The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: wannabesmallholder on April 25, 2017, 10:07:33 am
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.... and which one should I use?
I have 2 lambs and one possibly in-lamb ewe (booster) to vaccinate in a couple of weeks time. Our vet said use lamivac on all 3 when lambs are 3 weeks and then again at 9 weeks. Why lamivac and not heptavac - can heptavac not be used in lambs?
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Heptavac and lambivac is not to be used on lambs less than 3 weeks old. I think Heptavac covers more illnesses than lambiivac? But I might be wrong?
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From what I can see lambivac doesn't cover pasturella, blackleg or clostridial metritis.
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With only 3 to do I should see what neighbour is using and ask for 3 doses of that ..... heptovac (which is needed by in lamb one) comes in min of 25 doses and does not keep
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Ok thanks. So sounds like I can give Heptavac once the youngest lamb is 3 weeks? So what is the purpose of lamivac then? Can't work out why anyone would use lamivac instead of heptavac - I'm obviously missing something!
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Lambivac covers fewer diseases, it's all about risk benefit balance.
Young lambs are probably less likely to suffer from all the diseases covered by heptavac before they go for meat, so they're likely to develop immunity quickly and well to the diseases covered by lambivac, so often in a commercial system it is better value for money to cover the lambs with lambivac.
Some areas of the country may have a lower risk of some of the diseases so some farmers will take the risk to only vaccinate with lambivac.
It has also been previously licensed in goats, so owners of goats (that can be poor at creating a response to clostridial vaccines) will frequently use lambivac.
Hope that explains the use of it.
As advised elsewhere, it would be sensible to find out what neighbours or local smallholders are using to be able to share doses as vaccines only last 10 hours once opened.