What kind of worming schedule should I use for my Barbados Blackbellies?
You have to find where on the worm/don’t worm line you want to take your stand. Blackbelly sheep are naturally tolerant of a worm load and to maintain that natural genetic resistance, animals that are less resistant should be culled, whether naturally or by selective breeding. If you routinely deworm your sheep just because everyone tells you to, and if your sheep cannot thrive without being dewormed, then you are contributing to the demise of this natural trait in the breed. With proper pasture rotation and careful management, you should not need to deworm your sheep. And if you must, then ask yourself why you want to raise them in an area of the country that prevents you from raising them naturally. NOTE: Your geographic location, your pasture type and size, and your flock size are only a few of the factors that affect your flock’s worm load. A very reputable breeder recently lost a lamb to worms as a result of the hurricane storms in the East. In order to avoid the weather, the floc
