General sheep thread

Siamsa Sessions

Lambman wrote: »

Heptavac p + the ewes 4 weeks per lambing so gonna do the booster injection for the lambs this week and was wondering what people use... always used heptavac here with out much bother but vet reckons bravoxin 10 is as good and half the price while not as sore on lambs... there's a lot off choices like covexin and lambivac aswell so what are people using?

We use Tribovax10 here - works out at about 60c pet animal I think.

Injected the ewes 4 weeks pre-lambing too. Is it around 4-6 weeks passive protection it gives lambs? That is, they need the vaccine when they’re 4-6 weeks old?

wrangler

Willfarman wrote: »

Lost a ewe rearing 2 3 week old lambs with tetany yesterday. 5 metres from a lick bucket and had gotten meal day before. These days I hate the woolly stupid hoores!!

Tough, always lose one or two to it here, all the feckers don't eat the buckets.
You should investigate how much mag is in the meal, there should be enough in a pound of meal to keep them going.....we've no Hi-mag buckets out this year because we're using meal

Hard Knocks

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Lambman wrote: »

Heptavac p + the ewes 4 weeks per lambing so gonna do the booster injection for the lambs this week and was wondering what people use... always used heptavac here with out much bother but vet reckons bravoxin 10 is as good and half the price while not as sore on lambs... there's a lot off choices like covexin and lambivac aswell so what are people using?

We use Tribovax10 here - works out at about 60c pet animal I think.

Injected the ewes 4 weeks pre-lambing too. Is it around 4-6 weeks passive protection it gives lambs? That is, they need the vaccine when they’re 4-6 weeks old?

General question on Black leg
Do you inject ewes 4/6 weeks prior & lambs 4-6 after & leave at that, or a further booster 4-6 weeks later?

Lambman

Yea I number ewes and lambs and everything born in a week or roughly around that depending on numbers goes into separate fields and there heptavaced 4-6 weeks after lambing... edit yea that's it then I don't do lambs again.

Siamsa Sessions

Hard Knocks wrote: »

General question on Black leg
Do you inject ewes 4/6 weeks prior & lambs 4-6 after & leave at that, or a further booster 4-6 weeks later?

We just do them once at 4-6 weeks and that’s it, unless they’re replacements and need booster shots.

We had them in today to give the 4-6 week shot and I noticed a few with scabby ears. I’m guessing tis weather related and they’re just not getting enough minerals/nutrition.

Would they be too young for a cobalt drench at 4-6 weeks old? Or is there something else we could give them to perk them up?

Besides sunshine and good grass for their mothers!!!

wrangler

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

We just do them once at 4-6 weeks and that’s it, unless they’re replacements and need booster shots.

We had them in today to give the 4-6 week shot and I noticed a few with scabby ears. I’m guessing tis weather related and they’re just not getting enough minerals/nutrition.

Would they be too young for a cobalt drench at 4-6 weeks old? Or is there something else we could give them to perk them up?

Besides sunshine and good grass for their mothers!!!

we mix cobalt with the first dose and it's the most effective dose of the year and then we bolus them at ten weeks to get them over weaning

Siamsa Sessions

wrangler wrote: »

we mix cobalt with the first dose and it's the most effective dose of the year and then we bolus them at ten weeks to get them over weaning

Thanks for that. At what stage do you give them the first dose? 8 weeks?

Does that bolus do them then til they’re finished?

wrangler

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Thanks for that. At what stage do you give them the first dose? 8 weeks?

Does that bolus do them then til they’re finished?

First dose is for nematodirus, they don't effect them untll temperature goes over ten degrees. weather isn't warm enough for that yet.
If the daytime temperature is over ten degrees for six days and the lambs are over five weeks old, it's time to dose

roosky

Does anyone know what the story is with letting someone else graze your land?

So the story is I have land that I winter sheep on and let Amy uncle graze with cattle for the summer..... I can’t up sheep numbers and can’t take silage off it as it’s very middling ground.

Is it okay from a department point of view to have cattle on my land seeing as I have no cattle or how do I get around it

wrangler

roosky wrote: »

Does anyone know what the story is with letting someone else graze your land?

So the story is I have land that I winter sheep on and let Amy uncle graze with cattle for the summer..... I can’t up sheep numbers and can’t take silage off it as it’s very middling ground.

Is it okay from a department point of view to have cattle on my land seeing as I have no cattle or how do I get around it

There;s no problem with that but the department has to be notified when the cattle are moved on and off the land

MeTheMan

roosky wrote: »

Does anyone know what the story is with letting someone else graze your land?

So the story is I have land that I winter sheep on and let Amy uncle graze with cattle for the summer..... I can’t up sheep numbers and can’t take silage off it as it’s very middling ground.

Is it okay from a department point of view to have cattle on my land seeing as I have no cattle or how do I get around it

Similar question to that. Father in law has a bit of land. Not even half acre. He was asking would I let a few sheep on it to graze it down. Any problem with that?

roosky

MeTheMan wrote: »

Similar question to that. Father in law has a bit of land. Not even half acre. He was asking would I let a few sheep on it to graze it down. Any problem with that?

I would feel there is less of and issue as the sheep have no testing or any of that craic, also a half acre they wouldn’t be long on it,

Willfarman

Looking at farming discussion group on Facebook. Girl asks for advise on treating orf.. burnt oil, petrol iodine antibiotics anthelminthics.... to treat a virus!!! God we lambast the bord bia inspections but they should be compulsory I think.

Siamsa Sessions

Willfarman wrote: »

Looking at farming discussion group on Facebook. Girl asks for advise on treating orf.. burnt oil, petrol iodine antibiotics anthelminthics.... to treat a virus!!! God we lambast the bord bia inspections but they should be compulsory I think.

I saw that too. The Ivomec idea caught my eye. Is there not some merit to that if there’s something in it to treat scab?

wrangler

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

I saw that too. The Ivomec idea caught my eye. Is there not some merit to that if there’s something in it to treat scab?

There's really no cure for orf, salt licks probably keeps the skin clear and prevents infection
90% of lambs will get over orf in a fortnight if there's no irritants like thistles and briars around to break the skin so it gives the appearance that anything you use cures it.
orf is a virus like the flu, there's no cure only let it take it's course,
if the skin breaks and get's infected, spraying with an antibiotic spray clears it up easily

Willfarman

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

I saw that too. The Ivomec idea caught my eye. Is there not some merit to that if there’s something in it to treat scab?

Sheep scab is a microscopic parasite. The mange mite. Orf is a virus which the sheep has to cure itself with its own antibodies.. which take a few weeks. As wrangler points out antibiotic spray will cure secondary infection. Vitamins minerals and good nutrition help boost the immune system and prevent or cure a virus in man or beast.

charolais0153

wrangler wrote: »

There's really no cure for orf, salt licks probably keeps the skin clear and prevents infection
90% of lambs will get over orf in a fortnight if there's no irritants like thistles and briars around to break the skin so it gives the appearance that anything you use cures it.
orf is a virus like the flu, there's no cure only let it take it's course,
if the skin breaks and get's infected, spraying with an antibiotic spray clears it up easily

We spray backtokill and alamycin spray on it. The backtokill fights against ringworm and other fungus disease

Willfarman

charolais0153 wrote: »

We spray backtokill and alamycin spray on it. The backtokill fights against ringworm and other fungus disease

It’d help protect and cure bacterial infection on top of the sores but do nothing against the virus.. does greyside ever visit the sheep discussion here at all!!?

charolais0153

Willfarman wrote: »

It’d help protect and cure bacterial infection on top of the sores but do nothing against the virus.. does greyside ever visit the sheep discussion here at all!!?

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://pedigreecattle.ie/veterinary-supplies/osmonds-bactakil-55-spray&ved=2ahUKEwjUy87jlb3aAhWPL1AKHbasDr4QFjAAegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw2yqRPPRE0GBwI8Lpk71_5O

Willfarman

charolais0153 wrote: »

Willfarman wrote: »

It’d help protect and cure bacterial infection on top of the sores but do nothing against the virus.. does greyside ever visit the sheep discussion here at all!!?

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://pedigreecattle.ie/veterinary-supplies/osmonds-bactakil-55-spray&ved=2ahUKEwjUy87jlb3aAhWPL1AKHbasDr4QFjAAegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw2yqRPPRE0GBwI8Lpk71_5O

Yes bactericide and fungicide but no claim to cure a viral infection. Believe it or not I haven't seen a case of orf in my own sheep here for years. I credit it to increased use of vitamins mineral drenches and buckets. See it in bought in stores the odd time but it resolves itself.

greysides

Willfarman wrote: »

Looking at farming discussion group on Facebook. Girl asks for advise on treating orf.. burnt oil, petrol iodine antibiotics anthelminthics.... to treat a virus!!! God we lambast the bord bia inspections but they should be compulsory I think.

And that would be reason I rarely comment there.... some sense of logic is kept here.

Willfarman wrote: »

It’d help protect and cure bacterial infection on top of the sores but do nothing against the virus.. does greyside ever visit the sheep discussion here at all!!?

I do. This afternoon was my annual visit.....

I really can't add anything to what's been said. A forum in the UK has knowledgeable sheep farm members who swear by Brimcombe mineral buckets.. so minerals and vitamins, as said here previously.

Antibiotic spray or injection to try to keep the secondary bacterial infection under control. Injection better if it's gone deep/bad.

Orfoids were doing the rounds years ago as was 'The Orf Injection', which was the same as 'The Wart Injection'.... I presume some form of immune stimulant.

Green farmer

Always found salt lick blocks cleared up orf, dried it out. About €10 for 2 blocks. Cheap and effective. On bad ones gave a squirt of alamycn spray.

Dickie10

<Mod snip>

This suggestion breaches the F&F charter. The substance mentioned is irritant to skin and is listed in the charter as a substance we do not want discussed as a means of treatment.

DJ98

At what age would a lamb survive without the ewe.

charolais0153

DJ98 wrote: »

At what age would a lamb survive without the ewe.

Depwnds if hes eating creep or not

DJ98

charolais0153 wrote: »

Depwnds if hes eating creep or not

Eating creep and drinking water, about 6 weeks old

ganmo

DJ98 wrote: »

Eating creep and drinking water, about 6 weeks old

6 weeks is the min

greysides

This leaflet contains a few interesting snippits. It suggests the old idea of Orf virus surviving in scabs in a damp ditch from year to year is wrong. They survive better in dry conditions. It mentions skin carrier animals as a source.

greysides

Courtesy of the Moredun Institute:

Key Points
Orf is a common viral disease of sheep and goats characterised by the development of scabby lesions around the mouth and nostrils of lambs. On occasion it may also affect other parts particularly the teats of nursing ewes and the lower legs, around the corona. .
Infection normally runs a course of four to six weeks and resolves with little or no intervention. However disease in young lambs is associated with poor growth during the period of infection. Serious disease may develop with extensive lesions affecting the mouth resulting, occasionally, in death.
Previous infection with orf does not protect animals from becoming re-infected, but normally these subsequent infectiosn should resolve over the course of 2-3 weeks.
Infection will only establish where the skin or gums have been damaged. Thus rough food or pasture may predispose to infection. As a consequence thistle/nettle control is advised.
The virus will not survive a winter outside but if protected from the elements it can persist in buildings for many years. Disinfection of buildings, pen divisions and feeding troughs is therefore important in the control of orf.
Some anti-viral drugs have been shown to be effective in killing the virus, but these are only used for human infections. The topical application of antiseptics, however, may reduce bacterial contamination of the lesions and help prevent secondary complications.
Vaccines against orf are useful in reducing the more detrimental effects of the disease, but do not provide long lasting immunity to orf and may themselves contribute to the environmental pool of infection. Although vaccinated animals may become re-infected with orf virus the resulting disease is milder and has a shorter course.
The vaccine should never be applied to ewes less than 7-8 weeks before lambing and they should be kept away from the lambing area until the scabs, that contain large amounts of the virus, are shed.
With the exception of pregnant ewes, animals can be vaccinated at any time and in particular if a problem with orf is encountered or if susceptible animals are to be mixed with infected animals.
In no circumstances should the vaccine be used on farms that do not have an existing problem with orf.
Humans can also become infected with orf virus resulting in localised swollen, red areas, which can be painful, and on occasion, result in severe systemic reactions.

Bleating Lamb

Have some of ewes and lambs ranging from a week of age to 3 weeks in field that was left idle since September,good cover of grass on it but naturally fair bit t of yellow through it from the tough winter.Thinking of going without nuts for them when they run out on around Wednesday.Weather meant to turn a bit warmer then.....are others here feeding nuts to ewes where they have reasonable grass or not?