The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Susierw on August 01, 2020, 10:38:57 am
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Advice please. I have a small flock of Jacobs (20 odd) and heptovac them each year. If necessary I share a bottle with a neighbour so keep it fairly economical. I have just bought 2 pygmy goats who are 6 months old and have been dosed with lambivac. I am also getting two more of the same age who have been dosed with heptovac.
I would prefer to get them all onto heptovac as that will be more economical so three questions really. Firstly is it ok to use Heptovac and if not why not. Secondly do i have to start again with two injections for those goats that have been on lambivac. Thirdly do i need to do them every six months or annually?
I wont be putting them to the billy until September next year at the same time as my sheep to go the tup so hopefully can do my boosers in February for both goats and sheep.
Would really like to get my goats into a similar routine with vaccinations as the sheep as it is both cheaper and easier to manage.
:goat: :chook: :sheep: :&> :dog: :cat: :pig:
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Vaccinating goats is somewhat different from sheep, inasmuch that a) goats are usually onlyrequiring protection from a couple of the clostridial diseases (tetanus and enterotoxaemia), plus pasteurella, but b) goats do not develop good immunity if you use one of the vaccines with lots of diseases covered. The one woth the lowest number is Lambivac and then you use Ovipast as a separate vaccine if pasteurella is a problem. Also goats (and younger ones in particular) benefit from more frequent boosters for the clostridial diseases.... however, if you only have a couple of goats and more sheep, then Heptavac is probably as good as well as being economical. Lots of goatkeepers still use Heptavac, but you have to be aware that it may not give you optimal cover.
That said I have had young goats dying with enterotoxaemia despite being on Lambivac (at the recommended 6 monhtly booster interval) and they still got it and died. I have since moved onto 4 monthly boosters until the goats are about 2 to 3 years old on advice from my vet.
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Thank you Anke for this advice. if they have been lambivaced do i need to just give them a heptovac booster as if they had had the two heptovac jabs? And do this ever six months?
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As Heptavac covers extra diseases I would say you only ned to use it as a booster, however that leaves out an initial dose of Ovipast for pasteurella. So, if you can easily fit in a double injection (as like the inital vaccination, 2 shots of 2ml 4 weeks apart), I would do it, if not, then just the one as a booster will have to be enough?