Thought for the Day

It is the duty of the shepherd or anyone who is in charge of sheep to identify sick or injured animals promptly and to give appropriate treatment immediately or obtain veterinary advice as soon as possible.
It is a simple matter to spot a sheep or to decide that a sheep which is not eating or that constantly walks around in circles is unwell, but it takes considerable skill, experience and massive commitment to detect animals in the early stages of many diseases.

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Dairy Sheep - Boils or Abscess

A boil or abscess is a localized accumulation of infectious tissue and fluid in response to a bacterial infection. The most common infection in sheep is caseous lymphadenitis (CL), which localizes in the lymph nodes.

A variety of bacteria may cause an abscess, but the cause (CL) is corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. It often causes multiple abscesses in the lymph nodes around the head, neck and shoulders. It may also affect internal organs, such as the liver, kidneys and lungs. It may result in chronic weight loss or death in extreme cases. Caseous lymphadenitis can spread between animals. When an external boil ruptures, the bacteria are dispersed. This can be a particular concern at shearing time.  It may take several months for lesions to develop in newly infected animals.  Individual abscesses can be lanced and drained or surgically removed. When Lancing or removing a lesion, you must exercise great caution to not further spread organisms to other sheep.  There may still be internal abscesses that cannot be seen or removed. Antibiotics are generally of little benefit as they struggle to penetrate the thick capsule of tissue that forms around the infected area.

Maintain fences, feeders and corrals to minimize injuries. Shear the youngest sheep first and take great care to not rupture any abscesses. A vaccine is available but it must be administered when lambs are very young to promote immunity prior to exposure.

The Karras Family
Karras Farm
http://karrasfarm.com
http://eastfriesiansheep.com
http://awassisheep.com
andy@karrasfarm.com



Dairy Sheep - Cute lambs



Sheep Feed and Digestion

To understand how to properly feed your flock, you need to know a bit about ruminant digestion. Ruminants have a four chambered stomach as opposed to a single stomach like humans, dogs, horses, pigs and many other animals. When sheep eat grass or hay, the food slips down the esophagus into the largest chamber , a fermentation and storage organ called the Rumen. Sheep don't do much chewing as they forage, that activity comes later. When the sheep finds a quiet spot to rest and regurgitate the under-masticated vegetable matter, it will then do some real chewing or ruminating, before again swallowing its "cud" for final digestion. Even with all this rumination, the cellulose in fibrous plant feed is difficult to digest. Fortunately, ruminants have billions of helpful protozoa and bacteria residing in their Rumen that flourish on high fiber diets. These microbes produce protein as a by-product of the fermentation process, another perk for the sheep. Further digestions occurs in the Abomasun or true stomach, which secrets acids and enzymes similar to the human stomach. The basic components of a healthy sheep diet include water, forage, grain, vitamins and minerals.


Have a blessed Holiday ~ Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family

The Karras Family
Karras Farm
http://karrasfarm.com
http://eastfriesiansheep.com
http://awassisheep.com
andy@karrasfarm.com

 

Ovine Progressive Pneumonia

Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP) is caused by a slow growing virus that infects lambs and manifests itself as a disease after the lamb has reached two years of age. It primarily affects the lungs and udder, but may also involve other tissues.

OPP causes chronic weight loss despite a good appetite; labored breathing; and a well formed udder that produces little to no milk. Opp can spread from older animals to lambs through the ewes’ milk.

Some producers have established OPP-free flocks, but this can be very difficult and expensive to accomplish. Don’t confine young sheep in close quarters with infected adult animals. Cull affected animals early in the course of the disease. A blood test can be used to determine if a sheep is infected, but may not be 100% reliable. A Necropsy is the only way to determine with certainty if an animal is infected with OPP. There is no known effective treatment for OPP and the disease slowly leads to death.

At Karras Farm, all our East Friesian Dairy Sheep are OPP- free flocks. We strive to produce the healthiest dairy sheep in the world.

Thank you,

Andy Karras

Karras Farm

andy@karrasfarm.com

http://eastfriesiansheep.com/

http://awassisheep.com/

How To Detect A Sick Sheep

How to detect a sick sheep:

Detecting a sick animal quickly can prevent loss of life and the potential spread of disease to the flock.

You must become familiar with normal behavior of your sheep. You must also have quick and easy ways of catching sheep to access them if needed. Areas such as a feed corral work well. 

Signs of abnormality are loss of appetite or not coming to eat as usual, not ruminating and standing apart from the group when at rest. Be very concerned if a sheep is laying down most of the time when other sheep are not. Any weakness or staggering, unusual labored or fast breathing, change in bowel movement, wool discoloration or slipping, hanging their head over the water source or a temperature over 104 degrees can all be possible indications of illness.

The normal temperature of sheep ranges from 100.9 to 103 degrees (average 102.3 degrees). A veterinary rectal thermometer has a ring or hole at the outer end to tie a string for easy removal.

If it is necessary to catch a urine sample for use with the pregnancy toxemia (ketosis) strips or glucose strips for Enterotoxaemia, try holding the sheep nostrils closed for a moment. This "stress" sometimes triggers urination.

Areas where sheep are more likely to transmit germs:

1.      Water or feed contaminated by feces from sheep or other animals can transmit intestinal diseases and parasites.

2.      Respiratory disease may be spread by nasal discharge or feeding containers.

3.      Dirty uncrotched wool on a ewe can infect the lamb.

4.      Manure accumulated in a lambing shed or around a feeding trough can intensify exposure to disease germs and Coccidiosis, serve as breeding grounds for flies and other vermin. Another side affect can be the production of ammonia fumes which can inhibit respiratory function.

5.      Wet, muddy places can cause hoof disease in sheep

6.      Feeding on bare ground should be avoided and can contribute to parasite exposure and disease.

7.      Venereal transmission of disease at breeding time.

8.      Dirty syringes and needles can cause injection site infections.

9.      Insects, birds, snails, dogs, cats and other hosts can be carriers of parasites and disease.

10.  Newly acquired sheep can be carriers of many serious diseases such as Brucellosis, Chlamydia, OPP, Foot Rot etc.

At Karris Farm we maintain a healthy and sanitary surrounding. Our East Friesian sheep are adequately fed a well balanced diet on a normal schedule which aids in the prevention of disease. We also deworm our east Friesian Dairy Sheep regularly preventing parasite build up which can weaken the sheep and leave the more susceptible to disease. Sound management dictates that sheep should be vaccinated against all ailments and diseases prevalent in your area.

We wish all our friends, customer and sheep lovers a wonderful summer!

Sincerely,

Andy Karras
Karras Farm
karrasfarm@gmail.com
http://eastfriesiansheep.com/
http://awassisheep.com/

Dairy Sheep - Early Lambing or Late Lambing?

There are some advantages / disadvantages for both early and late lambing so we thought we would share some of our experiences on both.

Early Lambing:

1. There are fewer parasites on the grass pasture due to the colder temperatures.
2. Ewe lambs born early are more apt to breed as lambs.
3. The earlier they are born the sooner you're able to place lambs at their new homes.
4. Lambs will be ready to graze the fresh spring grass.
5. Very few fly problems in the winter. 

Late Lambing:

1. Ewe will require sheering prior to lambing which can be stressful.
2. Lambs tolerate the cool weather better. Typically lambs born in a hot environment will not develop as quickly.
3. Less grain is required  for late lambing.
4. Ewe and Ram lambs will not reach breeding maturity until the following spring.

At Karras Farm, we have found that lambing in February has the best all around benefits. By May the lambs are at their new homes and we prevent some of the negative side effects that late lambing can promote. We believe that early maturity is key to prolific lambs.

Please stay in touch and feel free to leave comments with your experiences.

Sincerely,

Andy Karras

Karras Farm
karrasfarm@gmail.com
http://eastfriesiansheep.com/
http://awassisheep.com/

Life Expectancy of Sheep

The life expectancy of sheep is similar to a large dog breed of about ten to twelve years. Some sheep breeds are known to have a longer life cycle such as the Merino. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest sheep lived to be 23yrs. She was a Merino however; the length of a sheeps productive cycle is much shorter. A ewes offspring production is highest between three and six years of age and usually starts to decline after age seven. As a result, most ewes are removed from our flock prior to reaching their natural life expectancy. It is necessary to remove the older ewes in order to make room for the younger animals. As we mature our genetic line of sheep we must provide an adequate environment for the younger sheep to thrive. In harder environments, where forage is sparse, ewes are usually culled at an even younger age due to tooth ware and break down.  It can become difficult for sheep in these conditions to maintain proper body condition and consume enough forage to feed their lambs. It is possible for a ewe to be productive past ten years of age and stay healthy but this is typically the exception to a natural sheep life cycle.

Hope all your lambs are happy and healthy!

Sincerely,

Andy Karras
Karras Farm
karrasfarm@gmail.com
http://eastfriesiansheep.com/
http://awassisheep.com/

East Friesian Sheep Vision

Sheep have poor depth perception (three dimensional vision) especially if they are moving with their head up. This is why they often stop to examine things more closely. Sheep have difficulty picking out small details, like an open space created by a partially opened gate. Sheep tend to avoid shadows and sharp contrasts between light and dark. They are generally reluctant to go where they can't see well.

For many years it was believed that sheep and other livestock couldn't perceive color. It has since been proven that livestock process colors necessary for color vision. Research has shown that livestock can differentiate colors though their color perception is less than 50% of a humans color perception.

Have a super weekend!

Andy Karras
Karras Farm
karrasfarm@gmail.com
http://eastfriesiansheep.com/
http://awassisheep.com/

Dairy Sheep Fecal Samples

It is important to take biannual fecal samples of your dairy sheep to check for parasites. Take samplings of several different sheep to your local veterinarian and have them checked for "egg count". A good time to do this in in early spring and late fall.

Sincerely,

Andy Karras
Karras Farm
karrasfarm@gmail.com
http://eastfriesiansheep.com/
http://awassisheep.com/

Sheep Sense of Smell

The olfactory sense of sheep is highly developed and difficult for humans to relate to. A sheeps heightened olfactory system most likely incorporates olfaction more completely with their interaction of the natural environment.

In spite of humans inability to understand the full scope of a sheeps sense of smell, perhaps we get a hint when an odor triggers a long buried memory or emotion. The sense of smell is mysteriously linked to the core of human and divine sensibilities.

Sheep use sense of smell in numerous ways. One way often observed is when smell is used to identify other sheep, particularly when a ewe uses smell to identify her lamb. Another common use of smell is during mating. The ram moves from ewe to ewe detecting which ewe is in heat (estrus). The classic head raising, lip curling behavior of the ram as he smells estrus females is called Flehmen response. This trait is occasionally noticed in females due to a Vomeronasal organ in the roof of their mouth not found in humans.

Baaaaaa Baaaaa and have a great day!

Andy Karras
Karras Farm
karrasfarm@gmail.com

US Presidential Shepards

George Washington raised sheep at his Mt. Vernon estate. Thomas Jefferson kept sheep at Monticello. Presidents Washington and Jefferson were bot inaugurated in suits made of American Wool. James Madison's inaugural jacket was woven from wool of sheep raised at his home in Virginia. President Woodrow Wilson grazed sheep on the White House lawn.

God bless the USA and all our wonderful sheep!

Sincerely,
Andy Karras
Karras Farm
karrasfarm@gmail.com

East Friesian - Tetanus ( Lockjaw )

East Friesian tail docking and castration can put lambs in danger of Tetanus. We boost our East Friesian dairy ewes with Covexin 8. Karras Farm administers 300-500 units units of tetanus antitoxin at the time of tail-docking or castration. The antitoxin will protect the lambs for about two weeks while the wounds are healing. Since there is no known cure for Tetanus, protecting your sheep by taking preventative proactive measures is worth the effort.

East Friesian - Colostrum Benefits

Colustrum is the first milk a ewe produces after lambing. Containing high levels of important nutrients, colostrum is a key factor in newborn lamb health starting just minutes after birth. Colustrum provides antibodies against a variety of infectious agents. At birth the lamb does not carry any antibodies as the ewes blood stream doesn't cross the placenta. It is critical for the lamb to receive colostrum during the first 24hrs of life to ensure adequate absorption of colostral antibodies.

Antibodies are large protien molocules that can cross the intestinal wall and enter the blood stream of the lamb. This occures only during the first 24-36hrs of life. At Karras Farm we closely monitor our newborn lambs to make sure they are receiving colostrum for a healthy immune system.

Happy New Year!!
Karras Farm

History of Sheep

Sheep were domesticated around ten thousand years ago in Central Asia, but it wasn't until 3500 B.C. that people learned to milk and spin wool. Sheep were a key component in spreading civilization. The production of sheep was well established during biblical times. Many references of sheep were made in the Old Testament and directly from Jesus. Sheep production is mans oldest organized industry. Wool was the first commodity of sufficient value to warrent international trade. Sheep milk has been instrumental in raising families from the beginning of humans time on Earth.

"We respect, appreciate and feel blessed for these wonderful animals"

Andy Karras ~ Karras Farm

USDA Scrapie program

We wanted to share some information on the USDA Scrapie program for thoes of you who may have a small herd or just getting into raising sheep.

Scrapie is a disease that affects the central nervous system of sheep and goats. Scrapie is a degenerative disease and can be fatal. A two to five year incubation period can mask the devistation on the flock. The disease can be transmitted between animals with a high percentage of infection. The most common breed of sheep prone to Scrapie are the Suffolk and North Country Chivot however all sheep and goats are suseptable.

An infected sheep rubs its head and rump against buildings or fences, becomes very nervous and develops muscular tremors.

The USDA offers a voulantary Scrapie inspection program. CLICK HERE

Our East Friesians are enrolled in a mandatory USDA Scrapie program for exportaion of animals, embryos and semen. We recommend that everyone producing sheep or goats enroll their animals asap!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Andy Karras - Owner

Sheep Tail Docking

We frequently get asked about docking tails so here is some basic information on the matter.

Docking the tails can improve the health and welfare of sheep and lambs. At Karras Farm we dock tails to an absolute minimum of 6 inches and no shorter. Docking prevents fecal matter from accumulating on the tail and hindquarter of the animal.

Tail docking also reduces fly strike while having no ill effect on lamb mortality or production.

Sincerely,

Andy Karras
karrasfarm@gmail.com
704-778-2032

East Friesian - Embryo Transfer Preparation

Preparing our East Friesian sheep for embryo transfer

This video was taken Saturday October 29th 2011 which shows Dr. Blackwell and the Karras Farm team preparing the first ewe for embryo transfer. Karras Farm is committed to providing the highest quality East Friesian bloodline. We made arrangements earlier in the year to import some embryos from overseas in accordance with the USDA protocol. We know that these lambs will have highly sought after genetic qualities and allow us to repopulate our existing herd with East Friesian genetics of the same high caliber our customers expect.





Please feel free to comment, call or email us if we can help in any way!

Thanks for watching

Sincerely,

Andy Karras
karrasfarm@gmail.com
704-778-2032

Preparing for Embroy Transplant - CIDR Insert

Here is a quick video we shot 10 days ago while inserting CIDR for synchronising and inducing oestrus in production animals. The CIDR insert was performed by an expierenced veteranarian.

The CIDR insert uses only naturally occurring progesterone. These unique treatment programs take control of the oestrous cycle by mimicking normal physiological events.

Here are some of the approved uses for CIDR.

• Oestrus synchronisation during the breeding season.
• Ovulation control in ewes/does for artificial insemination, (AI), embryo collection and transfer programmes.
• Advancing the breeding season in sheep.

We use the CIDR product annually to help control the heat cycle and ensure successful embryo implantation.

 

Sheep Bells - East Friesian, Assaf and Awassi Sheep

Thank you all for viewing/commenting on our YouTube videos.

We have had several comments regarding the bells we use so I thought I would take a moment to touch base on this subject.

Growing up on a sheep farm in Greece we had always used bells on the herd.

Here is a list of to top benefits to using bells.

1. Keeps the sheep at a calm disposition for proper grazing.

2. Alerts you and your guard dogs in case of danger.

3. You always know where your animals are located.

4. Helps to deter wild predators away. Predators don't like strange sounds!

Note: We put bells on half of our herd and on Ewes only. No bells on Rams or lambs under 1 yr old.

Karras Farm has made arrangements to import some more bells directly from Greece due to a number of you requesting them. If you are interested in purchasing some bells for your sheep please call or email us and we can provide you with some additional details.

karrasfarm@gmail.com

East Friesian Sheep - Time For The Protein Flush!

The Protein Flush

It's time to get the East Friesian Ewes and Rams ready for breeding. Over the years Karras Farm has developed a method to ensure the most successful breeding.

This is not rocket science but it will prove to be a huge boost for successful pregnancy and promote multiple births.

Starting now (September 20th) we feed every animal one pound of whole kernel corn straight off
the cob. This will be a 60 day cycle to boost the protein level in the East Friesian's.

The protein boost provides additional nutrients for the Ewes which have proved to enhance embryo production resulting in more multiple births. We have also notice the lambs tend to be healthier as a result. The Rams also benefit from the protein boost as the semen levels are increased giving them an added likely hood of conception.

Another benefit of the protein flush is having all our animals’ cycle at the same time. The breeding, pregnancy and births all occur in a very close time window within the herd. This cycle aids us in knowing how all the pregnancies are progressing and enables us to more closely monitor the animals’ progress.

One item of mention - We do not recommend using crack corn during the protein flush. Crack corn is much harder for the animals to digest and will not yield the same results. As the sheep regurgitate crack corn it can also affect their esophagus and stomach lining. 

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog and we look forward to a wonderful East Friesian breeding season. Feel free to comment, email or call if we can help in any way.

Sincerely,
Andy Karras
Karras Farm

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