This is the time of year that sheep and goat producers may experience losses (deaths) from intestinal worms – the most lethal one being the Barberpole worm (haemonchus contortus). Oftentimes this affects lambs more than adult sheep as the adults usually have built up an immunity. I recently lost two May born lambs who succumbed in July. They showed no signs of infection – both were big husky lambs, no bottlejaw swelling. The ones that die usually just fall over dead with no warning or indications of a problem.

Once inside the animal, the worms multiply at an incredible rate, feed on blood which shuts down the internal organs. The animal becomes anemic and dies. There are many other worms (strongyles, tapeworms, nose bots, etc.) that can affect sheep and goats, but the most dangerous and lethal at present  is the Barberpole worm. That is because the Barberpole worm reproduces so quickly in the gut, producing millions of infective larvae in a matter of a few weeks which are then deposited on the grass by the droppings of the animal. Then the other sheep with lambs get infected by grazing usually short grass in spring or early summer when weather conditions are hot and wet – perfect conditions for the worm larvae to live and grow. Producers in dry areas of the country may not experience as much worm problems as producers in the Midwest or southern states.

Dormant worms can be carried over the winter in the gut of adult ewes and does and then become active when the ewe lambs. That is why I deworm my ewes and does while they are in the lambing jug. That does cut down on the number of infective worms that get into the environment. Dewormers I have used are ivermectin, Prohibit (levamisole), valbazen (very good for tapeworms) and a new Ivomec pour-on (for cattle).  Management preventive measures would be rotating your pastures, trying to keep the grass rather high above 4-5 inches (as the worms are close to the ground) and lambing in the winter cold months of the year. I have never experienced lamb deaths from worms from those born in the colder months of winter or fall. Producers with resources may practice confinement or drylot feeding.

Now on a lighter side:  What do you do when you don’t have time to mow the lawn because you are too busy mowing hay, raking, baling and then picking up and storing all those hay bales? And the lawn gets so thick your mower can’t deal with it? You turn in the sheep! They make great lawn mowers and are a multi-purpose animal. Our ancestors probably did this in the past to keep the vegetation under control around their dwellings.

Happy Shepherding! Joyce Weaver can be reached at lambjoyw@gmail.com.