So, we dung sampled and egg counted and found our wethers wanting. Wanting a drench that is! The drenches we use act on intestinal worms and each drench has its own merits. We have to rotate through the active ingredients to ensure the worms don't build up resistance to them. This is why new drench families are so invaluable to us! After a drench the sheep will preferably be put onto a pasture where they can 'empty' out the worm eggs. This isn't always possible but we do our best to manage them onto fresh pastures after drenching to ensure the best worm kill possible. So basically, just like you worm your pets we have to worm every sheep on the farm generally once a year with a possible second drench to keep their condition up. Part of our breeding program is to breed worm resistance into the sheep, this means the sheep could hopefully carry a higher worm burden without it being detrimental to their health. That's why we drench, now for how we drench!
This gun is what we use and we try to use a low volume (and therefore heavier concentration) drench for the ease of quick drenching. Six mls is far easier to squirt into a jacked off wethers mouth than twelve! The curve in the nozzle makes it easier to slip the gun in behind the sheep's teeth. Just as horses have a natural gap in their teeth that a bit can fit into. We handle every single animal which can be a very daunting task when on your own! Much to my grandmothers amusement I have been labelled a 'drench wench' after fixing my mistake from Tuesday. Dad and I drenched 900 of the mob of 1540 and I accidentally left a gate open letting the mobs mix up. Gate awareness is drilled into us from a very young age! Accidents do happen though... I became a 'drench wench' when I drenched the whole mob by myself on Wednesday, 900 of which were already drenched but we have no way of discerning which have been handled already.
This is a regular sight after a long day of yard work. The dogs flake out on the lawn where we can see them from the kitchen window. Or keep an eye on them so they don't head back up to the yards on their own, sometimes they are just to keen for their own good!
Drenching is the perfect way to manage any mistakes in the mob. We can stick a tag in any that have lost one or as you can see here pull out any ewes, that happened to have lambs at this time of year. Fence integrity is not always 100% so mix ups do happen, for this many ewes it wasn't worth drafting the mob though. The lambs were quite content to curl up in the sun though, which is always heart warming to see.
Once the day is done we empty out the drench bags and rinse them with water, leaving water in the hoses and guns for lubrication. This makes next time a whole lot easier! We just have to remember not to hang them up unless they have water in them as drench looks just like water most of the time. You may notice their are some other applicators here but that's for another time!
Best part of the job is coming home smelling like a sheep and covered in shit! It's unavoidable, but the shower afterwards is thoroughly satisfying! The lanolin in the sheep's wool is wonderful for your nails though.
As you can see drenching has its upsides and downsides (possibly more so for nail conscious women than farming men!) but seeing the condition of the sheep rise makes it all worth it. We pride ourselves on making sure our animals are as healthy as possible at all times. It's a constant management task but well worth it in the long run. :)
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