Author Topic: we've got it! (Read 11433 times)

feldar · « **Reply #30 on:** February 27, 2012, 08:55:06 pm »

To be honest if they are deformed they don't live long, they can't suckle because they are very parrot-mouthed but the two we had last night would never have survived one only lived about 2 minuits.
The less deformed ones you can probably tube and get going. I think a good blow to the head would finish them off
We are a bit worried now because we sold some in-lamb ewes to a couple who are going into sheep for the first time!
I feel so awful about it but we are in contact with them and we have offered to come round and lamb the ewes for them. What a thing for new breeders to see though might put them off for life

Had a talk to our vet too and a lot of things add up this year. We didn't have a bad early lambing but we had an odd lambing, some were small singles and made you think there should be a twin, some have been very slow to grow, and some have been one big lamb and one real snotty thing! we were blaming the ram and even talked of moving him on but we can't blame him now cause he was on the field these ewes have come from. We'll run him round next year and see what happens.
We are hoping our ewe lambs (shearlings this year) are going to be ok , they went out to tack in November and also ran these fields so they may have been naturally vaccinated.
Anyway good luck to you all soon to lamb

Brijjy · « **Reply #31 on:** February 27, 2012, 09:35:51 pm »

So sorry for you. I've been reading up on this and it sounds absolutely horrendous.

SteveHants · « **Reply #32 on:** February 28, 2012, 12:35:58 am »

Sorry to hear of your woes, Feldar....

I'm due to start lambing Apr 20th and I am really really hoping my ewes got the disease and had developed an immunity before the ram went in on the 1st Dec.

I'm not far at all from you and most of my ewes came from the IOW this year...fingers crossed.

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #33 on:** February 28, 2012, 07:46:45 am »

Quote from: feldar on February 27, 2012, 08:55:06 pm

We are a bit worried now because we sold some in-lamb ewes to a couple who are going into sheep for the first time!
I feel so awful about it but we are in contact with them and we have offered to come round and lamb the ewes for them. What a thing for new breeders to see though might put them off for life

I think that is really, really kind. What lovely people you are for offering that level of support

We are kidding for the first time this year, obviously slightly worried but just keeping everything crossed. Watching this thread with interest as we are surrounded by commercial sheep farmers here $:-\$

feldar · « **Reply #34 on:** February 28, 2012, 09:08:45 am »

Quote from: SteveHants on February 28, 2012, 12:35:58 am

Sorry to hear of your woes, Feldar....

I'm due to start lambing Apr 20th and I am really really hoping my ewes got the disease and had developed an immunity before the ram went in on the 1st Dec.

I'm not far at all from you and most of my ewes came from the IOW this year...fingers crossed.

Good luck to you SteveHants, i am hoping yours were vaccinated too i think the IOW was infected on those high October winds we had here that's when we can trace the start of our worst cases. the other ewes were through their first trimester by then and we didin't get the deformed lambs born.

kanisha · « **Reply #35 on:** February 28, 2012, 09:36:45 am »

when we can trace the start of our worst cases

does this mean you have had more?

On a brighter note I spoke with a breeder colleague close to the belgian border they are half way through lambing ( now) and so far none affected and no abortions but I know of people in Holland who had deformed lambs last year the question is was the virus here last year .

feldar · « **Reply #36 on:** February 28, 2012, 11:18:30 am »

Yes, after our vet consultation we worked out that the first lambs we had that died earlier in the week were probably Schmallenberg lambs too. They only lived about 30 seconds but were not deformed but they were hard to lamb, we didn't keep the carcases because we didn't expect it to be this disease. We were a bit cocky thinking we had got away with it this year.
It was only the next two that presented malformed. that's when the s**t hit the fan.
I think we have had it longer than we thought but earlier lambs have not presented malformed,
Actually i'm hoping everything has been bitten then we know we are ok for next year.
The rest of our ewes are due in the next two weeks i know this is nothing to like a big commercial farm but it will give us an indication of how badly affected we are. Like i said before we were blaming our ram for some unusual sized lambs but we have to be careful it's easy to blame every bad presentation or small lamb on one thing we may have just had some small lambs this year!

OhLaLa · « **Reply #37 on:** February 28, 2012, 12:27:16 pm »

Really sorry to hear what you have been going through, a terrible experience for all.

feldar · « **Reply #38 on:** March 01, 2012, 02:11:00 pm »

Quick update really pleased two more single lambs born in same field both really nice lambs and no problems, up sucking, fully formed very nice lambs, very relieved shows how random this disease is

If we only get a few cases i will be a happy lady.
Roll on a vaccine to cover us all for next year