Fall and early Winter, when the seasonal workload lessens, is often a good time to focus on our sheep supply inventory. We usually think of this when getting ready for lambing, but as shepherds we should always be prepared throughout the year for emergencies, mishaps, and unforeseen circumstances. Having some key supplies on-hand can prevent undue delay in necessary treatment and management of your flock. Following is a list of important items shepherds should have on hand, including basic handling equipment.
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Support Network
Veterinarian – Probably the most important “tool” is a good working relationship with a veterinarian. It’s best to establish a relationship with a veterinarian before one is needed. Delayed treatment can result in prolonged injury, illness, or death. Building a trusted relationship between shepherd and veterinarian should begin well before lambing season. Schedule a farm visit/consultation and be prepared with questions regarding protocols for common problems and what medications or supplies are recommended.
County Extension and/or conservation district – These groups are a valuable resource and can provide support with pasture management, nutrition, manure management, fencing, water resources, etc.
Equipment & Facilities
Crook – A crook is very handy when attempting to catch an individual animal. Neck and leg crooks are available.
Fence panels – Portable sheep fence panels can be used to build pens for various uses. Metal or wood can be used, as long as they can be moved easily. Even sections of hog panels can be used in a pinch. You frequently don’t need a permanent pen, just the ability to set one up, preferably in shade, when needed.
Halter – A means to secure an animal is important. This can be with done with a rope halter, special sheep halter, neck rope or collar and lead. Animals should not be left tied up unsupervised as they can injure or strangle themselves.
Headgate for ewes – Useful if a ewe rejects a lamb, or to aid in grafting an unrelated lamb.
Mineral feeder- Loose mineral should be available to sheep at all times. A special feeder keeps the mineral clean and dry.
Water tanks/automatic waterers/buckets – Sheep should always have access to fresh, clean water. This is especially important for lactating ewes, when feeding hay, and in hot weather.
Basic Supplies
Drench gun – Used to administer liquid oral meds, specifically dewormers, they are available in various sizes from 10cc to 60cc. It’s good to have several in different sizes on hand.
Hoof trimmers – The frequency of hoof trimming is dependent on climate, terrain, nutrition, and genetics. Most shepherds trim at least once per year. It’s important to inspect hooves regularly for overgrowth, splitting or signs of infection. The hooves of ewes and breeding rams should be inspected and/or trimmed a few weeks prior to breeding. A tilt table or hoof trimming deck chair can facilitate hoof trimming by restraining the animal.
Latex gloves – Disposable gloves reduce the risk of transferring bacteria from sheep to human and from human to sheep. They are especially important when treating open wounds or suspected infectious diseases and when assisting with lambing or collecting fecal samples.
Marking crayon – Marking sticks or chalk are handy to temporarily mark animals when sorting, treating, or collecting samples.
Needles– It’s useful to have several sizes of needles; 20g and 18g are common. Smaller gauges are larger needles and work best with thicker medications like antibiotics, while higher gauge needles are smaller and work well with vaccines.
Plastic boots – Disposable plastic boot covers are an inexpensive way to enhance biosecurity for visitors to the farm or when visiting other farms. Disinfectant boot wash is an alternative.
Scale – A hanging lamb scale can be used to weigh newborn and young lambs. A livestock scale is useful for weighing older lambs and adults. Having accurate weights is important for calculating medication and deworming doses and for monitoring growth.
Syringes – It’s useful to have several sizes of syringes, such as 3cc, 6cc, and 12cc for various medications.
Thermometer – Normal rectal temperature for sheep is 102.5 degrees F. There is variation between animals and during extremely hot or cold weather. Consult your veterinarian for temperatures that are concerning and may require treatment.
Lambing
Betadine/Triadine – Helps disinfect and dry naval cords and can be used as an antiseptic for minor cuts/scrapes.
Bottles/nipples – Used to supplement colostrum and/or milk when a ewe’s milk flow is inadequate or absent. They are also used to feed orphan lambs. Pritchard teats are smaller and widely used on very young lambs and fit many beverage bottles.
Calcium supplement – Available in oral paste or sterile liquid for IM/IV use. Consult your veterinarian for treatment protocol and dosage.
Castrating tools – Used to castrate lambs. A ring expander with “o” rings is used on young lambs 2-7 days old. The ring acts as a tourniquet to stop the blood flow to the scrotum, which will slough off in 7-14 days. An emasculator can be used to crush the spermatic cords on somewhat older lambs.
Colostrum replacer and/or supplement – It is important that lambs receive adequate colostrum within the first few hours after birth as they lose the ability to absorb the antibodies in colostrum after 24 hours. Colostrum replacer and supplement are different products for different uses and having some on hand is cheap insurance. Replacer is designed for use when the ewe has little or no colostrum, while colostrum supplement provides supplemental immunity and nutrition to the newborn lambs of ewes who have colostrum but not enough.
Ear Tags – Used to identify individual animals. Lambs are usually tagged at or around birth. Blank tags with handwritten ID’s are needed when an animal loses their original tag. Official USDA Scrapie tags are necessary for any animal leaving the farm and require a State Premises ID.
Feeding tube/catheter tip syringe – When lambs are weak and unwilling or unable to nurse, a feeding tube can be used to get colostrum into the lamb quickly. The ewe can be milked directly into most 60cc or 120cc catheter tip syringes. If lambs are really cold, you should warm them up before tube feeding. Never try to tube feed an unconscious lamb.
Lamb puller and/or OB leg snare – Aids in delivery of large lambs or malpresentations.
Lamb sling and scale – A handheld scale is used with a lamb sling or cradle for birth weights on newborn lambs. Most can be used on lambs up to 40-60 lbs, although a larger sling may be necessary.
Lime – Garden lime neutralizes urine ammonia in wet bedding/soil and is especially useful in lambing jugs to prevent respiratory problems in newborn lambs.
Lubricant – Protects delicate tissue by reducing friction from hands and gloves and makes dry lambs easier to pull with less tissue damage to the ewe. It is useful when cleaning off and replacing prolapses and collecting fecal samples. KY-Jelly or OB lubricant can be used and is usually available from farm supply stores. Soap should not be used as a lubricant as it can dry out sensitive tissue.
Milk replacer – Milk replacer is used for orphan lambs or to supplement lambs from large litters. It does not have the same nutrients as colostrum replacer, and the two should not be used interchangeably.
Nutri-drench or similar concentrated vitamin and energy supplement – This is especially useful for weak or cold lambs and can even be used for older animals stressed by pregnancy toxemia, parasites, or any condition where the sheep is off feed.
Panels to create lambing jugs – Panels can be metal or wood but should be light enough to move easily. A 5’x5′ pen is sufficient for most situations. Be sure the openings are small enough that a lamb can’t squeeze through or get a head caught.
Prolapse harness – A vaginal prolapse is a protrusion of the ewe’s vagina through the vulva. When properly fitted, a prolapse harness prevents the ewe from straining and pushing out the prolapse again. Success is best achieved if treated early when the prolapse is small. Although a ewe should be able to lamb past a prolapse harness, it’s best to remove when the ewe is in labor.
Propylene glycol – Emergency treatment for twin lambing disease (pregnancy toxemia). Consult a veterinarian for treatment protocol and dosage.
Towels – Clean towels in various sizes can be used to dry off hands and wet, chilled newborn lambs when needed or to improve grip when pulling slippery lambs.
Warming devices – A way to warm chilled lambs, such as heat lamps, coats (either purchased or cut from old sweatshirt sleeves), warming box or warming bottles. Each method has its own pros and cons.
Therapeutics and First Aid
Antibiotics: (currently available over the counter):
For more information, please visit Aobiao.
Anti-inflammatory (Banamine, Prevail, Meloxicam) – Treatment for pain, inflammation, and fever reduction (requires prescription).
Antiseptics – Livestock supply stores provide a variety of antiseptic sprays, solutions, and ointments for use on sheep. Use as directed.
Bloat Treatment – Most common in bottle lambs. A premixed bloat treatment can be purchased; or use a baking soda & water mixture given via feeding tube.
Dewormers – There are three common classes of anthelmintics (dewormers): benzimidazoles or “white dewormers” (Valbazen, Safeguard); macrocyclic lactones (Ivomec, Cydectin); and imidathiazoles (levamisole, Prohibit). For more information on parasitism and proper use of dewormers see https://www.wormx.info/
Dextrose – For administration of fluids/carbohydrates and as a sterile solution for the administration of IV medications.
Leg splints – Purchased splints can be used or you can use tongue depressors or pipe insulation sleeves and PVC pipe (cut in two pieces) with cotton padding depending on the size needed.
Sharps container- All sharps (i.e., needles, scalpel blades, etc.) must be disposed of properly in a puncture-proof and leak-proof container. These can be purchased at Walmart or a farm supply store. A hard plastic household container, such as an empty bleach container, can be used. For more details on proper disposal see https://extension.sdstate.edu/where-do-sharps-go
Vitamins/Minerals:
Vaccinations:
Vet Wrap – Used to wrap and stabilize leg injuries or to secure dressings.
Breeding
Marking Harness and Crayons – Marking crayons make visible marks on the ewes to indicate which have been mounted during breeding. Crayons can be used on all the rams, changing to a different color after 15-17 days to identify any ewes that are cycling a second time. Another option is to only use the marking harness on the cleanup ram to identify open ewes. In smaller flocks, it’s possible to write down the ear tag numbers and calculate estimated lambing dates.
Raddle Paint – Serves the same purpose as a marking harness and works well on smaller ram lambs. Can be purchased pre-mixed or as a powder to combined with an oil, then rubbed onto the ram’s brisket. It needs to be applied every 2-5 days, so you’ll need a way to catch the ram to reapply.
Finally, always have a plan to humanely euthanize sheep that are beyond help or lambs with severe birth defects. Include a plan to dispose of the carcass safely and legally.
By: EAPK Communications Committee
updated 4/13/
There is well known saying, “Good Fences make Good Neighbors.” This is especially true for livestock owners. But what makes a good fence and what makes a bad fence? What type of fence should your farm have? Every farm or homestead has different needs, and each type of animal has different fencing needs. What works well for a horse may not work for a sheep. Be warned that goats, especially, need good fences.
If you don’t have good fencing, chaos can ensue. Pure chaos. Think about having cows, goats, and horses hanging out on your back patio.
Post and rail fencing is the most iconic of all horse fences. Unless post-and-rail also has electric or cattle panel then it is not appropriate for other small homestead animals who can escape under the lowest rail or between rails. Field fencing, electric, and cattle panel also work for horses. Be aware that horses who paw on a cattle panel fence may be prone to getting their hooves stuck in the cattle panel squares. This has not been a problem at Mossygoat Farm, but the possibility must be considered. No Climb is a type of high tensile field fence designed so that horses cannot get their hooves through. No Climb is a more expensive option but suitable for all livestock and chickens.
The electric fence needs of horses are minimal, and most fence chargers should be sufficient. Most horses can successfully be kept with a charger with only half a joule of stored energy per mile. Fence chargers usually list two numbers. The first number is the number of miles the charger will keep cover. Remember, when talking about the distance for a fence, it is the total number of miles of fencing used and not the distance the fence runs. If you run 5-strand electric, then you need to multiply the distance of the fence by five. Fence chargers also list the output in joules. The higher number of joules indicates a higher voltage output.
Is it okay to use barbed wire with horses? No, and yes. Barbed wire can severely injure horses and should be avoided. It should never be used in a confined area. What do you do if you buy a property with barbed wire? While it is not best, it is okay to leave the barbed wire in a large field until you can afford to put up a better fence. Mossygoat Farm still has a few stretches with barbed wire and no horse has ever harmed themselves, even the accident-prone ones.
Goats are notoriously the hardest homestead animal to keep behind a fence. They are smart, mischievous, and don’t mind being shocked. They will show you the weakest part of your fences. They are also excellent jumpers.
When you are choosing an electric fence for goats, do not focus on the miles of fence but focus on the joules. Goats need an absolute minimum of 8 joules, or 5,000 volts. If you are only fencing 1/4 of an acre and the fence charger says “8 joules, 100 miles” then it still is the fence charger for you.
Larger goats do well with cattle panel fencing although small kids can sometimes slip through the squares. Field fencing also works well for goats, especially when combined with an electric strand or two. Some goats are excellent jumpers, and these goats will need a top strand of electric to help discourage them.
The fencing needs of cattle somewhat depends on the breed and temperament. Brahmas may be able to be contained with a single wire 2’ off the ground because they can’t be bothered to step over the wire. Angus bulls, however, need much more fence. Dairy cattle breeds are generally easier to fence than beef cattle. Cows can actually be pretty hard on fences.
On the range, most cattle are contained with barbed wire. Electric fences on the range are not practical due to the length of the fence and grounding issues with dry soil. Barbed wire is not really suitable for most farms or homesteads unless they only run cattle and are located in a dry scrub area. Barbed wire is inexpensive, but it is dangerous for horses and small livestock.
Most cattle do well with electric and unless you own small livestock you can get away with 2 or 3 strands. Cattle generally need 1 joule or greater per mile of fence. Cattle are larger animals and require taller fences, generally about 4’. Cattle panel and field fencing are also suitable for cattle although field fencing should have a top strand of electric to discourage jumping and pushing against the fence. Cattle are strong and they will push against a fence if they think the grass is greener on the other side. Cattle can, and will, push a field fence down if it is old or not installed properly.
Cattle panel fencing is much stronger than field fencing and is generally recommended for cattle over field fencing. Cattle can push against field fencing and stretch or ruin the fence if there is not electricity or barbed wire run with the field fencing. Cattle panel fencing is designed for…cattle. You can occasionally find cattle panel fencing with a smaller distance at the bottom between wires. Most panel fencing sold this way is actually hog panel, which is much shorter than cattle panel. In my area it is rare to find new cattle panel with narrow spacing.
Sheared sheep do well with electric fences. Even though wool technically conducts electricity, it still provides a sheep with a lot of insulation. They can take advantage of large spaces between wires or low voltage. Generally, it is recommended that a charger have a minimum of 3 joules per mile or higher.
Sheep attract predators. When choosing a fence for sheep you need to take into consideration the predators. Rather than choosing an electric fence strength for sheep, you may want to choose an electric fence that will keep out cougars, coyotes, and other predators. If predators are a problem, choose an 8 or 10 joule fence per mile of fencing.
Livestock Guardian Dogs, or LGDs, have their own fencing needs. For example, a Great Pyrenees can climb fences and can jump 5’. A dog needs to be trained to electric fence before you rely on the fence to keep the dog in boundaries.
If you are wondering if a Great Pyrenees is the right choice for your homestead you can read about them here. In that article I also cover why they are called Great Disappearanees.
Fencing is not as simple as putting in a fence and keeping all your livestock magically inside and the predators out. Fencing needs can also change over time. A farm that currently has sheep may choose to have cattle in the future. Perimeter fences need to be stronger than cross fencing. Predators also need to be taken into consideration, especially with sheep and chickens.
What fence is best for your homestead depends on many factors. Budget is always a factor. Consider fencing to be a major investment and not something to be done as cheaply as possible. If you run a homestead business, fencing is deductible on your taxes. You can either take a section 179 deduction or depreciate the cost over several years.
Terrain, vegetation, and climate also play a role in what is the most appropriate fence type for your homestead.
Electric fences can be a lesser expensive option to install but they must be installed properly and have grounding. Dry soil can lead to grounding problems. It is not unheard of to water grounding poles in the summer in dry climates. Wet vegetation against electric fencing is also a factor. Animals will not graze near an electric fence so vegetation will need to be cut back. At Mossygoat Farm we run 5-strand electric that has 4 grounding rods. The grounding rods are located near a year-round pond and are always wet. The 2nd wire up on this fence is also a grounding wire.
For an electric fence to work, it must be installed properly. Likely you have heard horror stories of electric fences failing. Usually this is due to grounding issues. Gallagher brand has a free installation guide that can be found at retailers who sell Gallagher fencing. Even if you choose not to buy a Gallagher brand charger, this guide is a wealth of information needed to properly install an electric fence.
If you have an electric fence charger that is not working properly, be sure to check out Fencer Fixer. This is not a paid advertisement but rather a shout out to an excellent small business to work with.
Field fencing works for most homestead animals but requires excellent corner bracing and is slightly more expensive to install than electric. Field fencing sometimes needs to be fortified with electric because livestock can push against it. Field fencing can stretch and develop holes over time. Despite the problems, it often is an excellent choice, especially those who live in an area where electric is not possible.
There are many different qualities of field fence. Buy the highest quality and sturdiest field fence you can afford. Fencing is not an area to try to save money. Field fencing that is inexpensive is cheaper but often does not last as long, is easier to stretch, has large spaces in between wires, or is flimsy and can be climbed.
Cattle panel is a more expensive option, but it is long lasting and sturdy. As the name implies, it is excellent for cattle. Horses do well with cattle panel as well. Baby lambs and kids as well as chickens can escape out of the holes in cattle panel fencing although some cattle panel has a smaller distance between wires at the bottom. Hog panel should not be confused with cattle panel. Hog panel is very similar but is much shorter in height and is not suitable for cattle or horses.
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of the different types of fencing that can be installed on a homestead and the fencing needs of various livestock. In reality, you may not install just one type of fence. At Mossygoat Farm we have cattle panel, field fencing, electric, corral panel, and barbed wire used in different combinations around the property. If you have any more fencing questions, please us. We are always happy to help.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Sheep Yard Panel.