Sheep health in a feedlot Department of Agriculture - Western Australia Agriculture Western Australia Farmnote Sheep health in a feedlot Compiled by Marion Seymour, for the Meat Program Sheep in a feedlot are confined to a small area and totally dependent on the feedlot manager for their daily diet, and are not able to compensate for operator error by selectively grazing and seeking out shelter.
Meticulous management is thus crucial in detecting and avoiding health problems.
Ensure all sheep have daily access to feed and water. If a high grain diet is being fed, grain and a palatable roughage source must always be available to the sheep to prevent diet related diseases. The confined conditions of a feedlot facilitate the spread of infectious diseases. Reduce the introduction of disease into the feedlot by removing all sheep showing signs of disease before entry and remove any diseased sheep from the feedlot as quickly as possible. A hospital pen should be established away from the feedlot.