With a large number of sheep being moved about the country-side, grazing what is left, it is important to take a few measures so you don’t bring unwanted bugs to your farm. Here are some pretty simple measures you can take when buying and bringing sheep to your farm:

Before you buy:

1. Check the Sheep Health Statement. This is available at farmbiosecuirty.
   
   
2. Check the health of the sheep while in the pen. Pick out 20 sheep, specifically looking for any which are lame or have pulled wool. Examine them for footrot and lice.
   
   
3. If you are in the market for rams, be very wary of brucellosis. This disease is still very common in sheep flocks. It is best to steer clear of saleyards to buy rams, and instead buy from brucellosis free-accredited flocks.

On introduction to your farm:

1. Drench them with a quarantine drench. The best two on the market are Zolvix® or Startect®
   
   
2. Footbath them with 10% zinc sulphate. This will remove bacteria off their feet, but won't kill footrot if they are carrying it.
   
   
3. A good plan is to assume they have lice. There are a several options you have here, and depending on a few variables, everyone will do this differently. The best guide for managing lice in introduced sheep is available on liceboss.

Once on farm:

1. Quarantine –Keep sheep isolated until you are sure they don’t have lice or footrot. For footrot, it is difficult to tell until after a good period of warm wet weather. For lice, it’s ideally until they are next shorn.
   
   
2. Sheep in quarantine can be moved through yards, just don’t let your main herd have access to the yards for 7 days after.

Reproductive management is a pivotal driver of a herds’ profitability. Knowing the pregnancy status is fundamental to having control over calving pattern, and facilitates strategic decisions within the herd.

We know there is a wide variability in the accuracy of pregnancy testing services. In many states of Australia, anyone can buy an ultrasound and become a ‘preg tester’. Given the importance of accuracy, it is imperative to find someone with a proven track record. This is why the Australian Cattle Vets developed PREgCHECK™ (Professional Reproductive Examinations). This scheme has taken over from the National Cattle Pregnancy Diagnosis scheme. This is the only pregnancy diagnosis scheme in Australia which assures that you are getting an accurate diagnosis, every time. Only accredited vets can perform a PREgCHECK™.

The PREgCHECK™ scheme is your guarantee of quality as it is:

• Accountable
  
  
• Audited
  
  
• The only system that allows for use of the highly recognised PREgCHECK™ tail tags.

The best time to age foetuses to give you accurate calving dates is 5-14wks after the end of mating. Once your spring joining is over, please get in touch with us for your PREgCHECK™ requirements.

Whilst the majority of foals will be on the ground by now, late Spring and early Summer will continue to see some later arrivals. Flexural Limb Deformity, often referred to as “contracted tendons” is a common orthopaedic condition affecting foals whereby a joint or limb presents in an abnormal flexed position.

When the condition is present at or around birth it is referred to as “congenital”. The exact cause is not fully understood however factors such as foal positioning in the uterus, nutrition, genetics, and toxins have been considered.

Due to an inability to straighten the legs, severely affected newborn foals may be unable to stand and nurse. Mild cases may appear “forward” at the knees or fetlocks.

Mild cases will often respond well to exercise restriction (box rest) alone, although more severely affected foals may require splinting, corrective farriery, and/or IV medication (oxytetracycline). Even in mild cases the condition can be quite painful, and therefore pain relief medication is important.

To the other extreme, some foals may be born with tendon laxity. These foals may appear to walk on their heels, with the pasterns or fetlocks close to the ground. The problem usually self corrects although soft surfaces, bandaging of the pasterns/fetlocks, and corrective farriery can help prevent trauma to the lower limb.