More on Sheep Camp
Posted by Pam Smith on June 19, 2009
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Seven days to go. Wow, it’s hard to believe that next Friday we’ll be loading sheep and heading for New Haven.
Just a few reminders for everyone.
Clothing
Bring plenty of warm clothes and at least one extra pair of shoes. Raingear is always a good idea as the fairgrounds remains both wet and cold if the weather is bad.
Tents and camping gear
Most of us have figured out the benefits of a tent and some type of air mattress or cot. For first timers, we are sleeping in barns that have birds nesting above…you can figure that one out. Bugs are an annoyance at night without a tent. Bring bug spray.
Sleeping bags should be the type for outdoor camping in order to offer the necessary warmth. Some type of mat or tarp underneath makes the nights more comfortable also.
Flashlights come in handy for evening trips to the bathroom.
Sheep
Each 4-H’er should have a flock health paper and proof of rabies for sheep 3 months of age or older from their veterinarian. Anyone coming with livestock from out of state needs interstate health papers prepared by your vet within thirty days of June 26, 2009.
At a minimum check your sheep for hoof rot, sore mouth, and pinkeye before leaving your property. If for some reason your sheep is ill and can’t come please contact one of the organizers or your club leader. Chances are someone else can bring an animal for you to borrow.
Please refer to the article posted on June 10 on Show Season Biosecurity for more details.
Label all your equipment, every little bit of it. There is no easy way to identify things that get mixed up.
Hand clippers, hoof trimmers, and hand cards are expensive to replace.
Volunteers needed
Being prepared for Friday afternoon means lots of running around and organizing all day Friday. If you can come to the fairgrounds earlier in the day and help set up pens, etc. that would be a big help for the
Vermont Sheep Committee members.
Come well rested and remain safe!
