Quarantine for New Sheep, Goats and Camels: A Practical Guide

Quarantine means keeping newly bought or returning animals in a separate pen, away from your herd, for a set period while you watch them, check them and treat them under your vet's guidance. Many vets recommend about 3 to 4 weeks for sheep, goats and camels. Use separate feeders, water and tools, handle quarantined animals last, and only mix them once they are healthy.

Most serious disease outbreaks on a farm start the same way: someone brings in new animals. A ram from a market, a group of young does from a neighbour, a camel returning from a show. They may look healthy and still carry parasites, respiratory infections, foot problems or contagious diseases such as PPR, foot-and-mouth disease or brucellosis. A quarantine pen is the cheapest insurance a breeder can have.

Why quarantine pays for itself

Animals bought from markets have often been mixed with animals from many farms, transported, stressed and kept without enough water. Stress lowers their defences, and diseases that were silent can appear in the first days or weeks. Quarantine gives you that time to see problems in a few animals instead of in the whole herd.

It also protects the newcomers. Animals from another farm meet new germs, a new ration and new water on your farm. Giving them a calm period to adapt reduces losses.

Common problems quarantine helps catch:

• Respiratory infections and pneumonia after transport.
• Internal parasites and resistant worms brought from another farm.
• Mange, lice and ticks.
• Foot problems and lameness.
• Mastitis or udder damage in bought females.
• Signs of contagious diseases that must be reported to the veterinary authorities.

Setting up a quarantine pen

A good quarantine pen does not need to be expensive. It needs to be separate:

• Far enough from the main pens that animals cannot touch nose to nose, ideally downwind and with no shared drainage.
• Its own feeders, water troughs, buckets and tools.
• Shade, clean bedding and fresh water, like any other pen.
• A place to restrain and inspect animals safely.
• Footwear or foot dip at the entrance, and handwashing after visits.

The simplest rule for workers: visit quarantine last. Do the healthy herd first, then the sick pen and quarantine at the end of the round, and do not go back to the main herd without changing boots and washing hands.

A quarantine plan, step by step

Some points deserve emphasis:

Vaccination and deworming follow your vet. The products, timing and doses depend on the disease situation in your country and on the animal's history. Your vet and the official veterinary services set the programme; see our vaccination schedule guide for how to organise it on your farm.

Testing. For diseases such as brucellosis, a blood test before mixing is common practice in many countries, especially for breeding animals. Read more in our article on brucellosis in livestock.

Report suspicious signs. Blisters in the mouth or on feet, high fever with diarrhoea and nasal discharge, or several abortions are reasons to call the vet immediately. Some of these diseases are notifiable and must be reported to the authorities.

Camels and other special cases

Camels. New camels, and camels returning from races, shows or markets, also need a separate area and observation. Watch especially for skin problems, respiratory signs and udder health in females. Follow your vet's and ministry's advice on any required tests.

Returning animals. An animal that went to a market and came back unsold has been in contact with many others. Treat it as new.

Breeding males. A ram or buck can transmit disease to many females during mating. Quarantine and a vet check are especially important before he joins the ewes.

Pregnant females. Handle gently, avoid stress and long periods without water, and note the expected birth date so you are ready if she gives birth in quarantine.

Recording quarantine in practice

Without records, quarantine becomes "those animals in the corner pen" and nobody remembers when they arrived or what was done. A simple system:

• Register each new animal on the day it arrives, with number, tag colour, breed, sex, approximate age, weight, source and purchase price.
• Put the group in its own pen and mark the animals with the isolation status.
• Log every inspection, treatment and vet visit on each animal.
• Set a reminder for the end of the quarantine period and for any follow-up treatments.
• When the period ends, move animals to their group in one step.

In Throf, newly bought animals can be added one by one or imported from Excel, placed in a separate group, flagged with isolation status and given reminders for inspections and the end of quarantine. The purchase price also feeds into the animal's cost per head from day one.