Author Topic: Self 'weaning', or effects of orf? (Read 4730 times)

FiB · « **on:** April 20, 2014, 07:38:09 am »

My pet lamb is nearly 4 weeks and has gone from 3 full bottles to only finishing half each feed. Seems well, but has got a couple of small dark warts on mouth so suspect orf. Have checked in mouth, to see if any on tongue that would cause discomfort, but inside mouth is clear. Do lambs ever cut down by themselves? Cheers, f

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2014, 10:12:18 am »

Quote from: FiB on April 20, 2014, 07:38:09 am

Do lambs ever cut down by themselves?

None of mine ever have...

Last year I had one had a truly gruesome case of orf; her whole mouth and snout were covered in ghastly scabs. Having got lamb milk in a cut the odd time or two, I know how much it stings, so I switched her to 100% Jersey milk, which doesn't sting, and she ate well throughout - although often bled as she fed. (Sorry, gruesome.)

That's easy for me, as I have Jerseys that I milk. Could you get raw goats or cows' milk for her? It needs to be raw, untreated - pasteurisation changes the structure and they can't digest it properly.

FiB · « **Reply #2 on:** April 21, 2014, 06:29:20 pm »

well tried the only person I knew who had goats and they had got rid... managed to get about 350ml lamlac down him today so far, but he is slurping water and has had about a sugar bowl full of lamb growers pellets (penned him on field so I know he ate them) so he wont starve today? will pen overnight with pellets hay and water

Thanks Sally as ever

FiB · « **Reply #3 on:** April 21, 2014, 08:25:38 pm »

Also, question about orf.... How common is it, do I need to tell any buyers at market (so far only a cull ewe... But what if they take it into their farm to fatten up a bit?) that we have had it on farm? If I mention it to any neighbours it's as if I've mentioned leprousy or have been a bad shepherd.

moony · « **Reply #4 on:** April 21, 2014, 09:44:03 pm »

Quite a few of our cade lambs in the past have had orf, normally when they have started to eat grass as well. Its never something I have mentioned to anyone when I have sold them at market (perhaps I should have?). We would just never sell or move them until we were 100% it had cleared up completely. Whatever you do don't touch it without gloves. It is an absolute nightmare if you get it yourself.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #5 on:** April 22, 2014, 02:39:26 am »

We sometimes scratch our lambs (vaccinate them) for orf. They then will shed the virus. So even farmers who don't have cases of orf can be selling animals that can infect others.

It is absolutely not a reflection on your husbandry to have orf on your farm. Maybe your neighbours all vaccinate? And maybe you will want to, if you want to avoid it in future. Other factors include things that can break the skin on their mouths and noses so that the virus can enter - so clear any brambles, thistles, barbed wire, splintery wood and so on that they could damage themselves on.

I expect you'll have read up previous threads on treating orf? We do find that dipping their snozzes in a strong solution of Daz (and yes it has to be Daz specifically), then antiseptic spray, does help the healing. If you see secondary infection then the faithful blue antibiotic spray, of course.

FiB · « **Reply #6 on:** April 22, 2014, 07:32:39 am »

Thank you. Yes I moved them into a field that has a lot of gorse which they seem to like to nibble, so that could be the catalist..... Wearing gloves and ready with the sudocream! I take it if it's on you land it's here forever

I may well vaccinate next year

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #7 on:** April 22, 2014, 08:19:54 am »

Quote from: FiB on April 22, 2014, 07:32:39 am

I take it if it's on you land it's here forever

I'm not certain about that. I think it's possible that if you vaccinate for a few years it may die out. But I don't know for sure... hopefully one of the vets will call by and give us a definitive answer.

We only vaccinate our lambs; the ewes seem to be fairly immune.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2014, 10:44:11 am »

The stress caused by transportation/market can be enough to depress the immune system and allow it to kick in again. We've never seen it and it's one of the reasons we run a virtually closed flock and quarantine any incoming rams for six weeks.

FiB · « **Reply #9 on:** April 22, 2014, 11:39:17 am »

That's a good point.... We hire in a ram, so I definitely ought to be telling those guys. I try to avoid market (mostly take straight to Abatoir and eat/ sell to friends) and also also try to run a closed flock ,ram aside. So many diseases, so few sheep......

landroverroy · « **Reply #10 on:** April 22, 2014, 12:28:07 pm »

Easy cure for orf - mix about equal quantities of salt and sulphur and leave in small container for them to help themselves. Allow access to the mixture to all sheep.
No doubt there's other cures and what you use is personal choice. But I've had orf 3 times in 30 years. The first time I vaccinated and it came back. The second and third times I used the salt and sulphur and I didn't see it again for about 10 years.

clydesdaleclopper · « **Reply #11 on:** April 22, 2014, 01:35:25 pm »

Is that flowers of sulphur - the yellow powder?

Foobar · « **Reply #12 on:** April 22, 2014, 02:14:50 pm »

Yes, the yellow powder.
But also many people, like me, just swear by using lumps of rock salt (the pink kind). I have that out in the field all year round and it seems to have prevented any further outbreaks of Orf.

FiB · « **Reply #13 on:** April 22, 2014, 04:24:48 pm »

They have lumps (the big pink cubes you can put on a rope) of rock salt on field at all time... Will have a look out for sulphur though. Just 2 lambs affected last year and this (out of 20 each year) it's a funny ole thing isn't it. Just praying I don't get it- I won't think that's funny! I have been ultra careful since it showed, wearing gloves etc.