November 2011
Volume 31 Issue 10
July, 2007
Sheep Newsletter
North Star Sale Summary
The 2011 North Star Bred Ewe Sale was held October 29th at the Pipestone County
Fairgrounds. This was the 37th Annual sale with 139 head consigned by 15 different breeders
representing six breeds.
Southdown's were a new addition to the North Star Sale and they came with very strong
consignment and the highest sale average. The 14 head averaged $778.57 led by a Larry
McGuire spring lamb that brought $1500. Dorset's were the next high selling breed. The 28
head of Dorset's averaged $635.71, led by Sugarloaf's high selling fall ewe lamb. This fall ewe
lamb was also the high selling ewe in the sale at $2000.
Thirty one head of Hampshire's averaged $575.81. High selling Hampshire was a bred
yearling ewe consigned by Bobendrier that brought $1000. The 14 head of Katahdin's consigned
by Kennedy-Gorter tied that average of $575, with two lots bringing $750.
Thirty one head of Suffolk's averaged $554.84. A bred yearling ewe consignment by Marlin
Berg topped the breed at $850. Nineteen Rambouillet's averaged $452.63 and were led by Scott
Crawford's fall ewe lamb bringing $750.
The North Star Sale is well known for the quality sheep that local breeders bring every year.
Curt Overcash was the auctioneer and the sale is managed by Angie DeGroot. The sale is always
held the last Saturday of October.
Straight Talk
I am home from Alaska now and busy with fall lambing, over 90 so far. I thought I would reshare one of my recent newsletters of which a gentleman in Maryland took issue with.
Availability of drugs and biologics continues to be a problem. It is very difficult for companies to get approval of products for sheep and goats that make economic sense for them. As
long as we support politicians that want more government instead of less, this problem won’t
correct itself. We continue to import meat from other countries where drug approval is less
complicated and more and better products can be used. An unfair advantage I would say.
The point he took issue with was the availability of drugs and biologics. My statement evidently was political which I, as a citizen spending my own time and efforts wasn’t allowed to
make. I was accused of sounding like a primitive thinker with bumper sticker mentality. I
would like to publicly thank this reader for his comments. I will continue to make mine.
I have been around this game for a long time and you would be shocked to know the number of drugs and delivery methods that have been removed from the practice of veterinary
medicine. This has been happening for the 50 plus years that I have practiced and isn’t the
responsibility of any political party but is the responsibility of those who represent us.
Classical example would be, sterile distilled water is a prescription item and if found improperly labeled in a dairy man’s supplies, he is written up for it. How is that for bureaucracy?
Formaldehyde has now been classified as a human carcinogen. Now that I practically
bathed in it during my first year as a veterinary student in anatomy I am awaiting the death
sentence anytime. It is nasty stuff but I don’t really think anybody has found a substitute for
embalming people, preserving tissue, fumigation and treating foot rot.
The World Health Organization looked at the risk of getting cancer from typical formaldehyde exposures. They concluded that the risks of getting cancer from typical exposures are
extremely low, less than 2.7 cases in 100,000,000 people (generally anything less than 1 in
1,000,000 is considered to be negligible), based primarily on nasal cancers. This evaluation
suggests that normal exposures to formaldehyde are not likely to be a concern for the general
population. The total amount of formaldehyde exposure is also generally much less than the
amount of formaldehyde naturally present in the body, again suggesting fairly limited risk. The
main risks are associated with occupational exposures.
Despite the low risks, many regulatory agencies handle confirmed human carcinogens differently than other chemicals. This means that some form of regulatory action may be required to manage risks from the substance. This is particularly true for chemicals such as formaldehyde that can directly damage DNA. Typically these actions involve the development
of a risk management plan to minimize exposures and phase out unnecessary uses (e.g. uses
where another, less harmful chemical could be used without significant economic consequences).
I will take my chances. I believe driving an automobile to be much more of a risk.
The other factor that really grinds on me is that it is perfectly safe to eat imported meat from
countries that have a much larger selection of biologics and pharmaceuticals than we have
to use in this country. They are safe to use there but not here?
I probably am not going to be able to change anything and regulation is
better than none at all. We just need less of it and some practicality.
This is my article and that’s why it is named “Straight Talk”. Never do I intend to be mean spirited but I do reserve the right to express my opinion.
To quote an NFL coach, “we are what we say we are”. Interpretation
through the written word and email sometimes becomes difficult. I do what I
do because of my love for the sheep industry and the people that are all
part of it.
When you email me, be sure you don’t have your website blocked so I
can’t answer you. If for some reason your email isn’t answered within 24 hours, pick up the
phone and call us.
Join us on Facebook for the most current questions and answers.
A little bit more on current questions and answers.
What do I do to prevent abortions? I will share my thoughts and what I do in my own flock. I
vaccinate for Vibrio once at mid gestation for previous vaccinated ewes and on ewes not previously vaccinated, ewe lambs, thirty days prior to breeding as well.
I have given up on vaccinating for Chlamydia because of interrupted vaccine supply and
that in reviewing veterinary diagnostic lab reports, it doesn’t seem to be a major factor in abortions in the upper Midwest. If I imported sheep from the far west I would vaccinate them and
maintain them as a separate group the first year. The organism is sensitive to the tetracyclines
and they are successful in prevention and treatment.
Toxoplasmosis is another story. I have a lot of cats on the farm, too many. The presence of
cats I believe to be of more value than the absence. Ewes that are exposed when not pregnant develop immunity and don’t abort on re-exposure. I feed rumensin 15mg per head per
day from breeding to lambing when possible. I still have an occasional problem. You can feed
deccox 6%, two pounds per 50 pounds or loose salt is another approach. There are reports of
severe outbreaks of ewes on pasture. Not to be expected but has happened.
Feeding 300mg of tetracycline crumbles last six weeks of gestation may be a good idea. I
don’t do it in my own flock.
Be sure iodine levels are adequate. I have experienced dead lambs and lambs born
early in my own flock when they were receiving iodized salt. My solution is to use product
#6245 or #8770 which now contains adequate levels of iodine. Product #6245 contains vitamin
E and probably should be fed after December 1st. Both products contain selenium and trace
elements as well. If you live near a Big Gain dealer you can purchase the product complete as
50 pound bags of salt.
In treatment of abortion my first reaction is to get lambs and placenta to a veterinary diagnostic lab to establish a diagnosis and antibiotic sensitivity.
While waiting for diagnosis, I feed one pound of AS700 per six head for a week to ten days.
You may want to inject all ewes with LA200. I have never done that in my flock but would work
if dealing with Chlamydia and some of the Vibrio organisms.
I like the results I have achieved in other flocks and my own with AS700.
Remember, sometimes it is the little things we do that make a big difference.
Sheepletter is published 10 times yearly by Sheep World, P.O. Box 188, Pipestone, MN 56164, U.S.A. (for courier services: S. Hwy.75, Pipestone MN 56164 U.S.A.) Copyright @1990 Sheep World.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. Subscription rate is $20 (U.S. Currency); $30 (Canadian, Australian). Phone 507-825-4211, Fax 507-825-3140. ORDERS ONLY
1-800-658-2523.
Web Site: www.pipevet.com. E-mail: [email protected]
Editor: Shannon Bouman Regular Contributors: G.F. Kennedy, DVM, J.D. Bobb, DVM, J.L. Goelz, DVM, C. Vlietstra, DVM
Research Editor: J.D. Bobb, DVM Circulation Manager: Nancy Oye
Veterinary services, procedures, biologicals, and drugs mentioned in this publication represent the personal opinions and clinical observations of the contributing author. They are in no way intended to be interpreted as recommendations without the consent of the producers own practicing Veterinarian. We strongly urge that producers establish a patient-client-veterinarian relationship
that allows extra-label use when there are no drugs approved for treatment or if approved drugs are not effective. This procedure allows veterinarians to go beyond label directions when “prudent
use” is necessary. The limited availability of drugs and biologics in this country is a major factor in restricting the growth of the sheep industry and allowing producers to compete in the world
Market place.
Pipestone, MN 56164
PO Box 188
1300 So. Hwy. 75
Pipestone Veterinary Clinic