Does anyone have a lamb for sale in Canelones Uruguay?

Comments

1. Nikita (Australian) says:

   April 16, 2010 at 9:17 am

   If you don’t know any farmers, you should speak to someone who works in a veterinary or meat shop who may help you with contacts.

   In order to look after them, here are directions for a pet sheep/lamb:

   Basic management of pet sheep

   Revised by Deborah Maxwell, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries

   Anyone thinking of obtaining pet sheep to keep at their suburban home, kindergarten, institution or hobby farm should consider the following points very seriously:

   Area – will the area where you intend to run your sheep provide sufficient feed all year round?

   Water – have you got a good supply of clean drinking water for your sheep?

   Fencing – do you have a sound fence that will contain your sheep and exclude stray dogs?

   Parasites – do you realise sheep are susceptible to blowfly strike, lice and worms, and require regular management to prevent and treat infestations?

   Shearing – do you know that sheep need to be shorn at least once a year? They should also be crutched at least once between shearings. Can you do it yourself or do you know someone who can?

   Caring for lambs – do you have the time to feed an orphan lamb every 3 to 4 hours in the first 2 weeks and to continue looking after it?

   Diseases – are you prepared to provide adequate veterinary care?

   The above points are expanded below to enable new owners to appreciate fully their commitments in owning pet sheep.
   Area

   A sheep prefers short, green grass to tall, dry grass. An amount of 1 kg of dry matter is required each day to maintain a 40 kg dry sheep. Pregnant or lactating ewes will need up to twice this amount.

   The total weight of grass that a sheep eats depends on the moisture content, for example one dry sheep will need to consume 5 kg of lush pasture, which has 80 per cent moisture, to get 1 kg of dry matter.

   On very lush pasture animals may lose condition because they do not have the capacity to take in enough grass to satisfy their dry matter requirements. Similarly, on very poor quality grass they may get enough to satisfy their appetite but the nutrient content may be too low to sustain them.

   Depending on grass quality, half to one hectare may be needed to run one sheep for a year. If this area is not available it will be necessary to hand feed. Up to 1 kg a day of good lucerne hay could be needed.
   Water

   Sheep need a good supply of clean drinking water. Provide at least 4.5 litres each day for a sheep, while pregnant and lactating ewes need more. A sheep on dry grass needs more water than one on green grass. All troughs, tubs and water containers should be scrubbed out at least once a week.
   Fencing

   A stock-proof fence is essential. Attack by dogs is a big problem when sheep are kept close to town. Pet dogs can be just as destructive as wild or stray dogs. A 180 cm high netting fence buried up to 30 cm into the ground will keep dogs out.

   If dog-proof boundary fences are not available, provide a pen in which to shelter your sheep at night. The pen should be roofed and have netting sides buried well into the ground.

   Subdivisional fencing can be either mesh wire (hinge joint or ring lock) or a plain wire fence with five or six strands. This will contain sheep but will not exclude dogs. Both types must be tightly strained. Some thought should be given to barbed wire strands at the top and bottom of the fence line.

   Electric wires offset on an old fence will make it stock proof and dog proof. This type of fence needs an energiser (battery or mains powered) with well-insulated wire. This type of fence should be clearly marked to warn people that it is electrified.
   Parasites

   Sheep have external and internal parasites peculiar to themselves that are unlikely to affect owners or their children. The main parasites are listed below for easy recognition and early treatment.
   External parasites

   Blowfly strike is caused by a green blowfly that lays eggs in warm weather on moist parts of the sheep’s wool. The eggs hatch into small, cream maggots that live on the sheep. The maggots’ toxic secretions can kill the sheep if left untreated.

   Fly struck wool should be clipped off together with some of the clean wool around it. A pair of sheep shears or large scissors will do. A liquid or powder chemical registered as a blowfly strike dressing should then be applied to the area. You must wear gloves and protective clothing and apply the chemical according to the instructions on the label. This kills the maggots and also dries the area, making it unattractive to further flystrike. The wool that is clipped off should be burnt or disposed of in a sealed plastic bag.

   In warm, humid or wet weather when blowflies are active, a suitable chemical solution of 4.5 l can be mixed and very slowly poured onto the sheep. Rub it well into the wool down to skin level, around the sheep’s rear end (crutch), on the belly of male sheep and horns of rams.

   Sheep lice are small pale insects up to 1 mm long, wit