“Dear Kimberly. I’m being told that a good way to manage parasites is to deworm all my ewes after lambing. This helps fight the rise of worms that happens to ewes in the week or two after lambing? Do you do this?”
No, I don’t, but that has been a normal practice for a long time. When ewes begin to lactate they experience a temporary drop in immunity. Unfortunately this often coincides with what is called the ‘Spring Rise’. That’s when the warm temperatures, coupled with spring rain, can wake up just about every parasite that had been lying dormant. Now you have ewes that are susceptible to stomach worms, particularly the deadly barberpole. Ewes’ natural immunity drops from about 2 weeks before lambing up to 6 weeks after & the chemical deworming is done to try & combat the effects of that.
I don’t deworm my ewes after lambing. I observe them closely with the knowledge they are vulnerable & if one is in trouble (white eyelids, dropping body score, lethargic etc) I would need to intervene, but again I feel so many of these bullets can be dodged with prevention/support. In this case, prevention can be tricky because many of us are waiting for pastures to grow long enough & have our ewes with their new lambs in a temporary space. Oftentimes the same space they were in for the winter so any pre or past lambing worm drop is right there. Not ideal, but oftentimes the reality of finite space & shelter requirements. In this scenario, the added effect of poor quality hay, or not enough of it, alongside the demands of lactating can be fatal.
Yes, this is a perilous window of time for the ewe (& the lambs since they are born with little immunity to parasites) but rather then turn to chemicals these are some suggestions I recommend to support your ewes:
High quality hay. Protein. Protein. Protein. Either an alfalfa/grass hay mix that isn’t too stemmy. Or grass hay supplemented with alfalfa pellets. We are 100% grass fed so these are pit options.
Don’t feed on the ground.
Try to split feedings into AM & PM. It keeps the ewes from getting hungry & scouring the ground for any loose thing to eat.
Take an extra 5 minutes at feedings & observe them. Watch for signs of lethargy or not eating. You never want your first sign that you have barberpole problems to be bottlejaw! Once you see bottlejaw you’ll be in a fight you fell behind in from the start.
FAMACHA score
Keep the minerals stocked up.
Plenty of fresh water. Water consumption directly correlates with food intake. If they’re not drinking enough then they may not be eating enough protein to stay strong.
If you have access to silvopasture/or foraging & can use electronetting to let them browse it safely then I’ve found the biodiversity of the plants can be a great boost to the immune system.
Give 5-1 bolus & consider the correct timing for COWP bolus
I feed heads of garlic every spring prior to lambing. Approximately mid March to early April. I break them up & place them in bins with nothing else ((break them up into cloves but no need to take much time/ just make it a bit easier). This is absolutely free choice. At first my flock didn’t like them, but overtime they’ve come to scarf them down for about 3-5 days max & then they hardly touch them the rest of the summer until the strain of August. Then they’ll have a period where they gobble them up again. There are studies on the benefits of garlic. Oftentimes it’s done in drench form. I will use a garlic & molasses drench as support, but I’ve found that setting garlic out for them to eat is easier. I can’t gauge the garlic’s impact accurately because I still maintain the rest of my protocol, but they do eat them & our hardiness to parasites has increased. It feels like cheap insurance & isn’t difficult.
Watch the pastures grow! The sooner you can start rotational grazing, the sooner you can get them off ground that may be carrying a heavy worm load. I try to stay away from that piece of ground for as long as possible. If you can give it a good mow during the driest & hottest part of the summer thst can help too. If you let it sit & the grass gets really high then the grass can inadvertently hold moisture just above the ground level. Remember barberpole’s domain is the ground & the 1-4” portion of the grass stalk. If you can dry that out using the sun it is helpful!
Selenium/E either as BoSe or the gel can provide an added boost to a ewe’s depleted immune system. My experience is that you can safely give this after lambing- even if you gave the ewes some 4 weeks before lambing as I recommended.
There has been more research lately regarding the effects chemical dewormer has on the ewe’s milk & the possible long term effect on the lambs. Here’s an article on that topic from Ohio State University. It’s something to think about & maybe share with someone who is telling you to routinely deworm your ewes after lambing? It was done for decades & decades, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for the animal or the planet. Chemicals are (were?) helpful and removes some of the hands on diligence required to succeed without them. Thirty five years ago, I was taught in 4-H to always deworm ewes after lambing!
Everyone tended to do it, so it’s understandable the advice being given you is well intended & not an indication that the person isn’t extremely experienced. There can certainly be an old school feel to shepherding at times. It’s not a field that younger generations are flocking to (haha, what’s a blog without a bad pun 😂). It’s good to remember that every flock has to function differently based on its breed, location, environment, & management strategies. There are no rights & wrongs, just a variety of methods. I prefer grass fed & as natural as possible.
But always remember that if the barberpole parasite gets ahead of you then getting a grip on the situation (intervention versus support) often requires chemical dewormer. Here is the post on barberpole & on boluses. My thoughts are, especially when you’re learning, is a live sheep is always preferable to the alternative! Be kind to yourself, you’re still learning, & do the absolute best you can do for your sheep. Sometimes that means knowing when to resort to conventional methods. Each year gets easier as your flock gets stronger under your management!
All the best,
Kimberly
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