Eight key points to remember when raising sheep in summer
?1. Heatstroke prevention and cooling When raising sheep in summer, heatstroke prevention and cooling should be done well: often clear the weeds around the sheep shed, open air convection windows at the bottom of the north and south walls of the sheep shed to strengthen ventilation; set up a sunshade on the sunny side of the sheep shed to avoid direct sunlight; if the sheep shed has a flat tile roof, it can be painted with white lime, or a sunshade can be built over it; increase the green area around the sheep shed to improve the microclimate. In addition, the sheep shed should also be fitted with screen doors and screen windows to prevent flies and mosquitoes from entering.
?2. Reasonable grazing In the hot summer, sheep like to bunch together and do not eat their fill. For morning grazing, they should go out early and return early; generally they can be sent out to graze as soon as the dew has just dried. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., let the sheep rest in the pen and eat forage; in the afternoon, they can be brought back at 7 p.m. On hot days, choose shady woodland for grazing to prevent heatstroke.
3. Cooling and airing the sheep In summer, sheep are very prone to internal heat and illness, so to ensure the sheep's health, airing them every day is very important. At noon, do not rush the grazing flock into the sheep pen; let the sheep rest and drink water directly under the shade of trees. After evening grazing, let the sheep air out for a while before entering the shed. Each time they go out to graze and are brought back, do not rush the sheep; let them walk and move slowly to air their bodies and dissipate heat.
4. Strengthen nutrition In the hot summer and autumn seasons, strengthen the sheep's nutrition, increase the nutrient concentration of the daily ration, and further enhance the sheep's ability to resist high-temperature environments. For adult sheep, supplement about 200 grams of concentrate per day; for newly weaned lambs, supplement about 100 grams of concentrate per day. In summer, because the sheep's feed intake declines, the number of feedings should be increased.
5. Increase water and supplement salt In hot, high-temperature seasons, keep the water basin for the sheep continuously filled with clean water so the sheep can drink freely. Add 0.2 grams of table salt per kilogram of body weight to maintain the acid-base balance in the sheep's body.
6. Prevent rainstorm strikes There are many thunderstorms in summer; sheep caught in the rain easily catch cold and run a fever, causing weight loss. When grazing, if conditions permit, bring a large tarpaulin that can hold the flock, tie its four corners firmly to the roots of large trees, and prop up the middle with a thicker wooden pole so the flock can take shelter from the rain in time. In addition, never graze on steep slopes when there is lightning and thunder, to prevent the sheep from being startled and falling and getting injured.
?7. Do a good job of environmental sanitation Pay attention to the environmental sanitation, ventilation and moisture prevention of the sheep shed, keep the sheep shed clean and dry, and do a good job of preventing and treating sheep mange and some parasites.
?8. Pay attention to disease prevention and treatment Always pay attention to the sheep's mental state, appetite and manure condition, and pay special attention to the prevention and treatment of diseases in lambs. When an infectious disease or suspected infectious disease occurs, isolate immediately, promptly ask a veterinarian to observe and treat, and properly handle the carcasses of dead sheep by deep burial or burning, so as to cut off the source of the disease, control the epidemic, and stamp it out in time.
Zhu Guangkai