Looking after your sheep well this Summer is important for their health, comfort, and your profitability. If you do the right research, you’ll find plenty of online help and retailers such as Wynnstay that have the right products for you to keep your flock fighting fit all year round.
Inspect Your Livestock
Ensure you’re inspecting your livestock at least once if not twice a day, particularly during extreme weather. In this case, the heat of Summer can be tiring for your sheep so make sure they’re getting the right amount of water, shade, and nutrients to keep them going in the long hot days of Summer. Ensure you’ve got the right amount of space on your farm / land to provide this level of care to your sheep otherwise you run the risk of unhappy animals and you would need to consider larger land before the welfare of the animal slips and the profitability of your business.
Shearing
Now is the time to start shearing your sheep to relieve your sheep of the year-old coats in time for the warmer months ahead. Considering the right shearing equipment is key to a successful shear, and you’ll certainly give yourself an easier time! Make sure you don’t sheer too close to lambing as this can be uncomfortable for both parties and put the ewe under a lot of unnecessary stress, however its certainly important to rid the sheep of their heavy coat at this point, although you need to be sure to keep an eye on your newly shorn sheep as they’re prone to overheating with their thick coat insulating them from the heat, but being more likely to cause heat stress if kept on when moving around.
Image Credit: Wynnstay
Health and Welfare
If you ever have concerns for the health and welfare of your sheep, you should contact your vet immediately. If you can avoid transporting your animals in the hot weather, then you absolutely should do so. This can heavily reduce heat stress, if you can’t avoid this then you should wait until the coolest part of the day, even if this means doing it at night-time.
Health Products
Ensure you have a variety of health products on standby to avoid any nasty parasites, for example, Broad spectrum fluke and worm control for the major internal parasites including adult and immature gastrointestinal roundworms, lungworms, tapeworms, and adult liver fluke. If you’re prepared for this, you’ll know exactly what to do if your sheep are affected, however always contact your vet if you have serious concerns.
Image Credit: Wynnstay
Shelter
Investing in sheep shelters is important for farmers, particularly during lambing season. Having top quality sheep / lamb facilities should be the top of your priorities during this time to ensure you well equipped, the sheep are safe and well cared for and your business is protected. The shelter will be perfect for any new lambs to shelter from the hot summer sun and be protected from the spring showers that an adult sheep would usually be able to withstand.