Cause Analysis and Prevention Methods for Abnormal Wool Loss in Sheep
Sheep are a common animal of the genus Ovis, and their fleece can be processed into various fur products, while their meat is also an excellent food. In China, regions with large grasslands such as Inner Mongolia and Qinghai are the main sheep-raising areas. When raising sheep, a small amount of wool loss is normal, but if there is massive wool loss or abnormal wool loss, then we need to be prepared for prevention and treatment. Below, let us understand the situation and treatment methods for abnormal wool loss in sheep.
1. Causes of wool loss
There are two situations for wool loss in sheep. The first is called primary wool loss. If it is this type of wool loss, it is generally caused by malnutrition, and it may mainly be due to a lack of elements such as zinc, copper, sulfur and iodine. When sheep lack these trace elements, it not only causes wool loss but also leads to other diseases, so if it occurs, it must be treated promptly. The second is symptomatic wool loss, which is caused by parasitic skin diseases. In plain terms, it means there are too many parasites in the sheep's body and deworming has not been carried out. Of course, it may also be that other infectious diseases during the recovery process lead to the appearance of symptomatic wool loss.
2. Symptoms of wool loss
When sheep develop wool loss, the wool on the sides of the neck usually falls out first, and then as the condition worsens, it spreads to the sides of the body and even to the whole body. Before this, the sheep's hair is lusterless, the eyes are grayish-brown, and anemia and pica appear. Gradually, the sheep will gnaw each other's fleece, the wool is not curly enough, and large patches of bare ground appear. Of course, there is also skin keratinization and eczematous dermatitis. More seriously, diarrhea and uncoordinated movement may appear, and the most serious case is that if it is not handled in time, death may occur.
3. Treatment methods
Actually, the method for treating wool loss in sheep is very simple. When we find slight wool loss in sheep, we need to diagnose it and then prescribe the right medicine. If it is caused by malnutrition, then zinc carbonate, or zinc sulfate, zinc oxide, etc. can be added to the feed, and when supplementing copper, adding cobalt has a better effect. If it is caused by parasitic skin diseases or infectious diseases, then timely deworming is needed, along with isolation treatment.
4. Points to note
When raising sheep, in order to avoid abnormal wool loss, we can actually start from these aspects in daily feeding. First, regularly clean the sheep pen and disinfect it; second, feed scientifically to ensure balanced nutrition in the feed; at the same time, supplement enough water, and drinking water must not be cut off. Also, when raising them, we can add a little salt to the feed, which can improve the sheep's digestive ability and effectively absorb nutrients.
The above is all the content I want to share with you today. I hope everyone will be more careful when raising sheep in the future, and I also wish your breeding business greater and greater success. If you have anything to add, you can also leave us a message, and we will continue to update and improve it.