The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Ian.mccarthy@hotmail.co.u on August 07, 2018, 10:27:33 am

Title: Scouring in ewes
Post by: Ian.mccarthy@hotmail.co.u on August 07, 2018, 10:27:33 am
In the past week, two of my five pet ewes have developed really dirty bottoms; their stools are very wet and loose.  The other three are fine.  Normally they are very clean, and I can’t think what is causing this.

They’ve been eating willow leaves from the trees lining the field.  Would this have an adverse effect? They have lick and I give them a few pellets of sugar beet twice a day.  The grass is fairly poor, as it is everywhere at the moment, but they do have some hay supplemented in their diet.

Any advice please?
Title: Re: Scouring in ewes
Post by: bj_cardiff on August 07, 2018, 11:35:19 am
when were they last wormed?
Title: Re: Scouring in ewes
Post by: Ian.mccarthy@hotmail.co.u on August 07, 2018, 12:17:16 pm
Thanks for your reply BJ - it was earlier this year.  Evtookmsamples intomthe vet and they were ok at the time.  No problems at all until a few days ago.
Title: Re: Scouring in ewes
Post by: CarolineJ on August 07, 2018, 02:22:14 pm
How much earlier this year?  I had a completely clear faecal egg count pre-lambing and then lost an 8-week-old ewe lamb - the post mortem showed a huge nematode infestation and when I went into the vet to pick up wormer, there were warning signs plastered all over the place to say that the wet spring followed by weeks of heat had caused a mass reactivation of long-dormant worm eggs.
Title: Re: Scouring in ewes
Post by: twizzel on August 07, 2018, 02:30:53 pm
Nematodirus is different to most worms though in that a hatch can happen instantly and at different times of the spring depending on the weather. The scops website is great for forecasting a hatch around the country. Nematodirus tends to affect lambs though rather than ewes so there's not much point FEC ewes pre lambing and thinking the lambs will be fine when they start grazing. It would be worth doing a fec though now from the ewes that are scouring and seeing what it comes back with.



Title: Re: Scouring in ewes
Post by: Ian.mccarthy@hotmail.co.u on August 07, 2018, 07:46:36 pm
Thank you all for your informative and helpful advice.  We contact the vet asap.
Title: Re: Scouring in ewes
Post by: Backinwellies on August 09, 2018, 07:56:29 am
I don't know where you are but here we suddenly have new grass poking through...... Fresh enough to cause scouring..... Unusual this time of year but as it was almost dead the new growth is like spring growth.
Title: Re: Scouring in ewes
Post by: bj_cardiff on August 09, 2018, 12:23:39 pm
I don't know where you are but here we suddenly have new grass poking through...... Fresh enough to cause scouring..... Unusual this time of year but as it was almost dead the new growth is like spring growth.

I'm also in Carmarthenshire and noticed one of my neighbours sheep was scouring today. The grass has suddenly sprung into life here. If your waiting for the fec results you could bring the sheep in and feed dry hay for a couple of days and see if it clears up?