Sheep Health

On an organic farm, livestock health is a matter of prevention of illness and maintenance of good health. Modern industrial agribusiness is enamored of drugs of all kinds. We take a different path. One of the most important aspects of maintaining good health in the sheep flock is providing the mineral supplements that the animals need in the correct amount and ratios. This means providing grazing animals with a mineral lick that they can use at their own discretion.

Here is a photo of the components of the mineral licks that I use. From left to right: dolomitic lime, yellow sulphur, dried seaweed, copper sulfate, selenium/vitamin E. Omitted from the photo is plain salt. The recipe comes from Pat Coleby and is found in her book Healthy Sheep Naturally (published in the U.S. by Acres USA under the title Natural Sheep Care.) I wasn't sure that I could legally publish the exact recipe but I found lots of other websites out there with it so here it is (parts by weight).

• 25 parts Dolomitic Lime
  
• 4 parts yellow garden Sulphur
• 4 parts Copper Sulfate
• 4 parts dried Seaweed (kelp)

I also offer a selenium and vitamin E supplement which I get from Pipestone Vet Supply. It is a very concentrated mixture that is to be mixed with salt at a 50:1 ratio. For now I'm mixing this with more kelp meal since my sheep like it and it's so good for them. These mineral licks are offered completely free-choice.

Ideally, one would have a soil test and perhaps even a plant tissue analysis done so this basic mix could be tailored to the individual farm. We haven't done that yet though it is my intention to do so. I'm especially interested in the amount of copper we have in our soil here, as well as the amount of molybdenum since high quantities of molybdenum make the copper unavailable.

On the subject of copper, sheep are more sensitive to excess copper than other livestock and can die from copper toxicity if they have too much in their diet. For big agribusiness, this means simply leaving the copper out of commercial sheep mineral mixes entirely. This has filtered down to the small farm to the point where almost all sheep publications (except those mentioned above) explicitly say, "Be sure to choose a mineral supplement that does not contain copper."

Here is what Pat Coleby has to say about it, quoted in Healthy Sheep Naturally.

In the body of the sheep, copper is needed for optimum health, resistance to disease, coccidia, enzootic ataxia, and internal parasites of all kinds. Tapeworms especially are susceptible to copper. It is needed against all diseases of fungal origin and especially for a healthy immune system. Sheep whose copper levels are right will cycle regularly at the correct time. Andre Voisin states categorically that cancer is a result of too little copper in the diet.

The following are due to a lack of copper: foot rot, cowpox, dermo (steely wool), ringworm, foot scald, proud flesh, Johne's disease, brucellosis, poor fleece quality (tender wool)...

I would invite any and all comments on this subject and will be happy to answer any questions or explain in more detail what we do here at Liberty Farm. I have been providing my sheep with copper supplementation since February and have not wormed any of them this season. If you are reading this, Monica, please feel free to write about your experiences in the comments. For those of you who don't raise sheep, you sould know that what I've just written here about copper will probably be viewed as controversial at best and crackpot at worst by others who do.

In her book, Ms. Coleby makes the point that copper carbonate should never be given to livestock, only copper sulfate. I really would suggest that anyone wanting to try this type of supplementation read her book first. I have an extra copy of the Australian edition that I would be willing to sell or lend but the American version is a bargain at $25. Someone once asked what books I would recommend for new shepherds. This one would be at the top of my list.