Although weight loss is not unexpected, the magnitude of loss – up to 25-30% of body weight – is an interesting finding, project leader and North Otago vet Dave Robertson says.
“It means they’re under metabolic stress which may leave them more susceptible to parasitism and other diseases.”
Not only was it important to build ram condition before mating, but also to focus on feeding post-mating to get the rams rebounding and recovering condition to prevent the likelihood of culling for poor condition and disease, he said.
The aim of the project is to combine vet, science and farmer knowledge to improve ram performance and longevity.
Another goal was to come up with a simple farmer management checklist and plan that should ensure rams last beyond two or three seasons.
“There is always a bit of tension about which approach to follow when it comes to ram management. There’s ‘survival of the fittest’ thinking at one extreme and intensive husbandry at the other extreme.
“I’m not advocating that we mask inferior genetics through excessive interventions but this project will help highlight the stress rams are under.”
The first part of the study done last year canvassed feedback from 30 farmers about ram health, husbandry and selection. Of the rams culled more than 30% of those were because of feet problems, feedback showed.
“We found that respondents were particularly concerned about feet issues, especially so in terminal rams.”
But preventative measures could significantly reduce foot problems and the number of prematurely culled rams.
Although foot inspection of a ram was not easy because of their size and difficulty in tipping them over, an inspection at every opportunity was important, especially pre and post-mating and at shearing or crutching.
Foot rot needed to be treated otherwise it created a reservoir of infection for other sheep, he said.
'It means they’re under metabolic stress which may leave them more susceptible to parasitism and other diseases.'
Foot abscesses were mentioned as another issue and were best avoided by early treatment of lameness.
“Abscesses are just a scald-type infection that goes deep into the joint space. If you prevent or treat the early skin infection you’ll stop the abscess from forming.”
The weight of the ram and foot conformation could also leave a ram more susceptible to abscesses.
Flystrike on the head, crutch and other areas was also an issue prevalent in rams and easily prevented with dip treatment.
The average culling rate of rams from the 30 farmers surveyed was 25% for maternal sires and 28% for terminal breeds.
Of those culled more than 30% were because of foot issues, with age and poor teeth the other main reasons.
The second phase of the study, started at the beginning of the year, involves the condition scoring, weighing and recording of health issues and treatments of 500 rams across seven farms.
By December there will be a year of measurements from which to draw a general profile of ram wellbeing.
However, the intention is to build a longer-term perspective by observing the rams for the duration of their life.
The project, which is also seeking to find if health attributes can be genetically selected for, dovetails with B + LNZ’s ewe longevity project.
RAM CARE CHECKLIST
- Drench before and after mating
- Give an annual clostridial booster and necessary minerals
- Inspect feet at every opportunity and footbath regularly ifrequired
- Get an annual vet check for soundness and brucellosis
- Inspect and treat for flystrike
- Build body condition and fitness pre-mating
- Provide quality feed post-mating.
