Fungus Among Us

     Wool fungus and ringworm. Two variants of a nasty little fungi that cause some ugly spots on the skin of sheep, goats and cattle. If left untreated, it can cause severe skin lesions and is highly contagious even to humans. If you go to a show and active fungus is found on your animal, you will be asked to leave immediately. Three things you need to understand are: how animals get it, how to prevent it, and how to treat it.

How Animals Get Wool Fungus/Ringworm

     Wool fungus and ringworm is caused by Trichophyton. The spores of this fungus attack the animal's skin through small cuts or nicks. These spores can survive several years in the environment. This includes in pens, in trailers, on equipment and on tack. It can take up to 4 weeks before any lesions (signs of fungus infection) appear.

     Shearing of wool removes a sheep's natural layers of protection, wool and its lanolin, and allows the spores to get to the skin. It can also hide in wool as well. The spores can be transmitted from sheep to sheep contact or by sheep picking it up from the environment where it is present.

     Ringworm in goats and cattle starts the same with cuts or scratches on the skin allowing the fungus in. Goats and cattle tend to get minor cuts and scratches by rubbing on things in the environment. It can also be transferred easily between animals since they do not have the wool and lanolin that sheep have.

How to Prevent Wool Fungus/Ringworm

     The best way is to avoid animals that have fungus and the environments they are in. If you know a farm, barn or other location is the home to animals infected with fungus, do not take your animals there and if you go, be sure to clean and disinfect yourself , your clothes or any items that came in contact with the animals.

     If you have gone to a show or other location and are concerned you may pick up the fungus, then its best to wash and disinfect animals before you leave. There are several fungus washes available to buy for your livestock. You also need to disinfect tack and equipment. I like to spray down items with a chlorohexadine mixture to disinfect from fungus and other possible infectious diseases. If everything is washed and disinfected before being loaded into the trailer, the trailer should remain fungus free as well, but it is not a bad idea to regularly wash out a trailer and disinfect it as well.

How to Treat Fungus

     Treating fungus can be a little difficult. Treating the active lesions to prevent it from spreading is the priority. There are lots of  ideas and alternative ways on how to treat these lesion from painting them, to spraying on certain lubricants. None of these are approved for use on animals. DO NOT DO THIS to your animals.

    Since most ringworm on goats and cattle will usually heal over time, we need to prevent the spread to other animals. First, keep them away from other animals to prevent spread of the fungus. Then clean animals with a fungus wash and disinfect all tack and equipment. Finally, use a fungicide to treat the lesions. This will help prevent it from spreading.

     Wool fungus is a little trickier. There is an extra step of clipping wool around the lesions to allow access to the skin to treat the fungus. Clip as small an area as possible and then disinfect those blades and clippers before using on another sheep. Now do the same as with a goat or calf. Wash the animal, treat the lesions and disinfect tack and equipment.

     If the wool fungus and ringworm does not seem to be getting better, or it seems to be spreading, call your vet. (The one you have the VCPR with, right?!)

Caution

     Wool fungus and ringworm are zoonotic, which means they can spread to people. If you are treating animals with wool fungus and ringworm you need to prevent yourself from getting it. Wear protective gloves while treating animals or disinfecting things. Wash your hands after handling these animals. And finally, wash your clothes after handling infected animals.

     If you find a spot of ringworm on your skin, don't panic, but do call your doctor and get their recommendation on treating it.

     Wool fungus and ringworm can be a tough thing to deal with. It may mean you get to miss a show or two. It definitely means you are going to be cleaning, disinfecting, and treating your animals. Remember, prevention is better than the cure.



Scott Stinnett
Area Extension Agent
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Record Keeping with your Phone?

     It is that time of year when 4-H members are completing their record books and FFA members are getting constant reminders from their FFA Advisor to update theirs. For the junior and intermediate 4-H members, help from parents and 4-H leaders makes record keeping easier, but senior 4-H'ers and FFA members are more responsible for doing it by themselves. So how can it be made any easier for next year?

     First get organized. Find a shoe box, big envelope, storage tub, desk drawer or other place to put all the pieces of paper you will need for your record book. Put in there financial papers from your project like check stubs from selling projects, receipts from buying feed, equipment, supplies, vet bills and other expenses from your projects. And don't forget bills of sale, copies of registration papers, vet certificates and any other paperwork for your project.

     Second thing; use your phone. Yes an adult is telling you to use your phone. Here's how the phone is helpful. Take pictures of things associated with your project. We like to take pictures of our animals, but take pictures of things that will go in your record book. Are you doing some animal health work like vaccinating or giving wormer? Then take a picture of the products used, especially the label with the lot number and expiration date. Two things have now happened. Your phone recorded the date of the event and you can always go back and see a picture of what animal health product you used. The label will tell you things you should put into your records like the full product name, lot number, expiration date and withdrawal period.

     Take pictures of other things associated with your project like your pens where your animals live, bags of feed, the barn, your showmanship practice area, where you store your tack, the truck and trailer you use to transport your animals.

     Take pictures of the weather too. Reality is it will rain and be muddy when you have animals. It may snow. It may be extremely hot. Take pictures of these events.

     With all these pictures, you can make a better story at the end of your record book as well as use the date stamp to know when things happened. This makes a more accurate and complete record book.

    The other thing that a phone can be used for is the calendar. Most smart phones have a built in calendar app. Use it to keep track of dates with your project like trips to the vet, jackpot shows, when feed was bought and when 4-H and/or FFA activities took place. Then come record book time, just open your calendar and transfer the dates into your record book.

     I know this post is not specific to direct animal care, but record keeping is an important part of raising animals. Record books are 4-H and FFA's way of teaching you how to keep accurate and appropriate records. Using a phone is just another tool to help make that record keeping a little easier.


Scott Stinnett
Area Extension Agent
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Pushing and Holding

     We are 30 days away from our county fair and a few exhibitors are getting nervous. They have checked the weights on their animals and found they are not on target for the desired weight at the fair. Some may be too light and some will be possibly too big. So the questions come in about pushing and holding animals so they can make weight.

     I go through a few questions with them to see how best to address their animal's weight problem:

• How much do they weigh now?
• What do you want them to weigh at fair?
• What are you feeding?
• How much are you feeding?

     After getting these questions answered, I look for problems. First, knowing the weight helps to formulate what rate of gain they need. For instance, if they have a 200 lbs. market swine and want it to weigh 260 lbs. at the fair we can calculate rate of gain.

• Subtract current weight from desired weight to find the total desired gain
• 260 lbs. - 200 lbs. = 60 lbs. of desired gain
• Then divide the desired gain by the number of days before fair to find the desired average daily gain
• 60 lbs. / 30 days = 2 lbs. per day desired daily gain
• Now compare this to the average daily gain for the species
• Older market swine can on average gain between 2 lbs. to 3 lbs. per day so the desired daily gain should be good.

     Now the questions about feeding come into play. What are you feeding? At this point in time, market animals should be on a finishing or fattening ration. Finishing rations put weight on an animal as fat. These ration have less nutrients like proteins for muscle and skeletal growth, and more energy and fats for putting on finish or fat that is important to the quality of meat the animal will yield when harvested. If the animals are still on a growing ration, they will not deposit the fat they need and continue to gain more muscle weight than fat.

     The second part is how much are you feeding? Most bagged feeds have feeding instructions based on the animal's weight. If the swine finisher feed says to feed 4% of the animal's body weight daily then we can calculate how much they need.

• Multiply the current weight by the amount the instructions say to feed
• Current weight is 200 lbs. x 4% per day = 200 lbs. x .04 per day = 8 lbs. per day
• Feed must be adjusted to equal the increase in weight. If we expect the pig to gain 2 lbs. per day, the next week the pig will weight 14 lbs. more  (7 days x 2 lbs. per day = 14 lbs. of gain). We need to recalculate the feed at least once per week.
• 214 lbs. x .04 per day = 8.5 lbs. per day
• 228 lbs. x .04 per day = 9.1 lbs. per day
• 242 lbs. x .04 per day = 9.7 lbs. per day
• 256 lbs. x .04 per day = 10.2 lbs. per day
• Adjusting the feed weekly should help maintain the appropriate average daily gain.

     This example would be for the perfect scenario. The animal was on target, and everything calculated out to be on target for the 260 lbs. desired weight for the fair 30 days down the road. But what if you are on the light weight side. You want to "push" your animal to make weight.

     Pushing usually means trying to make and animal gain a maximum amount of weight possible. There is still a limit to the amount of weight they can gain in a certain amount of time. In my experience, animals at this stage of development and growth can have some great rates of gain. I have seen sheep and goats gain 1 pound per day, pigs up to 2 pounds per day and cattle up to 4 pounds per day. Now there are exceptions and some animals can really grow in a short time, but let's not get our hopes too high and stay more realistic.

     Using a market steer as an example. His current weight is 975 lbs. and the minimum weight for your fair is 1100 lbs. There are 30 days until fair and he needs to gain 125 lbs. His daily gain needs to be approximately 4.2 lbs. per day (125 lbs. / 30 days = 4.16 lbs. per day). Is it possible?

     To push an animal to maximum weight gain, their basic nutritional needs must be met and extra nutrition must be available. Why? Extra nutrition, especially energy from fats and carbohydrates in grains and by-products, will be stored and deposited as fat. If the feed bag instructions say to give them 3% of their body weight per day, you might bump it up to 3.5% per day. If the steer can eat the extra feed and it provides more than their daily nutritional needs then they can gain the maximum per day. Now do not go crazy. If they were eating 30 lbs. per day do not jump to a full 50 lbs. bag per day or else you are asking for trouble. Bump his feed to 35 lbs. and see how that helps with weight gain.

***CAUTION***

Ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) cannot handle large sudden changes in feeding. If you increase their feed, do it slowly and observe them multiple times per day to make sure they do not bloat, scour or have other digestive problems. 

 

     Holding is the reverse of pushing. You are trying to minimize weight gain. Say you have a 155 lbs. market lamb and the maximum weight for your fair is 165 lbs. At this time you are under weight, but if they gain the average of 1/2 lbs. per day, they will be over weight (1/2 lbs. per day x 30 days = 15 lbs. of weight gain, 155 lbs. + 15 lbs. = 170 lbs.). You want to put this lamb on a maintenance diet. Meaning you want to feed them enough to meet their nutritional needs but not to gain extra weight. If the feed instructions say 3% body weight per day, you might cut back to 2.5% or as low as 2% body weight per day to slow the rate of gain. But do not stop or skip a feeding to try and reduce weight gain. Weigh your animals every week, calculate the rate of gain and find out if they are gaining less than the average and are on target for the weight you want them to be at.

 

     When holding animals, be careful not to reduce the feed to the point they start losing weight or muscle mass. If you understand and feel comfortable using a supplement to maintain weight and body mass you might do so. It is better for them to slowly gain a little weight than to make them lose weight and try to push them to gain some back right before a show.

 

     The biggest thing on pushing or holding is not to go to extremes. They cannot grow any faster than their genetic potential and they will not do well if you put them on a crash diet to try and minimize weight gain. If you are concerned, ask a family who does well with their animals for help. Ask the breeder you bought your animal from. Ask your Extension Agent or your FFA advisor. There are plenty of people willing to help if you just ask.

Here are some additional resources:
Feeding the Lamb Crop - Purdue University
Niche Pork Production - Iowa State University
Basic Show Steer Feeding and Care - Utah State University Extension



Scott Stinnett
Area Extension Agent
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Scrapie Tags

     Scrapie Identification Tags are part of the National Scapie Eradication Program. These tags are used to track and home in on a location of a flock of origin if Scrapie is found in any sheep or goats. The tags are connected to a Premise Identification or an address of the person who the tags are issued the tags.

     The tags are considered a permanent ID and should not be removed. If a sheep or goat loses its Scrapie tag, a replacement tag can be put in. Records of the animal an its tag numbers must be kept for at least 5 years. If a tag is lost and replaced, a record of the old and new tag needs to be in those records.

     Animals that must have a Scrapie tag include all "sexually intact" animals. This means ewes, does, rams and bucks. Wethers (sheep or goat) under the age of 18 months are not required to have one since they have been castrated. Once they have reached 18 months of age or older, they are then required to have a Scrapie tag. There are a few exceptions such as registered goats with permanent identification tattoos may not need Scrapie tags.

     Youth sheep and goat projects are also subject to the Scrapie identification rules. As a youth you are either buying your animal from a breeder or sale, or you are raising your own. Youth who buy their project animals need to be mindful and make sure Scrapie tags are in any ewes or doe they take home. This tag number should then be recorded in their 4-H or FFA record book. If you get home and notice the animal doesn't have a tag, contact the sale or breeder and request they send you one to put in.

     Youth who are breeding their own sheep and goats should also be using Scrapie tags. The first step is to contact your state veterinary office and request the Scrapie tags. Youth will be assigned a flock number and tags will be sent to be put in your animals. All "sexually intact" animals (ewes, does, rams and bucks) will need to have tags. Wethers under 18 months of age do not, need tags, but if an old wether is hanging around and he is over 18 months, he will need a Scrapie tag. Youth need to make sure any ewe lambs and doe kids they sell or are taking to a show have their Scrapie tags in.

     Scrapies eradication is a national effort. I hope this explanation is simple enough to help youth understand what and why they need to have Scrapie tags. Youth need to be mindful of their responsibilities in this effort. If you have any questions, contact your state veterinarian office.

     Here are some resources on Scrapies:

• "General Scrapie Information" and  "Scrapie Surveillance: Tagging Sheep and Goats" - Colorado Department of Agriculture
• "Sheep & Goat Official Identification Decision Tree" - USDA APHIS

Scott Stinnett
Area Extension Agent
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Green Water?!

Many youth have problems with large animal stock tanks becoming homes for algae. Fellow Extension Agent, Michael Fisher has some great suggestions to help with this warm weather problem.

Stock Tank Algae Control

About this time of year I begin getting calls regarding how to control algae growth in stock tanks. Algae growth is a fact of summer for livestock water tanks in Eastern Colorado. Before talking about controlling it, let’s talk about trying to limit some of the algae growth.

There are some basic essentials that algae require to grow in a stock tank. The most obvious is water and we can’t do much about that. Next, warm temperatures and sunlight dramatically promote algae growth. Some producers will build shade over their stock tanks to help with this issue. However, that creates an added expense and may cause problems with livestock trying to utilize that shade on hot days. Finally, algae needs some form of nutrients to sustain itself. This can come from livestock slobbers, animals urinating or defecating in a tank, and debris being blown into the tank. Part of this is unpreventable, but fencing or rails can be utilized to prevent livestock from entering a stock tank and introducing nutrients. If using rails, make certain they are positioned low enough that a cow can’t slip underneath the rail.

Once you have an algae problem in your stock tank, there are some treatment methods that you can utilize. There are numerous commercial products on the market. However, a generic approach to chemical treatment is often times cheaper. (Remember that chemical treatments may change the taste of the water for a period of time. Also, these need to be mixed thoroughly within the tank for a few minutes before livestock are allowed access. Don’t just dump it in one part of the tank and drive off.)

• Chlorine Bleach: Sodium hypochlorite (5.25%), which is what many of the standard laundry bleaches (only use unscented) are made of, can be effective. You will need to add 2 to 3 ounces of the 5.25% sodium hypochlorite for each 100 gallons of tank capacity. Be sure to mix the tank water well after adding the bleach. This should be repeatedly weekly. When temperatures are abnormally hot and when a lot of organic material exists in the tank, the sodium hypochlorite will dissipate more rapidly and may require multiple treatments per week.

• Copper Sulfate: Copper sulfate is a popular algae control and is found in many of the commercial products. It will often come in a crystal form and needs to be dissolved in warm to hot water before making the treatment. Typically, 1.5 teaspoons should be dissolved in 4.5 ounces of water for each 1000 gallons of tank capacity that will be treated. This mixture is then poured throughout the tank. Treatment should be repeated in two to four weeks, depending on algae growth. Algae killed using this method should be removed from the tank and hauled out of the grazing area, as it may contain very high copper & sulfur levels. The use of copper sulfate is not recommended when sheep will be consuming the water, as sheep have a low tolerance for copper and this treatment may be toxic to more copper sensitive sheep. Another important note is that copper sulfate can increase the rate of deterioration of metal tanks and pipes.

• Zinc Sulfate: Zinc sulfate is another chemical treatment. Again, the material needs to be dissolved in warm to hot water before being added to the tank. In the case of zinc sulfate, dissolve one cup in one gallon of water. Then thoroughly mix into the tank ½ cup of the solution for every 100 gallons of tank capacity. Repeat as needed.

• Biological Control: In these times of consumer concerns over what is in their meat, more and more producers are turning to herbivore consuming aquatic life to maintain reduced algae levels in stock tanks, as opposed to chemical treatments. One of the more common resources is the goldfish. It will take 4 to 6 goldfish for every 100 gallons of tank capacity. Other aquarium species can be more expensive ($3 to $6 each) but still effective. Some of these are the Black Mollies, Otocinclus Catfish, and my personal favorite the plecostomus. Some varieties of plecos, like the Trinidad Pleco, can grow to near a foot in length and spend a surprising amount of their time foraging. While these biological control techniques do offer a good marketing statement for those selling in all natural programs, they still create issues. First, you are trading algae for fish feces in your tank. Secondly, fishing predators (raccoons, cats, birds, etc.) may become attracted to your stock tank & treatment technique. Thirdly, if you are changing pastures throughout the grazing season you will need to move the fish. Finally, you will need to have a plan for caring for the fish during the winter months.

Michael Fisher

Extension Director
Pueblo County
Colorado State University

Bath Time!

     Bathing and cleaning is part of the basic care for show animals. It promotes skin and hair health along with working to promote an overall appearance of quality. But it can be a bad thing to.

     All of our livestock could live without bathing in a commercial situation. They were built to live outdoors without the need for baths. Cattle can roll in the dust. Pigs have their mud baths. Lanolin on sheep's wool keeps dirt at bay. For show animals bathing is necessary, especially for proper appearance. There are some dos and don'ts to remember.

DOs

• Bathe animals in a safe location. This includes a good footing for you and the animal to stand on when it is wet. There is enough room for you and your animal. The location drains well.
• Use appropriate bathing products. Use soaps and shampoos made for livestock to prevent skin irritations. Or use mild general detergents like Dawn® soap (not a product endorsement). If it is safe for use on animals after an oil spill, it is okay for yours.
• Use the appropriate water pressure. Would you want to be hosed off at full pressure? Turn on enough pressure to wash you animal, but not so much that it is uncomfortable.
• Be quick about it. Stop texting, spookychat, insta-whatever and put the phone down. Wet, soap up, rinse and dry your animals without taking a break.
• Remove the caked on stuff. Mud and manure crusty hard on the hair is damaging. Get it off with water, some gentle scrubbing and elbow grease.
• Dry with clean towels. It is tempting to use, let dry and use again the same towel, but it can create problems. Fungus like ringworm and wool fungus can be on the towel and you may unknowingly spread it all over your animal.
• Do moisturize. Soap and shampoos remove natural oils from the skin and hair. After washing use a conditioner appropriate for your animal to help replace lost natural oils to keep hair and skin healthy.

DON'Ts

• Do not spray hot animals down with cold water. It causes them to stress by suddenly cooling their body. If an animal is hot and needs a bath, start by spraying their feet and slowly work up legs. Once they do not seem as hot (stopped panting, breathing heavy and feel cooler to the touch) then work up the body.
• "Not the Face!" Do not spray animals in the face. I prefer to use a wet rag on the face. And be careful using soaps and shampoos around the eyes. It is uncomfortable and can be harmful if it gets in their eyes. If it does, be sure you get the soap out of the eyes.
• Do not bathe every day. If you have cattle and you are trying to work hair, just rinse if you need to wet them down every day. Soaps and shampoos remove oils on the hair which keep it healthy. If you use soaps and shampoos, you are removing the natural oils and making the hairs dry and brittle. Then it will begin to fall and comb out, defeating the purpose of trying to work hair. With sheep, you are removing the lanolin which protects the wool. I suggest you only wash sheep before a trimming or a show.
• Don't wash in a dangerous situation. If you do not have a good safe spot to wash, just don't.  There is no reason to put yourself and animal at risk just to be clean.
• Do not fight with your animals. Some just do not like being bathed. If the wash rack is stressful once, it will be stressful every time for your animal. Make it as pleasant as possible.

     I hope you get those animal washed up and looking good. And one more Don't. Don't forget to take pictures in the wash rack for the record books!


Scott Stinnett
Area Extension Agent
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

The Importance of a Bucket

     One of the most important things I load for a livestock show are buckets. They have multiple uses and I don't think I could get through a show without one.

Biosecurity

     It is hard to think of a simple five gallon bucket as the first line of defense in biosecurity. I will give you some examples of how it is. First, the bucket leaves my house clean and disinfected. I know I can put anything in it that will be used around my animals. Water is the most important.

     Sharing drinking water with animals from other locations is just asking for the spread of something nasty. Many shows, especially cattle and horse shows, may set out tanks for the convenient watering of large animals, but it is an invitation to share germs. I never use community watering tanks or share my bucket with any animals but my own. I fill the bucket with the right amount of water I think my animals will drink and when they are done, pour out the little bit they did not drink. If I think the bucket got dirty, it gets washed.

     Feed transported in my buckets is the second use and rule for biosecurity. Hauling sacks of feed is just a messy pain. I have buckets with good lids. No spilling feed from a ripping bag. No wet feed from and animal knocking over water. No mice or birds stealing feed (or the occasional night raid by a fairgrounds raccoon or skunk!) No passing by animal sticking there nose in my feed. Feed in the bucket is secure from contamination and the environment.

Other Uses

Besides keeping water and feed clean and free of contaminants, I use my bucket for other things.

• It goes to the wash rack hauling all my supplies: hose, brushes, soaps, towels and anything else I need.
• It is a muck bucket when cleaning stalls, pens or cages.
• It is my step up to hang signs and banners (It is not OSHA approved for the purpose, but I am short and I'm not hauling a ladder)
• It is road block when cleaning the aisle up.
• It is a trash can when having lunch at the pens.
• It carries tools from the truck when things break at the show.
• Upside down, it holds feed when we need to take a swine picture.
• It totes those ring side show supplies like spray bottles, towels, non-show halters, combs, and brushes.
• And if there is time to take a break, its my seat to rest on.

     There are a lot of other uses for the bucket. I hope you have a good set of them as part of your show tack. And if you find one with my name on it, please put it to good use.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Agent
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Be Nice to the Bugs!

     Three major livestock projects are ruminant species: cattle, sheep and goats. A ruminant animal has a unique digestive system where instead of a stomach like we have there are four compartments. The largest compartment is the rumen and why they are called ruminant animals.

     The rumen does not actually do any digestion but acts as an environment for some special little critters to do some digestion for the animal. Living in the rumen are trillions and trillions of micro-organisms we lovingly refer to as “bugs”. They include bacteria, fungi and protozoa who like to digest the grass, hay and grain the cattle, sheep or goat eats. In just 1 ounces of fluid from the rumen there are over 1 trillion (1,000,000,000,000) micro-organisms living and digesting food.

     The rumen provides a perfect environment for these bugs. Inside the rumen it is warm (near or above 100 degrees), it is dark (sunlight can’t get inside an animal), moist (the rumen is full of water), free of oxygen (the air they breath should be in the lungs) and has a proper pH level (slightly acidic is best). And most importantly, there is food to eat! When a ruminant animal takes a bite of grass, hay or grain, it travels down the esophagus and to the rumen. The bugs in the rumen start breaking down these items into simpler nutrients the animal can absorb and use.

     Since these little critters are helping to provide nutrients to your livestock you need to be nice to them. First, they are picky eaters and like certain foods. Some may like parts of grass and hay, others like to eat parts of grain. The more of a specific food they get, the larger the population of those type of bugs are in the rumen. If what the animal eats changes rapidly, the bugs may not be ready.

     Let’s say you go take your animal from grazing on grass and start them on a grain diet. In the rumen, the grass eating bugs begin to starve and die out, and there are not enough bugs present to digest all the grain they now have to eat. Your animal then gets some digestive troubles. They may go off feed, bloat or get the scours because they do not have the micro-organisms in the rumen to digest the food they are eating. Not Good! To be good to these bugs, feed changes should be made slowly. Going from grass and/or hay to grain should be done over 10 to 20 days by slowly feeding a little bit more grain every day and taking away a little of the hay or grass. You can also help to introduce a new population of bugs by giving your animal probiotics.

     Another common problem I see is animals not getting enough water. The bugs in the rumen need water to do their digestive work. Some like to be on the surface of the rumen fluid and others down below. If an animal becomes dehydrated, some of the bugs can begin to die, again leading to more troubles. Be sure animals have access to good, clean water at all times.

     The last thing to remember is be consistent in your feeding. The bugs do not have long lives and cannot wait long periods to be fed. And they cannot handle a sudden increase in feed either. You need to be consistent in your feedings. Feed the correct amount of feed twice daily at intervals that are 8 to 12 hours apart. If you run out of feed and miss a feeding, do not double up on the next one. It can create the same problems as a sudden change in feed. If you need to be gone, do not feed too quickly between feedings. Try and find someone to feed for you at your normal time. They may need the same help in the future, so you can trade this chore out.

Remember, take care of those bugs who are taking care of your animals.

Scott Stinnett
Extension Agent
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension  

Sock'em

     If you have been to a sheep or goat show, you have seen those animals wearing various forms of coverings. They are called socks, tubes, blankets, sheets, and slinkys. Each of these different type of coverings can serve a different purpose or can be used together.

     So why do we use them? The main reason is because with market lambs and goats, we shear their wool or hair off. This removes the natural layer of warmth and protection they have to better show off their muscling. And since we remove the wool and hair, we need to replace it with layers to help protect them.

     Starting with the lightest, we can use a sheet on hot days to protect their skin from sunburn, biting insects and if we are getting ready to go into the show ring, keep them clean.

Photo Credit: Sullivan Supply

     Tubes are used to help maintain body heat. For sheep, even on a warm day a tube is used to help them maintain some basic heat since they are missing their wool or hair.

Photo Credit: Sullivan Supply

     Blankets are usually made out of heavy canvas or nylon. They are used to provide warmth and protection from things that might tear or rip a tube. Blankets that cover the whole body of lambs and goats help prevent wool fungus and ringworm transfer as well. Due to removing lanolin from sheep, and goats being prone to getting fungus, full blankets can help reduce the exposure to these at shows and other times lambs and goats are exposed to new facilities and animals. 

Photo Credit: Sullivan Supply

     Layering of these coverings is not uncommon. If you are going to a winter jackpot, your sheep or goat may go in and out of various temperature ranges during the day. Think about a winter jackpot show day. In the morning you load them into a drafty trailer and go down the road for an hour or more in below freezing temperatures. To keep them warm you put on two tubes and a blanket. Once you get to the show, they get to be stalled in an indoor facility that is around 60 degrees, so they wear just the blanket to stay warm and clean. When it is time to head home in the afternoon, it is above freezing, but they still ride in the drafty trailer. A tube and a blanket go on for the ride home. One day and multiple needs for different layerings of tubes and blankets.

     Two more things to remember about coverings. First, sheep and goats grow and tubes, blankets and sheets need to fit properly. Most blankets are made to fit an animal of a certain weight and species. Sheep tend to be longer backed than goats. Goats tend to be deeper chested than sheep. A tube meant to fit a 50-75 lbs. sheep will be too long and pretty tight around the chest of a goat. A covering that does not fit properly can cause problems. I have seen animals get their legs caught in the straps of blankets that were too big. Ones that are too small usually leave the animal's rump exposed. It would be like sleeping on a cold night without a big enough blanket. Even though part of your body is covered, you will be cold because not all of you is covered.

     Second thing to remember is although a sheep or goat can only wear a couple of layers at once, they do get dirty. Have multiple tubes and blankets available. When you take off a dirty one, immediately put on a clean one. Most tubes, blankets and sheets can be cleaned in a washing machine with mild detergent.

I hope this helps you sort out the uses for the various coverings for sheep and goats.

Thanks to J.D. Sexton, 4-H Livestock and Agriculture Agent in Logan County, Colorado for his input on this post.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

From the Ground Up

     When it comes to the ability of livestock to move and function, structure starts on the ground with the hooves. Taking care of the hooves is as important as taking care of any other part of the body. Each species has its own individual needs for hoof care, but there are some universals to all species.

     To properly care for a hoof it is important to understand what a hoof is. Cattle, sheep, goats, and horses travel on their hooves which are made of a substance called keratin. It is same stuff that makes up our human finger and toe nails, but is thick enough to bare the weight of the animal.

     The hoof is a living tissue and continually grows. It needs proper nutrition to grow.  Proper nutrition starts with a balanced ration. A ration with proper amounts of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals will keep the hoof growing.

     Hooves also need proper maintenance. Being a living tissue, the growing hoof needs to be trimmed like human nails. A hoof that has grown too long can cause the animal to have problems walking, create lameness or give a place for infections to occur. Livestock that live in pastures with very sandy or rocky areas can keep their hooves trimmed just by walking. The sand and rocks will naturally grind and sand the hooves down to a proper length. Livestock kept on other types of pastures, in pens or stalls will need to have their hooves trimmed.

     Sheep and goats can be easily trimmed by the owner. A little education and a sharp pair of hoof trimmers is all that is needed to keep hooves the proper length. Trimming away the excess hoof wall is the main focus. Excess hoof wall can either roll under the hoof or turn out. Rolled under hoof wall can hold dirt and manure, making a great place for an infection or hoof rot to start. Turned out hoof walls tend to split. These splits can continue up the hoof and become cracks in the hoof wall, and another place for infections to enter the foot. Trimming is the easiest way to prevent having these problems.

    Horse hooves can be trimmed by the owner, if they are knowledgeable, or by a professional farrier. Trimming horse hooves requires a few more tools than sheep and goats. The hooves must be trimmed correctly so the weight of the horse is distributed across the whole hoof. Trimming can be used to help correct minor problems of structure due to unevenness of the hoof as well. This should be done by a professional farrier. Many horses also receive horse shoes. Shoes do many things for a horse's hoof and foot. It provides protection from unnatural surfaces like concrete and asphalt, it helps to distribute extra weight of a rider, and helps give the horse better traction for moving and stopping.

     Cattle hooves are usually the most difficult to trim. Most beef cattle never have their feet trimmed, but when they do, it requires the use of a hoof trimming table. The hoof trimming table is like a squeeze chute mounted on a giant hinge. Cattle walk into the table, have their neck and side secured and then the table is tilted laying the animal gently on its side. This allows a professional hoof trimmer to trim their feet easily. Dairy cattle may need their hooves trimmed often due to being kept in pens or on concrete.

Photo Credit: Berkelmans Welding



      No matter the species, keeping hooves in good condition requires some observation. Hooves need to maintain a certain amount of moisture. Dry hooves tend to split or crack. Using hoof conditioners and dressings can help to maintain moisture. On the other hand, wet hooves become very soft. Wet hooves are usually caused by animals standing in wet or muddy conditions for several hours a day. Providing a dry place for them to stand and let their hooves dry is the best practice.

     The main point is you need to take care of their hooves. All their weight is being carried on these sensitive structures. Any damage or injury can cause them pain, lameness and limit their desire to travel.


Here are some additional resources:

Basic Horse Hoof Care - eXtension.org
Goat Basic Hoof Care - eXtension.org



Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension