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Barber pole worm

 
pollinator
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Location: Vermont, off grid for 24 years!
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I've owned sheep for 4 years and I have never wormed my sheep up till now. Most of my sheep are now half way on the famacha scale. My shearer advised worming any breeders and particularly one ewe lamb who's condition score wasn't great. My shearer also said he personally doesn't worm any of his sheep except to save a life because he wants to improve his genetics.

This breed (Black Welsh Mountain) has pretty good natural immunity but I got a "free" ewe and ram lamb last year and the ram lamb died after 10 days (of barber pole worm most likely). The ewe, who limped quite a bit, didn't produce and so went in the freezer.

What are people's thoughts? Should I worm? Just the one lamb? The breeders?

Or go another route? The only solutions I'm aware of is that acorns and conifer leaves tend to keep the parasite load down.
 
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I've used raw garlic juice, mother vinegar and raw honey drench for my sheep with good results. One can also use Shaklee's soap, as Salatin does.
 
Posts: 92
Location: Deland, FL
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I took a famacha training course at a farm conference, but I didn't have the $10 cash on me to get a card. I thought it would be no big deal to order the card online, but I've learned that they have it locked down.

If anyone has the card, I was wondering if you could take it to Lowes or Home Depot and find a matching color for the 3C (questionable) rating. This way I can check without all the hassle. I know I'm trying to cheat the system, but I have been trained and just cannot obtain the card. Thanks is advance for any help.
 
Posts: 146
Location: Southern Appalachia
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Black walnut husk and pumpkin seeds are both natural dewormers. We also feed our goats DE with their minerals.
 
Posts: 288
Location: Deepwater northern New South wales Australia
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What is a famacha.//?/////?
we have 3000 sheep merinos and live in the barbers pole capital of the world
I have been selecting sheep using faecal egg counts for 20 years
l
Last year our flock won The department of agriculture weather trial based on economic performance
I just googled it(famacha) and the my barbers poles would laugh at that but its probably better than nothing
The only organic method i have had measurable sucess with is Artemesia
 
Cj Sloane
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Famacha is just a chart you use to check for anemia based on the color of the eyelids. I saw something recently and the farmers were checking the sheeps gums - same principle.
famacha.jpg
[Thumbnail for famacha.jpg]
 
andrew curr
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just purchaced some copper oxide wire -particle pellets
any advice???
 
Posts: 57
Location: Eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mnts. Virginia
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Yes! Get some smaller capsules, I think "0" size. They will each hold about 2 grams of COWP. Then find the smallest bolus stick to administer them with. I forgot where I got mine, but it was on the internet through a little searching. I did find that when I started I had to use cydectin sheep drench on a few of our ewes, but not until after giving them a bolus. Based on anemia levels (eyelid color or gums (FAMACHA)). We have also had to use Iron injections to get up the red blood cell count. Sheep and goats can handle quite a lot of iron, but check with your Vet for a suggested dose. The minimum we use is 3 grams. The Vet book for sheep and goats suggests up to 10 grams. I have noticed that using COWP you don't kill the BP worms to fast, so you don't shock the animal. Once we got the little buggers under control we have had one of the healthiest flocks in the area. That has had my phone going off constantly with questions on why my animals are not affected by BP worms. A lot of the old timers though aren't open to change and think that I am doing something else besides COWP and DE.
 
andrew curr
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Location: Deepwater northern New South wales Australia
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Chris Griffin wrote:Yes! Get some smaller capsules, I think "0" size. They will each hold about 2 grams of COWP. Then find the smallest bolus stick to administer them with. I forgot where I got mine, but it was on the internet through a little searching. I did find that when I started I had to use cydectin sheep drench on a few of our ewes, but not until after giving them a bolus. Based on anemia levels (eyelid color or gums (FAMACHA)). We have also had to use Iron injections to get up the red blood cell count. Sheep and goats can handle quite a lot of iron, but check with your Vet for a suggested dose. The minimum we use is 3 grams. The Vet book for sheep and goats suggests up to 10 grams. I have noticed that using COWP you don't kill the BP worms to fast, so you don't shock the animal. Once we got the little buggers under control we have had one of the healthiest flocks in the area. That has had my phone going off constantly with questions on why my animals are not affected by BP worms. A lot of the old timers though aren't open to change and think that I am doing something else besides COWP and DE.

I presume by DE you mean diamatatious earth


how much do you folk pay for COWP ?? they used to be very expensive (for what they are) the ones i ordered yesterday from a new chemical minnow were 400$/500 2.5gm pellets
in the thesis i read on the net by a lad from Louieville or somwhere...he used 4gm pellets with some success
Cris on the map i think your climate would be a little like mine
 
Chris Griffin
Posts: 57
Location: Eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mnts. Virginia
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Andrew: Post a link to the 2.5 gram pellets if you can. Our temperatures seldom go below freezing here, which is why the BP worm does so well. This year we have had some good freezes but no snow. I don't think our frost line will go below 2 or 3 inches again this year. Most of the research that I did regarding sheep and goats and the BP worm suggest that 2 - 2.5 grams is plenty. The big issue is not to let them chew the bolus. Apparently crushing the tiny wire allows the copper to pass through the system to fast. It still does the same thing but it will require you to give the COWP at closer intervals. I don't remember how much the COWP was since I have not had to buy any for 2 years.

http://www.jefferspet.com/copasure/camid/LIV/cp/16535/ here is a link to what I bought originally. I got the 12.5 gram capsules. Several people have done studies on copper and BP worms and have come up with different doses. Since I worked hard to rid our flock of worms before I found out about copper I opted for the smaller dose, keeping in mind that I could give two boluses (mine are 2 gr. each) to an animal who doesn't respond to the first dose.
 
Chris Griffin
Posts: 57
Location: Eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mnts. Virginia
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Here is a good article on Copper Oxide, you have to scroll down a long way, but they talk about making the capsules.

http://www.premier1supplies.com/newsletters/06-072010.html
 
andrew curr
Posts: 288
Location: Deepwater northern New South wales Australia
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the product i got came from animal health supplies.com.au
We do get a few months of frosts but the summer rainfall drives em crazey;;; bit of a reprieve at the moment as we have a record heatwave at the moment
Merinos love hot dry weather

i must learn howto post stuff
my satelite feed is very slow for the next few days ill follow links then
thanks for the input
 
andrew curr
Posts: 288
Location: Deepwater northern New South wales Australia
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some folk use a dipstick to test for haemonchus dunno if they are available over there
This wold be better than famacha
 
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