[devonlad]

It has been by far the most challenging year we have ever had with our small flock of wiltshire horn and wilts x lleyn. it feels that since lambing in early march there has been a steady stream of issues., either with the odd one or the whole flock. both the OH and i seem to take it in turns lying awake at night worrying. we've had orf recently amongst the lambs, ewes with insufficient milk, skin complaints and now the ewes just don't seem to be picking up post weaning in the way they usually do. currently they are all just a bit skinny and ropy looking. the grass has not recovered well since hay making due to the extended dry spell and although we are not intensive and there should really be enough for them we are considering supplementing with cake, something we have never done in the summer before. one ewe seems to be yo yoing condition wise since removing her lambs 6 weeks ago. having thought we'd turned the corner with her last week she doesn't seem great again. her reduction in conditioning coincided with  recurring sores on each side of her neck below the jaw bone (?thyroid gland) which has all but healed twice and then flared up again- today her jaw looks swollen and the sores are inflamed again.. she's the only one with this going on the rest just seem a bit skinny- summer feeding  
the obvious answer is the vet and if things don't improve we will have to - without sounding callous (cos we're not) we are reluctant to wipe out any possibility of breaking even each year by vet viisits- i did have along chat on the phone to ours who didnt really have much idea

[kanisha]

Fluke?

[ZaktheLad]

I have Denis Brinicombe mineral buckets out for mine - they have one that specialises in keeping the skin in good order and I have found it invaluable for my lambs and ewes.  They also have a range of bucket licks for poor-doers or ones that are on poor grazing.  I can't recommend these bucket licks highly enough and although they are not cheap, they last a huge length of time and really do what they say on the tin so to speak!

[twizzel]

I know what you mean... we haven't had a great year this year. I had 12 orphan lambs back in the end of Jan/beginning of Feb, first they got orf, one had an abscess on her jaw, a couple wouldn't suck but in the end all seemed to do ok... until we lost one fully weaned and out at grass because he got in the calf cake feeder... then 4 days later lost another one due to being tangled in fencing that blew down in a storm. And then there was the one with a prolonged bout of lameness in his shoulder... Damn and blast!    thanks to the 2 we lost I bought in 6 more which seem touch wood to be ok apart from 1 ewe lamb constantly getting tangled in the brambles along the field boundary! it does help if you have a good vet though, ours is always on the end of the phone and dispenses meds for us to pick up. Hope your ewe picks up soon

[feldar]

I think it's been a bad year for just about everyone we all seem to be having problems. No consolation when you are the one suffering but i do share your pain, devonlad. Hang in there it can only get better. We have completely run out of grass down here so may have to start feeding hay soon. Oh joy of joys!

[Bramblecot]

Hi Feldar .  Must be the south coast - no grass here too and already feeding hay in one field.  NNot a brilliant year

[Marches Farmer]

Our pasture is now looking like it should have in May - just in time for growth to slow down as Autumn approaches.  My breeding stock is going onto a mineral bucket and we'll bolus a month before tupping. 

[shep53]

Maybe consider CRUELS (actinobacillus ) as the ewes problem , antibiotic from vet to treat 

[mowhaugh]

It does seem like really hard work, sometimes, doesn't it.  I would also be getting tested for fluke, it is rife this year, even in places that don't usually suffer.

[goosepimple]

We're having problems too Devonlad and I've just been having a discussion with my OH about keeping sheep at all - we've got 3 types of rare breeds and use the Denis Brinicombe lick as Zac says, they are costly but effective and do last a long time. 
 
But our vet bills, paying for shearing etc, we've made a big loss this year.  We really need to sit down and work out what we are doing with all of this I think, smallholding is costing us and that's not the general idea is it 

[SteveHants]

It does seem as though there is some kind of underlying issue in your flock, Devonlad - I would do them for fluke too.


It seems low-density stocking has its benefits, but Id hate to say I'm doing well because a) my lambing percentage was down and b) as soon as I do that, something bad happens.....

[bazzais]

A 'smallholding' is always going to cost - its a hobby.  Stuck in it myself.  Hope you get them right.  Not always the case though.

Baz

[SteveHants]

A 'smallholding' is always going to cost - its a hobby.  Stuck in it myself.  Hope you get them right.  Not always the case though.

Baz

I consider myself a small farmer and I make sure mine pays - I can't afford to do it otherwise.

[clydesdaleclopper]

Have you had a full spectrum soil analysis done? My instinct is that something is unbalanced in what they are eating. Unless certain of the minerals are in the correct proportions in the soil the uptake of other minerals can be impaired. For the cost of a soil sample it is certainly worth checking.

[SallyintNorth]

There are diseases that cause loss of condition, but in general they come with other symptoms too, most often runny dirty bottoms.

If they're thin they need something, either cake or minerals or both. 

If you want to do analyses to get to the route of a problem, you should do soil, leaf and blood.  Otherwise you aren't getting the full picture.

We've kept caking right through from last year; although we have grass the ground has not recovered from the previous 'orrid cold wet 12 months, and the grass has little nutrient value compared to a 'normal' year.

You could give them all a drench of a good chelated mineral drench.