[kanisha]

I feel for you wish there was something that could be done to stop it all

[Small Farmer]

God, that's dire.  I'm so sorry.

[Marches Farmer]

Had a deformed lamb this Spring (our first ever) as did my neighbour across the valley who runs 300 ewes.  Got mine PM'd and told not SBV.  Neighbour two miles away had 4 deformed.  Suspect SBV in all cases, just not identified in the one we took to the AHVL.  Some of the local farms have had such low scanning results this month they've sent the scanner home. 

[feldar]

One of the other side effects of this disease is very low fertility, we had this last year. My heart goes out to you Captain, it's not good  and there is nothing we can do about it except carry on.
My ewes that have had SBV lambs we've put them out in a spare paddock after jabbing up with antibiotics, luckily they've come through it ok and seem very bright considering the way we pulled them about getting the lambs out. I was worried we had holed them but it would have shown by now. Nothing like Doctor green grass to get them interested in life again.

[SteveHants]

Green grass?


Makes a change from 'Muddy swamp" I suppose. 

[feldar]

Well our ewe who had SBV positive lambs in the spring of this year has lambed again. Her lambs were the ones we took to the VLA centre. Anyway she has had a very nice ewe lamb just a single but i don't care what's more important is both mum and baby are fine and the lamb is normal.
So it looks like the immunity is true and the ewes can go on to breed normally again when they've had SBV lambs before, phew   I know the literature said they could but i wanted to see it with my own eyes first.

[kanisha]

  I dread seeing this topic even come up again! sooo pleased this time its good news

[Brucklay]

As knaisha says - always read for the info but slightly dread clicking the button - so glad your now having a bit of better news to post

[in the hills]

   So glad, at least a positive there.

[Marches Farmer]

Just spoken to my scanner - due in late January as we put the tups in later in the hope we'd miss SBV.  He's scanned one flock of 27 pedigree ewes and found only one lamb and heard from one early lamber that ten of his lambs have SBV.  They scanned out as normal - he once scanned twins in one of our ewes and said one of them didn't look right and it never appeared, so must've got reabsorbed.  Pity it doesn't happen with SBV.

[feldar]

It's dire isn't it
We have only got two more ewes to lamb this batch then we start again in late January early Feb for the next batch. So i'm hoping these will all be ok.
Hope everything is going to be ok with you

[Blacksheep]

We are in the Marches too Marches farmer and the virus was definately active during earlier tupping season in the area according to our scanner. We have been surprised with some of the ewes, ie young healthy ewes that have lambed before and no reason to be barren, that were scanned empty this time, they had been tupped and not seen to return, and several with lambs being absorbed. I think SBV probably does cause reabsorbtion in some cases, with you though wish all of them affected were absorbed,  not looking forward to what we will probably be having to deal with at lambing time. We start mid to late January, but the majority will be lambing in February through to March.  Just have to hope for the best and that not too many will be affected

[SteveHants]

It's dire isn't it
We have only got two more ewes to lamb this batch then we start again in late January early Feb for the next batch. So i'm hoping these will all be ok.
Hope everything is going to be ok with you

If they are - it would hold with most of the experinces of people lambing in two batches that I have heard from, so fingers crossed.

[Marches Farmer]

Heard on the grapevine that DEFRA have asked all vets in farm animal practices not to take leave during the main 2013 lambing and calving season. 

[Bramblecot]

I think there is quite a bit of 'denial' going on in this area.  A lot of commercial Dorset flocks are lambing and there are some completely conflicting reports on the grapevine.  Mine don't start until 20th March so I hope to miss it...but I can't say I am looking forward to lambing this year .
So sorry for all those affected.