Raising livestock is different from owning dogs, cats & horses. It’s different because much of their care is administered by you.  With market animals, to make money on your project, you’ll need to administer as much of their care as you can.  It’s too hard to make money if you are paying for multiple vet services.  Save the vet call for serious issues.  Because of this balance of dollars, it’s important to manage your livestock’s health from day one to avoid additional expenses.  But, like all living creatures, they can get sick with bacteria and viruses, which starts the conversation about vaccinating and medicating your livestock.

Vaccinating and administering medicines by needle should always be performed with the advice of your experienced leader, breeder, fellow showman or veterinarian.

As time and experience grows your knowledge, you’ll begin to identify common ailments early and take steps to fix the situation!  Even after all of my experiences over the years, I still consult with my breeders and or vet when evaluating an illness.  Simply put, two heads thinking about the symptoms is better than one at figuring out an appropriate solution.  It never hurts to have this conversation and it always teaches you another facet of livestock management!  At this point, you’ve performed a health evaluation and have figured out that your animal needs a injection of medicine.

Thickness & Viscosity

When picking up the recommended medicine, ask what gauge needle is required.  For example, the antibiotic LA-200 is thick and is best administered to goats and sheep using a 16 gauge needle. Other medicines are more water like and can be administered using a finer 18 gauge needle.

Gauge: Gauge is the diameter of the needle.

Higher the number = Smaller needle diameter.

This is important because different species have different skin thickness, muscling, & hair/wool.  Too thick a needle will result in added pain while too thin a needle will bend during administration and potentially cause an injury & stress. Gauge should be considered as it relates to the thickness or viscosity of drug.

Length: Needles come in various lengths.

Longer Needles (1” – 1.5”) are best suited for intramuscular injections

Short Needles    (1/2”, 5/8” & 1”) are suited for subcutaneous injections or swine intramuscular injections.

There are a variety of syringes with different applications & uses. Injection syringes are for administering medicines with a needle. Here are several types.

These type of syringes do not use needles and they are not for injectable vaccine use – but they are handy in the barn! They can be used for flushing wounds, administering pills or liquid supplements.

The instructions on the vaccine or antibiotic box or container will suggest the most efficient way of administering the injection.  The 4 types are:

• Never give an injection near the spine to prevent accidentally causing nerve damage.
• Gently tap/hit the muscle two or three times with your fist to accustom the sheep/goat/horse/cattle to relax (like a firm pat). This does not work for swine! With swine, a short, 16 gauge needle on a heavy duty syringe is required for a quick injection in the neck area behind the ear. Swine do not give you a chance to perform the steps below.
• Before injecting, draw the plunger out slightly to check if the needle has entered a blood vessel. If blood enters the syringe, withdraw the needle slightly and redirect into the muscle.
• When a correct spot has been entered, slowly press the plunger down.
• Insert the needle quickly, straight into the muscle.
• Remove the needle from the animal and rub the injection site or press with cotton to prevent excess bleeding. This will also help the medicine to stay in the muscle.

Subcutaneous (Sub-Q)

Giving shots can be a nerve racking task.  But education and practice will enable you to develop the skills to get it done!  If not you, then ask your advisor for help.  There is always someone around that can help.  Your job is to make sure the shots are given in the correct areas.  Never let anyone give a shot in the butt/leg area of your market animal.  It will leave a mark or damage to the meat in that area.