Common Sheep Diseases in Ghana and How to Prevent Them

The sheep that died on a Sunday

The ewe was fine on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning she was lying flat on the bedding with her legs out, and by noon she was dead. The owner did not know what had happened, and by the time the family asked someone, the carcass had been dragged into the bush and the rest of the flock had been moved to the far side of the compound. That single loss cost more than the ewe was worth, because nobody could tell whether the others were at risk.

Sudden death in sheep is a question, not an answer. It can come from a feed mistake, a bad worm burden, a poisoning, a snake bite, a heart problem or a notifiable disease such as anthrax. Some of those are harmless to other animals and some are not. The first job is to stop the animals from getting worse, and the second is to get the vet or the district veterinary officer to look at the body while it can still tell them something.

Do not cut open a carcass that may have died of anthrax, and do not handle one bare-handed. If the animal bled from the nose, mouth or back passage, or if its body was swollen and dark soon after death, call Veterinary Services before anyone touches it. Keep children and dogs away, and bury or burn the remains as the vet directs. The rest of this guide explains the diseases you are most likely to meet, and what to do about each one in a way that keeps the flock safe.

Start with a flock record, not a medicine cabinet

Most keepers buy medicine when a sheep is already sick. The better habit is to know your flock so well that you spot the change before it becomes a crisis. A flock record is the simplest tool for that, and it costs nothing but a notebook and an hour a week.

Record the date, the animal's number or a mark, its weight, its body condition score, any treatment and its outcome. Record every death, with the date, the symptoms you saw and what the vet concluded. When a number of animals start losing weight in the same month, or when several lambs scour in the same week, the pattern points to a cause. One sick sheep is an individual problem. Five sick sheep in ten days is a flock problem.

The worm check that many keepers in Ghana use is the FAMACHA method, which scores anaemia by the colour of the inside of the lower eyelid. A pale eyelid suggests heavy blood-sucking worms, particularly in the rainy season. Your vet or extension officer can show you the colour chart and train you to use it, and the chart takes less than a minute per animal once you are practised. The score goes in the record next to the weight.

Worms: the loss you cannot see

Worms cause more sheep losses in Ghana than any other single problem, and they do their damage quietly. A sheep with a heavy burden of the barber's pole worm, a blood-sucking roundworm that lives in the stomach, can look plump on the outside while its blood count drops. The first sign is often a pale eyelid, a flat animal at the back of the flock or a ewe that fails to nurse her lambs well.

The rainy season is the danger time. Eggs passed in the dung hatch on wet pasture, and larvae climb the grass blades where the sheep graze. A paddock that was clean in the dry season can carry a heavy load after the first month of rain. Rotate grazing where you can, keep the sheep off the same ground for a period, and avoid grazing the lowest, wettest patches that hold the most larvae.

Deworming is part of the job, but the old routine of treating every animal on the same calendar has caused problems across the world. Worms become resistant when they are exposed to a dewormer again and again, and then the product stops working. Treat the animals that need it, on the advice of your vet or extension officer, and use the eyelid check or a faecal egg count to choose them. Read the label, know the withdrawal period before any animal is slaughtered or its milk is used, and keep a record of every product and date.

• Check eyelid colour in the rainy season and record the score.
• Treat the animals that score worst, not the whole flock by default.
• Keep the lambs and the weaker adults on cleaner ground where possible.
• Ask your vet about a faecal egg count if the treatments stop working.
• Never use a dewormer past its expiry date, and keep the label with the record.

Worm control is also a feed question. Animals on good roughage and a steady ration tolerate a worm burden better than thin animals on poor feed. For more on the feed side, our sheep housing and feeding guide sets out how to keep condition up through the wet season.

Foot trouble after the rains

A lame sheep after a wet week is a common sight in the forest and coastal zones. The feet are soft from standing in water and mud, and germs get into the gap between the horn and the soft skin. The disease that results is usually footrot, a painful infection that spreads from animal to animal through wet ground. A milder version called foot scald affects the skin between the claws and is often the first stage of the bigger problem.

Look at the feet of the whole flock once a month, and whenever an animal is lame. Watch the way each sheep walks. Lift each foot and check for a bad smell, swelling, a split between the claws or a hoof that has separated from the skin. A sheep that stands on three legs, or that will not walk to the feeder, needs attention that day.

Prevention is mostly about dry ground. Keep the standing area dry, drain the pen, and move the flock off the worst mud as soon as it forms. Trim overgrown hooves on a regular schedule, so the horn does not trap moisture and dirt. Some keepers use footbaths as a routine, but the chemical and the strength must be the one your vet or extension officer recommends, because the wrong mix can burn the skin.

Treatment depends on how far the infection has gone. Mild cases respond to trimming, cleaning and a dry pen. Severe cases need the vet, because the infection can go deep and the animal can lose a hoof. Isolate the lame sheep until it is recovering, and do not let it stand in the same wet corner as the rest of the flock.

Lambs, scours and coccidia

Scour is the word keepers use for diarrhoea, and in lambs it is the thing that kills most quickly. A lamb that scours for a day can be dehydrated by the next morning, and a lamb that is dehydrated is in serious trouble. Coccidiosis is one of the commonest causes, a parasite that damages the lining of the gut, and it thrives in dirty, damp creeps and pens where the litter is never changed.

The first step is hygiene. Clean the creep and the lamb pen every day, remove wet bedding, and keep the water trough clean. Keep lambs out of the dung that the adults leave behind. A creep that is raised off the floor and kept dry breaks the cycle of infection that starts in the mud.

The second step is watching the lambs at feeding time. A lamb that stands at the back, has a dull coat, a rough stare or a dirty tail is sick until proven otherwise. Scour that is watery, bloody or foul-smelling needs the vet, and a lamb that is not drinking or nursing needs help that day. Do not wait for the next routine check.

Keep ewes in good condition during pregnancy and early lactation, because a ewe with plenty of milk gives her lambs a stronger start. A lamb that suckles well is much harder for the bugs to overwhelm. Our article on common chick diseases covers the same hygiene principles for birds, and many of the habits, such as clean drinkers and dry litter, apply to lambs too.

Coughs, pneumonia and the damp pen

Pneumonia in sheep is rarely caused by one germ alone. It is usually a mix of bacteria and viruses that take hold when the animal is stressed, chilled, crowded or exposed to dust and ammonia. The result is a cough, a nasal discharge, a fast breathing rate and a sheep that stands apart from the flock with its head low.

Chest infections spike in the rainy season, when damp bedding and wet air keep the pathogens alive, and in the harmattan, when dust and cold night air hit the lungs. The fix is in the building. Open the walls at animal height, keep the bedding dry, separate the sick from the healthy, and move the flock to a dry, sheltered area during a cold snap. Our housing guide explains how to balance ventilation against draught for the coastal and northern climates.

If a sheep coughs and stops eating, call the vet. Treatment is best started early, and the vet can choose an antibiotic that suits the animal and the local pattern of disease. Do not use leftover human antibiotics or any product not prescribed for sheep. Record the treatment, the date, the animal and the response, and keep an eye on the animals in the same pen.

A wet cough that spreads through several animals within a few days should be reported as a flock problem. Your vet may want to examine a few animals, and early advice keeps a cluster from turning into a loss.

Reportable diseases: report them, do not hide them

A few diseases are serious enough that Veterinary Services expects owners to report them at once, and it is never a good idea to hide them. Early reporting protects your flock, your neighbours and the wider trade in animals. It also means you are not the only one carrying the cost if the disease spreads.

Peste des petits ruminants, usually called PPR, is a viral disease that spreads quickly through sheep and goats. It causes fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, sores in the mouth, diarrhoea and pneumonia, and it can kill a large share of a flock. Vaccination campaigns are usually organised through Veterinary Services, so ask your district veterinary officer what is available and when. Do not move animals between districts or markets while a suspected case is under investigation.

Foot-and-mouth disease affects sheep as well as cattle and pigs. Blisters on the mouth, tongue and feet, drooling and lameness are the warning signs. It spreads very easily through movement of animals, people and vehicles, so report any suspicion straight away and keep the animals in the pen until the vet has seen them.

Anthrax occurs in parts of Ghana. It causes sudden death, often with blood from the body openings, and it can spread to people who handle infected carcasses. The rule is simple. Report the death, do not open the carcass, and let Veterinary Services decide how to dispose of it. Ask your vet about vaccination in your area, because it is an effective preventive where the disease is known.

1. Note the number of animals affected, the signs you saw and the date they began.
2. Isolate the sick animals in a separate pen, and stop all movement in and out.
3. Call Veterinary Services or the district veterinary officer the same day.
4. Follow the instructions on disposal and cleaning exactly as given.
5. Keep a written record of every step, including who visited the pen.

Skin trouble: lice, ticks and orf

Skin problems look minor until they spread. Lice and mange make the animal scratch, rub and lose wool or hair, and the scratching opens the skin to infection. Ticks suck blood, cause anaemia and can carry tick-borne diseases. Orf is a viral skin disease that causes scabby sores around the lips, nose and feet of sheep and goats, and it can pass to people who handle infected animals.

Check the flock for lice and ticks at least once a month, parting the wool and looking along the belly, the neck and the base of the tail. Ticks can be picked off by hand when there are only a few, and wearing gloves is wise. For larger problems, the treatment depends on the parasite and the product your vet recommends. Keep the animals' bedding dry and clean, because damp litter encourages ticks and mites to thrive.

Orf is most common in young animals. Sores on the lips and gums stop a lamb from suckling, and they can get infected if left alone. Keep affected animals in a separate pen, and avoid touching the sores bare-handed. Wash your hands after handling any sick animal. If a person develops a sore on the hand after handling sheep, see a doctor and mention the animals.

Tsetse flies and the diseases they carry are a concern in some parts of the north and the middle belt. Most indigenous sheep, including the West African Dwarf type, are more tolerant than many imported breeds, but tolerance is not immunity. Ask the vet whether trypanosomiasis is a risk in your area before deciding how to protect the flock.

Feed-related losses: bloat, acidosis and pregnancy toxaemia

Some of the sheep deaths that look like disease are really feed mistakes. The three most common are bloat, acidosis and pregnancy toxaemia, and all three can kill within a day or two when they go wrong. They are also the easiest to prevent with a steady ration and a watchful eye.

Bloat happens when gas builds up in the rumen faster than the animal can release it. Lush legume pasture, wet young grass and sudden changes of feed are the usual triggers. A bloated sheep has a swollen left flank, stands with its head stretched and may breathe with its mouth open. This is an emergency, so call the vet immediately.

Acidosis happens when too much grain is eaten at once, and the rumen fills with acid. The animal goes off its food, becomes weak and may scour. The cure is time and expert help, and the prevention is a slow step-up of concentrate and plenty of roughage. The fattening guide covers the same ration logic in more detail, in our article on fattening rams for the festive season.

Pregnancy toxaemia affects ewes in the last weeks of pregnancy, particularly when they are carrying twins and the feed is poor. The ewe becomes weak, stops eating, grinds her teeth and may stagger. It is a metabolic problem that responds best to early treatment, and once the animal is down the chances drop fast. Keep pregnant ewes in good condition and watch them closely in the last month.

Urea and other non-protein nitrogen sources are a special case. If a sheep is given too much or is not adapted to them, the result can be fatal. Do not add them to the ration without a trained adviser showing you how to do it safely, and never leave a loose supply where the animals can help themselves.

Buying in: quarantine and the new arrival

Most flocks that suffer a sudden disease outbreak took it in with a new animal. The seller seemed honest, the ram looked fine, and nobody thought to keep it apart for a few weeks. A quarantine pen costs very little and it is the most effective tool you have against that kind of loss.

Keep every new animal in a separate pen, away from the flock and with its own feeder and drinker, for a period your vet recommends. Watch its weight, its breathing, its feet and its dung every day during that time. Treat it for worms on the advice of your vet, using the eyelid check to decide, and do not put it in with the flock until it is settled and healthy.

Ask the seller where the animal came from, whether any others in the same group are sick and whether the animal has been vaccinated. A seller who will not answer is telling you something. If you buy at a market, keep the animal in the back of the truck or the cart only as long as the journey takes, and clean the vehicle afterwards.

Record the arrival date, the seller's name, the weight and the condition score on arrival. That record will be the baseline if something goes wrong later, and it protects you if the seller disputes what they sold you.

Shared biosecurity with the poultry flock

Many small holdings keep sheep and chickens side by side, and the people who look after them often wear the same boots, carry the same buckets and use the same tools. That makes the compound a single disease route. The good news is that the basic habits are simple, and they work for both species.

Newcastle disease and most poultry diseases affect birds, not sheep. That does not mean the sheep pen can be careless. People, equipment, vehicles and wild birds can all carry germs from one pen to another, and a visitor who has been in a poultry house can bring dirt on their shoes. Use a footbath or clean boots at the gate of the sheep pen, and keep one pair of boots for the sheep side and one for the chicken side if you can.

Do not share feed bins, drinkers or feeding buckets between the two species without washing them first. Our disease prevention calendar lists the routine checks that suit a mixed compound. Keep dead birds and dead sheep out of each other's reach, and dispose of carcasses in a separate place. If you are dealing with a poultry disease outbreak, read our guide to Newcastle disease prevention in Ghana before you move any sheep through the poultry area.

Keep a visitor log for the whole holding. Write down who came, from where and whether they had been near other animals. It is a small habit, and when a disease does appear it shows you the likely route in a few minutes rather than a few days.

When to call the vet and what to tell them

The best vet visit is the one that happens before the animal is dead. Call early, and call with the facts. A vet who arrives to a flock they have never seen, with no history and no idea what was fed, has a much harder job than one who gets a clear account on the phone.

Have the following ready when you call. A vet or district officer will ask most of these, and having the answers to hand saves time and money.

• How many animals are affected, and how many have died in the last week.
• The main signs: fever, cough, scour, lameness, swelling, discharge or sudden death.
• What the flock has been eating over the last two weeks, and any changes.
• The weight and body score records, and the last worm check.
• Any treatments already given, with the product name, the date and the dose used.
• Whether any animals have been bought in or moved recently.
• Whether there is a reportable disease in the area, as far as you know.

Keep the vet's number on the wall of the pen house. If you cannot reach your usual vet, the district veterinary officer and the Veterinary Services office can point you to the right person. Do not wait until the weekend to decide whether a sick animal is serious.

Checklist for a healthy sheep pen

Use this checklist once a month. If you cannot tick a box, fix the gap before the next rain, not after the next loss.

• Flock record is up to date, with weights, body scores, worm checks and every death.
• Eyelid check done on schedule, and treatments chosen from the result, not the calendar alone.
• Feet checked, lame animals isolated and trimmed on the advice of your vet or extension officer.
• Pens dry, bedding changed, drains clear and the creep cleaned daily.
• Ventilation open at animal height, and draughts blocked where the animals lie.
• Water clean and the trough scrubbed weekly, with a lick available.
• New animals quarantined and watched for the agreed period.
• Footbath or clean boots in use at the pen gate, and a visitor log kept.
• Withdrawal periods and product dates logged for every treatment.
• Veterinary Services and the district veterinary officer's numbers posted, with a note of who to call first.

A healthy sheep pen is built on routine rather than heroics. The keepers who lose the fewest animals are rarely the ones with the largest medicine stock. They are the ones who weigh, look, record and call early. If you keep poultry as well, the same habits protect the birds. If an outbreak has already hit your flock, our guide to restocking after a disease outbreak covers the rebuild. You can start with day-old chicks from Halaal Farms, see current starting prices, or message our team on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503 with your questions about the poultry side. Orders go through the order form.

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