[Mallows Flock]

Been rounding up all the separate paddocks of sheep today to move them to Autumn grazing... one of my first ever ewes is the one I always rely on to get the others into the pen/trailer etc with minimal fuss (she is so flippin' greedy and friendly she will do ANYTHING for a few sugar beet pellets.) However, today, she was a right pain in the butt.... dancing in and out of the trailer causing mayhem...wouldn't be walked in... and enough to make me swear. When there were only her and her 2 sisters left, she happily came up to me and nuzzled her face into my hands...and then i felt it... rough, scabby lips! On closer inspection, my fears were supported....orf scabs. Quite a few but tiny and dry!
I popped 2 Ovaloids into her mouth.  Strangely enough I had only found this full, unused pot yesterday buried under the straw in the currently disused pig ark so they were in the front of my car. Its almost all like fate. if she hadn't have mucked me about earlier I wouldn't have seen/felt the orf and when she was up in the large Autumn grazing field I defo would not have noticed for a while... and if I hadn't have been given a few spare flaps of straw from someone who no longer has chickens, i wouldn't have re-strawed the old ark and found the Ovaloids! Strange huh?
Anyway, I take it there is nothing much more I can do but keep her separate from the main flock for the next week or so, keep an eye on them, antiseptic spray and poss Antiobiotic jab if necessary and make sure I wear gloves when I retreat with Ovaloids in 6 days! is that right?
Cripes.... the amount of times I kiss her on the face...I better watch my own lips! LOL!
That'll teach her for trampling down my fence to scoff all the blackthorn!

[Moleskins]

Cripes.... the amount of times I kiss her on the face...I better watch my own lips! LOL!

[tizaala]

Cripes.... the amount of times I kiss her on the face...I better watch my own lips! LOL!

And you're not even Welsh !

[Fronhaul]

I would think about 3 in 1 buckets for the rest.  No idea how they work but they really do seem to help.

[SallyintNorth]

I would think about 3 in 1 buckets for the rest.  No idea how they work but they really do seem to help.

Mainly, I suspect, by making sure all the others' mineral and vitamin levels are right, which gives their immune systems the best chance of fighting the infection.

Ever noticed how you get coleslaws when you've been down (overtired, under the weather, stressed, etc.)?   

[Mallows Flock]

yes...they always have the 3 in 1 buckets. I understand there is a specific Orf bucket but trying to get hold of one is another matter.
I wonder what has made her stressed? She is an orphan so normally totally chilled out... she weaned her lambs yonks ago, has plenty of fresh grazing etc. maybe it's the constant crappy weather bringing her down?

[SteveHants]

Orf is a viral infection, so giving it antibiotics won't do anything.

The specific 'orf' buckets essentially have bigger lumps of salt in, and it is the salt getting in the wounds as the sheep presses its face into the bucket which helps to clear up the infection.

So, you could put out rockies or rock salt or whatever and I'm guessing the effects would be similar, I had a few lambs with orf this year and I put a regular mineral bucket in and it cleared up.

[shropshire_blue]

Ever noticed how you get coleslaws when you've been down (overtired, under the weather, stressed, etc.)?   

I tend to get coleslaw on a sunday afternoon with a ploughman's and pint of cider! 

[Mallows Flock]

Thanks Steve.... they normally have big Himalayan Salt Licks in with them but I moved it in with the ram and rig just a few weeks ago as I understand they need it too. I will buy another one methinks.
I was only thinking of antibiotis if the scabs got infected but they seem very dry! And I understand it clears up in a week or so.

[Foobar]

Spray the sores with Backtocyde or Iodine, more than once.  And they they don't clear up in 2 weeks jab them with antibiotics.
I've just had a nightmare with orf the past month or so.     Mine were mostly in the corner of the mouth so no amount of salt or sulphur really helped.

[Mallows Flock]

I have iodine...brilliant... I will make some up into a spray bottle! Thanks so much for all your help, guys!

[in the hills]

We had what I suspect was Orf. We sprayed with iodine but found that this seemed to cause the ewes to rub their mouths .... which actually caused the scabs to come off and the area to bleed. We just kept an eye on them in the end and it cleared pretty quickly. From what I have seen ours was a very mild case though.


A farmer friend talks about Orf tablets  . Any good?

[Mallows Flock]

Hannah (my ewe) has what looks like a pretty mild case. Poor girl! It has not stopped her stuffing tho! just looks a bit dry and itchy. I have given her 2 orf tablets (ovaloids) which contain sulphur (which I understand is the 'active ingredient' however as I have nothing to compare it to, I can't really tell if they are any good or not!!! 

[mart2671]

Hi,
Just a suggestion but at this time of year you do tend to get alot of thistle rash, as the ewes and lambs are on tighter grazing so they get in amongst the thistles in the field to graze . Iam not saying it is that and it may well be Orf but i know when i tailed out all my ewes and lambs ten days ago i noticed a fare few with thistle rash .

[Mallows Flock]

Hi Mart
I thought Orf and thistle rash were essentially the same thing. It might well be thistle rash... I do have a fair few new stubbles of thistles from having my fields flailed a few months back. My fatties do love to nibble the new grass that shoots up around the thistles and will eat the tops of the thistles. Her mouth doesn't look anywhere near as bad as the photos I see online!