The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: OldGaffer on June 28, 2016, 01:28:28 pm
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For those of us who are not aware, I recently read that Blue Tongue could make it's way over the Channel from France in the Farmers Guardian (https://www.fginsight.com/news/farmers-urged-to-brace-themselves-for-return-of-bluetongue-in-2016-9332). The article states that the NFU is urging Farmers to contact their vet, if you live in the South of England, East Anglia and potentially as far a field as Wales.
I contacted my vet and the vaccine will not be available until mid July. It takes 21days for sheep to become immune after vaccination and 30 days for cattle. The Blue Tongue strain in France is BTV8 and the vector is a biting midge.
I also saw that there is a Joint campaign against bluetongue on the NSA (http://www.nationalsheep.org.uk/bluetongue/) website.
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I will be vaccinating mine (the whole flock needs to be done). If enough folks do it we can act as a barrier between the east of England and Wales.
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This map is the most current up to date map of outbreaks and zone that are under restriction in France. i have been watching this map since last year and whilst the zones that are regulated has come and gone ( winter free of restrictions ) the zones affected has not changed since last year. Ie there is an area acrosss the top of France that is considered free and unrestricted and has been so since the begining of the outbreak. There is a vaccination programme in force ( although unlike last time is is not a requirement) however it would seem that either latent immunity ( previous vaccination programme) and or effective vaccination programme in France has stemmed the flow..... for the moment.
http://agriculture.gouv.fr/liste-des-departements-et-des-communes-classes-en-zone-reglementee-fco (http://agriculture.gouv.fr/liste-des-departements-et-des-communes-classes-en-zone-reglementee-fco)