by 15 products are what I call my ESSENTIALS BUNDLE (I talk about them in this video), the remaining 10 products are important to have on hand for the long term (scroll for what they are). Enjoy an overview of all 25!
I farm a small flock of Dorper Sheep on a pasture based system in Northeast Texas. I am running approximately 50 head of purebred and registered Dorper sheep on 23 acres. At lambing 50 breeding ewes will swell to around 100-150 sheep in total.
When my family and I started farming Dorper sheep, we had just moved from the suburbs. We had no farming experience beyond a few chickens. Our first 2 years of sheep farming were very difficult. In short: we had a lot of dead sheep.
Our biggest death losses were with lambs. Our lambs would be born healthy, bouncing, and beautiful; but between 12 and 16 weeks many of them would get sick and die.
It was a very discouraging 2 years, but in 2020 three things turned our sheep farm from dead zone, to profit center. Those three things were:
- Learning how to apply the right care at the right time.
- Practicing good pasture management.
- Learning how to market sheep.
When we got the hang of these three things, the death rate on our farm dropped to 1/3 of sheep industry average in just 18 months and we began generating significant revenue through the sale of surplus lambs!!
This video is going to cover part 1 of this 3-part improvement with a list of the 25 supplies I use to administer the right care to my sheep at the right time. If you want to go deeper watch my FREE 1 Hour Class on the Basics of Raising, Grazing, and Marketing Sheep.
Extra Label Disclaimer:
A few of the products I use are FDA labeled for farm animals like pigs, cows, and goats. I use them all for my sheep under “extra-label” application. This means I have a good relationship with my vet who oversees my use of these supplies on an “extra-label” basis.
As a disclaimer, be sure you have the same vet oversight and approval when you are using products for sheep that are not FDA labeled for sheep.
25 SUPPLIES I USE ON MY SHEEP FARM:
(Each photo links to a product page for ease of purchase!)
- Cydectin Dewormer: *Culling for parasites should be a top priority as dewormers lose effectiveness the more you use them. The goal at my farm is to cull in such a way as to use them less and less of this every year.
2. Toltrazuril for Coccidia (extra-label): This is a product for horses. I use it for my lambs when they display symptoms of coccidiosis (symptoms typically look like persistent diarrhea and/or pot bellies with skinny hind quarters) I use Toltrazuril at a rate of 1 CC per 5lb body weight.
3. Drenching Gun: This is a tool for administering dewormer or other liquid supplements into the mouth of sheep.
4. VITA JEC B-complex Fortified: This is my most used vitamin shot on farm. I use it any time a sheep has been through severe physical stress (stressful lambing, high parasite load, etc).
5. ANEM X IRON (extra-label): This is a product for pigs. I use it on my farm for ewes that are very anemic. In instances of parasite overload I will follow up the deworming with both vitamin B and Anem-x to fast track the rebuilding of red blood cell count in the sheep.
6. Disposable syringes (with matching needles): These syringes are for the vitamin shots I just referenced. The two different sizes I use are 3 mil and 12 mil. The syringes also work great if you are giving an oral drench to a lamb that has a mouth too small for the drenching gun.
7. Colostrum Replacer: Colostrum intake is a life or death issue for young lambs. I always keep a high quality supplement (linked) on hand for orphans or lambs whose moms are not making enough on their own.
8. Tube Feeding Kit: This is for feeding lambs straight into their stomach. I like to use this for getting formula into the lambs stomach and will transition to a bottle once I know the lamb is for sure orphaned.
9. Lamb Bottle: This is a must for orphan lambs.
10. Nutridrench for Sheep: This is a great oral vitamin. I have not found it to be as potent or fast acting as the vitamin shots I just mentioned, but I have still found it effective, especially if you are not comfortable with giving shots yet.
11. Selenium Gel Oral Supplement (extra-label): This is a product for goats. I use it for sheep when I detect a selenium deficiency. This usually displays itself in weak legs in young lambs or white muscle disease.
12. Rubber Gloves: Important sanitary precaution.
13. Arm Sleeve Gloves: For internals at lambing.
14. TODAY (extra-label): This is a product for cows. Inter-mammary infusion for mastitis.
15. VETERICYN PLUS® WOUND & SKIN CARE: I don’t use it too often, but it is good to have a wound care product because wounds to happen sometimes.
16. VETERICYN® HOOF CARE: This antibacterial spray is a quick way to treat hooves. Limping is often not foot rot, but foot scald. However, the bacteria that causes foot scald can develop into foot rot. Quick treatment of a persistent limp is advisable.
19. Mineral Oil: Hand lubricant for situations of assisted lambing.
20. Eartags
21. Eartag Markers
Prescription Only Products:
These are 3 products I use that are available through a vet only.
23. General Antibiotic: VET ONLY. Antibiotics used to be available over the counter, but as of 2023 they are prescription only. Because I use antibiotics so infrequently and have a good relationship with my vet, the recent changes to prescription only have not made a significant difference on my sheep farm.
24. CD/T: VET ONLY A shot to guard sheep against bloat and tetanus.
25. BO-SE: Selenium-Vitamin E Shot.
I hope this info helps you!
-the Shepherdess
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21
I love the scripture at the end. Bless you heaps, from Australia.
Just retired, wife and I live on 10 acres and able to fence about 8 . We decided hair sheep for our homestead and are enjoying your beginner’s videos . Thank you shepherdess keep it up ! The Dufours’ in Louisiana
Thank you so much!
my husband and I both have farming backgrounds but have no experience with sheep. we would like to start a grazing/meat marketing business in CO. probably hair sheep. do you have any suggestions on what breed would do well in this climate?
Hi Teresa! There are a lot of successful Dorper flocks in Colorado!