The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: andywalt on September 17, 2011, 05:29:14 pm

Title: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: andywalt on September 17, 2011, 05:29:14 pm

Hi All

may I ask for some advice please? we have a 5 month old lamb with very runny dark green scours, we have wormed her and is now on anti biotics, she has lost a lot of weight I didnt realise how much until I handled her when I wormed her. should I be doing anything else?


andy

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: Pasture Farm on September 17, 2011, 07:56:44 pm

I would fetch her inside and give just hay nothing else.
Sometimes if you put them on new grazing they will scour and the only way to stop them is to fetch them in and "dry them up"

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: andywalt on September 17, 2011, 08:00:53 pm

thanks for that

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: shep53 on September 17, 2011, 09:46:04 pm

old short grass and shelter works too,don't forget dehydration and replacement of mins and body salts speak to vet

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: Hazelwood Flock on September 19, 2011, 08:15:05 pm

Take a fresh dung sample to your vet and have it checked for coccidiosis, this can occur when conditions get muddy and hits lambs hard.

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: andywalt on September 19, 2011, 08:16:58 pm

yes ill do that too

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: jaykay on September 19, 2011, 08:42:38 pm

My goat kids (4months) got cocci for no apparent reason - just wet and muddy (it's always wet and muddy here  :P) If you've covered all other bases (and you seem to have done), I'd go to the vets and get the cocci treatment anyway, the treatment doesn't do any harm but the bugs can cause permanent gut damage and the littlies then then don't thrive, so you don't really want to be waiting for lab tests......

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: andywalt on September 19, 2011, 08:45:05 pm

yes very true

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: mmu on September 21, 2011, 06:25:13 pm

Did all or any of that advice work, isn't 5 months a bit old for coxy?

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: andywalt on September 21, 2011, 10:44:30 pm

well I havnt been to the vet as shes looking alot better, a bit brighter and looks as if the scours has stopped, lets hope she is on the up and I havnt just jinxed it !!!

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: mmu on September 22, 2011, 11:16:07 pm

I think if she wasn't getting better she'd be a lot worse by now.

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: andywalt on September 23, 2011, 07:07:58 pm

I gave the 3rd long acting injection this afternoon, should be the last one, looking bright and much happier just hoping it will start to put on some weight.

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: mmu on September 24, 2011, 09:49:22 pm

Good stuff.  Was it cocci?

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: andywalt on September 24, 2011, 10:38:28 pm

http://www.nadis.org.uk/DiseasesSheep/CoccidiosisSheep/Coccidiosis%20in%20Sheep.htm (http://www.nadis.org.uk/DiseasesSheep/CoccidiosisSheep/Coccidiosis%20in%20Sheep.htm)

can be fatal !!

Title: Re: 5 Month old Lamb with bad scours
Post by: feldar on September 25, 2011, 10:31:07 am

We have had the same problem. Our late lambs were fine then bang suddenly we had two go down with scours followed quickly by the rest. We drenched for cocci but still looking rough spoke to our vet ( good sheep man) who said they have seen a lot of worm problems this year caused by weather in the south of England.
Seems there is another flush after the small amount of rain we've had. Suprised us cause we wormed not long ago so we are going to do a count and get to the bottom of it.
I still think it could be cocci though got that smell about the poo, the smell you never forget once you've smelt it.