General Info

How to Give Injections

Kind Horn Farm - General Info

 

Icelandic ewe lamb

How to Give Injections

For new flock owners, the thought of giving injections can be daunting.  Willingness to do your injections will save you a great deal of money on vet bills, though.  As a new shepherd/ess, a good option would be to have the vet come once to show you how to do the injections, both intramuscular and subcutaneous.  Then, you will have confidence to do future injections on your own.  Below, you will find links to a couple of sites that outline pretty well how to give injections in sheep or goats.

How to give injections

Giving Injections

 

 

 

 

 

Lambing Time Essentials

Kind Horn Farm - General Info

Icelandics

Essentials for Lambing Time


When lambing time draws near, it is time to get a lambing kit in order.   Let's cover the basic lambing kit and then look at what extras you could have on hand.   The items marked with **, are not for a basic kit, but you might want to add these over time.

Supplies

The following table lists supplies you should have on hand for lambing.

Lambing supplies
Rubber gloves, protective sleeves or latex gloves For assisting with difficult births and handling newborns
OB lubrication For assisting with difficult births (J-lube, or other)
Nylon rope, snare, or leg puller For assisting with difficult births
Disinfectant For assisting with difficult births
Bearing retainor, ewe spoon, or prolapse harness **
 For holding vaginal prolapse in
Heat lamp or warming box
For warming chilled lambs
Arnica montana and Rescue Remedy homeopathics
 To give to ewes whose births you assist
Needles and syringes **
 For giving shots
Thermometer For diagnosing problems
Gentle iodine, Triodine
 For dipping navel cords
Esophageal feeding tube
For feeding lambs
Frozen colostrum **
 For feeding lambs
Colostrum supplement **
 To supplement colostrum
Lamb milk replacer For feeding orphan lambs
Lamb nipples (teats) and bottle
 For hand feeding orphan lambs

For treating pregnancy toxemia

For treating milk fever

For weak lambs
Oral dosing syringe **
 For giving oral medications
OB S-curved needle **
 For sutering
Ear tags and an applicator For identifying lambs


Hanging scale For weighing feed and lambs
Weigh sling To weigh newborn lambs
Pocket record keeping book For recording lambing data

 

Books: These are some of my favorites.

Natural Sheep Care - Pat Coleby

Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep - Paula Simmons and Carol Ekarius

Managing Your Ewe - Laura Lawson

The Sheep Book - Ron Parker

Living with Sheep - Chuck Wooster

The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable - Juliette de Bairacli Levy

Lamb Problems - Laura Lawson

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Why Grass-fed?

Kind Horn Farm - General Info

Some pretty amazing research had been done on the benefits of grass fed products.  Read on and see why grass fed is the way to go.  Mother Earth News also has a very informative article on this subject.  Please follow the link:  The Amazing Benefits of Grass - Fed Meats.

 

  1. What is grassfed?
  2. What kinds of products are grassfed?
  3. What are the advantages of grassfed products?
  4. What are the disadvantages of grassfed products?
  5. Where can I buy grassfed products?
  6. How can I be certain the product is truly grassfed?
  7. What is the American Grassfed Association?
  8. What are the activities of the American Grassfed Association?
  9. Who may join the American Grassfed Association?
  10. How do I cook Grassfed?

 

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

For Human Health…

Meat, dairy products, poultry and eggs from animals fed grass diets, rather than grain-based diets, are higher in beta carotene (Vitamin A), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and Omega-3 fatty acids. Initial research has shown all of these elements to be crucial in reducing cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and other life threatening diseases.

Grassfed animal products are lower in fat and calories. If a person consuming the average American quantity of beef (66.5 pounds) were to switch to grassfed beef, he or she would reduce the number of calories consumed in one year by 17,733.

Consumers of grassfed meat nearly eliminate their risk of becoming infected with pathogenic E. coli bacteria. In the (unlikely) event that meat from a grassfed animal is contaminated with the naturally occurring E. coli bacteria, it will be easily killed by the normal acidity in a human digestive tract. Feeding large amounts of grain to animals causes the E. coli bacteria to become resistant to this acidity.

 

For Animal Welfare….

Meat and dairy animals allowed to graze on open field live longer and can produce longer due to more natural, less stressful, conditions.

Hormone shots, sub-therapeutic antibiotics and animal proteins added to feeds in conventionally fed animals boost production in the short-term, but reduce the quality of life in these animals.

For the Environment…

Animals allowed to graze on pasture spread out their waste over the entire pasture area, providing a natural source of fertilizer. This is in contrast with a commercial feedlot or dairy where the manure must be collected, trucked, and then spread onto fields nearby. Large amounts of waste may prompt commercial feedlot managers to spread the manure too heavily or to use scarce water resources to wash it into a smelly storage lagoon.

Grazing operations are very environmentally friendly as they are really “grass farms”, which use livestock to process grass into a healthy food product and because they don’t have to use a lot of diesel or gasoline to power the equipment used to farm commercial grains.

 

 

GRASSFED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

 

1. What is grassfed?

The American Grassfed Association defines grassfed products from ruminants, including cattle, bison, goats and sheep, as those food products from animals that have eaten nothing but their mother’s milk and fresh grass or grass-type hay from birth to harvest – all their lives.  For grassfed non-ruminants, including pigs and poultry, grass is a significant part of their diets, but not the entirety of their diets, since these animals need to consume grains.  Many products have been, and continue to be, marketed as “grassfed”, when grass is only a part of their diet.  This lack of standardization on grassfed products is just one of the reasons the American Grassfed Assocation is pushing hard for strict U.S. Department of Agriculture guides on grassfed marketing claims.

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2. What kinds of products are grassfed?

A: Virtually any air-breathing food animal can be raised partially or entirely on grass.  The most common products are beef, bison, lamb, goat, pork, poultry, eggs and dairy (milk, butter and cheese).

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3. What are the advantages of grassfed products?

A: Grassfed animal products have been shown to be higher in beta carotene (Vitamin A), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and Omega-3 fatty acids, which are important in reducing cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and other life threatening diseases.  These products are lower in fat, cholesterol and calories.  In addition, the risk of infection by E. coli in these products in virtually eliminated.

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4. What are the disadvantages of grassfed products?

A: A disadvantage for grassfed meat producers is that animals raised entirely on grass mature more slowly, lengthening the production time of grassfed products.  A disadvantage for the consumer is that true grassfed products are not available in all the retail outlets, making it necessary for the consumer to find and purchase directly from a producer.  Among the goals of the American Grassfed Assocation is to help consumers find grassfed products.

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5. Where can I buy grassfed products?

A: Many consumers find it best to buy grassfed meats directly from the producer.  Specialty grocery stores also carry them, and even mainstream supermarkets are beginning to carry these products.  However, consumers need to be aware that there is not yet a standard for classifying a product as grassfed. [click here to go directly to our Producers Page]

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6. How can I be certain the product is truly grassfed?

A: For now, the best way to ensure that the product is truly grassfed is to talk with with the rancher or farmer who raised the animal.  The American Grassfed Association is working to establish a legal definition of exactly what constitutes grassfed and to allow only the products meeting the criteria to be so labeled.  In the very near future, consumers will be able to purchase  products from certified American Grassfed Association producers, which will be identified with the American Grassfed Association’s trademarked marketing logo.

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7. What is the American Grassfed Association?

A: Established in 2003, the American Association membership is comprised of producers of all types of grassfed livestock, professionals in education, health, food service and other related industries, and consumers.  The goal of the association is to promote the grassfed industry through government relations, research, concept marketing and public education.

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8. What are the activities of the American Grassfed Association?

A: The American Grassfed Association undertakes a wide variety of activities aimed at promoting the grassfed industry.  Among its top priorities is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a legal definition for grassfed, and to implement a labeling program that benefits producers to acquire a premium for products that meets the criteria, while providing a service to consumers wishing to buy grassfed products.  The association, through distribution of news releases and media relations activities, communicates the value of grassfed products to associated industries and consumers.  The association also provides a network within its membership to share information and market products.

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9. Who may join the American Grassfed Association?

A: The American Grassfed Association is comprised of producers, professionals and health-minded consumers.  Those interested in membership can click here for an application, or call 1-877-774-7277.

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Frequently Asked Questions

 

   

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