Author Topic: Not great news... Schmallenberg virus: Scottish farmers put on high alert (Read 6371 times)

SteveHants · « **Reply #15 on:** October 10, 2012, 10:49:09 pm »

Quote from: tizaala on October 10, 2012, 01:46:28 pm

Will putting the tups in later make any difference? surely the will carry the virus if they are already bitten.

The idea is, leaving tupping until later makes it more likely that the ewes will have already been bitten, got the virus and become immune as opposed to being bitten in the first trimester of pregnancy. Also, the later in the year you leave it, the less likely it is that they then will be bitten as it is colder and more midges will be dead.

My tups will go in around bonfire night as ever.

Old Shep · « **Reply #16 on:** October 11, 2012, 08:20:16 am »

Quote from: SallyintNorth on October 10, 2012, 03:07:40 pm

Quote from: Shep on October 10, 2012, 02:17:27 pm
We are going to have to loose three tups this coming weekend (due to getting time off work etc next spring). Are there any spray on midge repellants we can spray the ewes with? (Avon's Skin so soft may be a tad expensive for the whole flock!!)
There was talk of using Butox Swich on cattle - you could ask your vet if it's okay to use and likely to be effective on sheep.

As the midges here were awful last night and still biting we are delaying tupping

, its not worth the risk. It just means we will lamb in one batch rather than two which we were planning.

SteveHants · « **Reply #17 on:** October 11, 2012, 02:03:27 pm »

Surely that is a good thing - then they will have got bitten and immune etc by the time the rams go in.

It is no good crovecting/midge repelling as the midges bite on the nose, apparently, and you are unlikley to be squirting it up there.

Best thing to do is to tup late and hope the ewes have been bitten.

Old Shep · « **Reply #18 on:** October 11, 2012, 02:36:39 pm »

Quote from: SteveHants on October 11, 2012, 02:03:27 pm

Surely that is a good thing - then they will have got bitten and immune etc by the time the rams go in.

It is no good crovecting/midge repelling as the midges bite on the nose, apparently, and you are unlikley to be squirting it up there.

Best thing to do is to tup late and hope the ewes have been bitten.

So what we really need at the mo is something to ATTRACT the midges

. Hmm - I could always just sit in the middle of all the sheep - midges always find me wherever I am.

jaykay · « **Reply #19 on:** October 11, 2012, 03:54:01 pm »

Ah, but then you'll get Schmallenberg's instead of the sheep

Brucklay · « **Reply #20 on:** October 11, 2012, 08:28:11 pm »

I'm just hoping we get too much windy weather here for the little micro f*****s to land !! Maybe not the best plan in the world but I haven't seen any about for a while.

I really don't think I could cope with that that virus does. Keeping my

for all you other animal breeders out there.