Sheep going blind in shed

farawaygrass

As above I’ve the sheep divided into four different sheds and all are being fed silage in sound feeders. They are getting a lot white eyes. Got eye tubes of the vet which seem to solve it but anyone got any ideas what’s causing it or how to stop it happening?

Buford T. Justice XIX

farawaygrass wrote: »

As above I’ve the sheep divided into four different sheds and all are being fed silage in sound feeders. They are getting a lot white eyes. Got eye tubes of the vet which seem to solve it but anyone got any ideas what’s causing it or how to stop it happening?

It sounds like listeriosis but you'd want to get your vet to confirm.

Any moldy silage would want to be removed from the ewes before they get a chance to eat it. It's more common with silage than hay but either can cause it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=listeriosis+in+sheep&rlz=1C1CHBF_enIE841IE844&oq=listeriosis&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l7.7446j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

wrangler

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

It sounds like listeriosis but you'd want to get your vet to confirm.

Any moldy silage would want to be removed from the ewes before they get a chance to eat it. It's more common with silage than hay but either can cause it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=listeriosis+in+sheep&rlz=1C1CHBF_enIE841IE844&oq=listeriosis&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l7.7446j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Listeria blindness is from the brain damage, there'd never be anything to see on the eye. They'd be stupid as well and off feed, difficult to cure listeria
What it sounds like is an infection from damage to the eye from rooting into the silage and prodding the eye, especially as the antibiotic cures it

farawaygrass

I don’t think it’s listeriosis, isn’t that what causes meningitis? The silage is very clean, maybe a tiny white patch the size of my hand on outer layer of silage. The tubes are working wonders but it’s annoying how sheep in all sheds got it when they weren’t mixing. Vet said it’s from tiny bits of clay in the silage more than likely. The silage was made in nice dry weather, unless it was cut very tight but I didn’t think anything of it at the time. Vet also said to open the bales a day before feeding but the bales are barrel wrapped so I just have the top cut of one now for tomorrow.

Westernrock

wrangler wrote: »

Listeria blindness is from the brain damage, there'd never be anything to see on the eye. They'd be stupid as well and off feed, difficult to cure listeria
What it sounds like is an infection from damage to the eye from rooting into the silage and prodding the eye, especially as the antibiotic cures it

I’m afraid your wrong on this one, listeria causes blindness and meningitis, two different diseases but the same bacterial cause so the op needs to be vigilant and keep an eye for any cases of listeria meningitis. Blindness from listeria due to feeding bales will cause a white discoloration of the eye and is often called silage eye, it’s essentially what your describing but it’s still caused by listeria in most cases

https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/sheep/eye-diseases-in-sheep/

wrangler

Westernrock wrote: »

I’m afraid your wrong on this one, listeria causes blindness and meningitis, two different diseases but the same bacterial cause so the op needs to be vigilant and keep an eye for any cases of listeria meningitis. Blindness from listeria due to feeding bales will cause a white discoloration of the eye and is often called silage eye, it’s essentially what your describing but it’s still caused by listeria in most cases

https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/sheep/eye-diseases-in-sheep/

Every day's a school day, I've never seen a listeria case with an infection on their eyes ....... and they'd all be blind in one eye at least

farawaygrass

So how does the listeria get on the silage and can it be prevented in the future?

wrangler

farawaygrass wrote: »

So how does the listeria get on the silage and can it be prevented in the future?

Prevented by
Proper baling and extra wrapping.
Avoid clay in the silage.
don't give them poor quality silage.
Don't make them eat rejected stale silage.

FarmerDougal

Is it more common in grass that was tedded out and raked due to the higher clay content

FarmerDougal

I had a pink eye infection outbreak few years ago in the autumn time, one ewe I didn't get treating went blind in both eyes, couldn't get her out of
the field at the time, left her alone and she made full recovery

wrangler

FarmerDougal wrote: »

Is it more common in grass that was tedded out and raked due to the higher clay content

Yea in bad conditions clay will be dragged in,
It's one reason that I don't feed silage to sheep now

farawaygrass

I inspected the silage closely earlier and no signs of clay in it. Unless it’s not visible. I’d say 1/3 of the lambs had sore eyes yesterday/today but thankfully are improving with the tubes.

wrangler

farawaygrass wrote: »

I inspected the silage closely earlier and no signs of clay in it. Unless it’s not visible. I’d say 1/3 of the lambs had sore eyes yesterday/today but thankfully are improving with the tubes.

My money would still be on just a common eye infection, plenty farmers get out breaks of eye infections, it's a pain in the butt but curable