The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: m3joeEm on March 31, 2015, 12:08:55 pm
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Another newbie question that i need answered as its stressing me out not knowing! My lambs are now aged 2.5 weeks to 6 weeks and haven't been vaccinated. The sheep were well covered with heptavac P and alamycin a month before lambing and were dosed for fluke and worm on turnout (ewes only). I am wondering what do i need to give the lambs now at this age (3-6 weeks)?
thanks in advance
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Probably best you discuss a flock health plan with your vet - they will know the local area and climate and the most likely problems you will face.
The lambs will definitely need vaccinating - if you use heptavac, that sounds ideal, they will need two injections as recommended on the packet, I believe from 3 weeks of age, but check that too.
They may need worming depending on conditions, there is a worm called Nematodirus that can kill lambs before they show signs of scour or show up on faecal egg tests, but this is very dependant on local conditions, so speak to your vet who should know what wormers would be effective and if there is likely to be a problem.
Can I ask why the ewes all had Alamycin? This is an antibiotic, and should only be used for specific conditions, under the advice of a vet, so as to prevent bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics. It is not usually used as a blanket treatment. If your vet advised treating all the ewes, there would be a specific reason, and this may influence what you do from here.
Best bet is to have a chat with your vet, mostly advice is free, and can get it tailored to your situation.
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Hi thanks for reply. I will speak to a vet asap thanks!. The alamycin was recommended by 2 neighbours who always gives 8 - 10 ml depending on weight before lambing to help prevent the likes of abortion and other issues and to keep feet in good condition to help prevent the need to handle in late pregnancy.
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ALamycin LA
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I have NEVER heard of Alamycin being given as a preventative in this way. With all the issues arising out of increased antibiotic resistance, I amshocked that anyone would advise this. I assume neither of tehse "experts" is a vet.
If you want to reduce the risk of abortion, vaccination against toxoplasmosis and enzootic abortion four weeks before the tup goes in is the way to do it.
FFS.
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aw lord :( what is the vaccine called for enzo and toxo abortion pre tupping? i presume they are different?
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learning through many mistakes, some small some big. The main thing now is vaccinating the lambs against worms disease etc.
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Enzovax and Toxovax.
Not a rant against you, m3joeEm :)
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We're in a similar situation in that all our breeding ewes are on Heptavac-P. However, all of this year's lambs will end up in the freezer (the Zwartbles lambs were the only ones we would have kept, but they were all boys).
So, the Z lambs should finish by the autumn, whilst we'll probably overwinter the Manx/Shetland crosses and slaughter in the spring. What I want to know is should we still vaccinate them with Hep-P, or would something else be more appropriate for non-breeding stock?
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If the ewes had a booster of Heptavac 3 weeks or so before lambing the lambs will not need their own until they are between 2 and 3 months - I normally do mine when the youngest is just around 8 to 10 weeks (I try not do this in rainy weather just easier to gather and not to stress). Then 2nd shot 4 weeks after 1st.
Re wormer, If you have done the ewes at turn-out (which is what I do), then I would just check the Nadis forecast for nematodirus and have a wormer for the lambs ready when the alert level is high enough. if they have gone out into a fresh/clean field they should be ok until then.
If they get smelly dark runny droppings it is most likely cocccidiosys, treat with Veccoxan after weighing lambs accurately.
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We use Heptavac on them all because our small numbers make it uneconomic to use two different vaccines.
Having said that, we need Bravoxin 10 for the calves (4 getting 2ml each) - it's compatible with Heptavac (but not the other way, if you see what I mean), so we might mix and match to reduce wastage (sheep only get 1ml).
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We're in a similar situation in that all our breeding ewes are on Heptavac-P. However, all of this year's lambs will end up in the freezer (the Zwartbles lambs were the only ones we would have kept, but they were all boys).
So, the Z lambs should finish by the autumn, whilst we'll probably overwinter the Manx/Shetland crosses and slaughter in the spring. What I want to know is should we still vaccinate them with Hep-P, or would something else be more appropriate for non-breeding stock?
You may save a wee bit of money by going for Lambivac, but pasteurella can be a killer in autumn or spring (not covered by Lambivac). I just do all my sheep with Heptavac P+, it's just easy on my brain.... ::)
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We're in a similar situation in that all our breeding ewes are on Heptavac-P. However, all of this year's lambs will end up in the freezer (the Zwartbles lambs were the only ones we would have kept, but they were all boys).
So, the Z lambs should finish by the autumn, whilst we'll probably overwinter the Manx/Shetland crosses and slaughter in the spring. What I want to know is should we still vaccinate them with Hep-P, or would something else be more appropriate for non-breeding stock?
All of our lambs (orphans) go in the freezer too but we vaccinate with heptavac once all are 3 weeks old. My reasoning is whilst they are going to be killed by winter I'd kick myself if we lost one of them late on to something preventable and being orphans sometimes they are more susceptible to illness.
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Defoheptavac, if you gonna be caking them, you don't want them carking it with the likes of pulpy kidney...
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Great, thanks for your help! :thumbsup:
One thing I've noticed with the heptavac - several of the ewes ended up with abscesses at the injection site (looks like a small acorn under the skin). This may have been a hygeine problem on my part, as their wool was very thick, so due to my inexperience I had a hell of a job finding the skin and being able to get in at the right angle.
Has anybody else seen this before with Hep-P though?
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Yes I have re the abcess question. I had 2 with whacking great abcesses on the injection site. They burst and I sprayed with septi-cleanse.
Helen
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One thing I've noticed with the heptavac - several of the ewes ended up with abscesses at the injection site (looks like a small acorn under the skin).
The cows have got golf ball sized lumps at the Bravoxin sites - some nearly tennis ball size. :innocent:
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Some goats react quite badly to Lambivac too. It is the actually carrier liquid that does that, not the vaccine itself.
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Yup it can happen. Also I don't know if you ve Ben told this doll , but don't vacciante when they're wet x
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Or use a Sterimatic system so that each injection is clean.
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That's what we've employed, getting on it soon with lambies.
I've heard about some using alamycin, we don't do that though. When they move on soon, lambs will be wormed and ewes will be combinexed as its been rather wet. :gloomy: also a good vitamin drench will go down the hatch. We ve bought a downland one, enough to last us a good few drenches, I love multi buys x