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CARE AND STRUCTURES

Keep them dry

 Goats and sheep are experts at making do with the land. But there are a few things you should do to provide them protection and help you manage your herd. You should have some overhead cover like a shed or barn where they can shield themselves from extreme weather. This doesn't need to be anything elaborate. Even if it is plywood leaned against a fence or other structure, Sheep and Goat just need a way to stay dry and out of direct northern wind during the colder months.  

round up

Catch Pen

 You will need a way to round up your animals for any treatment or to load for delivery and sale. A catch pen is important. Ideally it should be big enough to hold your entire herd. The important element is that it have a narrow runway where you can single out individuals from the herd easily. Here is an  example of what a layout might include..   


 his in place at the time your livestock is delivered so that you can let them get acquainted with your land. Also, if you have a donkey or other protective animal delivered this can provide an opportunity for them to bond and for you to make sure they will all interact well together.  

Health Care

Parasites and Deworming

 We work to ensure that our sheep and goats are as worm resistant as possible. We rarely need to treat them for worms and parasites. Through painstaking culling and attention to their browsing and grazing conditions we maintain the health of our animals as naturally as possible. It is always possible for them to obtain worms from other stock or through other sources. You should watch their weight and if you notice a significant decrease in weight, it is possible they have an unhealthy load of worms or parasites. If their faces swell, especially under the jaw, you need to de-worm as soon as you can. This indicates they are getting overloaded with parasites. Give the proper dosage, or in most cases a higher dosage than recommended, to ensure that the medicine is effective. But consult with the documentation on the dewormer that you purchase.


 Watch them closely for the next 7 to 10 days and if their condition does not improve re-treat them, and potentially switch to a different de-wormer. You can also use a medicated feed exclusively for their feedings on occasion to help them maintain their health.  Whenever you deworm or give any animal medication, remember that you should not Slaughter or sell the animal at Auction for at least 30 days.  

FEEDING

Supplementing feed

 There are many different opinions, and you should consider what you are wanting to do with your stock. But I think they are best surviving primarily on the land. In the winter when they are struggling for food, you can put out some hay that they always have access to. If you can, get "Hay Grazer" instead of coastal, they will eat it better and waste less. A square bale per week is probably enough in the deep winter months (for a herd of fewer than 10). Just watch your land and make sure they have things to eat. You can give them some Alfalfa, but not too much. For a treat, use Corn. It won't hurt them, they love it, and its relatively cheap. You'd have to give them a whole lot of it to hurt them. You can feed grain, sweet feed, or All Stock. But just not too much. The key with feeding, is never too much. If your goats get fat, they are less healthy. Keep them growing but healthy looking. In the winter months it is best to give them some extra fat. You may want to give them twice as much corn in the winter as you do in the Spring and Summer.  

WATER

Fresh Water

 Water Sheep and Goats need access to fresh water at all times. During the summer months they will need and consume a large amount of water. If you can, it is good to clean water troughs once every 90 days, or treat the water to reduce the amount of bacteria and algae. Do not use copper sulfate in your trough if your herd contains Sheep. If you can, put the trough in a shaded area, or install a overhead cover. This will greatly reduce the amount of algae in the water and reduce the amount of cleaning required. The water trough can be any size as long as the smallest kid or lamb can reach the water. If the trough is over 1' tall, make sure to provide a way for them to climb out of the water trough. They may fall in from time to time. The float valve should be metal instead of plastic if it will sit directly in the sun light. Fiberglass troughs are durable and less likely to leak. Use 1 “ polypipe instead of a water hose if the hose needs to be exposed to direct sunlight or you are concerned about anything damaging the water line.  

MINERAL

Health Supplementing

 You should put out a mineral, either loose or in a block. The advantage to loose mineral is that they will consume more of it and get the mineral faster, the disadvantage is that it is a lot more work for you as you will need to monitor it every few days because what gets wet or dirty they won't eat. I use a mineral by Ragland (http://www.raglandmills.com/products/sheep#mine), because that is what my feed store carries. But just ask your feed store what they carry. When you have mineral out, don't put out a salt block or anything, that they will pick it instead. The advantage to the block is that you can better ensure that your entire heard can get to it, and it is less work for you. However, they won't get as much mineral from it as with the loose mineral, so keep track of how much they are consuming. If you have a mixed herd of Sheep and Goats, always ask for a mineral for Sheep to ensure you don't get a mineral with a high amount of Copper. Mineral is also very important in the winter and very early spring months. When forage has less nutrients your livestock can graze dead grass and leaves safely getting their nutrients from the supplement.  

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