Need to Know:

Body Care & Health for Sheep WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF SHEEP

Things you need to know about the health of sheep.

Domestic sheep are ruminant mammals that have a range of heights and weights, depending on their breed.

Anatomy refers to the form and structure of organisms. In comparison, physiology is the study of the functions of the body and its parts. Physiology looks at the body systems, organs, tissues and cells. Poll Forehead Face Nose

Top of Shoulder Crops Rack Loin

Rump

Mouth Dock Shoulder Leg

Breast Elbow Foreshank Knee Fetlock Pastern

Last Rib Foreflank Rear Flank Belly

Stifle Hock Cannon

Hoof

Coffin

Need To Know: Body Care & Health for Sheep ©Alberta SPCA 2012 albertaspca.org Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use

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A sheep owner has a responsibility to know and understand their animal’s anatomy and physiology.

The Canadian Sheep Breeder’s Association identifies some physical characteristics that are general to all breeds of sheep. • All animals should demonstrate overall balance from the standpoint of length, height, body capacity and body conformation. Extremes in any of these areas may be objectionable for a variety of reasons.

Skin & Hair The sheep’s skin and hair coat varies with its breed, its age and the season of the year. Skin that is dry and cracked or patches of lost hair can signal nutritional problems, parasites or disease. A sheep’s wool has lanolin, which makes it feel oily. This oil also attracts dirt. Therefore, a normal, healthy sheep can appear dirty. Some wool breeds should not be washed because washing gives fleece a loose, open appearance. A sheep’s fleece should be trimmed and well maintained. Healthy animals have healthy hair coats. Wool or hair loss can be a sign of internal or external parasites, poor nutrition, stress or other diseases.

Skin and mucous membranes (colour and condition) are important health indicators. Normal skin is smooth and pliable like elastic. Dehydration • Overall balance is very important since the or water loss may cause “tight” skin. Mucous basic purpose of the sheep is meat and wool membranes line all body openings, such as, the eye, production and the purebred industry should ear, nose, mouth, anus and vagina. Normally, these be the foundation for breeding stock for both commercial and purebred sectors of the industry. membranes should be moist and pink and not dry or white. • Body conformation should exhibit adequate muscle development and wool production Senses characteristics while maintaining ease of lambing. Sheep depend heavily on their vision. Their eyes • Teeth should meet upper pad evenly. Undershot are placed more on the sides of their heads, which gives them excellent peripheral vision and allows or overshot mouths are a serious defect. them to see behind themselves without turning • Rams must have two testicles and ewes should their heads. However, this means that they cannot have two teats. see immediately in front of their noses. From Breed Information: Canadian Sheep Breeders Association www.sheepbreeders.ca/info.html

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Sheep’s eyes are characteristic of a prey species, which means they can scan their surroundings with only small head movements. When they perceive a threat, their natural instinct is to flee.

Need To Know: Body Care & Health for Sheep ©Alberta SPCA 2012

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Sheep have excellent hearing and are sensitive to high pitched and loud noises. They can direct their ears in the direction of a sound. Sheep also have an excellent sense of smell. They can use this sense of smell to locate water and identify differences between feeds and pasture. Smell helps ewes locate their lambs. Sheep use their sense of taste to differentiate between different feed. They may select certain feeds over others and different types of species of plants than other livestock. Information courtesy of “Sheep Senses:” Sheep 101. www.sheep101.info/ senses.html

Skeleton

Normal sheep feces are pellet-like. Pasty feces may indicate that the sheep needs de-worming. This is why lambs’ tails are docked. A feces-coated tail attracts disease carrying insects. Waste with blood, mucus or bad odor may be a sign of intestinal problems. The sheep’s urine should be clear to yellow in colour. Bloody urine is always abnormal. WHAT BEHAVIOUR TELLS US ABOUT NORMAL OR ABNORMAL HEALTH With good management, most sheep stay healthy and require minimal health care.

The structure of a sheep’s skeletal system and the angles at which its bones connect determines its stance and movement.

However, sheep’s behaviour can provide indicators that something may be wrong. Appetite is always a good indicator of health. Most sheep have hearty appetites.

A sheep’s stance should be on squarely set, strong legs, and pasterns with heavily muscled rear quarters. Ideally the animal should be long and tall with a straight back. The general appearance should be trim and thrifty. Abnormal stance may be due to poor conformation or may be a sign of illness.

A sheep that doesn’t eat or isn’t eager to eat is often injured or sick. The animal that is slowest to come to the feeder is the one that could be ill. When a sheep is not eating, it is usually chewing its cud. Cud chewing is healthy behaviour. It is an indicator that the rumen is functioning properly.

A sheep should move free and easy with no hesitation. Jerking, limping or circling are signs of leg, feet or nervous system disorders. Digestion A healthy sheep has a good appetite. Sheep are grazers and most prefer leaves and fine stems. A sheep is a ruminant. Non-ruminants (humans, pigs and dogs) digest carbohydrates, protein and fat by enzymatic action. Ruminants (cattle, sheep and deer) use bacteria in the fore stomachs to digest fiber by fermentation and use enzymatic digestion in the small intestines.

An animal that isolates itself from the rest of the herd could be sick or injured. It is normal for a healthy sheep to hold its head up. Low-hanging heads and tails and droopy ears are a sign that something might be wrong. From Warren Gill. Applied Sheep Behaviour: Agricultural Extension Service, University of Tennessee. http://animalscience.ag.utk.edu/ sheep/pdf/AppliedSheepBehavior-WWG-2-04.pdf

More detailed information on normal and abnormal sheep behaviour can be found in the article Applied Sheep Behaviour. Go to this weblink on the Virtual Apprentice 2020 website.

Need To Know: Body Care & Health for Sheep ©Alberta SPCA 2012 albertaspca.org Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use

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• Show signs of bloat (distension of abdomen, particularly high on the left side where the rumen is located)

Sheep should be regularly observed and monitored if they: • Are not eating or ruminating

• Show signs of respiratory distress (laboured breathing, nostrils distended, coughing, copious amounts of nasal discharge)

• Separate from the flock • Look ‘depressed’ – head down, droopy ears, dull eyes, hunched stance (back arched with forefeet and hindfeet placed close together under the animal)

• Show signs of neurological disorders (uncoordinated, moving in circles, abnormal gait or head carriage)

• Look hollow (abdomen/flank is excessively concave and hook bones are prominent)

• Show signs of lameness or stiffness.

• Show signs of diarrhea (excessive tag or wetness on hindquarters are key signs, excessively watery or bloody diarrhea in the pen)

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Need To Know: Body Care & Health for Sheep ©Alberta SPCA 2012

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Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use

WHAT SHEEP NEED: AN OWNER WHO KNOWS HOW TO SCORE BODY CONDITION

Detailed information, videos and tools for body scoring are provided on the Virtual Apprentice 2020 website. Find out more by going to these videos and tools.

Body scoring assigns a numerical value from 1 to 5, based on the amount of fat on sheep in the areas of the loin, ribs, tailhead, withers, neck and shoulders. The system works by assessing fat by palpation, or feeling for fat in each of these six body areas. This body condition scoring system is a helpful management tool that can be used across breeds and by all animal owners or producers. It helps to determine if sheep are in the appropriate condition for the stage of production – breeding, pregnancy or lactation (producing milk to feed the young).

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Body condition scoring is a method of evaluating the percentage of fat on a sheep’s body.

Withers Spine

Loin

Hook Bone Tailhead Pin Bone

Transverse Processes

Rump

Barrel

Used with permission from What’s the Score: Sheep BCS Guide: Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/ deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex9622/$FILE/bcs-sheep.pdf

Need To Know: Body Care & Health for Sheep ©Alberta SPCA 2012 albertaspca.org Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use

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What does the Code of Practice say about body condition scoring for sheep?

The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Sheep will be updated and completed by the summer of 2013. Information on the progress of this new Code can be found on the National Farm Animal Care Council website at www.nfacc.ca/codes-ofpractice/sheep.

Score

Description

1 LEAN

Spine sharp Back muscle hollow No fat

2 LEAN

Spine sharp Back muscle full No fat

3 GOOD CONDITION

Spine can be felt Back muscle full Some fat cover

4 FAT

Spine barely felt Muscle very full Thick fat cover

5 FAT

Spine impossible to feel Very thick fat cover Fat deposits over tail and rump

Condition score for production stages Ewes

At prebreeding “flushing At breeding At lambing At weaning

2.5 2.5-3.0 3.5 2.0-2.5

Rams

At start of breeding

3.0-3.5

Used with permission from What’s the Score: Sheep BCS Guide: Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. www1.agric.gov. ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/ agdex9622/$FILE/bcs-sheep.pdf

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Need To Know: Body Care & Health for Sheep ©Alberta SPCA 2012

albertaspca.org

Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use

WHAT SHEEP NEED: AN OWNER WHO KNOWS HOW TO MONITOR VITAL SIGNS

Pulse

All sheep owners or producers need to know what is “normal” for their sheep. A sheep’s vital signs include its temperature, pulse and respiration.

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The normal parameters of the sheep’s vital signs can be an essential benchmark in monitoring its health.

Temperature A sheep’s temperature can be taken by gently inserting a thermometer into a sheep’s rectum. Using a bit of mineral oil or other nontoxic lubricant will make the process easier. The thermometer should be held while taking the temperature to prevent it from becoming lost or broken. If you are using a glass thermometer it should remain in the animal for at least 60 to 90 seconds to ensure an accurate result. Digital thermometers signal when the temperature has stabilized. The normal body temperature of an adult is 38°C to 40°C; lambs are normally higher than adults.

The pulse rate, or heart rate, of sheep should be strong and steady. It’s very difficult to get an accurate count because the rate increases when the animal becomes excited. Place your hand over the heart at the floor of the chest. Feel the beat with your fingers, not your thumb. Your thumb has its own conflicting pulse. A normal pulse rate is 70 to 80 beats per minute. You may also feel the femoral pulse at the inner thigh of a rear leg. Respiration The normal respiration rate for sheep is 12 to 20 respirations per minute. An abnormally high rate is an indication of distress caused by diseases that attack the respiratory tract (such as pneumonia) or could be a sign of pain due to injury. It is best to observe respiration rate before disturbing the animal as the stress of being caught will naturally increase the count. The easiest way to determine the respiration rate is to watch the animal’s abdomen and count each complete breath (1 breath = 1 inhalation + 1 exhalation).Respiration rate will be high in healthy animals that have been running, are stressed, or exposed to high ambient temperatures. Information adapted with permission from “Flock Health,” Virtual Tool Box: Canadian Sheep Federation. www.cansheep.ca/cms/en/ Resources/VTBox/VTBox.aspx

• A high body temperature indicates that the animal is stressed or the body is staging an immune response to an infection. • A normal body temperature indicates that the problem is due to a non-infectious cause such as a metabolic disorder. • A low body temperature in very young lambs indicates starvation and in adults may indicate internal bleeding.

Need To Know: Body Care & Health for Sheep ©Alberta SPCA 2012 albertaspca.org Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use

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WHAT SHEEP NEED: DENTAL CHECK-UPS

WHAT SHEEP NEED: AN OWNER WHO KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROOMING AND SHEARING

The condition of a sheep’s teeth depends upon its diet and the land where it lives. Animals on a rough, coarse diet will grind their teeth away faster than animals on an easily eaten diet. The molar teeth are far more important than the incisor teeth. They do the grinding of feed. To check and evaluate the molar teeth, feel on the outside of the cheek and jaw. Never put your fingers inside a sheep’s jaw. You are likely to get badly bitten. Bad breath can be a sign that there is something wrong with the molar teeth. Information courtesy of “Selecting Breeding Stock:” Sheep 201: A Beginner’s Guide to Raising Sheep. www.sheep101.info/201/ acquiringstock.html

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Grooming and shearing sheep are two different processes. Shearing is the removal of the sheep’s fleece or wool coat. Grooming is the maintenance and cleaning of the sheep, but because of the thick coat of fleece, sheep have different grooming needs than other animals. Grooming is often done regularly by those sheep owners who show their sheep and can include: • Using a burr comb to remove burrs and other objects stuck to the fleece • Using a fine finger comb to break up dirt and debris on the fleece and gently massage the sheep’s skin • Shampooing the fleece with sheep shampoo

A sheep’s molars are essential to grind their feed and should be checked to ensure that they are wearing normally.

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• Maintaining hoof health with regular trims. Most breeds of sheep grow wool continuously, so it is important to shear them at least once per year. Shearing is usually done in the spring, so sheep don’t get overheated in the summer. However, some sheep owners who house their flocks indoors shear their sheep at different times of the year. Thorough and detailed information on shearing sheep and the wool industry can be found in Wool Production in Canada at cansheep.ca/User/Docs/ Resources/Wool_Manual_FinalV5.pdf. Go to this weblink and others for body care of sheep on the Virtual Apprentice 2020 website.

Need To Know: Body Care & Health for Sheep ©Alberta SPCA 2012

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Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use

WHAT SHEEP NEED: REGULAR CARE OF HOOVES

Trimming

A foot refers to the hoof and all its internal structures including bones and sensitive structures. The hoof is the hard outside covering of the foot. Horse hooves are one single solid structure while cattle, sheep, goats and pigs have a hoof that contains two digits (referred to as cloven-footed).

The most important practice in caring for the hooves of any species is regular trimming of the hoof in order to keep the weight bearing surfaces of the hoof balanced and proportional. Trimming schedules will depend on a variety of factors. For example, animals kept on hard cement will require more frequent trimming than animals on pasture. Standing on cement can be very uncomfortable for an extended period of time, and this is especially so for an animal with a misshapen foot. It is generally recommended that dairy cows, sheep and goats have their hooves checked and trimmed twice a year.

Hoof care is an essential part of maintaining healthy livestock including horses, cattle, sheep and goats. Livestock can weigh over 450 kg, all supported by four relatively small hooves. Problems with hooves can be very painful for animals and can ultimately decrease their production and performance.

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Nutrition

By utilizing good hoof management practices, hoof problems can be greatly reduced and this can ultimately avoid or decrease problems.

Hoof growth is affected by the breed and genetics of the sheep, soil moisture and soil characteristics. Sheep grazed on rocky, dry soil may not require the extent of hoof care needed for sheep on soil that is free of rocks and higher in moisture content. Sheep in high rainfall areas will need to have their hooves inspected more regularly than those on dry ground.

Nutrition plays a key role in the overall hoof health of an animal. By ensuring animals are receiving proper nutrients such as zinc and biotin, animals are better equipped to produce good quality hoof horn and therefore will have stronger feet. Maintaining Clean Quarters Keeping a clean barn will assist in preventing many infections affecting the hooves of livestock including foot rot and heel warts. Healthy hooves are key to the overall heath and productivity of an animal. Hooves kept in good condition reduce the expense of treating lame animals, in addition to contributing to their overall health and well-being. Information from Hoof Anatomy, Care and Management in Livestock: Purdue University. www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/id/id-321-w.pdf

Need To Know: Body Care & Health for Sheep ©Alberta SPCA 2012 albertaspca.org Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use

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What does the Code of Practice say about care of body systems for sheep?

Hooves Hoof trimming, where required, should be part of the flock management program. Trimming should be carried out using proper technique by a competent operator.

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Shearing The wooled breads of sheep normally require shearing at least once a year. Additional trimming may be desirable at other times to prevent wool blindness and fly-strike. Shearing may be done using hand operated shears, or those powered by electrical or other mechanical means. Sheep should be shorn by a competent shearer, able to handle the sheep in a proper manner. Sheep attendants and shearers should be aware of the danger of spreading certain diseases, such as caseous lymphadenitis, through the use of contaminated shearing equipment. Shearing equipment should be treated with a suitable disinfectant between flocks, or between infected animals within a flock. The working area for shearing should be well lit, adequate in size, and clean to ensure the wellbeing of the sheep and the safety and comfort of the shearer. When shearing sheep, consideration should be given to the time of year, the weather conditions and the available shelter. Newly shorn sheep need protection from sunburn and biting insects in hot weather and wind and precipitation in cold weather. Their nutritional requirements will increase in cold weather.

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Excerpts from the Recommended Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farm Animals - Sheep (©1995) have been used with permission, Canadian Sheep Federation. www.cansheep.ca The process for the development of updated Codes can be accessed through the National Farm Animal Care Council at www.nfacc.ca/ codes-of-practice.

Need To Know: Body Care & Health for Sheep ©Alberta SPCA 2012

albertaspca.org

Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use