the sheep is uncomfortable and overheated. Eventually the wool will grow so incredibly matted that it will be nearly impossible to trim (Sheep 101 shearing). Although they may often be over looked, a sheep’s feet are incredibly important to their way of life; if not properly managed, the hoof can open the door to many horrific diseases and problems. Sheep must have their hooves properly inspected and trimmed to prevent any diseases from getting out of hand (Sheep 201). How often a shepherd should trim feet depends on their geographical location. If a flock is located in an extremely rocky and dry area, they will have to trim feet less than a shepherd in a wet soft-grounded area. If hooves go untreated, they can develop numerous diseases; the most common is foot rot. Foot rot is a devestating disease in the sheep industry; it is caused by bacteria getting trapped within the foot due to low sanitation (Sheep 201). The bacterium is transferred from sheep to sheep until all are infected. With proper and routine foot care, diseases such as foot rot can be prevented and treated before they spread, thus saving countless lives. Although many are ignorant of this fact, sheep are high maintenance. They require hours of care and patience, but it can be worth the time if done correctly. Without proper treatment and care, the sheep can become ill, wounded, or dead in a short period of time. A shepherd must be dedicated to give these animals the care they must have to live; worming, vaccinations, lamb and foot care, and proper wool management are only a few of the many farm duties that must be concluded for a sheep to lead a healthy and happy life. If done correctly, these tasks can create a productive and lucrative flock for any shepherd. Works Cited Florence, Ronald. "Lambing FAQ." Sheep's creek. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sheepscreek.com/ Schoenian, Susan. "The welfare of docking and castrating lambs." Maryland Small Ruminant Page (www.sheepandgoat.com). The University of Maryland, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/welfaredockcast.html>. Schnoenian, Susan. "Vaccinations for Sheep and Goats." Maryland Small Ruminant Page (www.sheepandgoat.com). University of Maryland, 23 Dec. 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/flockvaccinations.html>. "Sheep 101: Shearing." Sheep 101 Home Page. N.p., 27 Jan. 2010. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sheep101.info/shearing. "Sheep 101 - Sheep Diseases: Worms." Sheep 101 Home Page. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. <http://www.sheep101.info/sheepdiseases.html>.

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