Every year when it comes to rehoming our last year's lambs, we receive a number of questions from people who are new to livestock ownership. I don't have any problems in helping people out... but there is a lot of information to share in one conversation and with my Parky brain, often I forget things.
Also, there is also a misconception that as Arapawa sheep are a feral breed and they can manage on their own with little input. Well... sheep are sheep, and sheep come with sheep problems, no matter what the breed. In protecting the breed from eradication, we have taken Arapawa sheep away from their Island home, the habitat they have adapted to, so we are possibly introducing them to new issues.
So, this post is a little guide to basic care and some kit you will need. Disclaimer... I am not a veterinarian, and I have no formal training, this is purely based on my personal experience raising Arapawa Sheep for the last 10 years or so.
Basic Care:
- Shearing once a year October/November. $10 per sheep plus a callout/setup fee around $100. At the same time, we ask the shearer to drench and check all feet. Take note of the type of drench they are using. This is generally the only time I drench the entire flock at once. The rest of the year is a case-by-case basis. Come March/April if the sheep behinds are dirty, we get the shearer back to crutch them, shearing away any daggs etc.
- Flystrike prevention. During the warmer months November to March, I apply a product called Cyrex. I use a 5-litre garden pump spray to apply, and this prevents flystrike and kills lice. Cyrex is also used to kill off a strike. I like it as it works really well and is not as toxic as some other treatments. A small bottle of Cyrex is about $129. Just keep the sheep clean and give them some shade in summer.
- Feet... Just keep an eye out for limping. I feel at times Arapawa's can be a little dramatic, and put on a good display, and so I get them in the yards to inspect and it's like they have just chipped a nail. But the hoof can get a little overgrown due to soft ground, so just tidy it up a little. Watch the shearer or google how to do it. I have only ever had one actual foot rot issue. There is a very good spray that you can get FIL. See pic below.
- Feed... Think about where Arapawa's have come from and what their diet might have been. I personally don't feel our farm paddocks of lush green rye grass is good for them as a sole diet. I find Arapawa Sheep are like goats and nibble on everything. They love clover, dandelion, dock, apples, most trees, and they go crazy for sheep nuts. My sheep also eat hay and they love the fallen grass seeds at the bottom of the trolley. I have even seen them eat the thistle roots as I was wandering around the paddock's grubbing them up. Ideally you want their poo to be little raisins. You want to avoid the scour's or runs. Dirty sheep attract flies. So, a varied diet with plenty dry matter during the wet months. Feed is expensive, so plan wisely.
- Know what bottle jaw is, and act quickly. Drench & monitor.
- Scours, try to work out whether it is caused by fresh green grass or worms. If worms drench. If you feel it is due to something they have eaten, I find an Apple Cider tonic works well but just add some dry food to their diet. Sheep love breed.... but too much and it gives them the runs.
- Rams Horns... make sure they curl away from the head. During summer check for flystrike at base of horns. The ram lambs will sometimes knock them off... apply betadine to the wound and monitor. They heal quickly... sometimes regrow.
- Clean drinking water.
- Shelter from summer heat.
- Yards or pen, which can be as simple as a few gates cable tied together.
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