The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Mallows Flock on September 28, 2012, 05:58:13 pm
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Been rounding up all the separate paddocks of sheep today to move them to Autumn grazing... one of my first ever ewes is the one I always rely on to get the others into the pen/trailer etc with minimal fuss (she is so flippin' greedy and friendly she will do ANYTHING for a few sugar beet pellets.) However, today, she was a right pain in the butt.... dancing in and out of the trailer causing mayhem...wouldn't be walked in... and enough to make me swear. When there were only her and her 2 sisters left, she happily came up to me and nuzzled her face into my hands...and then i felt it... rough, scabby lips! On closer inspection, my fears were supported....orf scabs. Quite a few but tiny and dry!
I popped 2 Ovaloids into her mouth. Strangely enough I had only found this full, unused pot yesterday buried under the straw in the currently disused pig ark so they were in the front of my car. Its almost all like fate. if she hadn't have mucked me about earlier I wouldn't have seen/felt the orf and when she was up in the large Autumn grazing field I defo would not have noticed for a while... and if I hadn't have been given a few spare flaps of straw from someone who no longer has chickens, i wouldn't have re-strawed the old ark and found the Ovaloids! Strange huh?
Anyway, I take it there is nothing much more I can do but keep her separate from the main flock for the next week or so, keep an eye on them, antiseptic spray and poss Antiobiotic jab if necessary and make sure I wear gloves when I retreat with Ovaloids in 6 days! is that right?
Cripes.... the amount of times I kiss her on the face...I better watch my own lips! LOL!
That'll teach her for trampling down my fence to scoff all the blackthorn!
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Cripes.... the amount of times I kiss her on the face...I better watch my own lips! LOL!
:o
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Cripes.... the amount of times I kiss her on the face...I better watch my own lips! LOL!
:o
And you're not even Welsh !
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I would think about 3 in 1 buckets for the rest. No idea how they work but they really do seem to help.
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I would think about 3 in 1 buckets for the rest. No idea how they work but they really do seem to help.
Mainly, I suspect, by making sure all the others' mineral and vitamin levels are right, which gives their immune systems the best chance of fighting the infection.
Ever noticed how you get coleslaws when you've been down (overtired, under the weather, stressed, etc.)? ;)
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yes...they always have the 3 in 1 buckets. I understand there is a specific Orf bucket but trying to get hold of one is another matter.
I wonder what has made her stressed? She is an orphan so normally totally chilled out... she weaned her lambs yonks ago, has plenty of fresh grazing etc. maybe it's the constant crappy weather bringing her down?
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Orf is a viral infection, so giving it antibiotics won't do anything.
The specific 'orf' buckets essentially have bigger lumps of salt in, and it is the salt getting in the wounds as the sheep presses its face into the bucket which helps to clear up the infection.
So, you could put out rockies or rock salt or whatever and I'm guessing the effects would be similar, I had a few lambs with orf this year and I put a regular mineral bucket in and it cleared up.
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Ever noticed how you get coleslaws when you've been down (overtired, under the weather, stressed, etc.)? ;)
I tend to get coleslaw on a sunday afternoon with a ploughman's and pint of cider! :D ::)
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Thanks Steve.... they normally have big Himalayan Salt Licks in with them but I moved it in with the ram and rig just a few weeks ago as I understand they need it too. I will buy another one methinks.
I was only thinking of antibiotis if the scabs got infected but they seem very dry! And I understand it clears up in a week or so.
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Spray the sores with Backtocyde or Iodine, more than once. And they they don't clear up in 2 weeks jab them with antibiotics.
I've just had a nightmare with orf the past month or so. :( Mine were mostly in the corner of the mouth so no amount of salt or sulphur really helped.
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I have iodine...brilliant... I will make some up into a spray bottle! Thanks so much for all your help, guys!
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We had what I suspect was Orf. We sprayed with iodine but found that this seemed to cause the ewes to rub their mouths .... which actually caused the scabs to come off and the area to bleed. We just kept an eye on them in the end and it cleared pretty quickly. From what I have seen ours was a very mild case though.
A farmer friend talks about Orf tablets ??? . Any good????
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Hannah (my ewe) has what looks like a pretty mild case. Poor girl! It has not stopped her stuffing tho! just looks a bit dry and itchy. I have given her 2 orf tablets (ovaloids) which contain sulphur (which I understand is the 'active ingredient' however as I have nothing to compare it to, I can't really tell if they are any good or not!!! :-\
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Hi,
Just a suggestion but at this time of year you do tend to get alot of thistle rash, as the ewes and lambs are on tighter grazing so they get in amongst the thistles in the field to graze . Iam not saying it is that and it may well be Orf but i know when i tailed out all my ewes and lambs ten days ago i noticed a fare few with thistle rash .
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Hi Mart
I thought Orf and thistle rash were essentially the same thing. It might well be thistle rash... I do have a fair few new stubbles of thistles from having my fields flailed a few months back. My fatties do love to nibble the new grass that shoots up around the thistles and will eat the tops of the thistles. Her mouth doesn't look anywhere near as bad as the photos I see online!
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Arrr ..... I know mine were nibbling the tops out of thistles when they got their scabby mouths. They didn't look as bad as on photos I googled of orf and someone on here mentioned thistle rash so googled that. Couldn't really find any information about this though. Not all my sheep were affected. It was some of the older ewes first and then some lambs. My neighbour thought it was unusual for my shearlings to be affected more than their lambs.
Thistle rash????? Or is it another name for orf because the thistles cause the lesions that let the orf virus in? ???
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Ours had it this year, we found hanging a salt / mineral for sheep on the fence cleared it up a treat.
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Thistle rash????? Or is it another name for orf because the thistles cause the lesions that let the orf virus in? ???
IMO, both.
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Found mine this morning niblbing the tops out of the thistles on the far side of the fence so I've chopped them down as a precaution.
Cripes.... the amount of times I kiss her on the face...I better watch my own lips! LOL!
Haha! Thought it was just me! I can't resist the curly wool on top of their heads. Got caught by someone walking their dog and got a horrified look!
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I see lumpy jaw in my ewes from eating thistles every now and then - that is bacterial and requites antibiotics.
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Orf can get in through the rash caused by thistle rash yes indeed , but very often the two are easily mixed up , If you google Orf you will see pics of the desease and it is usually alot more extreme than thistle rash . Orf can be controlled by a live vaccine .
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First ewe with orf's face cleared up in less than a week.... you would never know she had it. Her 'sister' has not contracted it and she keeps lick, lick, licking it, has obviously rubbed it on something as it looks a bit raw in places and it is much more pronounced and going up to her nose :o(
I wiped it gently with antibacterial teat wipes (LOL) today and put her in with a giant salt lick that she was on immediately as well as a high energy lick in case it puts her off eating.... tho I doubt it...she was trying to snaffle my cheese and tomato pasta minutes later. Will keep my eye on her. poor love.
Never had orf before, but have ALWAYS HAD THISTLES goddammit! :-J
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she was trying to snaffle my cheese and tomato pasta minutes later.
Ahem, right, so she's either sitting in the kitchen with you, or you're out eating your pasta in the field with the sheep! And I thought I got funny looks off the dogwalkers! :D
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Corr Mallows , you're worse than me ::) .
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LOL. Ooops! Rumbled! :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep:
Hahah! I am terrible. I snatch half an hour in between my working day and race down there for an extra half an hour of chilling with my woolly lovelies! I love the way Cowslip will just lie down beside me like a dog and be stroked, Hannah tried to taste whats in my mouth and Sheepdog (a sheep...not a dog) will totally trash my bag to find any snacks left behind. Sianny and Cherry nibble my jeans whilst freckles and snowdrop try climbing up my back and nibble my hair. The others just wait in hope that I drop my lunch!
I nver had lunch breaks like that when I worked in insurance or banking way back when :eyelashes:
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Please be aware that orf can easily be caught by people and is very very painful in its human form.
ALWAYS wear gloves when handling infected animals and eating in the field with them is probably not the best idea in the world....
I know a lot of people swear by mineral and sulphur licks, but there are two products on the market specifically for orf, these are Ovaloid capsules and a preparation called Orph Paste.
Thanks
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Just had my first ever outbreak of Orf. Horrible virus - caused awful mouth blisters like extreme cold sores. Vet didn't rule out f+ m at first visit as blisters on tounge also.
Am intending to vaccinate very soon as want to put infected (but now cleared up) ram with clean ewes. Lambs with Orf will pass it to ewes teats who then will not let lambs suckle due to the pain! Have to buy a 50 dose bottle and applicator for only 12 doses !!!!!!
Anyone near Glos / forest of dean area who would like to vaccinate and share / donate towards the cost??
rgds George.
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Please be aware that orf can easily be caught by people and is very very painful in its human form.
It is painful, yes, but it really isn't as bad as everyone makes out. (Ask me how I know ;)) About as bad as when you burn your arm being careless lifting a tin out the oven, and carries on being that sore for up to two weeks.
And the good news is, once you've had it, you are immune. I guess I get my immunity topped up by handling the odd few orfy lambs each year...
So yes, absolutely, take precautions and try not to get it. But don't let it keep you awake nights worrying about it, or stop you spending time with your sheepy lovelies.
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SCS - I am already using Ovaloids and am using gloves to administer!
:wave: Sally.... it defo won't stop me lunching in my fields! LOL! If the sheep can handle it, I can :o) I already get face-leprosy i.e coldsores.... does that give me any immunity? I mean, I have taken SOME precautions.. :-J . I am certainly not kissing their noses at the mo - LOL but nothing will stop me hanging out with my woolly wonders.
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Sally.... it defo won't stop me lunching in my fields! LOL! If the sheep can handle it, I can :o) I already get face-leprosy i.e coldsores.... does that give me any immunity?
;D
Well, I too get face leprosy / lip salad (coleslaws) - so it may be that a degree of immunity from that is why I didn't find orf too excessively painful when I had it... :thinking:
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SCS - I am already using Ovaloids and am using gloves to administer!
:wave: Sally.... it defo won't stop me lunching in my fields! LOL! If the sheep can handle it, I can :o ) I already get face-leprosy i.e coldsores.... does that give me any immunity? I mean, I have taken SOME precautions.. :-J . I am certainly not kissing their noses at the mo - LOL but nothing will stop me hanging out with my woolly wonders.
I sussed it!
Your sheep don't have orf, they have cold sores from where you've been snogging them eeeeewwwww :roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim:
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CW... when I first saw it, that is EXACTLY what I thought - . But I never kiss them when I have a breakout so on this occassion, NOT GUILTY M'LUD! :relief:
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:roflanim: :roflanim: :sheep: :roflanim: :roflanim:
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Does anyone know if ovaloids can be given to goats?
One of my nannies has orf and the billie kid who spends nights in the next pen has started one sore on his lip.
I expect the other kids and the billies mum will probably come down with it too,
Just as I thought things were going smoothly for a while.
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One of my orphan lambs got orfe when I had six inside for bottle feeding, I treated him with this iodine solution which seemed to clear it up. Another ewe lamb got it but it was very mild, none of the other four were affected. My hubby got it on his arm but it wasn't a great problem, I can't remember what he did with it (if anything) it was just like a little burn blister.
So it's all true what they say about farmers and sheep .. :o ;D
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Please be aware that orf can easily be caught by people and is very very painful in its human form.
It is painful, yes, but it really isn't as bad as everyone makes out. (Ask me how I know ;) ) About as bad as when you burn your arm being careless lifting a tin out the oven, and carries on being that sore for up to two weeks.
And the good news is, once you've had it, you are immune. I guess I get my immunity topped up by handling the odd few orfy lambs each year...
So yes, absolutely, take precautions and try not to get it. But don't let it keep you awake nights worrying about it, or stop you spending time with your sheepy lovelies.
Yep, totally agree. I too have had Orf, actually I don't remember it being that sore at all. Un slightly though!
Beth
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........ I have had it ,on my finger, about 5 years ago.
I`t was very nasty and throbbed like billi-o :-\ - ended up having to go to Doctors.
It took several weeks to get better and the nurse at my G.Ps had to put fresh dressings on regularly.
Thankfully I haven`t suffered from catching it again :relief: .....so I guess my immune system is working!
Tilly