[JMB]

Hello xxx
We have always heptavac'd our sheep but all the literature talks about doing this with ewes pre-lambing.
We are not lambing this year, but was just going to carry on with it anyway. Is this a good idea?
Also, we have a new flock member, a wether, who is just a pet.
I don't think he has ever had any heptavac, in which case he'd need the 2 injections.
Should we be doing him too?
And if yes, should it be now, in the winter months?
Thank you.
Joanne xxxxx

[Rosemary]

Personally, I would carry on with it as if they were lambing, ie give them their booster a year after they had it last.

The wether will need two jags 4-6 weeks apart to get him on the programme, so depending on how many ewes you have, I'd give him the first one with the ewes and a second one 4 weeks later from any that you have left.

You're not really supposed to do that but if you use one needle to draw off and keep the bottle in the fridge, sealed with tinfoil for 4 weeks, you'll probably be OK.

[Hillview Farm]

Personally for the sake of 20 quid for the small bottle I wouldn't risk saving a jab for the wether. It's a live vaccine and you would waste more if it doesnt work and you either loose the animal or have to re jab him twice

[JMB]

Thanks for your advice.
I wasn't sure if I needed to do him sooner rather than later, or if I was ok to wait till Spring.
I'll bite the bullet and buy 2 lots of medicine.
Not worth the potential heartbreak and vet bills
Thanks again
Joanne xxxx

[TheCaptain]

I don't heptavac and have never needed to.

[Tim W]

I don't heptavac and have never needed to.

Same experience here ---until last year
Due (I think) to a few wet years and a build up of clostridia in the soil I have had problems with pulpy kidney on two farms so I am planning to vaccinate at these sites

Otherwise over the last 20 years I have not vaccinated for anything and have suffered minimal losses

[ScotsGirl]

I always Heptavac everything and have successfully kept it in the fridge to do second doses. Obviously it is impossible to tell if vaccine is still ok but I have had no losses. The other thing is unless everyone keeps a thermometer in their fridge you can't guarantee you are keeping new bottle at the correct temperature.


If only a few to do later, I draw off doses in syringes and keep in fridge. I use a gun to administer as much quicker if you have a dozen or more.

[Marches Farmer]

I regard vaccination as bit like insurance - you don't want it until you need it and then it's too late.  I give a big sigh and accept the cost - if I lost lambs to pulpy kidney or black disease or something similar I'd be kicking myself with a size 12 farm safety Wellington boot.

[TheCaptain]

I always Heptavac everything and have successfully kept it in the fridge to do second doses. Obviously it is impossible to tell if vaccine is still ok but I have had no losses.

What's the point then?


(I don't mean to come across as confrontational!  )

[Ladygrey]

I havent yet heptavac'd anything, I suppose I should but I still have no idea of when to start, how often, what times of the year to do it or anything! would have to ask someone for thier flock plan or something and do it from this lambing time

[lachlanandmarcus]

I just do the in lamb ewes, as it gives both the ewe and lamb some protection and at a time when both are extra susceptible to all sorts of nasties.

[Ladygrey]

How long before lambing do you do them? and what if lambing is spread out over 3 weeks, then would you do them all at different times?

[devonlad]

We always heptavac simply because the vast majority advise it and we dont want to take the risk. Most decisions re treating our livestock and pets we make on the balance of advice and how prepared we are to take a particular chance. We have always reluctantly bought thegsecond bottle of heptavac sometimes to only jag 3 sheep. However spoke to vet last night who I have a lot of time for and he was of the mind that the only real risk is from contamination and advised drawing off what we'll need for the second jag first and storing in fridge before going near the sheep. At our level  20 quid plus bottle makes alot of difference whrn you throw over 20 doses away so I'm happy to take his advice. He's always done us right before so his view is good enough for me

[suziequeue]

We do ours four weeks before the first one is due to lamb. Yes - it means that the late conception ewes may have less antibody in their colostrum but since I don't know the exact conception dates (we send ours away to a tup) and the instructions say four to six weeks we just go on the basis of the first conception date (which we do know) and then there's a two week window.

I tend to leave doing the lambs until the youngest one is at least three weeks old because prior to that age their immune systems won't be mature enough to optimise the vaccine….. and anyway it is likely that with the pre-lambing vaccine routine, the older ones will have had the optimum antibody in the colostrum and therefore be better able to wait a little longer.

[shep53]

Personally for the sake of 20 quid for the small bottle I wouldn't risk saving a jab for the wether. It's a live vaccine and you would waste more if it doesnt work and you either loose the animal or have to re jab him twice

      Individual choice how or if you vaccinate , I believe it is a dead vaccine ?  "formalin killed cells " .   Before vaccinations became the norm ive seen deaths from pulpy kidney / lamb dysentery /pasturella  some times in large numbers , so i'll keep vaccinating