What about body temperature? Or no difference at all? The sheep books suggest that sheep generally have normal temperatures in the range of or up to F, and that anything higher than F indicates a problem. These numbers provide a benchmark for figuring out whether Soay sheep are different. We take the temperature of every Soay lamb born live on our farm within hours after birth, well over a hundred lambs so far. We also had the opportunity last fall to record the temperatures of 33 adults, yearlings, and 6-month old weaned lambs during the vet inspections required to ship them interstate.
The results confirm that at least on our farm, the normal range of temperature for newborn Soay lambs and for older lambs and adults is not significantly different than for other varieties of sheep. For all but the data geeks, you may stop reading now.
Doing this with your flock can allow you to sometimes find hoof problems that might otherwise have stayed hidden. A working udder is one of the most important features of an ewe if you are planning to breed from them. A defective udder will reduce the effectiveness of lambs feeding off their mother, in extreme cases the lambs will starve or need manually feeding. Udders should be checked regularly to minimize any problems.
Look for swollen or lumpy udders, and oversized or swollen teats. Remove any ewes from your breeding program if problems are found. The rams testicles should be examined to see that they are well developed and normal. A good ram should have two evenly sized testicles that should move evenly within the scrotum. They should feel firm and springy and they should be free of any lumps.
They should also be free of any swelling. The skin on a healthy sheep might be hard to see due to wool. However, certain sheep afflictions can be accompanied by wool loss — such as sheep scab, scrapie, fly strike. You should ensure that the skin is clean looking and free from scabs.
If any scabs are found check the other sheep in your flock, this could mean the presence of an infection or a parasite. Wool loss can occur for a variety of reason. The only real way to determine the cause is to look for accompanying symptoms, such as:.
A healthy sheep should look clean around its bottom. A mucky backside might indicate worms or other internal parasites. If you find a sheep with a mucky backside, make sure you check the animal to see if it has been fly stuck. The presence of maggots can indicate a fly struck sheep.
To treat the animal you should trim the rear of the sheep and remove the affected wool. You should then use a chemical treatment to kill and remove the maggots — there are many available, we use Crovect on our farm. Scoring a sheep is a process of assessing a sheep to decide how thin or fat it is. To score a sheep you place your hand across its back, over its spine, and just before the last rib. A score of 0 means the sheep is very thin skin and bone , a score of 5 mean the sheep is grossly fat.
Also, make sure the sheep is relaxed and not tensed as this could cause you to determine the wrong score. Just remember that different breeds of sheep mature at different rates and they will score differently. The best way to get experience in this technique is to score sheep of the same breed and roughly the same age. Next time you are at a sheep sale or an auction, try to score a few sheep from different breeders.
Practicing this way will allow you develop a feel for this technique. Why not let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Your email address will not be published. Ears The shape of a sheep ears is depends on the breed. Horns A sheep without horns is polled, a sheep with horns is non-polled or horned. Mouth The bottom and top jaw should align correctly, the incisor teeth should meet the pad on the upper jaw.
Noise A healthy sheep should occasionally bleat to the rest of the flock. Sheep will bleat more when they: Are out of sight and sound of the rest of the herd. They have lambs.
Sheep and lambs will use bleating to communicate and locate each other. If you think predators attacked the sheep, remember that rabies is sometimes present in the saliva of predators. Sheep can be vaccinated for rabies. Consult your veterinarian if there has been a predator attack on your sheep to discuss the possibility of rabies.
Area under the tail perineum : Is the tail held upright, or is it flattened and tense? Does the perineal area look normal, or is anything extending outside the body rectal or vaginal prolapse?
Be prepared to clean and replace the organ, or to seek veterinary help. Keep the animal calm, and in a clean place till the problem is solved. Udder : Visually inspect the udders when ewes are up to the feed bunk or hay rack. Check for uniformity of shape, and color. If lop-sided or discolored udders are detected, palpate for hardness, excessive warmth and tenderness pain. Severe mastitis may require treatment and possibly veterinary attention. Scrotum : Visually inspect the scrotum of rams regularly.
Palpate for symmetry, swelling of epididymis, heat or other abnormalities. Observe each ram when he is urinating for normal posture, for the free flow of the urine, and for urine color pale to straw colored. Sounds : Train yourself to get used to normal sounds, such as vocalizations, breathing, chewing, regurgitation of the cud, etc. Are vocalizations normal in pitch and volume? Ewes may bleat to their offspring if separated, at feeding time, during estrus and at breeding.
Take time to listen when you are with your animals. Smell : Does the barn or area have an earthy smell, or do you smell rotting flesh, diarrhea, or other bad smells? Flies can be telltale signs of diarrhea or decay. Do your eyes sting inside the barn? If so, the level of ammonia is likely too high. Make sure there is a good exchange of air for proper ventilation to avoid ammonia toxicity.
Individual animals may give off unusual or bad odors with conditions such as diarrhea, ketosis, tooth or other abscesses, or footrot. Get used to the normal smells of your healthy animals. Loss of hair or wool : Are there patches of missing hair or wool? Are some animals spending much of their time rubbing themselves? Inspect the animal for keds wingless flies , lice, mites, maggots or other external parasites. Hair or wool loss can signify external parasites, trauma, stress or a recent fever.
Persistent unexplained rubbing may also be a sign of scrapie, a rare but fatal disease that attacks the nervous system. Be observant for tufts of wool or hair on the ground or hanging on fencing, feeders, walls, gates or passageways, etc. Remember that some hair sheep breeds or hair sheep breed crosses naturally shed their hair.
Some breeds, such as Icelandic sheep, seasonally shed their fleeces in the spring. Flocking behavior: Does the animal mix with others or does it stay by itself?
Animals typically want to be together as a group. This instinct is a method of protection from predators. Separation of animals should elicit some distress vocalization. Breathing : Does the animal have a normal breathing rate? Does rattling occur when the animal breathes? Learn to use a stethoscope to monitor breathing and heart rates, as well as checking for dullness or rattles in the chest.
Is an animal coughing or wheezing? Try to determine the cause of coughing or wheezing: are you feeding dusty hay? Is there adequate ventilation? Any new animals added to the flock recently? Persistent unexplained coughing, especially in lambs, may be an early sign of infectious pneumonia. General behavior : Is the animal acting like the rest of the individuals in the group?
Is one animal dull and unresponsive, or abnormally anxious? Abnormal behavior might include cribbing, circling, head pressing, grinding of teeth, etc. Conclusion: As a producer of sheep or goats, you will use nearly all of your senses in detecting disease or injury in your livestock. Your skills will likely increase with time and experience. A notebook or diary can prove to be a useful tool in keeping track of abnormalities as well as for recording preventative measures like vaccinations and drenching in your flock or herd.
Know your limits: there is usually a point when you need expert advice and help.
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