Catching up on this thread belatedly...
If you don't need immunity for yet-to-be-born lambs, you can look at other vaccines than Heptavac-P, which is "pretty hard on the sheep" (quote from our vet.) Covexin-8 would give similar cover - without the pneumonia - for instance.
Flukicide - twice a year isn't enough for animals wintering outside in flukey areas. Cattle traditionally are fluked on housing and again 6-8 weeks later to get any adults now grown from eggs/very young larvae at the time of the first treatment. In theory, there are no fluke about by the time the girls go out in the spring.
Fluke prevention tactics differ for sheep and cattle. Cows' livers seem to recover from any fluke provided it didn't become extreme, so it is acceptable to take some risks and treat if a 'bottle jaw' is observed. Sheep's livers do not recover, so it is all about prevention.
Sheep wintering outside on wet ground will need fluking every 6-8 weeks from October through March. In our part of Cumbria at the moment, fluke is year-round - lambs with flukey livers in August - so we have to treat every 6-8 weeks all year.
NFU Online seems to have pulled that article - can someone tell me what it said, please?
Rosemary, after discussion with my organic dairy neighbour, I do my house cows with Ivomec Super (injection, does worms plus adult fluke) 60+ days before calving. (The neighbour routinely treats his as soon as they are dried off.) If I have any concerns when they are in milk, I use Albacert and do not take any milk for the house for a few days. (Milk withdrawal for Albacert is 60 hours.)
Topic: vaccinations (Read 5917 times)
