I choose to raise my small flock ( less than 20 ) naturally. I do not use chemical wormers. I do not vaccinate. It is a closed flock, no outside animals are brought in. I am on my fifth year of raising sheep this way and have not lost an animal to disease. Blackbellies have the reputation of being one of the hardiest of the breeds. I live in southern Oregon where the weather is extreme- freezing temps/ snow in winter to 100+ temp and dry in summer. Tons of rain, mud, mosquitos, etc. The animals take all the extremes in stride. Icicles on their hair in the winter, digging holes in the dirt to keep cool in summer. Amazing animals to watch. Just make sure that your wormer choice is labeled for use in sheep. Not all wormers labeled for use in livestock are meant for all types of livestock. Also the dosage is usually based on weight of the animal so you have to have some idea of what they weigh. If you search the archives you will find lots of info on alternative worming methods. There are a lot of people in this group interested in a natural approach and have great suggestions.
Dayna _______________________________________________ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
