Small Ruminants Flashcards
Sheep and goat endoparasites - clinical signs and treatment/control
Coccidia:
Clinical signs - scour, straining in lambs, poor lamb growth rate
Treatment/control - anticoccidials, avoid mixing lambs of different ages
Nematodes:
Clinical signs - diarrhoea, reduced growth rates
Treatment/control - wormers
Fluke:
Clinical signs - reduced lambing percentages, reduced growth rates and sudden death
Treatment/control - avoid grazing where mud snails are, use flukicides, quarantine and treat incoming animals
sheep and goat ectoparasites - clinical signs and treatment/control
Mites:
Clinical signs - scratching, weight loss and fleece loss
Treatment/control - endectocides, sheep dip
Chewing lice:
Clinical signs - scratching, weight loss, fleece loss
Treatment/control - ectoparasiticides, shearing
Blowfly strike:
Clinical signs - flies attracted to soiled fleece and lay eggs, larvae lacerate + liquify skin and attracts more flies -> severe wounds, infections, maggot infestation
Treatment/control - fly control, remove fleece around back end, protect wounds with fly repellent
Ticks:
Clinical signs - anaemia, weakness
Treatment/control - ectoparasiticides
Lifecycle of typical sheep nematode (worm)
3rd stage larvae eaten by sheep on grass
Ingested larva develop into egg laying adults (16-21 days)
Adult worms lay eggs which are passed out in faeces
Eggs develop into 1st and 2nd stage larvae
Causes of lameness - clinical signs and control measures
Scald:
Clinical signs - inflammation between digits
Control measures - dry environment, topical antibiotics/footbath
Footrot:
Clinical signs - under running of hoof horn
Control measures - topical and systemic antibodies, quarantine new stock, isolate affected sheep, vaccinate, cull repeatedly lame sheep
Contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD):
Clinical signs - lesion starts at coronary band
Control measures - antibiotics, quarantine new stock, isolate affected sheep, cull repeatedly lame sheep
Conditions causing abortion in sheep and goats
Toxoplasma
who’s the best gf
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When should you intervene with lambing
Ewe trying to lamb for >1hr with no delivery
No progress once lamb visible at vulva for 20 mins
Frequent powerful contractions but no progress
Ewe started to lamb then stopped
Lambs head visible but no limbs
Foetal head and only 1 limb visible
Only tail visible
Large and swollen lamb at vulva
Parts of 2 lambs visible
Brown/smelly discharge
Vaginal prolapse
Consequences of dystocia for the lamb and ewe
Lamb:
- increased mortality rate
- higher incidence of neonatal infections
- slower weight gain
- increased costs of care/medication
Ewe:
- reduced colostrum/milk
- poor mothering behaviour
- higher costs of care/medication
- potentially reduced future fertility
Ill health in lambs - causes and treatment
Hypothermia and hypoglycaemia:
Lambs >5 hrs old no longer have brown adipose tissue
Treatment:
- intraperitoneal glucose injection
- dry lamb and place in warming box
- stomach tubing
Watery Mouth:
affects lambs 12-36 hours old, caused by E.coli
Treatment:
-antibiotics
- antiinflammatory drugs
Prevention:
- good hygiene
- adequate colostrum
Joint Ill:
hot, swollen and painful joints
Caused by bacteria
Prevention:
- good hygiene
- adequate colostrum
Entropian:
lower eyelid rolls in and rubs against eye -> runny eyes and cloudy cornea
Treatment:
- penicillin injection
- clips to eyelid
Common lamb procedures
Castration:
- prevents inbreeding
- influences carcass composition and growth
- if lambs intended to slaughter at young age there is no need for castration
Tail Docking:
- reduced faecal contamination in the tail reducing risk of fly strike
- if fly strike is not a problem in area, no need to tail dock
Sheep body weight
Longwool crossing (e.g. border leicester):
- ewe: 90-120kg
- ram: 140-175kg
Terminal Meat (e.g. Suffolk):
- ewe: 80-110kg
- ram: 110-160kg
Hill (e.g. Dalesbred):
- ewe: 45-60kg
- ram: 55-70kg
Goat Body Weight
Adult dairy:
- female: 55-105kg
- male: 75-120kg
Adult angora:
- female: 33-55kg
- male: 50-70kg
Adult pygmy:
- female: 22-27kg
- male: 28-32kg
Deer Weight and Height
Red:
Adult Weight:
- male: 90-190kg
- female: 63-120kg
Adult height at withers:
- male: 107-137cm
- female: 107-122cm
Fallow:
Adult Weight:
- male: 46-93kg
- female: 35-56kg
Adult height at withers:
- male: 84-94cm
- female: 73-91cm
Roe:
Adult Weight: 15-35kg
Adult height at withers: 65-75cm
Llama weight and height
Adult weight: 113-250kg
Adult height at withers: 102-119cm
Alpaca weight and height
Adult weight: 55-90kg
Adult height at withers: 76-96cm
Camelid differences to other small ruminants
Apex of the incisors remains open
3 compartment stomach
Adapted to poor quality pasture
Adapted to low oxygen availability
Goat behaviour
Herd/flock animals
Goats seek shelter more readily
Goats are active, inquisitive, curious + independent
Goats head up
Goats are browsers (leaves, twigs, vines, browse top of plants)
Easily bored - require regular stimulation
Suffer from separation anxiety
Can develop close affinity with owner
Will stand on fences, gates etc
Hiding places important
Sheep Behaviour
Sheep flock and stay put
Sheep are more distant
Sheep heads down
Sheep are grazers (grasses, clovers, weeds, graze close to ground)
Hefting in Hill sheep (regular self restricted area)
When disturbed:
- alert others with head high, jerky steps and snorting
- move uphill towards horizon
- panic and scatter if chased
Lowland ewes quickly recognise sound of feed bag or vehicle and gather
Graze for 10 hours a day
Sleep together in shade or on high ground if cold
Aggression seen in ewes with lambs and some tups
Age-dominance in tups
Lambs form play groups at month old
Camelid behaviour
Flock/herd animals
Protective - used as guard animals for sheep flocks
Llama - grazer and browser
Alpaca - grazers
