The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: shetlandpaul on July 06, 2010, 05:09:51 pm
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is the wool safe to use from a sheep that has orf. by the way this is our third year with no sign and now we get it any idea how. the herd is closed and has no contact with other sheep.
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Its totally safe! Its contact with the pustules with damaged skin that can transmit it to humans!
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orf is in the ground as far as i know , and creep feeding water troughs spreads it fast, i spray mine and seperate infected ones, wool will be fine
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I have had one of my hoggets with orf in early spring, no others got infected, even though they were all at the feeding through together... cream and antibiotic injection (and separated them for a couple of days after I had seen it) sorted it. Even though my flock came onto this land after it had just been seeded up from arable and no new sheep for two years... so it must be in the ground, fence posts...
It's not so serious if it is outside lambing/sucking time I think.
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thistles are often carriers too. although like you we are free from it this year we still watch out for it anything that cuts or splinters can cause orf to reappear
Orf can always be serious as there is a risk of lambs passing it to the mothers teats and causing damage to the udder. most recover but it can misshape the teat and make suckling next year more difficult