Re: [Blackbelly] Fall-born lambs with fat bellies
Thanks Kathleen and Nancy, I have never experienced this before either. So it was a surprise to me, and also to my friend with the fall lambs. Mary At 03:05 AM 4/5/2013, you wrote: I rotate my American Blackbelly ewes to give birth every 8 mos. so I've had lambs born at different times of the year. Since we're in Southern California, we don't get much grass growth so my sheep are on orchard grass hay or orchard/mix hay year round. I give my ewes grain (w/ a selenium supplement) the last month of their pregnancy continue til 2 mos. post lambing so both the ewes their lambs (en utero through suckling) get the benefits of grain during that time. None of my sheep, including the lambs, have ever gotten hay belly. Kathleen Wallis On Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 9:07 PM, Nancy Johnson imgr8a...@comcast.net wrote: In the horse world a hay belly is when a horse is eating too much hay and getting fat. We say they have a hay belly and they need to lose weight. It wasn't because they were getting poor quality hay. At the moment, my little mule has a little bit of a hay belly. He eats pretty fast and can put away a lot before it runs out. My sheep and lambs get a combination of hay and feed. I give them pretty much as much hay as they can eat and supplement with feed. None of my sheep have fat bellies. Nancy On Apr 4, 2013, at 5:21 PM, Mary Swindell wrote: Someone asked me if they should be worried that their November lambs have fat bellies. These lambs are healthy otherwise, and are not carrying a worm load, coccidiosis, or any other known problem. I had a similar experience this fall and winter with my adult ewes which had fat bellies. They were not pregnant at the time, just fat in the tummy. My vet (who deals with cattle as well as sheep), as well as a couple of friends who raise cattle, said my ewes looked like they had hay belly. They said that in cattle, this condition results from the animals being fed a poor quality forage. They said it is not serious, it is that they fill up on the poor quality bulk trying to get enough nutrition when better forage is not available. Usually, my ewes spend the entire summer and fall eating grass in the pasture. But due to the extreme drought this past summer, they had to eat hay (big round bales of grass hay) all summer and fall. In other words, they never came off hay the entire year. They all seem fine now. They were bred in October and they lambed in March, with no apparent problems. But my friend has lambs who are exhibiting the same signs of hay belly. They were born in November, and would have been weaned in about February. So they've spent their first two months of post-weaning growth eating grass hay, rather than spring pasture, as most spring-born lambs would eat. I got to thinking: We hair sheep breeders probably have more evidence of the difference between fall-born lambs and spring-born lambs, than breeders of wooly breeds because our sheep can breed and lamb year-round. So we would be better able to compare the growth of young fall lambs (fed mostly on hay after weaning), to the growth of young spring lambs (fed mostly on grass after weaning) than most breeders of wool sheep. Which brings me to my question: Have any of you who raise both spring-born lambs and fall born lambs noticed any difference in the growth patterns of your fall lambs, such as a fat belly? Do you think this might be what the cattle people call hay belly, and might be due to being weaned onto dry hay forage rather than grass pasture? What is your opinion of this -- are there long term effects of this condition, and have you observed that these fall fat-bellied lambs grow out of the condition? Your thoughts on this matter are really appreciated! Sincerely, Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Fall-born lambs with fat bellies
Michael, That is interesting, and it does make sense, the way you state it. I hope my ewes have that svelt look from here on out, because I feel like I can tell their true body condition if they do not have a fat (gassy) look, as you indicate. Thanks for your help! Mary At 11:14 AM 4/5/2013, you wrote: I find with my blackbellies and my pigmy goats, the fatness of the belly is directly associated with the dryness of the food. Wet, green young grass = a skinnier look. Dry hay only = a very fat (gassy?) belly. To that end, I harvest dry hay at the end of the summer that I give them during the wet months. And in the dry months, they get cut green grass from the yard. But, the overpowering trend is to conform to the rule I mentioned above. -Michael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies. On Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 2:21 PM, Mary Swindell mswin...@siu.edu wrote: Someone asked me if they should be worried that their November lambs have fat bellies. These lambs are healthy otherwise, and are not carrying a worm load, coccidiosis, or any other known problem. I had a similar experience this fall and winter with my adult ewes which had fat bellies. They were not pregnant at the time, just fat in the tummy. My vet (who deals with cattle as well as sheep), as well as a couple of friends who raise cattle, said my ewes looked like they had hay belly. They said that in cattle, this condition results from the animals being fed a poor quality forage. They said it is not serious, it is that they fill up on the poor quality bulk trying to get enough nutrition when better forage is not available. Usually, my ewes spend the entire summer and fall eating grass in the pasture. But due to the extreme drought this past summer, they had to eat hay (big round bales of grass hay) all summer and fall. In other words, they never came off hay the entire year. They all seem fine now. They were bred in October and they lambed in March, with no apparent problems. But my friend has lambs who are exhibiting the same signs of hay belly. They were born in November, and would have been weaned in about February. So they've spent their first two months of post-weaning growth eating grass hay, rather than spring pasture, as most spring-born lambs would eat. I got to thinking: We hair sheep breeders probably have more evidence of the difference between fall-born lambs and spring-born lambs, than breeders of wooly breeds because our sheep can breed and lamb year-round. So we would be better able to compare the growth of young fall lambs (fed mostly on hay after weaning), to the growth of young spring lambs (fed mostly on grass after weaning) than most breeders of wool sheep. Which brings me to my question: Have any of you who raise both spring-born lambs and fall born lambs noticed any difference in the growth patterns of your fall lambs, such as a fat belly? Do you think this might be what the cattle people call hay belly, and might be due to being weaned onto dry hay forage rather than grass pasture? What is your opinion of this -- are there long term effects of this condition, and have you observed that these fall fat-bellied lambs grow out of the condition? Your thoughts on this matter are really appreciated! Sincerely, Mary Swindell __**_ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.**infohttp://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] BBSAI Book of Registry, Sixth Edition, January 2013
The Sixth Edition of the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep Association (BBSAI) Book of Registry, January 2013, has been posted to the BBSAI web site at www.blackbellysheep.org. To find the Book of Registry, just go to the About the Sheep page, then click on Book of Registry. You will see a list of the PDF files which contain the various parts of the Book of Registry. These files may also be downloaded to your own computer or printed out. The BBSAI Book of Registry is updated twice per year, in January and July. All sheep registrations entered into the BBSAI registry database from the beginning of the BBSAI association in 1996, through January 27, 2013, are included in this Sixth Edition. Sincerely, Mary Swindell Registrar, BBSAI ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Upcoming edition of the BBSAI's Book of Registry
Thanks, Donna! Within a couple of weeks, all registered AB and BB sheep (including those AB sheep that have just been registered) will show up in a new edition of the BBSAI's on-line Book of Registry, which can be viewed on the BBSAI web site at www.blackbellysheep.org, on the About the Sheep page, then click on Book of Registry. The current edition of the Book of Registry is dated July 2012. I will post an announcement to this list when we have the January 2013 edition posted. Mary Swindell Registrar, BBSAI At 07:08 PM 1/15/2013, you wrote: I for one would like to send a big THANK YOU to Mary Swindell who championed the job of registering all those last minute ABB's from procrastinating owners. I am embarrassed to say that I was one. I had taken pictures about 3 times over the years but when I started sorting them I realized that it is a hassle - most of my ewes look identical (good breed typing) and ear tags don't stay in long with my page wire fences. And also, my sheep are not friendly and don't stand still for me to read tags (fortunately the chip scanner can read on the run by). I would like to permanently tattoo my sheep but I'd have to implant a chip in the ear, an ink tattoo couldn't be read unless the animal was forcibly kept still. So, Christmas and Boxing days were spent outside in -15 Celsius taking pictures of sheep who were not being cooperative - especially #112 who seemed to be in every 2nd picture J Mary patiently dealt with my mistakes and I was happy to receive her email that the registrations are now in the mail. Thanks again Mary for a job well done. Donna-Marie Cyr Teseko Farms ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Thanks to all who registered American Blackbelly sheep
Thank you to everyone who came forward to register their American Blackbelly sheep prior to the BBSAI's December 31, 2012 deadline for registering undocumented American Blackbelly (AB) sheep. During the past month and a half leading up to the 12/31/12 deadline, we were able to register approximately 250 - 300 beautiful American Blackbelly sheep who met the BBSAI's AB Breed Standards but who did not have a registered sire and dam. These animals are now a part of the gene pool of registered AB stock. Buyers looking for purebred, registered AB sheep can go to the Breeder Directory page of the BBSAI's web site at www.blackbellysheep.org to find a breeder who raises these beautiful, exotic horned animals. Starting on January 1st, 2013, the American Blackbelly (horned) breed is now a closed registry, meaning that AB sheep must come from two registered AB parents in order to be registerable themselves. The Barbados Blackbelly (polled) breed has already been a closed registery for several years. These registries were kept open for many years to allow breeders to come forward and register their stock, as long as the animals met the AB or the BB breed standards. The BBSAI's registry of AB and BB sheep now numbers over 3,000 registered sheep. Sincerely, Mary Swindell Registrar, BBSAI ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Fwd: Website Request for Information about BBSAI
Hello breeder friends, As Registrar of the BBSAI, I answer questions from those who write in to the BBSAI web site at www.blackbellysheep.org. This week someone wrote in (below) with a question about sheep horn health, which I do not know much about. Can any of you help with advice to this person? I will keep this person's name private, but I will tell her that I have sought information from a group of knowledgeable blackbelly breeders. Thank you for any advice and suggestions you can offer. Please reply either to this listserve, or to me privately. I will forward all your responses to this person. Her question is included below. Sincerely, Mary Swindell Registrar, BBSAI To: i...@blackbellysheep.org Subject: Website Request for Information about BBSAI Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2012 09:56:16 -0800 (PST) Comment: My father has 5 blackbelly sheep. All Rams of various ages. He purchased them to keep all weeds and vegetation down for fire prevention. They used to have horses and Boer goats for that purpose on his 10 acres. Dad is getting older and the responsibility for their care has fallen upon me.I have been doing some research regarding blackbellies. I believe they have adequate food in the pasture and he has supplied them with a salt block that was reccomended as well as whole corn in the winter. My question is that recently the sheep have taken to excessively rubbing their horns on trees. They have always done this but lately it has been extreme. The base of their horns look dry with some cracking. The horns themselves look dry. Just yesterday I noticed one ram had broken off aprox 5 off the tip of his horn. I am researching as much as possible. I didnt like the breeder as these sheep were in poor shape when dad purchased them. Is this normal for rams at this time of year? We live in northern california aprox 80 from OR border. Good land with lots of natural growth. I would appreciate any help. Thank you. ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] My two cents' worth on swivel tags
Carol and everyone, I just wanted to add my two cents' worth concerning Premier's swivel tags for lambs. I have been tagging my newborn lambs with Premier's swivel tags for several years now, and I like them because they are so little and lightweight. I use yellow with black print because they are easy to read from a distance. Later, when the lambs are big, I will often replace the swivel tags with bigger tags with the same number (I use the Destron Fearing Duflex sheep and goat tags, an excellent oblong tag made of a durable rubber-like material which doesn't get brittle, and the print stays crisp and readable for a long time). I simply cut apart the little swivel tag and substitute the bigger tag using the same ear hole, so that it is painless for the grown lamb. But I do want to comment that those little Premier swivel tags come out quite often. They do not break apart, and they do not often tear the lamb's ear. Rather, one side of them simply gets caught on a fence, and since the tag is so narrow (about 3/8 wide), the whole tag simply pulls out through the ear hole, perhaps stretching the skin a little but not actually tearing the ear hole. The frustrating part is, then you have an untagged lamb. If the tag was fatter (more square, like the typical free scrapie tag), this probably would not happen. Anyway, I wanted to let everyone know that this seems to happen fairly often with the swivel tags, and I am certain it is because of their shape. Their tiny size and width is great for being lightweight, but bad for just sliding right out under pressure. Mary Swindell At 05:27 PM 10/14/2012, you wrote: As much as I don't like it, all of us are required to use scrapie tags if we move our sheep off our property. One of the things that scares new sheep people to death is the fear of inserting the tags in their sheep ears. Premier has a couple of really good videos that describe how to easily do this. Because blackbelly lamb ears are so tiny, many breeders favor using Premier's mini tag or swivel tag. Although Premier can imprint your farm's scrapie number on their tags, these tags are not free, unlike the ones that your state vet will give you. Regardless of what kind of tag you use, these videos will help teach you where and how to apply the tags. Look for the following videos at http://www.premier1supplies.com/videos/index.php : Mini Tag Instructions and Mini Applicator Swivel Tag Instructions and Swivel Applicator I wait to apply the scrapie tags until just before it is time to move the lamb off my farm or get its health certificate (which requires a scrapie tag). Most of the time, I don't need them because my sheep are slaughtered on-farm for meat, not breeding. However, I always apply a small brass tag on 2-day-old lambs and THAT tag bears the lamb's permanent number that I record in my records. Premier also sells these small brass tags and applicator at http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=53cat_id=103 They are impossible to read from any distance but they rarely fall out (unlike many of the other kinds of tags). Thus they have saved my butt many times when a sheep (who looks just like every other sheep at my farm) loses its scrapie tag and the only way to identify it is by its small brass tag. Carol ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] farming on crutches?
Carol, Peggy is right. With crutches, you must constantly have both hands engaged to hold up the crutches and walk on them. However a walker with wheels and a little basked on front is much better. You can use your hands to help advance the walker, and then just set it down. It will stand up by itself, and you can lean against it somewhat while doing stuff with both your hands. Mary Swindell At 06:01 PM 8/1/2012, you wrote: Carol, crutches can be hard on your body. Would a walker (with front wheels and a basket) be more doable? I broke my leg on the ice a year and a half ago and found that a walker was better than crutches. However, I did no outside chores during that time since Paul is retired and home all day. He does 99% of the chores anyway, I just help with stuff. I know that's not your situation but might be worth thinking about. Maybe an outdoor walker that can get muddy and a clean-wheeled indoor one. Peg Haese in hot, dry far SW Wisconsin USA PNP Katahdins and shrinking commercial wool flock (finally!) --- On Wed, 8/1/12, Carol J. Elkins wrote: I am contemplating some surgery in the next year that would require my using crutches for several months. I'd like to hear from those of you who have had to use crutches while single-handedly doing such chores as feeding and watering chickens and sheep. Since I've never experimented with crutches, I can't quite envision how I would be able to manage daily farm life or if it is even possible. Tips and tricks would be appreciated. Carol ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] farming on crutches?
Carol, You could go to a surgical supply company and ask to see their catalog. As for how to use it on uneven ground, you would pick up the walker and advance it one step. Then put your weight on it and take a step forward using it as a brace to keep weight off your bad leg. Then lift it again and place it further forward. You do not have to use the wheels at all on uneven ground. I think the back legs (which do not have wheels) will brace the walker on uneven surfaces so that the wheels do not accidently roll when you don't want them to. You may also be able to fashion spring clips along the sides of the walker frame to hold a couple of small buckets for grain or dog food, that you could clip on to these areas. Mary At 08:09 PM 8/1/2012, you wrote: Makes sense, I could definitely get the dog food out, and if the walker were narrow, I could get it into the chicken coop. The basket is a great idea! But how do you move a walker across uneven pasture? Do they make a version with BIG wheels? I think my Mom has a walker and I can experiment with it and see how it goes. Thanks! Carol At 06:20 PM 8/1/2012, you wrote: Carol, Peggy is right. With crutches, you must constantly have both hands engaged to hold up the crutches and walk on them. However a walker with wheels and a little basked on front is much better. You can use your hands to help advance the walker, and then just set it down. It will stand up by itself, and you can lean against it somewhat while doing stuff with both your hands. ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Rejected lambs
Sandy, Yes, I strongly suggest a stanchion gate on the front side of your lamb pen. Put the mother's head through it (sticking ouward through the stanchion into the hallway outside the pen). Place a tub of nice dry hay and a bucket of water just under her head so she can always eat and drink. The stanchion bars should be tight enough so that she cannot pull her head out, but she should be able to move her head upwards and downwards to eat, drink, and (if needed) change to a lying down position. You can leave her in there from a few days to as long a 2 weeks! Talk to her sweetly and softly when you're checking on her, and make sure she can always reach her hay and water. If you want to feed her a handful of grain once per day that is fine, but don't worry about the other things (minerals, salt) during this period. Pretty much just leave her alone and quiet. Keep a watch on whether the lambs are getting milk from her. She will try to kick them at first with her back legs, and they may be discouraged at first. You may want to feed each lamb a bottle dose of colostrum right away to make sure they at least get that. Part of getting her to accept her lambs is that as she feeds them, they will begin to smell like her as her milk penetrates them. One reason she may be rejecting them (other than the fact that she is young) is that her teats may be tender or sore. Be sure to check them, and to milk both sides to be sure there is good milk, and no signs of mastitis, sores, or infections that could be causing her pain. Another thing to look out for is the teeth of these lambs. Particularly if she is rejecting the ram lamb, be sure to check his teeth for overly sharp or pointed front teeth. I have never done this, but I have heard from an old-time breeder friend that sometimes if a lamb's teeth are overly sharp, and if he is an aggressive nurser, it hurts the mother's teats. So this man says you can hold the lamb and gently file down the top edges of his front teeth with a small file. As for the ewe, do not be discouraged with her if she seems mad or depressed. She must get with the routine to save the lives of her lambs. Don't let her out of the stanchion unless her lambs are fully nursing and she is not doing anything to show anxiety or aggression to them. This may take 3 - 5 days. Or it may take 7 - 10 days. Or 12 - 14 days. Don't feel sorry for her and let her out too soon. More time, rather than less time, is better. Provide fresh bedding under where she is standing, so that she has a clean place to lie down if she chooses. Then after you finally do release her from the stanchion and exchange it for a normal pen front side, be sure to keep her and the lambs in there for a few more days to make sure she has really bonded with them and is dedicated to accepting them. Bottle feeding lambs to weaning is a huge task, and I always want to avoid that choice if possible. The stanchion gate has worked for me many times, turning psycho mothers into dedicated moms who support and nurse their lambs fully, up to weaning age. I have a handbuilt stanchion gate (made from the Midwest Plans blueprints), but you can also get some very nice ones through Sydell or D-S Livestock. If I can find the photo of my handmade stanchion gate, I'll send it to you. Mary Swindell At 06:52 AM 5/11/2012, you wrote: Hi all: I just had my second ewe lamb last night. She had twins, a ram and a ewe between 2:45 and 3:45 AM. When the first one (the ram) was born she began to clean him off, but once he moved she began butting him into the wall. Fortunately I was there to rescue him. She did a little better with the ewe, but not much. This is her first lambing. I have been able to hold her and let the lambs nurse several times. Is there anything I can do to help her bond with her babies? She is not nickering to them at all. Her twin sister who lambed Wednesday, and also had twins, has been talking to the babies, and they have been trying to get in with her. Her sister is a great mom. I was wondering about constructing some sort of a stanchion ( I know they make something like that) to make it easier to restrain her while they nurse. Could she be left in something like that for some extended periods of time so the babies could be with her, without her being able to hurt them? If so, is she apt to let them nurse without the necessity of my being there every time? These are my first sheep, and any advice would be welcome. Thank you. Sandy Hession ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Limping ewe
Michael, Sounds like it is a back leg? If so, check her udder. Feel it for fever, and also feel each of the teats. Also get down under her (or gently set her up on her rear) and visually examine the entire udder to look for signs of infection. If any part of it is hot, inflamed, infected, abcessed, or if any of the teats are hot or hard, she could have mastitis, and the pain could be radiating into the leg. It is not likely, but if you would by chance have this and it goes undiagnosed, it can kill her, so better to check it out and be safe. Sometimes limping on a back leg can be the red flag symptom of mastitis. Ruling out mastitis, and if there are no foul smells or irritated tissue on the bottom of hoof, then the other thing to check for is an abcess in the interdigital gland (the gland between the two toes on the front of the hoof, just where the hoof stops and the black hair begins). Sometimes a hard cyst develops there. You can usually relieve that by squeezing out the cyst through the front. Other than these two things, I cannot think of anything else. Perhaps she has sprained her leg a little and it just needs time to recover. Good luck! Mary Swindell At 04:23 PM 3/6/2012, you wrote: Could use some advice on what to look for here. older (not sure how old, but she's my oldest) AB ewe shows up limping yesterday. I had planned on trimming hooves anyway so I penned her and trimmed while taking a look. No foul smells, no oozing, no discoloration I could see. No swelling of joints or apparent apparent break. Joints moved in the right direction and freely. Did not trim into the quick or make her bleed. I have done that once and seen a ewe limp for a few days, but in this case, was careful. She can grow some pretty long eagle claws for hooves, but usually only on her back feet. The fronts really required little trimming. Today her limp is not better, and might be worse. In general, she does get up and move slow and might be developing Osteoarthritis. Incidentally, she's also mostly deaf. Not sure how to proceed other than to pen her for a week, feed her, keep her real dry (covered pen) and apply hoof drench? I have a splint I could vet-wrap onto the joints, but not sure if the hoof itself is what is hurting... I also could wash her hoof and inspect between the toes a bit better. Did not really do that. In general the sheep have dry, green grass pastures and are not in a manure and urine-filled muddy paddock, like some livestock can be. Our rain has been maybe 1/2 every 10 days lately. Never had a problem with any hoof-related diseases in 4 years and with 15 sheep and pygmy goats. -Michael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies. ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] missing sheep
Thank you to everybody for your kind and thoughtful responses! Sorry I haven't responded sooner. As you can imagine, I am exhausted from the stress and the widespread uncertainties of this situation (as Carol Elkins mentioned in a private e-mail, You must feel like you are under siege). But I am making headway, and it really helps to get such helpful advice from those who have been raising sheep for a long time. By the way, I should have mentioned, these are not newborn lambs. They are between 3 and 4 months old, and are 30 - 40 pounds in weight. They have been weaned for about 2 - 3 weeks, and are with a group of adult ewes (not their mothers). So in my opinion, they are at a fairly naive and vulnerable stage in their lives. And if attacked, chances are fairly good that those adult ewes will not help them. As some of you have mentioned, the signs seem to point to cougar. However, the puzzling thing is that 2 are missing at a time. That might indicate human rustling. But if there is more than one cougar working together, it is possible that more than one lamb could have been carried off in the same night. Anyhow, I have been putting up my ewes and lambs at night, into a well-lit enclosure between the barn and the house, well away from the perimeter fence. Like Mike Smith indicated, it is somewhat of a hassle to gather the stock every night, but it is worth it for the time being. And I'm doing a count every night at the gather point, and every morning before letting them out. Also, yesterday I brought home two Pyrenees pups, from a breeder who raises them with sheep as guardian dogs. They will be introduced to the stock gradually as they mature. And tomorrow I am going to receive an adult male Anatolian working guardian dog that is good with lambs as well as adults. I will put him right to work in the lamb area. So I am very happy about both of these situations. Additionally, my neighbor and sheep mentor has made arrangements for a hunter/tracker to bring over and put up two hunting cameras (the infrared type, I think) to monitor the woods side of my property just outside my back fence line. The other things that have been suggested (motion detectors, wireless alarms, etc.) are also excellent ideas and I will also begin putting these into the plan as well. It has also been suggested that I should put up a few warning -- guard dog signs to hopefully deter any two-legged rustlers. I share the opinion of several of you, that (unless this is a human rustling situation), it is most likely a cougar that is carrying off these large lambs without a trace. Hopefully this will put an end to the predation or rustling, whichever it turns out to be! Thank you all again. This is a wonderful and helpful listserve! Mary Swindell At 06:17 AM 8/17/2011, you wrote: I thought of a cougar when I first read this post. Only animal able to jump the fence and carry off a lamb. In southern OK, the wildlife let cougars loose to control the deer population. They will disavow any knowledge of this, but when they did this near our neighbor, the ones that let it out told my Tenant's mother that she should keep the grand kids close to the house because they let out a cougar to control the deer. This is why I like traps. You can eventually determine what is getting your animals. If you contact Animal damage control, then you have a record with the govt that you were losing livestock. Then if you find the culprit, use the 3S method. Shoot, Shovel, Shut Up. Cecil in OKla - Original Message - From: des...@tracywessel.com To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2011 5:04 PM Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] missing sheep In my experience, disappearance like that is usually cougar. Though I've had this happen with ducks via coyote. The lambs I lost to cougar were rarely found, and if so, were buried. Only wildlife that has damaged my fencing is bears. The others just hop over or under. Tracy Wessel www.intentionhill.com Belgian Shepherds and Blackbelly Sheep Home of the Basquelaine 'A' of Intention Hill Litter Hi folks, For the first time in all the years I've been raising sheep, I've had lambs disappearing without a trace. ?I lost 2 lambs on 08/07/11 and I lost 2 more lambs Saturday night 08/13/11. ?I have excellent fence (5-foot tall, tightly woven, and electrified). ?There is no evidence anywhere. ?No bent fencing, no holes, no hair, no blood, nothing. ?I am next to a deep woods in southern Illinois. ?I guess whatever is taking my lambs would have to jump over the fence and back out with a lamb in its mouth. ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http
Re: [Blackbelly] missing sheep
Tracy, Thanks for your good wishes! The man who is selling me the male Anatolian said he puts a bell on his guardian dogs. That way the sheep get to know the bell and have some sense of comfort as the guardian dog moves around. Also, the owner can tell what is going on during the night by the sound of the bell. He also said he bells certain sheep with a different sounding bell so that he can tell where the sheep are moving (a different sound than the dog bell sound). Seems like a good plan and I will try it too. Maybe this would help your sheep feel more comfortable with your pyr Mary, if they had an audible way to tell where she is after dark. Mary At 06:25 PM 8/17/2011, you wrote: Good luck with your pups Mary. I have two llamas and a Pyr. None of the guardians worked as I imagined, or hoped, but they work. The pyr has zero socialization to people so won't come into the night yard. I should have left her in the night yard on drag for longer. I will tranquilized her at some point and bring her back in for two or more weeks, with the sheep, but have to put up some hay first. Meanwhile, she is lovely with the sheep. But that also took nearly a week in the night pen with them, and then was awkward after letting them out on the acreage. The problem is that (1) I have a split in my flock and she gets torn when one group splits off. She has answered this by staying with the flock that heads out to graze. I think she gets that the barn/night pen is safe for the sheep, just not a place she wants to be (too close to nasty humans). Also the llamas stay in this area. Bringing me to (2) I found the llamas excellent guardians of the sheep, and they tried in earnest to prevent the sheep from crossing the swamp over to the backside, but the sheep were persistent. So the Llamas guard the sheep when they are in the area of the barn and houses. Smart llamas I guess. Or I should have brought home only 1 llama, might have made a difference. Part (3) Mary (the Pyr) moves fairly quickly and this always gets the sheep a bit startled - at first would send them running in fact. At least with the Blackbellies. The five woollies help anchor the flock and are easier for Mary to work with. Anyway, been interesting to watch all this work out, and sure I made every mistake I could. Mary is very good with the sheep and that is the bottom line. When the cougar came to the house, the llamas had barricaded the sheep into the barn. That was the week before acquiring Mary. The week before the cougar, a bear came, and had the animals split all over kingdom come. I had stopped locking the sheep up at night, but have since resumed. So getting to that toppic, I notice several commenting on how difficult this is. Whether with a dog or a bucket of grain... I find the bucket of grain I can move my sheep all over the property. I can add DE to their grain and generally I have a compliant flock when I have my bucket. So every night at 9pm, I call them Ladies! and they come running into the night pen for their grain. Some nights they might not get grain and have already put themselves up. Best of luck and will be interesting if you capture some footage on the cameras. We had a Fish and Wildlife appointed hunter supposedly coming out, but he never showed up. Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:07:50 -0500 From: Mary Swindell mswin...@siu.edu Anyhow, I have been putting up my ewes and lambs at night, into a well-lit enclosure between the barn and the house, well away from the perimeter fence. Like Mike Smith indicated, it is somewhat of a hassle to gather the stock every night, but it is worth it for the time being. And I'm doing a count every night at the gather point, and every morning before letting them out. Also, yesterday I brought home two Pyrenees pups, ... tomorrow I am going to receive an adult male Anatolian working guardian dog that is good with lambs as well as adults. I will put him right to work in the lamb area. ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Lambs missing
Hi folks, For the first time in all the years I've been raising sheep, I've had lambs disappearing without a trace. I lost 2 lambs on 08/07/11 and I lost 2 more lambs Saturday night 08/13/11. I have excellent fence (5-foot tall, tightly woven, and electrified). There is no evidence anywhere. No bent fencing, no holes, no hair, no blood, nothing. I am next to a deep woods in southern Illinois. I guess whatever is taking my lambs would have to jump over the fence and back out with a lamb in its mouth. I guess it is possible that locals are rustling my lambs, but I think it is unlikely because they are so hard to catch. Also, my house is next to the entrance drive and I think it would be unlikely that someone would come so close to the house to steal them. Someone suggested a night camera mounted to look on the fence line. Has anyone tried them? They sound expensive. I wonder if the IDNR or some other source makes arrangements to loan or rent them out. Anyone have any similar experiences? Any thoughts? Any suggestions? Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 or (618) 967-5046 www.bellwetherfarm.com mswin...@siu.edu ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Algae bloom in ponds
Terry, I am glad to hear information about the Aquashade -- I did not know much about it and have never used it. Personally, I do not like the idea of coloring the water anyway, as it looks fake and the possible toxicity is always a worry. So that pretty much settles it for me: I would not consider this as a solution to keeping algae off livestock ponds. However, another solution which you touched upon is an aerating fountain. That involves some up-front cost, but might be the most natural, non-invasive solution of all. I know someone who has a floating aerating fountain connected to a dedicated windmill. The windmill drives the fountain pump so that no other power source is needed. This might be a good solution. Another approach: I have added several geese to my farm over the past 2 years, and I have no algae nor pond weed anymore. I wasn't sure if the waterfowl addition would be good or bad for the pond, but so far it seems to have a fairly benevolent effect. Of course, you have to put up with a little honking and squabbling of the birds from time to time, ha ha! Mary Swindell At 05:01 PM 7/28/2011, you wrote: Message: 3 Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:59:40 -0700 (PDT) From: Terry huntnda...@yahoo.com To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Algae bloom in ponds Message-ID: 1311814780.78004.yahoomailclas...@web81703.mail.mud.yahoo.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 The products that that are made to reduce light levels in ponds are not safe for people-- why would you want to have your animals drink it? Barley straw 'floats' reduce algal blooms in waterways, without introducing chemicals that may potentially harm the environment or the health of people or animals that enjoy the water. When I did my internship at an arboretum, It was made known to all employees and volunteers-- to NOT 'shaded' water from the lily pond in our eyes or accidently swallow any. I have noticed in several locations-- Good aeration helps reduce algae, as does a cover of duckweed! Terry W Ne Ohio ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Heat Dome!
Thanks everyone for the great ideas about dealing with the tremendous heat we've been having. I have seriously thought about going to town and buying those blocks of ice, but since each trip to the store is several miles in the truck, I've decided it is probably cheaper to just dump and refill the tanks (sigh!). I'll keep dreaming of the cooler days of October and November! --Mary Swindell in sunny southern Illinois ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Heat Dome!
Here in southern Illinois our problem is heat. We have been under a heat warning for a week now, and it is not supposed to get back into the mid-90s until Saturday evening late. It has been over 100 here every day this week, with extremely high humidity (we are the land between the rivers -- Mississippi and Ohio, and we get jungle-like humidity regularly through the summers. But the present heat wave effects seem to be cumulative on the animals, who are really suffering, more each day. The night temperatures are not cool enough for them to recover. I am emptying and refilling 50-gallon water troughs twice per day because the water gets so hot that the animals won't drink it. Half my ewes are at the end stages of nursing and are emaciated, and the other half are over 3 months pregnant and are getting big. All are noticably miserable. I hope we all survive, and I hope this heat will end soon! This is the second heat warning of a week or more that we've had this summer. Our NPR radio station said that after this present heat wave subsides (and that means temperatures going down below the mid-90s, into the lower 90s), there is another one expected within a couple weeks afterward. My goal for this time is to keep everyone alive. Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] AB Ram on Television Ad
Recently there has been a television advertisement for Stride Spark Gum where a young woman is being chased down the street by a horned American Blackbelly ram. She successfully fends it off by raising her arms and making threatening noises. The ram was portrayed as a dangerous, rather wild-looking animal of uncertain species. I am always startled and surprised at seeing our blackbelly sheep on TV or anywhere else in the media, because up until now it seems that not many people outside our community of sheep ranchers have even seen a blackbelly sheep! So I guess it is a good thing that our sheep are starting to appear in the media, even though this particular ad may portray those AB rams as being aggressive and dangerous. We all know that they actually CAN be aggressive and dangerous under certain circumstances, but truthfully I wouldn't expect to see a lone AB ram chase somebody down the street, ha ha! Here's hoping there will be further media attention paid to blackbelly sheep (whether in advertisements, documentaries, or other formats). It would be nice to see ewes, lambs, and so forth in a more pastoral setting, which I think would portray a more favorable image of our blackbelly animals than to have a runaway ram chasing a young woman. Not all blackbelly animals are as B-a-a-a-ad as this big boy was. Still, it brought a smile to my face. Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Copper
Several years ago my friend and blackbelly sheep breeder Barb Lee posted quite a bit of correspondence to this e-mail list regarding some nutritional problems she was seeing in her sheep. She concluded that her sheep were actually suffering from a copper deficiency, and she had quite a bit of data to back up that conclusion. Her sheep began to improve once she added an appropriate level of copper as a supplement to their diet. It was very interesting because like Carla's note below, Barb said essentially that because copper-free sheep diets have been promoted so heavily, many sheep breeders overlook the fact that their flocks can sometimes actually be suffering from too LITTLE copper. I do not know if Barb is still subscribed to this e-mail list, but if you are Barb, it would be very helpful if you could give us the basics of this information again! Thanks in advance, Mary Swindell At 05:00 PM 6/13/2010, you wrote: Message: 3 Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:41:54 -0700 (PDT) From: Carla Amonson chicki...@yahoo.com To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: [Blackbelly] Copper Message-ID: 711538.58666...@web32504.mail.mud.yahoo.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Intetesting that copper came up yesterday as I was talking to a livestock nutritioust on Friday about copper. Did you know that sheep can very safely conusume up to 7ppm of Cooper daily? Our industry has chosen to promote copper free when in reality our sheep do need some copper and there are startig to be some issues our there with copper deficiencies. We cam get custom mineral mixes here according to feed and soil samples, but a minimum of 400 lbs. That is a lot of mineral, even with 210 head! I generally mix in some cattle mineral with my sheep mineral. There are many vegetarian dog treats out there-even a tiny bit if meat is a concern. That is supposedly what caused BSE if you recall and has made a 8 year nightmare of the cattle industry in Canada. I am a little more inclinded to believe the story about pour on wieners causing BSE myself, but still herbavors should not eat animal products of any sort. Carla Amonson ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] CD/T Shots
You can also give CD/T shots to the lambs after they are born, instead of giving the shots to their mothers. I give my new lambs two CD/T shots. The first at 2 weeks old, and the second at 4 weeks old. I use the Bar-Vac brand and give 2 CCs subcutaneously per lamb each time. I do not vaccinate my adult ewes prior to lambing. Mary Swindell At 05:01 PM 1/24/2010, you wrote: Message: 1 Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:39:18 -0700 From: Dave Andrus andruscompan...@netecin.net To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] CDT shots Message-ID: 7de90efdb2214ca6af860b0537a74...@sharolyn Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=response My ewes are going to start to lamb in about 30 days is it too late to give them CDT shots? TIA, Dave ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Selecting Sheep for Herding
! Mary Swindell At 05:01 PM 1/17/2010, you wrote: Message: 6 Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:51:56 -0700 From: Tom Quinn cars1...@yahoo.com To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Selection for herding Message-ID: hbebkmgcmojhcjfeipdakenjcdaa.cars1...@yahoo.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii -Original Message- From: blackbelly-boun...@lists.blackbellysheep.info [mailto:blackbelly-boun...@lists.blackbellysheep.info]on Behalf Of blackbelly-requ...@lists.blackbellysheep.info Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 4:01 PM To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: Blackbelly Digest, Vol 6, Issue 8 Send Blackbelly mailing list submissions to blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbelly sheep.info or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to blackbelly-requ...@lists.blackbellysheep.info You can reach the person managing the list at blackbelly-ow...@lists.blackbellysheep.info When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than Re: Contents of Blackbelly digest... I currently have 5 ABB ewes and 7 wooly lambs. I'm also getting ready to acquire a ram. I noticed Mary Swindell's comment on herding, and am curious how to select from my small flock to work with my herding dogs. The ewes are pretty aggressive, and it is almost impossible to get a dog behind the whole flock to get them out of a corner. Tom Quinn ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Digest, Vol 5, Issue 142
Hi Beth, Are the other sheep of uniform size, and she is obviously smaller? Does she have any other physical or mental impairments? Has she had trouble mothering her lambs? Is her mother still in your flock? If so, what does her mother think of her? Is there anything else remarkable about her behavior which might set her apart from the flock. I have a couple of ewes in the flock that were runts at birth, and they may be somewhat smaller than some of the other ewes even now, at 3 or 4 years old. But I've never seen the other sheep treat them particularly bad, so I am thinking it might be something other than the size. Wish I had more wisdom to offer on this. I'm always fascinated by animal social behavior. Let us hear more if there is news. I hope she can find her crowd among the weanlings. Mary At 05:01 PM 10/28/2009, you wrote: Message: 2 Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:40:11 -0700 From: GARLAND STAMPER gstamper97...@msn.com To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: [Blackbelly] Outcast Sheep??? Message-ID: col102-ds15a41c17643e2572381470f1...@phx.gbl Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Hi all, I have a 3 yr old ewe that everyone hates. Anyone have any problems with sheep ganging up on an individual?? She's a runt and interestingly, the other sheep don't like her younger sister, either. I finally had to put her with the weanlings. Thanks, Beth in OR Sierra Luna Blackbelly Sheep ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Spring 2009 Lambs at Bellwether Farm
Hello Everyone, Good news for those wanting to buy purebred, registered polled Barbados Blackbelly lambs! Spring 2009 lambing at Bellwether Farm is complete, and there are 12 ewe lambs and 22 ram lambs available for sale. You can see the complete list of Spring 2009 lambs with further detail (birth weights, coloration, etc.) on the What's New page of my Bellwether Farm web site at www.bellwetherfarm.com. There is also a set of statistics on that page, which show birth rates, survival rates, gender rates, etc. for my flock this spring. All lambs sell for $150.00 each, plus the cost of a health inspection for out of state transport (the health inspection is not needed for sales within Illinois). Questions? Please feel free to contact me at mswin...@siu.edu, or call me at (618) 893-4568 (home) or (618) 967-5046 (cell). Thank you, Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) or (618) 967-5046 (cell) www.bellwetherfarm.com mswin...@siu.edu ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Premier's ElectroStop electric netting fence
Carr and Barbara, I have used Premier's ElectroStop electric netting fence, and have purchased several rolls of the 164 foot fencing. Here are my thoughts and experiences: First, I bought the (taller) fence -- ElectroStop -- which I think is 42 inches tall (I'm working from memory here) instead of the shorter fence -- ElectroNet -- which I think is somewhere between 32 and 36 inches tall. I did this because as we all know, blackbelly sheep are pretty good jumpers and I figured I would just be wasting my money if my electric net fencing were too short. I used the ElectroStop as cross-fencing to subdivide big pastures. It works great for this purpose AS LONG AS you leave it on 100% of the time. The important thing is to leave it on, and test it regularly to make sure it has a charge running through it. It should be hot enough to keep the sheep from touching it at all. However, if you disconnect it from your power supply, it can turn into a dangerous hazard. Within a few days, the sheep will begin to realize it is no longer hot. They will begin to play in it, gnaw at it, and stick their heads, necks, and feet through it. Since it is so flexible, they soon start to get tangled. So they panic, and thrash around, making bigger knots and entanglements in the process. Especially, little lambs and young yearlings are the worst at this. Twice, I came home from a day trip out of town to find lambs totally entangled in the netting, which I had turned off for a few days. One lamb had the netting twisted around his foot so tight that I thought he might lose his foot. I had to cut the netting off with surgical type scissors. Another lamb had it twisted around his neck and was laying on the ground, and probably had been that way all day. Luckily, both lambs lived. So I certainly learned my lesson -- never leave electric net fencing turned off! Unfortunately, several of my fence rolls had serious tears from sheep accidently running through the fence even when it was turned on, and also from the cut out places where I had rescued the lambs (above). You can repair all of these areas, but I simply have not had time. It involves sitting and knotting new electric cord to the cut areas, to replace the holes, much like repairing fisherman's netting. So all my rolls of ElectroStop netting are now in the attic of my garage, waiting for a good day when I don't have anything else to do -- ha ha! Also, I should mention that I do not have any horned sheep on my premises. If I did have horned animals I don't think I'd be comfortable using this electric netting, even if it was left on 100% of the time. Seems to me that there would be a pretty big chance for animal horns to get caught in this netting, even if the animal was minding his own business. The other thing I would say is that it does take awhile to set up, as the spacer posts which come attached to the fence can get tangled in the net itself. Also, the spacer posts did not seem quite sturdy enough for me, and I ended up buying a whole bunch of portable white plastic step-in posts from our local farm store to make my fence line a little more sturdy. One person can set up the fence, but it is better to have two people working together to unroll it, lay it out, put the posts in the right place, and hold it upright as you work with it, making sure it is stretched tight enough but not too tight. Mostly, you just have to be patient when you're setting it up or disassembling it. Finally, those step-in posts are fine if the ground is soft. But if the ground is rock hard, then you might want to bring along a mallet. That is tricky too, because since these posts are lightweight, you don't want to overuse the mallet or you might break your posts. Theoretically you could use the electric netting fence for perimeter fence, but I have not had the confidence to use it in situations like that, since we have a lot of coyotes and stray dogs in our area. I think its best use is interior cross-fencing. Sincerely, Mary Swindell At 05:01 PM 3/24/2009, you wrote: Message: 5 Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:49:41 -0700 From: Carr DuPuy c...@dupuyoxygen.com Subject: [Blackbelly] Electric Fence Net from Premier, Kencove, and others To: blackbelly-blackbellysheep.i...@lists.blackbellysheep.info blackbelly-blackbellysheep.i...@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: f814243d5f4df64b96b5c823c0299a647b948cc...@exvmbx017-3.exch017.msoutlookonline.net Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Does anyone have any experience using the electric netting sold in 164 ft. rolls called Enet or Electro stop? Does it keep the sheep inside the net? Is it difficult to move? Is it maybe better to spend the money on permanent fence? I would think it would be pretty handy to move sheep around the pasture to put them in areas that need to be eaten down. I am just looking for other people's
Re: [Blackbelly] Bottle-Baby as New Mother
Bonnie, I think your techniques make a lot of sense. I do this too, praising my ewes as they stand with t heir newborn lambs and telling the ewes what good girls they are, and how beautiful their new babies are.I coo to them and say over and over, Good job! What beautiful babies! It seems to help all the ewes, but especially the first-time mothers who (as you and Elaine W. say) seem to be a little clueless, ha ha! I also make sure my barn environment is very quiet (the herding dogs must stay back in the fenced yard while the lambing process is going on). It seems that when the ewes feel safe and at peace, they can concentrate better on their new babies. If they feel threatened as they may, for instance if a lot of people are standing around), this interferes with the mothering process. Also, I have 5 x 5 foot lamb pens in the barn, into which I immediately move each mom and her newborn lambs, as soon as she has them or as soon as I find them. Each ewe has hay, water, and a little grain, and gets to have a safe, quiet place to bond with her new babies. They are out of the wind and weather, and the babies are able to stay warm, dry, and in very close proximity to their mother. I think the fact that the mother is confined alongside her babies, helps her to bond with them even if she at first doesn't know what to do. Seems like she eventually figures it out. I keep each ewe and her babies in the lamb pen for 3 - 5 days (depending on how vigorous the babies are), to make sure they have a good start. After that, the new lambs get a tiny lamb tag, and they get to go out to the pasture with their mother. That is a hoot too, just watching them (usually a mother and twin babies) slowly walk out of the pen and discover the big world outside! I always pull up a chair and just watch the lambs take their first walk -- I usually end up laughing myself silly! Mary Swindell At 05:01 PM 3/10/2009, you wrote: Message: 2 Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:20:43 -0400 From: Bonnie Chandler jbchand...@verizon.net Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Bottle-Baby as New Mother To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: a1c75ab1d1544b6e9b148560138d5...@bonniepc Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=original I have sometimes had to encourage new goat or sheep mothers to mother their babies, and it seems like it is most often the youngest and tamest ones that need the help. On these occasions, when their babies are born, they stand well back, at least three or four feet away, and stare at the babies in shock, sometimes yelling as well. I usually manage to persuade them to mother their babies by praising them extravagantly (while I wipe off most of the goo, especially if it is very cold, but you should leave at least the top of the back wet so the kids smell right to the mother and so she will have something to clean). I just keep telling the mother, Good girl! what a beautiful baby you have made, I'm so proud of you, what a clever girl, such a beauty! etc.), doubling your enthusiasm every time she looks at the kids, then every time she stretches out her neck to look better, then when she takes a step forward -- praise that, encouraging her to take a second step, etc. Sometimes it helps to scratch her in her favorite places while praising her, sometimes she is too tense for that. Sometimes she does better if you stay near her, sometimes I stay with the baby, patting it and encouraging her to come over. Whatever works. When she has reached the baby, praise her for sniffing them, then for giving a tiny lick, etc. It is amazing to me how much they seem to trust my word and pretty soon they are licking them eagerly -- but when the babies try to nurse, they often step nervously sideways and need encouragement again. They look at me when I praise them as if to say, You mean, this is what I am supposed to be doing? and they relax visibly when I reply, Yes, yes! That's right! What a good girl! Don't worry about how silly you sound, just keep talking in an encouraging voice. It works! Bonnie ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Rick Krach's new twin AB lambs
Thanks for the great photos, Rick -- You captured the miracle of birth! Mary Swindell P.S. Also, I'm envious of how much green grass you have there! At 05:01 PM 2/24/2009, you wrote: Message: 1 Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:26:12 -0800 From: Rick Krach rickkr...@hotmail.com Subject: [Blackbelly] The Birth of American Blackbelly Twins To: blackbelly Blackbelly List blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: col109-w16991a77200c0127707bbaf...@phx.gbl Content-Type: text/plain; charset=Windows-1252 A year-old ewe of mine, born in February last year, had lambs Friday morning. It was very considerate of her to have them in the morning when I was around to watch, and get some pictures of it. I have put times on them so you can see how the first lamb took some 20 minutes while the second one took only 1 minute. The long time may have just been due to her trying to get away from me and my camera! Here is the web site: http://homepage.mac.com/rickkrach/lambs/ Rick Krach Auburn California (530) 355-5144 ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Alabama banned exotic species laws
John, Shivers went up my spine when I read your letter below. Yes, coincidence perhaps. Or perhaps not. I hope others will comment too. Mary Swindell At 05:01 PM 12/3/2008, you wrote: Message: 2 Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2008 07:58:56 -0600 From: Double J Farms [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Blackbelly] Alabama exotic species law and the Lacey Act To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Cc: Molly Reyenga [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=original Imagine my surprise when I opened my monthly edition of Outdoor Alabama, the official publication of the state conservation department, and found a picture of a beautiful American Blackbelly ram (labeled as a Corsican ram) in an article about banned exotic species in Alabama! I immediately contacted the Alabama department of conservation and natural resources (ADCNR) and requested additional information. What I learned is that the Alabama legislature passed a law several years ago that prohibits the import, possession, sale or transportation of just about any animal that was not historically native to Alabama (and some that were). The list of animals is specific for some animals (species level) and general for others (family level) and includes animals of the family Bovidae (except bison). The law was apparently aimed and halting the spread of pay to hunt exotic animal operations, importation of turkey and whitetail deer, and exotic pet trading where the release (intentional or accidental) could result in that exotic species or disease becoming established in the state. ADCNR recognizes that some animals, American Blackbelly sheep and some Suidae (pigs) included, may be dual status, that is considered as both domestic farm animals and exotic species. So I asked, how do we, especially the conservation enforcement officers, tell the difference between a banned exotic animal and a domestic animal. The answer I received was two fold: first it depended on the end use of the animal. If the animal was to be hunted it was illegal. This was subsequently clarified to mean hunted in Alabama or other state were the hunting of the animal was illegal; secondly, since my operation is recognized as a farm by virtue of the premise ID issued by the state Ag department, participation in the USDA scrapie program (flock identification number) and the animals are all tagged, my animals are considered domestic - unless I offer them for sale for the purposes of hunting (see rule #1). The law provides exceptions for existing game breeders and operations that registered with the state before May 2006. It was odd that I received a telephone inquiry, about two weeks after communicating with ADCNR, from someone wanting to buy sheep for a pay to hunt operation in Alabama. Coincidence, perhaps. John Carlton Double J Farms Spanish Fort, Alabama [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Bottle Jaw Wether lambs
Hey Mark, Thanks for that input. Yes, it was your vet's information that spurred me on to try the cattle pour-on cydectin. Sorry I didn't identify the color correctly. I guess it is purple, not blue-green. I'm terrible about remembering colors of meds. I just remember it was a bright, iridescent color, and smelled terrible. I just got enough from the vet for the 2 doses. These wethers continue to look great as if they were never sick at all. My local Rural King store doesn't have any of this in stock, so I'm going to mail order it so I'll have some on hand in case I need it again. And everybody by the way, in case anyone is interested, the Pipestone Veterinary Clinic (which I had also consulted about my 2 bottle jaw wethers) publishes a nice newsletter with sorts of veterinary articles written by their senior sheep vet staff. They specialize in sheep. The articles in the newsletter are pretty up-to-date, representing the most current thought research, and experiences of their vet staff. The newsletter is free if you order $50 or more of vet supplies from them per year. $20 per year otherwise. It's a nice color glossy publication. They also have an archive library of old articles that are very helpful on their website, which is http://www.pipevet.com. And they have a help line phone number in case you have problems such as I had that you need to discuss with them. Their supplies catalog is available at this site, and they will also mail you one if you want. Mary At 05:01 PM 10/8/2008, you wrote: Message: 1 Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 22:16:02 -0500 From: Mark Fleming [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Digest, Vol 4, Issue 117 Bottle Jaw lambs To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I agree with Mary completely. My vet in Missouri recommended the use of cydectin years ago. His major concern is the barber pole worms. I use it probably twice a year or when I see one with bottle jaw. I would be careful to use only the purple cattle pour on orally versus the clear cydectin which is listed for the use in sheep. It is ineffective and not recommended by my vet who maintains both our sheep and goats. It is too weak and we almost lost a ewe from using it. Mark Fleming ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Good news for bottle jaw lambs
Thanks Onalee, Terry and Bonnie, I think there was some thought that the sheep product (an oral drench) does not work nearly as well as the cattle product. Also, I was told that the cattle product is only available in a pour-on, and is not available in an oral drench. Also, I didn't know about the willow and poplar twigs. I've got both those trees on my property, so I'll see if I can collect some small twigs from these. And I've used aspirin for dogs, but have never tried it on sheep. Thanks for all the good tips! Mary At 05:01 PM 10/6/2008, you wrote: That is great news ! Do you know why they recommended using the POUR ON as a drench rather than simply using the DRENCH? Onalee Mary-- Willow, and many trees from the poplar family contain natural anti-inflammatory properties which you could use when Dex is not available. the cambioum layer is what you want the animal to ingest-- small, fresh twigs are best, but they can also be dried for winter time use Terry W Or you could simply give them human aspirin, which is the same thing. Bonnie ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Good news for bottle jaw lambs
Hi folks, I want to share some good news regarding a couple of wether lambs which were heavily infested with parasites, and had not responded to Ivomec or Panacur. These little castrated ram lambs are purebred polled Barbados Blackbelly lambs, and are about 6 months old (born about April 1st). They both weighed about 45 - 50 pounds, and were both wormed with Ivomec (Ivermectin) at about 2 months old, on June 1st. Starting about September 10th, they began to show signs of bottle jaw (due to heavy parasite infestation), and on about September 25, I wormed them with Panacur. However, by September 30th, they both had giant, swollen jaws, to the point where the bottom half of their little heads looked like soccer balls. When you touched their heads, they felt soft and plushy, like water balloons. The little boys hadn't lost a lot of weight, and really seemed pretty large and healthy except for their obvious cases of extreme bottle jaw. I have not had extensive problems with parasites in the past, and have wormed periodically with Ivomec, Panacur and Levasole. But I have heard that Ivomec and Panacur are not effective for some flocks. Apparently, I had a couple of lambs here that these wormers couldn't help. I realized they would both die if I didn't do something fast. I was not optimistic, but two breeder friends recommended Cydectin (not the sheep and goat oral drench, but the cattle pour-on variety). I consulted with my local vet, who called the state vet. The state vet also recommended using the cattle pour-on variety, and said to use 1 ml per 22 pounds of body weight for sheep, as an oral drench. However, one of the local vets didn't want to use the Cydectin, and tried to get me to use something less intense instead, as it might be dangerous for the lambs. I said this is a last ditch effort, we're going to lose them anyway if it doesn't work so I don't have anything to lose by trying. So they gave me the Cydectin. It smells terrible and is a dark blue-green. But just because I was a little spooked by the local vet's hesitancy, I called the vets up at Pipestone Veterinary Clinic at Pipestone, MN. One of their vets listened to my situation, and recommended the Cydectin at this same dosage (1 ml per 22 pounds). He said 3 mls for a 50 lb. lamb would probably be safe. He also recommended an antibiotic, such as Nuflor (for 1 day) or long-acting Pennecillan (for 3 days) to help heal the damage caused to the intestines by the whole situation. Additionally, he recommended a shot of an anti-inflammatory such as Dexamethazone, to help bring down the swelling. So I gave each lamb 3 ml. Cydectin (cattle pour-on) as an oral drench on Friday. I also gave them 3 ml. Pennecillan Procaine G, subcutaneous, for 3 days in a row (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). I didn't have any Dexamethazone, and I decided not to worry about giving that. I took a photo of one lamb on Friday, and his head was puffed out like a water balloon. But by this evening, Sunday, you couldn't tell it was the same lamb. His face, jaws and neck are normal, slender and muscular. The other lamb is the same. They are on their feet, with lots of energy, and seem like they were never sick. I have never seen such a rapid, successful recovery in lambs I almost gave up for dead. I wish I could share these photos with you, you would not believe it! Anyway, I thought I could at least share the good news. Cydectin is certainly not something we would want to overuse, because clearly we have mounting parasite resistence in our flocks throughout the country. But when you need it, it is good to know that it is available. Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Nice polled rams of various ages and blood lines
Hello everyone, I currently have several very nice polled registered Barbados Blackbelly rams available of various ages and blood lines. There are 10 ram lambs born during Spring 2008 whose pictures are posted on my Bellwether Farm web site at www.bellwetherfarm.com. Also, there are 3 nice yearling rams available with birth dates between March 2007 and November 2007. I will get photos of those 3 yearlings posted to the web site this weekend. All the rams are polled, well marked and registered with the BBSAI. Two of the yearling rams are from St. Lucy VSU line. One yearling ram is from the Ulysses line Five Spring 2008 ram lambs are from the Bartholomew/Teddy line. Five Spring 2008 ram lambs are from the Ulysses line. The Spring 2008 ram lambs will be $150.00 each. The yearling rams will be $200.00 each. The cost of the health inspection (required by law for out of state destinations) is $54.00. Please contact me if you are interested, at: Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 or (618) 967-5046 Thank you, Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Digest, Vol 4, Issue 73
Nate and Cecil, Some years I have had rams shed down to their bare skin as you described. They look awful in spots for awhile, and I always feel sorry for them at the time. But eventually it seems that their hair coat fills in with no problem. That 'bare skin look happens right after I comb out or gently pull out the winter wool shed. I did not know about the term rain scald as Cecil described. Maybe that is what I was seeing on my sheep. Thanks Cecil, for helping us with a solution. I look forward to hearing more about scarlet oil (what it is and where to get it). Mary Swindell 05:43 PM 6/8/2008, you wrote: Send Blackbelly mailing list submissions to blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can reach the person managing the list at [EMAIL PROTECTED] When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than Re: Contents of Blackbelly digest... Today's Topics: 1. ram w/bloody nose (o johnson) 2. Ram shedding (Nate Teig) 3. Re: Ram shedding (Cecil Bearden) 4. Re: Shedding (Dayna Denmark) 5. Re: Shedding (o johnson) -- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 17:19:27 -0700 (PDT) From: o johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Blackbelly] ram w/bloody nose To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Well I got to take my guy to the vet today. He had a low grade fever and some swelling in one of his back hocks. The vet went over him and we could not find anything. No ticks, knots, nothing. He believs Jerry got an injury of some kind when he stood up to the dog and had a small cut that has built up an infection that is now in his joint. We are hitting him hard an heavy with antibiotics in the muscle for 1 week and he wants to see him again next Sat if he does not show improvement. He is happy that Jerry is eating and drinking well and has good stool. He checked all that. He is not real familier with BB's so he did check out a few things while we were there with some other vets. I will keep all posted. After about 7 years in BB's I have never had anything like this happen. Thank you to all that had ideas and suggestions. I took them all with me today and that is why we checked him over so well for ticks, etc. Thanks again. Oneta in OK Oneta and The Gang www.johnsonquarterhorses.com Don't tell GOD what to do, just report for duty! -- Message: 2 Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:39:21 -0700 (PDT) From: Nate Teig [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Blackbelly] Ram shedding To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Hi everyone I have a ram that is sheding slow this year - but I was out to the pasture and he let me pull clumps out of his back and he really seemed itchy around his mane - he is rubbing on everything more that usually - I can tell he is very uncomfortable ? When I gentlely pulled loose hair from around his neck it came off and it was down to the skin - the only think I can think of is lice or mange - anyone have any suggestions on how to help this guy out ? Thanks Nate --- o johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Well I got to take my guy to the vet today. He had a low grade fever and some swelling in one of his back hocks. The vet went over him and we could not find anything. No ticks, knots, nothing. He believs Jerry got an injury of some kind when he stood up to the dog and had a small cut that has built up an infection that is now in his joint. We are hitting him hard an heavy with antibiotics in the muscle for 1 week and he wants to see him again next Sat if he does not show improvement. He is happy that Jerry is eating and drinking well and has good stool. He checked all that. He is not real familier with BB's so he did check out a few things while we were there with some other vets. I will keep all posted. After about 7 years in BB's I have never had anything like this happen. Thank you to all that had ideas and suggestions. I took them all with me today and that is why we checked him over so well for ticks, etc. Thanks again. Oneta in OK Oneta and The Gang www.johnsonquarterhorses.com Don't tell GOD what to do, just report for duty! ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info -- Message: 3 Date: Sun, 08 Jun 2008 04:58:07 -0500 From: Cecil Bearden [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Ram shedding To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID
Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Digest, Vol 4, Issue 51
David, I am paying $10.29 per 50 lb. bag of 14% all stock feed at Rural King. The price is a crime! As for weaning, I wean at 3 months if I'm selling the lambs. If they're staying here longer, I take the ram lambs off at around 3 - 3.5 months. If there are a girl/boy twin set, I will often take the ram lamb off and leave the ewe lamb twin with the mother and never wean the girl. The mother naturally weans the ewe lamb twin herself at around 4 months. So the ewe lambs never really get separated unless they are being sold. It seems easier on the mothers and the ewe lambs to let them wean themselves. I put the ram lambs in a separate pasture and they never come back to the ewe pasture, except possibly later as an adult ram to breed part of the ewe group. If I have castrated ram lambs, I will sometimes keep those little wethers with their mothers like the ewe lambs. Usually however, I need to get the ram lambs out of the ewe group before I decide whether to castrate them. And yes, I would say about 2 months is the right time to keep lambs and mothers apart, if you have some reason to keep them apart. The lambs sometimes seem to want to go back to their mothers, even after that point, but it has never been a problem. If the ewes get pregnant again and they still have a 5 or 6 month old lamb hanging around, the mothers will make sure that the old lambs do not interfere with their new lamb births or nursing. Mary Swindell At 10:19 PM 4/18/2008, you wrote: Message: 3 Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:25:01 -0500 From: David Mansur [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Blackbelly] Survey on Feed Costs and Weaning To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 With the higher fuel prices I've seen the price of feed jump a lot the last 2-years and I wanted to take a survey of feed prices you're seeing. What's the average price for feed in your area per pound for 12 - 14% protein feed? How is it purchased - In bulk or bag? Houston: Bulk supplied feed, 12%, All-stock, is about $8.75 per 50 lbs ( $ 0.175/Lb) 50 lb bag, 14% show feed is at $10.25 ( $ 0.205/Lb) - - - - - - - - - - For those of you who wean your lambs . . . How long do you keep lambs separated before you re-introduce them back into the flock? 2 Months? --David Mansur -- ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Registered BB Ram for sale
Hi John, For the benefit of our polled breeders who are following this announcement, could you also please mention the sire and dam of Donatello? I think his sire and dam are both registered. This will help folks find out if they have stock related to this ram. Thank you! Sincerely, Mary Swindell At 04:12 PM 4/15/2008, you wrote: Message: 1 Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:59:25 -0400 From: Pantalone, John A \(GE Infra, Energy\) [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Blackbelly] Registered BB Ram for sale To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi all, I am selling a 3 yr old Registered Barbados Blackbelly (JSM0205879). He is a kind fellow named Donatello. I am located in Alvin, TX Please make an offer. pantalone(at)skynethouston(dot)com ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Disease entering with farm visitors
Folks, I am sorry to hear of all your troubles, Cecil! Everyone, this may seem shocking that so much trouble could result from a brief visit of a sheep buyer tracking in bacteria on his boots, clothes, or truck tires, but I know it is possible. Also, the dreaded disease foot rot can easily be brought into our own flocks via visitors to our farms tracking it into our barns and field areas on their boots. When in doubt, ask visitors to put on disposable boot covers before they step into your livestock areas. Also, any of us may accidently bring these diseases back to our farm from sales and shows on our own shoes. Whenever you go to auctions or sales, or to livestock shows, it is a good idea to wear disposable plastic boot covers which you can throw away after you leave. These disposable booties are cheap (they can be purchased by the boxfull from any of the livestock supply companies) and they are an important safeguard for the health of your flock. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All! Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Large litters versus regular twins with quick breed-back
Barb, I agree with Chris B. and Mark W. in that I would prefer ewes who give reliable twins on a regular basis, and who are strong and healthy (and fertile) enough to breed back quickly, rather than ewes who tend to give triplets. In my opinion, triplets are more worry than the extra lamb is worth, because as someone else said, usually one of the trips is just a little smaller and usually cause for at least slight concern. Also I agree that the nutrition required for a mom with triplets is greater during that first 2 or 3 month period, which throws off your attempt to support your livestock on a consistent grassfed basis. So I I think it is better to select for consistent healthy twinning on a many times per year basis, rather than large (triplet) litters. I have a few ewes who give consistent triplets, and I find myself not looking forward to those births. But when I see a large healthy, uniform sized set of twins, I always breathe a sigh of relief, and feel confident that they and their mother will be fine on whatever forage I have to offer. Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] A new way that things can go wrong
Unexpectedly, this morning I lost a healthy 5-day old ram lamb. He was in a lambing jug in the barn with his mother and his twin brother. I have Sydell wire hay baskets that hang over the side of the lamb pen, and that hold about one big flake of hay each. This little lamb got his head stuck in the hay basket, and was suffocated to death between the vertical wire slats of the basket. The wires are all vertical on these baskets, and they get closer together near the bottom. The lamb must have been standing up a little on his back legs when he started curiously eating the hay, and he must have put his head all the way through the wires. When he couldn't pull his head out, he probably crouched down a little, which only made things worse. I found him sitting up tall on his rump with his head in the wire basket. It broke my heart to have a little one die in what we think should be the safest place in the world. He was still warm when I found him, but I was unable to revive him. What would I recommend? Probably putting the hay basket up just a little higher so that small lambs cannot get to the place where their heads will actually go in between the wires, even when climbing up on their back legs. But ultimately, like seat belts and baby car seats, we can try but we cannot protect ourselves, our families, and our livestock from everything that can go wrong. At least it helps to be aware that these things can, and do, happen every once in a while. Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Digest, Vol 3, Issue 102
Karen, I have seen this set of photos before, and they are truly incredible! However, when I went to the web site that you indicated below, it did not take me to the photos. Could you please double check the link to give readers the best chance to see these awesome photos! It is a tribute to the true protection ability of these livestock guardian animals, in case anyone had any doubts. Sincerely, Mary Swindell At 02:21 PM 8/8/2007, you wrote: Message: 1 Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 01:44:12 EDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Blackbelly] Mule vs. Mountain Lion To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII For those of you who ever wondered about using mules for livestock protection, for those that already have them, take a look at this!! Karen Winsper's Funny Farm Spokane, WA A couple from Montana were out riding on the range, he with his rifle and she (fortunately) with her camera. Their dogs always followed them, but on this occasion a Mountain Lion decided that he wanted to stalk the dogs (you'll see the dogs in the background watching). Very, very bad decision... The hunter got off the mule with his rifle and decided to shoot in the air to scare away the lion, but before he could get off a shot the lion charged in and decided he wanted a piece of those dogs. With that, the mule took off and decided he wanted a piece of that lion.. That's when all hell broke loose...for the lion. As the lion approached the dogs the mule snatched him up by the tail and started whirling him around. Banging its head on the ground on every pass. Then he dropped it, stomped on it and held it to the ground by the throat. The mule then got down on his knees and bit the thing all over a couple of dozen times to make sure it was dead, then whipped it into the air again, walked back over to the couple (that were stunned in silence) and stood there ready to continue his ride.. as if nothing had just happened. Fortunately even though the hunter didn't get off a shot, his wife got off these 4... ** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour -- ___ This daily digest is from the Blackbelly mailing list. Visit this list's home page at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info/ End of Blackbelly Digest, Vol 3, Issue 102 ** ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Swollen Jaw
Hi Elaine, I agree with Dayna that it sounds like your ewe has a classic case of bottle jaw, which is a condition seen in sheep with a heavy worm load. You should worm her as soon as possible. Sometimes bottle jaw can appear rather suddenly, but it is usually a serious sign that something needs to be done right away. I am having the same symptoms with one of my 4-month old lambs, and it appeared suddenly this morning. Right away, I got some Panacur wormer in her, and I am hoping for the best. Good luck to you! Sincerely, Mary Swindell At 02:23 PM 8/3/2007, you wrote: Message: 1 Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 17:11:17 -0500 From: Elaine Wilson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Blackbelly] Swollen Jaw To: blackbelly blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII One of our ewes has had something odd going on with her jaw for about a week now. At the end of the day, directly below her jaw it looks like a small water balloon. It doesn't go down to the throat area, just from what would be directly below her front teeth to the back of her mouth. By morning it is gone. She has gotten very thin over the last week or so. She doesn't appear to have a problem eating, though she is normally one of the more aggressive eaters if they are given grain or alfalfa or corn stalks and now she isn't as pushy as usual, tends to wait until the feeding frenzy is just about over. She is currently nursing two ram lambs who were born on July 2 and I haven't seen them having any problems nursing. The only other thing I can think of that has changed is that they have had access to ungrazed pasture area for about the same time period as the problem has been occurring. The pasture doesn't appear to have anything different growing in it from what they have been exposed to when we open up/rotate new feeding areas (with sheep panels). It's just strange that it shows up and then goes away. Has anyone else ever experienced this or know what may be causing it? ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Roxy's Lambing Photos
On March 18th, 2007 Bellwether farm Barbados Blackbelly ewe Roxy VSU #2006 gave birth to healthy twin ram lambs. It was a sunny day, Roxy was in just the right spot, and I captured it all on film. To see this incredible photo series, go to my web site at http://bellwetherfarm.com/Roxy's%20Lambing.htm Sincerely, Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 or (618) 967-5046 www.bellwetherfarm.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Spring 2007 Barbados Blackbelly Lambs at Bellwether Farm
We have 50 beautiful polled, purebred Barbados Blackbelly lambs available at Bellwether Farm in southern Illinois as a result of the spring 2007 lambing program. These lambs were born between the first week in March and the 10th of April. They are all registerable, and they will be available for pickup or shipment at 3 months of age. For most lambs, this would mean a pickup date of around July 1st. These lambs were bred from 3 different ram bloodlines: Teddy, Ulysses, and St. Lucy VSU. They are listed on the what's new page of my website at www.bellwetherfarm.com. I will soon post individual lamb pictures to my web site, so you will be able to get a look at them too. You can go to the web site now and look at the sire and dam photos. All lambs will sell for $125.00 each. A 50% deposit is required to reserve lambs. If you need health inspection papers, those costs should also be included in your deposit. I will be glad to answer any questions you may have if you'll e-mail me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or call me at (618) 893-4568 (home) or (618) 967-5046. Sincerely, Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) (618) 967-5046 (cell) [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.bellwetherfarm.com ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Ewe giving two separate births
Peg, Thanks for writing about your friend's Dorset. I have also heard from two other people that this unusual separation of birthing times can happen in sheep, in dogs and in humans as well. The great news this morning is that my ewe actually did deliver healthy, normal sized twin ewe lambs today at 7:00 a.m. They are quite lively and doing fine, and the mother seems to have a large udder and plenty of milk this time! I guess stranger things have happened, but this is pretty unusual! Her ram lamb was born on March 13, and the twin ewe lambs were born on April 10. Both were sired by the same ram. I think I mentioned we did a manual exam on March 15 to see if there was anything inside her. Good thing we didn't poke around too much then! Here's a question for everyone: Would I refer to this ewe's babies as a single plus twins, or should I refer to them as triplets?? Mary Swindell At 06:02 PM 4/9/2007, you wrote: Message: 1 Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2007 16:43:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Peg Haese KB9LIE [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [blackbelly] Ewe Pregnant Twice? To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Hi, Mary, friends of ours had a Dorset who lambed twice, 17 days or one cycle apart. They knew both lambs were hers for sure. Both were healthy. I have heard about that happening to other ewes also. Rare but not impossible. Please keep us posted on the ewe's condition. Peg Haese in chilly SW Wisconsin --- Mary Swindell wrote: Does anyone know if there is a chance that a ewe can lamb twice? Is it possible that she could have maintained a pregnancy with other lambs after birthing one fully developed lamb early? The first lamb was born March 13, so this is almost a month later. Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) (618) 967-5046 (cell) [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.bellwetherfarm.com ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Ewe Pregnant Twice?
Breeder Friends, I hope you can help me with a strange problem. I have a ewe who gave birth to a large (6.75 lb.) and healthy single ram lamb on March 13th. Her earliest possible 5-month due date was April 1st, so this lamb was 18 days premature. My ewe had no milk at all. After keeping the lamb with her for a week and switching to bottle feeding him, we finally grafted him onto another ewe who also had a large single lamb, also had plenty of milk. So far, so good. Both lambs are now large and healthy. However, back to the first ewe. We did a manual exam to determine that there were no other lambs inside her, two days after he was born. She was not dialated much, so the exam was perhaps not as deep or thorough as it might have otherwise been. I also put her on procaine pennecillan G for 5 days, as a precaution to make sure that no infection set in just in case there was something else inside her, since we were not sure why she gave birth so prematurely. We kept her in the lamb pen with her lamb during that time, and then let her out to pasture with the other ewes. I have kept my eye on this ewe ever since that time. This girl seems to be gaining weight each week, to the point where she looks very pregnant, as if she could deliver twins any moment. Her udder is still not bagging up, but she is beginning to walk like ewes walk (back legs slightly apart) in late stages of pregnancy. She appears healthy, and is eating and drinking just fine. But she has often come back into the barn by herself to stand near the lamb jugs where the new mothers and newborn lambs are kept, as if she is looking for her lamb. This morning again I shooed her out of the barn two or three times. She doesn't seem to care about being with the rest of the flock right now -- she is acting just like a ewe about to give birth, and she certainly looks like it too. Does anyone know if there is a chance that a ewe can lamb twice? Is it possible that she could have maintained a pregnancy with other lambs after birthing one fully developed lamb early? The first lamb was born March 13, so this is almost a month later. Honestly I would call the vet, but there is nothing here to make me think this ewe is unhealthy. I am completely stumped. Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Weigh Sling for adult sheep
Carol, Mid-States Livestock Supply (out of Hutchinson, Kansas) has a very nice adult sheep weigh sling for just $16.00. I use it with my hanging scale and can weigh my adult rams in it. I am completely pleased with its size and strength. It is just like the little lamb sling only much bigger. I think their web site is www.midstateswoolgrowers.com or something like that. Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [blackbelly] Poor Bailey
Hi Oneta, I'm sure sorry to hear about your troubles with Bailey. I want to add my support for the white table sugar poultices. They work great to draw out infection and heal wounds. Here's my story: At the end of September we had a beginner herding clinic at my farm. One of the herding sheep was a little wether who was already sold for slaughter, but the man did not want to have him processed yet, so I was keeping him until he grew a little more. And somehow, he ended up in the herding bunch of sheep. And somehow, he got tired and clumsey, and put his foot through a sharp piece of cattle panel, and ripped all the flesh off the lower part of his front leg. Everything was exposed: Veins, arteries, tendons, yuck! He bled and bled, and was unable to get up. We discussed putting him down on the spot, he was bleeding so bad. But to buy ourselves some time, we poured betadine into the wound, bandaged it up pretty good, and wrapped it fairly tight, and put him away in a quiet small space to rest. We did manage to get the bleeding stopped within 24 hours. But still there was the big issue of infection. I had decided not to put antibiotics in him since we might have to put him down suddenly, and the man who purchased him would need to have the meat processed right away. It kind of made the treatment method uncertain. Also, since he wasn't a breeding animal, I wasn't gung ho about spending money for a vet outcall on him. But it happened that the vet was coming out in 2 days for an interstate transport health inspection on some other sheep anyhow, so I had him look at this little wether while he was here. I explained my dilemma about not being able to use antibiotics. He said, Lets try this age-old sugar poultice method, I have seen it work miraculously on another animal that we thought surely would never live. On that animal, everything was exposed right down to the leg bones. And after we did the sugar poultices for 2 weeks, the animal healed up to the point where you truly could not tell he had ever been injured. He said it was a lot of work, because each day (or every 2 days) you would have to take the bandage off, gently pour water over the wound to rinse out the old sugar, and then sprinkle a generous pile of new white sugar directly on the open wound, and put a clean new bandage on it. We used the biggest sterile gauze bandages and mediwrap, wrapped just tight enough but not too tight. The vet told me that with this method, if the little guy began to go down, then we could butcher him immediately and the meat would be good. So I kept the little guy in a small lot with another wether for a friend, and fed him as normal. I moved all the other sheep to another area so he would have no stress. And every other day, I would bring him in to a small pen and rinse, re-pack and replace his bandage as the vet indicated. I used a small watering can with a long spout to rinse the wound (no touching). And I just had a good supply of sugar ready in a little can, and I sprinkled it over the wound and let it mound up. I never touched the wound with anything, just gently laid the fresh bandage over the new sugar. In two weeks, I was able to take off the bandage for good. During this time, his skin turned from red to pink, then the normal gray-brown color, and then hair began to grow back. It was truly amazing. Not one drop of antibiotics were used, and truthfully, we never even used any antiseptic after the first day of injury (no more betadine, alcohol, or anything). The sugar did it all. Good luck with your situation! Mary Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) (618) 967-5046 (cell) [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.bellwetherfarm.com ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Announcing...the BBSAI Book of Registry
Good news for Blackbelly breeders! The BBSAI Book of Registry is now available in print! This document is a complete listing of all American Blackbelly and Barbados Blackbelly sheep in the BBSAI registry database, since the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep Association International was started in the mid-1990s. This document contains pedigree information on 1,100 AB and BB sheep registered during this 10-year period, up to the present time. The Book of Registry is a valuable tool for anyone wanting to research pedigree information on their own stock, or wanting to research various bloodlines to gather information or to purchase more stock. The Book of Registry includes all sheep registered through the first of October 2006. The data is divided into 4 sets: 1) a sort by registration number; 2) a sort by breeder; 3) a sort by all horned stock (AB), then all polled stock (BB), and registration number within these two categories; and 4) a sort by all horned stock, then all polled stock and by breeder within these two categories. The Book of Registry also includes a list of breeders who have consented to have their names appear on the BBSAI web site, together with their contact information. And the Book includes a guide to the use of the document, together with an interpretation of the various parts of the BBSAI registration number. The document is spiral bound, 8 1/2 x 11 with a color glossy front and back glossy cover. It is approximately 82 pages long, and is available to all BBSAI members and to the general public at a cost of $15.00 per copy. If you would like to order a copy of the BBSAI Book of Registry, please make your check for $15.00 payable to BBSAI, and send your order to: BBSAI c/o Mary Swindell, Secretary/Treasurer 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Barbados Blackbelly Ewe Lambs and Ram Lambs Available
I have several registered Barbados Blackbelly (polled) ewe lambs and ram lambs available. These lambs are from excellent registered BB bloodlines, and are some of the nicest quality BB stock in the country. They were born between 6/14/06 and 8/07/06. Most will be available for pickup or shipment by October 1st. They will sell for $125.00 each. There is a 50% deposit required to hold them. I will ship if desired (buyer pays shipping charges). Please call or write for details. Pictures and pedigree information available upon request. Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [blackbelly] blackbelly Digest, Vol 2, Issue 93
CD/T is the combination injection to vaccinate against Clostridium Perfringens types C and D (overeating disease), and also against Tetnus. I give one shot (2 ml) subcutaneously at 2 weeks old, and a second shot (2 ml) at 4 weeks old. Some breeders also vaccinate their adult ewes once each year, but I do not do that. Mary Swindell At 12:13 PM 5/15/2006 -0700, you wrote: Message: 3 Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 14:18:04 -0400 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [blackbelly] colostrum feeding To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed From: Nancy Richardson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cecil, I agree with you. I raised 30 bottle babies last year and the same again this year,. 99% never having any of the moms colostrum. My question (since I have my first bottle baby) is when do you give the first CD/T shot to these lambs? Elaine Haas Message: 5 Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 02:58:43 -0400 From: Stephanie Jones [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [blackbelly] colostrum feeding To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 What is CD/T ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] How Breed Affects Sheep Behavior to Working Dogs
Hello folks, This morning someone on one of the sheep herding listserves posted the URL of a nice article by Dr. Mike Neary, extension sheep specialist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. In addition to his expertise in sheep management, Dr. Neary is also well-known in the Border Collie world as a top quality stockdog handler and competition trialler. http://www.littlehats.net/neary01.html This article has some excellent insights into sheep behavior in response to dogs and humans. The article also identifies differences in certain behaviors among the various hair sheep and wooly sheep breeds. Included in this article is a nice discussion of Barbados sheep as well as other hair sheep breeds. I thought you might find it interesting. Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] NAIP Tagging
Carol, Do you know whether the tamper-proof Premier scrapie tags (for the voluntary scrapie-free certification program) are likely to be acceptable for the NAIP? Mary Swindell At 12:05 PM 10/10/2005 -0700, you wrote: Message: 1 Date: Sun, 09 Oct 2005 15:14:13 -0600 From: Carol J. Elkins [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [blackbelly] Stan Potratz' summary of the NAIP tagging To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Stan Potratz, owner of Premier Fencing (http://www.premier1supplies.com) spent last week in Chicago at the Livestock ID Expo listening to reports from various industry segments regarding the National Animal Identification Program. His summary... For sheep and goats, the existing radio frequency ID (RFID) tags and readers have proven in initial trials to not be up to the task of a national tracking system. They are problem-prone and costly. It might cost the sheep industry over $15 million per year ($3.75 per breeding ewe/year) for the RFID tag, time to install/read, private database, and infrastructure. That's five times the cost of the lamb checkoff. And unlike the checkoff it provides few obvious financial benefits. So sheep and goat industry leaders feel we should stay with the visual scrapie system for now--and make it better. -- ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Regional Oregon Blackbelly Social at Barb Lee's Farm
Hi Barb, Congratulations on such a successful get-together! You really worked hard on that, and you as well as all the folks in your area who attended, should be very proud of your efforts. Part of the continued success for our American Blackbelly and Barbados Blackbelly breeds involves people working together to rally our enthusiasm, and to get good ideas about good breeding practices as well as good ways to promote these beautiful sheep. Thanks for being such an energetic promoter of the breed! Mary Swindell At 12:02 PM 10/2/2005 -0700, you wrote: Message: 1 Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 09:54:40 -0700 From: Barb Lee [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [blackbelly] A GREAT Day for Oregon Blackbellies! To: Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=original What's better than having a flock of blackbellies to love??? Meeting a bunch of other people who are as crazy about them as you are!! Yesterday we had the first ever Oregon Blackbelly Social here in Oregon City. It wasn't a big group, but was it ever full of enthusiasm! Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Three BB ram lambs for sale
I have three Barbados Blackbelly ram lambs for sale. They are all sired by my polled ram Teddy. All three have excellent coloration and confirmation. They all have small scurs of varying size. They will sell for $100.00 each. Here are the details: #107 Zorro. He was born 05/02/05, and is a twin. As of 09/18/05 he has 1.0 horn scurs. His sire is Teddy, and his dam is Ginny maternal granddam is Dora. #110 Claudius. He was born 05/15/05, and is a twin. As of 09/18/05 he has 5/8 horn scurs. His sire is Teddy, and his dam is Dora. #111 Demetrius. He was born 05/15/05, and is a twin. As of yesterday 9/18/05 he has 5/8 horn scurs. His sire is Teddy, and his dam is Dora. Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] BB Herding Wethers For Sale
I have 20 wonderful herding wethers for sale, from polled Barbados Blackbelly stock and scurred American Blackbelly lines. These guys are gentle and are a joy to work with herding dogs. They have been used for herding practice and clinics here and have only been exposed to properly behaved intermediate and advanced dogs, never terrorized nor abused. They move off dogs nicely and are nice, light and independent but not over-reactive. These sheep are what the intermediate to advanced dog handler dreams of. Regretfully, I must get them off my pasture before winter to make room for my ever increasing ewe flock. This group is ONLY for sale to herding uses. Sold as a whole or in small groups. Avail. for pickup after 11/14/05. Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Success in castrating older ram lamb
After receiving some thoughtful advice from good folks who responded to my question several days ago, I was encouraged that it wasn't too late to castrate my 3.5 month old ram lamb. I bought a bigger bander tool (which opened the rubber castration bands wider than my old banding tool), and gave it a try. It turned out to be very easy, and the lamb had no trouble at all. Thank you all for your help! Mary Swindell Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 453-1697 (work) (618) 893-4568 (home) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Vitamin syrup for newborn lambs
Hi Nancy, I don't give vitamin shots, but I give each newborn lamb a couple of squirts of Nutri-Drench for Sheep vitamin syrup, which comes in a plastic 8-oz. pump bottle. Each lamb gets two little squirts in his mouth as soon as I find the lambs, and another 2 squirts the next day (between 12 and 24 hrs. later). It is the color and consistency of molasses, and they seem to like it. Mary Swindell At 12:09 PM 6/10/2005 -0700, you wrote: Message: 2 Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2005 21:12:36 -0500 From: Nancy Richardson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [blackbelly] Shots for Babies To: blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 I don't know if I read it here or on a web page somewhere but they spoke of a special shot loaded with vitamins to give newborns to help then on their way. Does anyone know what this is? I raise allot of Bottle babies as you all know and I want to make them as healthy as possible. Thanks for your help. Nancy ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Question about banding ram lambs in later stages of growth
I have a rather urgent question concerning banding castration of young ram lambs. The ram lamb I want to castrate is 3.5 months old. He is a little too big for the normal elastorator banding equipment that I have. So I have made an appointment to have him surgically castrated for next Monday afternoon. However, a co-worker suggested that I use a calf banding tool and calf rubber band, which she and her husband use. She offered to bring the banding tool and a couple of small calf-sized band into work on Monday. Obviously this idea has some appeal because it would be tons cheaper than taking the little guy (approx. 25 lbs. right now) to the vet on Monday. It is also bloodless when done correctly, and in my opinion, easier. But I am hesitant because I've never heard of sheep folks using calf tools for lambs that have grown too big for the lamb-sized bands. Questions: 1) Is it possible to hurt the lamb if the calf band is not tight enough? That is, what would happen to the lamb if the circulation is not ENTIRELY cut off successfully? 2) Is there a point in the ram lamb's age where this banding process is just too invasive and dangerous, because of his size, activity or hormone level, etc., and where it is just plain better and safer to castrate him surgically? 3) Any other considerations to think about that I might not be aware of? The bottom line is, I have never seen a calf band or the calf banding tool. Maybe once I see it, I'll realize that it is still MUCH too big, and using it on the little Barbados lamb will really be out of the question. I'm hoping someone with more banding experience can give me some quick advice. Thanks in advance, Mary Swindell Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Web Site for Composting Dead Sheep
There is a nice web site showing how to compost dead sheep, including many photos showing the composting results, and how to build the composter. It is by Dr. Lyndon Irwin of Southwest Missouri State University. The site is http://ag.smsu.edu/compcon1.htm You may have to move around the site a little, to get back to his home page. It is all good information. Mary Swindell Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Sheep Handling Equipment
Carol and everyone, I have a sheep chair from Premier, which originally came with the netting hammock-type seat. This was very hazardous, because sheep were always sticking their feet into the netting and getting hopelessly tangled as I tried to position them into the chair for foot trimming. But I got a replacement canvas seat from Midstates Livestock Supply which works much better than the netting, since it is solid fabric. But the sheep chair itself is kind of dangerous, no matter what kind of set is used. This is because a sheep that gets his/her leg caught in one of the holes near the aluminum framework, can break a leg as the sheep is being flipped over on its back. It would be a nasty break, as the entire sheep is being rotated to sit it back into the chair. I have come close a couple of times. Additionally, the act of flipping a sheep over on the ground and setting him on his rear end to trim feet can be a one-person job. But I have found that the same act of flipping a sheep into the sheep chair always becomes a two-person job, because of the above cautions. So between the two options, I think setting him up on the ground is much simpler and safer. So I don't use my sheep chair much anymore. But I'm getting old and arthritic, and am tired of flipping sheep on their rears and bending over for hours to trim feet, etc. The DS Livestock Chute that was demonstrated at the Annual Meeting last year was truly wonderful. We simply marched a sheep up the ramp to the platform, put his head in the head gate, and worked on his feet from a comfortable standing position. When we were done with him, we just opened the front gate (head gate) and he exited by jumping down off the platform. As I recall, the floor of the platform was about 28 - 30 inches off the ground -- just right for easy handling. But I also agree that it is a pretty big financial investment for a small farmer to make, for one piece of welded metal. It has occurred to me that if I were a welder, I could make my own livestock chute, similar to the DS chute. A friend suggested that I could build a livestock chute with a ramp, platform, and head gate from treated wood, which would be just about as good. I'm thinking of trying it. I have built several homemade things for my livestock, which have turned out pretty well. In fact, I was just getting ready to design a wooden model using pictures of the metal version. I'll let everyone know if it turns out OK. Mary Swindell ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Hoof trimmers
Diane, I purchased a dedicated pair of B B hoof trimmers (from Premier Equipment Company), which are especially designed for small hooves. They are great for Blackbelly feet, and help you get much more precision trimming out of your job, without hurting the rather delicate Blackbelly hooves. I think they are about $15.00 apiece. They are also easier on small hands. Mary Swindell At 12:13 PM 4/17/2005 -0700, you wrote: Message: 1 Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 22:42:32 -0400 From: Diane Wright [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [blackbelly] hoof trimming ? To: Blackbelly List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed When using garden pruners as hoof trimmers... do you use the anvil kind? or the by-pass? The anvil kind is used in the garden for dead wood... and cuts flatone sharp blade. The by-pass kind is for green/new growth (in the garden) works more like scissors, two sharp blades passing by each other. I have both kinds... Fiskars... should I buy a pair just for hoof trimming? (will hoof trimming ruin my nice pruners?) Thanks! Diane Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Diane Wright's solid black hair sheep ram
Diane, I have a friend who may want your ram. He is breeding for a solid black hair sheep flock. Please let me know if the ram is still available, and still intact. Thanks, Mary Swindell At 07:04 PM 3/21/2005 -0800, you wrote: Message: 3 Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2005 19:50:43 -0500 From: Diane Wright [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [blackbelly] New Home Wanted! To: Blackbelly List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed I'm in Michigan I have a polled solid black hair sheep ram who needs a new home. I have an appointment for him to be whethered on April 1 (seemed like a fitting date) but if someone WANTS him.. he would be available very reasonably to the right circumstance. Pass the word to your hair sheep friends let me know! Diane http://home.comcast.net/~diwri/Silver_Lining_Farm.html Mary Swindell Bellwether Farm 815 Bell Hill Road Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-4568 (home) (618) 453-1697 (work) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
