Herd health management of sheep and goats | News

On July 12, the University of Missouri Extension hosted the second annual sheep and goat field day in Mount Vernon, Missouri.

The field day consisted of various presentations covering small ruminant health awareness and workshops to train attendees on using herd health management tools.

Herd Health

Missouri University veterinarian Dr. Celest Morris kicked off the field day with a presentation on herd health management for sheep and goats.

Dr. Morris described the importance of developing a herd health plan and practicing good record-keeping. This not only helps in managing a herd but also assists veterinarians in understanding the best way to offer support, depending on a herd’s purpose and situation.

Dr. Morris also discussed biosecurity and the reason for it in your operation.

“We want to keep our diseases from leaving the farm and also keep from introducing new diseases to our farm,” said Dr. Morris.

Individual identification is one of the simplest but often overlooked steps in practicing good biosecurity, Dr. Morris said. Whether using state-issued tags, ear tags, or tattoos, assigning identification to individual animals is critical for disease tracking and prevention.

“It’s much easier for us and also for you in terms of keeping records when everybody has identification of some sort,” said Dr. Morris.

According to Dr. Morris, individual identification also goes hand in hand with record keeping, another crucial biosecurity practice.

“One of the best things to conquer right is keeping records accurately for your animals,” said Dr. Morris.

Whether a producer prefers handwritten records or digital methods, it’s important to accurately record one’s herd data and reference it when animals show signs of illness. According to Dr. Morris, herd managers should also follow proper cleaning and hygiene practices in their operations.

“We want to ensure that we’re also cleaning and disinfecting tools on your farm. You can have a second pen that’s very helpful to keep sick animals away from your more healthy animals in case it is transmissible,” said Dr. Morris. “You want to keep it from spreading through your farms.”

When new animals are introduced to the herd, Dr. Morris recommends placing new livestock in a quarantine area for a few weeks to prevent any disease from possibly spreading to your established herd.

“Quarantining new animals is very important for our herd health perspective so that you’re not introducing anything and to give animals time to adjust after they ship, which is very stressful for them,” said Dr. Morris.

When deciding to purchase new animals to bring into your herd, Dr. Morris recommends purchasing from someone you trust and know who also practices good biosecurity.

“I’ve seen many people get in trouble by bringing animals onto their farm from a place they’re not familiar with. If you can see the animal before purchasing it, that will help you a lot,” said Dr. Morris. “As we know, what’s on the internet is often not happening in real life or otherwise.”

Dr. Morris also discussed limiting the number of visitors to your farm to reduce the chances of new diseases being introduced. When having visitors on an operation, practicing proper hygiene is critical to limiting the risk of something being introduced to your farm.

Field Day Workshop

Attendees of the field day also had the opportunity to attend a demonstration on collecting and performing a fecal egg count led by Dr. Mohan Acharya.

Acharya demonstrated to participants the correct process for collecting a fecal sample from their goat or sheep. He then walked attendees through the process of recording the fecal information, such as the animal ID, date, and fecal weight, for their records.

Attendants were shown how to create a fecal solution using 28 ml of a salt solution and 2 gm of fecal matter mixed together and then strained. Once the solution was created, it was placed on both sides of a McMaster slide and placed under a microscope for the fecal egg count.

Using the provided solution and microscopes, attendees were able to practice looking through the microscope and finding parasites and eggs on the slides.

Attendees were also shown different types of common parasites, such as tapeworms, and how they may present themselves on a microscope slide.