The management techniques
September to January — to prevent sheep scab and again in the summer to prevent fly-strike. Special care should be taken with very young lambs and stress should be minimised. Safety precautions by and for the farmer should also be implemented including protective clothing to protect against the chemicals used in dips which may irritate the skin and cause long-term health problems if inhaled. In recent years, ‘pour-ons’ are used on farms as an alternative to dipping — the product is simply poured over the back and hind-quarters of the animal. Mobile sheep dippers are now available around the country for farmers who may not have a licence to dip or dispose of used dip. issues have been documented in relation to same. The only effective measure of treating an animal with foot rot is an appropriate antibiotic against the causative bacterium Campylobactor. However as the organism cannot survive at a high pH, liming the land around areas such as feeding troughs, gateways etc, may help contain the spread of the disease. The raddle is a piece of equipment used by the farmer to identify which ewes have been served and it enables the farmer to estimate the lambing date and to identify repeat ewes. Raddle markings will also indicate if the rams are fit and fertile. Different options are available including harnesses and crayons. It is important that the harness is fitted correctly otherwise it may interfere with the mating process in addition to causing discomfort and irritation. Marking fluid may be used to mark the ram’s chest as an alternative to the raddle. The fluid will be rubbed onto
the ewe during service.
Once lambs start eating grass (approximately five weeks of age), they will come in contact with different parasites. Dosing is carried out to treat internal parasites such as roundworms and tapeworms. The roundworms are of more concern to the farmer as they affect performance and production, and ultimately will reduce profits. Traditionally, lambs were dosed at five, 10 and 14 weeks. However, with the development of what is known as ‘anthelmintic resistance’ (resistance of the worms to chemicals in the dose) in recent years, dosing should only be carried