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Good Evening

I have got 6 Shetland rams who will be a year in April. They are all entire. I have recently noticed that a few of them have developed scabby ears and also have small lumps which look like a rash or warts on their nose's. It does not seem to be bothering them. They are not fed any hard feed or hay and just grass. They have been recently eating the bark off a few trees (Apple, horse chestnut and hawthorn). I am not sure if it is an allergic reaction as it is around there nose and mouth. Could it be due to the wet weather, like rain scald in horses. It doesn't seem to be ring worm. I was wondering if anyone had an idea as to what it could be, becuase I wouldnt want them to pass it to the horses if it is contagious.

I have attached a couple of photo's of one of thier ears. I was unable to get a decent photo of their nose.


Any ideas of causes or what it is very welcomed

Regards

Emily

[shropshire_blue]

Can't tell anything from the photos, but could it be orph?

[Fleecewife]

Might it be two different things?  Orf on the face and irritation from the eartags swivelling on the ears.   Some of our sheep, especially light coloured ones, get a similar scabby effect on their ears in summer which I have assumed is sunburn (not last year though  )
Orf is very contagious to sheep and people, but I don't know if it's transmissable to equines.

[jaykay]

I think it might be mild orf too.

My Shetlands currently have it on their noses. Mind you, it's on the bridge of their noses, those that have it, not near their lips which is where I've seen sheep with it before. Then again, it could be rainrot (Dermatophilosis)

I don't think it's anything very serious, though as Fleecewife says, just careful not to touch your own face until you've washed your hands after dealing with the sheep, just in case it is orf.

[Anke]

I have had orf in my lambs this autumn, both on the bridge of the nose, and near their mouth and some of them had it on their ears too... at least I presumed that what it was. It sorted itself in a few weeks..., but I would feed some hay by now, even if plenty of grass is around there is probably not much nutrition in it.

[Marches Farmer]

If they've been nibbling at hawthorn they could've had a mild bacterial infection enter through a scratch?  How antibiotic spray and keep an eye on it?

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Thank you for all of your replies. Does anyone know what causes orf, i have never heard of it before, though i am reletivley new to sheep keeping. Would it require veterinary treatment or will it genrally sort itself out?

Regards

Emily

[SallyintNorth]

Hi Emily 

Orf gets discussed most summers, often more than once...

Here's an informative thread on it from last summer.

Shout if you still have questions after wading through that lot!   

[minibn]

Thank you for that reply sallyinnorth

I have had a look, i have orderd a couple of the mineral licks as suggested. Hopefully it will sort itself out, i will keep a close eye on it though.

Reagrds

Emily

[VSS]

Have they been fluke dosed? Fluke can sometimes cause scabby noses and ears.

[quiltycats]

Soon as I saw the thread tittle I guessed that the pictures would be of a black woolled/black skinned animal. We have an older mostly Shetland ewe who is black and over the years developed what appears to be an allergy to midge bites. Extensive vet tests ruled out almost everything else. With the warm wet winter this could well be what you are seeing.

[mart2671]

I would say its sweet Itch ( more common in horses) . Ive had alot of it on the ears and faces of my zwartble ewes this year. Due to the damp summer there have been loads of midges around which cause it.

I use pig oil and sulphur powder mixed then rubbed in to the affected area do is a couple times then use sudocrem couple times this seems to work very well for me .

Martin

[Foobar]

Looks a lot like what one of my black Welsh got this autumn. I put it down to midges. Cleared up as soon as the frosts came.

[SheepCrazy!]

Do you have brambles and gorse? My wethers this year have made a right mess of there ears getting caught up after bramble leaves and scratching themselves so they have bald patches on there ears thankfully its just cosmetic I will read that thread on orf it sounds interesting!

[minibn]

Good Evening

I have finally managed to get a photo of one of my sheep's noses. Its not to clear but if anyone may have more of an idea about what it is please let me know.


Thanks

Emily