Premier Sheep-Goats

07/09/2025

Question:
How long do you feed Deccox? Or do you follow a cycle?

Nutritionist Respnose:
How long to feed Deccox is dependent on what your goal is. For lambs, deccox is fed continuously from creep to finishing. The dosage is .5 mg/kg of bodyweight. So complete feed needs to contain at least 15 grams per ton assuming lambs are eating 3% of their bodyweight. Higher levels of deccox are safe.

For ewes the idea is to feed them deccox in late gestation to lower the cocci levels in the environment. Ewes need the same treatment dose for at least 28 day to clean them out. The other aspect of late gestation is the ewes are stressed and therefore may shed even more coccidia.
– Dr. Dan Morrical, Production Expert - Premier 1 Supplies

07/08/2025

Question:
I have an Australian Bond ewe who has not gotten pregnant although several rams have been tried with her over a 3 year period (they are all successful with other ewes). She is 4 yrs old. We tried the entire CIDR process last year (Lutalyse, CIDR, PG600) with no success. Are there other things we could try such as progesterone injects or something similar? If so, where would I find the products?

Veterinarian Response:
I think you have exhausted all options. I assume that when she was with a ram she was getting marked. If she was she was cycling and unable to maintain a pregnancy or ovulate such that conception can occur. It is highly unlikely that she will every conceive.
– J. L. Goelz, D.V.M.

07/07/2025

Question:
Maggots in hooves: What’s your suggestion for flystrike in hooves? Zinc sulfate footbath?

Veterinarian Response:
The maggots are living off of dead tissue on the hooves. I would aggressively trim the sheep that are limping to get rid of the dead necrotic tissue. If you are not hitting blood on one out of 4 hooves you are not trimming deep enough.

Maggots can easily be killed with screwworm spray or catron spray and I would spray any open wound in a sheep, including feet with footrot during the summer months to prevent flystrike.

Consider comprehensive footrot control in your flock. This should involve quarantine of infected sheep. Footbaths with either zinc sulfate or formaldehyde at the time of pasture rotating, aggressive trimming of infected sheep, using a long acting macrolide antibiotic such as Zactran or Draxin on infected sheep and culling of sheep with repeat infections or chronics. Footrot can only live in the environment for less than 10 days so you can use pasture rotation and moving non-infected sheep to a clean pasture and keeping them free of infection to your advantage.
– J. L. Goelz, D.V.M.

07/03/2025

Question:
Yearling Katahdin ram has developed a cough and has diarrhea. Gave him worn medicine and shot of penicillin yesterday. What else do I need to do and how long should this condition last?

Veterinarian Response:
Take the ram's temperature. If it is over 103.5 switch to a different antibiotic such as Nuflor. If it is under 103.5 then either: 1) penicillin is working and continue to treat for 3 days or 2) there is not a systemic infection and antibiotics are not necessary. If diarrhea does not clear up in 2 days take a f***l sample to your vet to confirm that there isn't roundworm eggs or coccidia oocysts. If not have the f***s cultured for Salmonella.
– J. L. Goelz, D.V.M.

07/02/2025

Question:
What is the best way to take a temp in sheep? So when the temp gets to 106-107 it is ok to immerse in cold water?

The neurological signs were definitely there and death was definitely quick. She could not overcome whatever it was. We lost a really good sheep. She was actually a donor, but I am glad that the death was quick as she was definitely suffering.

Veterinarian Response:
Best way to take the temp is with a re**al thermometer. This is the same type of thermometer that is used for humans. While cold water immersion is what they do for humans and companion animals it is not what I would recommend for sheep as it is cumbersome and the sheep are not cooperative. Best alternative is to apply cold water to the groin area and armpits (areas that are woolless).
– J. L. Goelz, D.V.M.

07/01/2025

Question:
My ram starting butting the corners of my pole barn. His head would bleed and now he has a 3 inch diameter knot on the right side of his head. It is easily manipulated and bleeds very easily. Is it a hematoma? Can I drain it? I couldn't sell him looking this way or send him to the auction. I am at my wit's end.

Veterinarian Response:
Yes it is likely a hematoma. My guess is that it itches and the ram will continue to rub it on posts as it bothers him. This will be very difficult to heal as the ram likely will not leave it alone.
– J. L. Goelz, D.V.M.

06/30/2025

Question:
Is Vitamin E a year round requirement for sheep trace mineral?
I have been using it this winter, per your suggestion, mixed with the Gold Formula TM.
Our sheep are entirely on pasture and I wasn't sure if adding Vitamin E in Summer was necessary. Our grass in Southern Illinois is growing with a good 8 to 10 inches in some places.

Nutritionist Response:
Once sheep are on green grass you can remove Vitamin E from trace mineral salt. They also no longer need Vitamin A or D as well.
– Dr. Dan Morrical, Production Expert - Premier 1 Supplies

06/27/2025

Question:
We have a flock of Dorsets (40 ewes) and all the ewes, spring and fall lambs, and rams are rubbing profusely. They are all rubbing their sides and backs, whatever they can rub, on gates, trees, etc. In some cases they are also rubbing the backs of their butts or legs on water tanks, feeders, etc.

What do you think it might be and how can I get rid of it? I've administered a dose of Dectomax to every animal about two to three weeks ago.

Veterinarian Response:
I would pour the ewes with an insecticide. I would repour them in two weeks to get hatching eggs.
– J. L. Goelz, D.V.M.

Pour-on which controls lice and flies on beef cattle, lactating and non-lactating dairy cattle and calves when applied as a pour-on, mist spray or back rubber.

06/26/2025

Question:
I am breeding Katahdin ewe lambs and wanted to know if it's better to go off of age or weight when determining if they should be bred fall or in spring. My plan was that I would sort the ewe lambs by weight and only breed ewe lambs that are 95 pounds and larger. The whole group will be 7 - 8 months old at time of breeding. Can they be bred at a lower weight? My full grown ewes are on average 150 pounds.

Production Response:
Age is main factor dictating when ewe lambs reach puberty. You are correct and we want them weigh at 65% of the dams weight to insure they reach puberty and breed. Smaller ewe lambs can be exposed. I would sort them off after breeding and feed them better to help them catch up on size and weight. Small ewe lambs tend to be stunted in their mature size if bred too little with out extra feed.

If they have not reached puberty and they are not bred in December, I doubt that they will cycle and breed in spring. The last suggestion is to wean them earlier and push them harder to get them big enough. This could be better lactation nutrition for the dam's or feeding the weaned ewe lambs more supplementation. Lastly control of internal parasites can make big difference on weight and gains.
– Dr. Dan Morrical, Production Expert - Premier 1 Supplies

06/25/2025

Question:
How to improve fertility on ewes?

Production Response:
There are many ways to improve ewe fertility. Nutrition and crossbreeding being the two most important. Exposing for lambing in the peak of the breeding season. Making sure rams are sound and active. Making sure they have passed a breeding soundness exam. Not only is body condition important but also critical micro minerals and vitamins.
– Dr. Dan Morrical, Production Expert - Premier 1 Supplies

06/20/2025

Question:
I have a two year old ewe, after lambing her bag was hard with little milk. I checked her temp, its normal and the little bit of milk I get from her is clean without mastitis. I give her a shot of oxytocin her milk comes down, udder softens and the lambs get full- I come out a few hours later and the udder is hard and the lambs are hungry. I checked her temp again this morning still normal and the udder isn't hot and the milk is clean. I am wondering if you have any ideas on what could be going on with her. The ewes are on free choice salt mixed with the selenium/iodine mix you sell.

Veterinarian Response:
Take a good look at the teat ends and be sure that there isn't soremouth lesions present. Also will she allow the lambs to suck without oxytocin? When you try to strip out milk does she dance around or stand normal.

When you or the lambs stimulate the teats she should release oxytocin which causes the smooth muscle in the udder gland to contract and deliver milk to the teat sinus. It sounds that she is not releasing oxytocin on her own. Ewes can prevent the release if they are frightened, agitated or in pain, which is why I asked the first questions. After giving oxytocin she is letting milk down and the lambs are suckling so everything in the udder is normal. Here becomes the problem: With repeated doses of oxytocin she will become dependent on it to let milk down and will not unless you administer it. This can be done but is obviously not a very good long term solution. If this is her first lambing there is a chance that she will figure it out. If she has lambed previously, her future is in question.

In the short term you probably want to give oxytocin every eight hours unless she is letting down on her own. You only need 1/10th of the dose that you would give for uterine contractions. 1/2 mL is plenty.
– J. L. Goelz, D.V.M.

06/19/2025

Question:
Can the sore mouth virus go internal on sheep as the shingles virus can on humans?

Veterinarian Response:
No, as far as I know it does not have the propensity to affect nerves as the shingles form of the human chicken pox virus. It can, rarely, appear to go systemic and result in sheep having lesions all over their body (almost like leprosy in the bible). However it is still a dermal lesion, unlike the shingles lesion in humans which affects nerves.
– J. L. Goelz, D.V.M.