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Author Topic: Scours in older sheep  (Read 7708 times)

SueAllen

  • Joined Apr 2009
Scours in older sheep
« on: May 31, 2010, 04:34:59 pm »
Moved some year olds to some new, quite lush grazing about 10 days ago and wasn't too surprised to see one with a messy bum.  But it hasn't improved and now 4 others have gone the same way.  We tried a bit of live yoghurt to no avail.  Have tested zero for worms and cocci.  Have read a bit and will research a bit more and call the vet for advice tomorrow morning but I'd be grateful for any input here in the meantime.  Hubby wants to take them off the grazing and bring them home to our sparser grass but we have young stock here and I don't want them to catch anything.

They are all due for vaccinations this month and haven't been wormed for a while as we do the faecal count rather than worm automatically.

They have been on this grass before, several months ago (last year) without any problems.

Hellybee

  • Joined Feb 2010
    • www.blaengwawrponies.co.uk
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2010, 05:50:26 pm »
Put magnesium licks in with them :)

woollyval

  • Joined Feb 2008
  • Near Bodmin, Cornwall
    • Val Grainger
    • Facebook
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2010, 06:32:19 pm »
Never rule out fluke whatever the time of year as they do not show up on a worm count. Will not hurt to worm with something like Valbazin at the fluke dose if not sure as it does the whole lot including tapeworm.

Might just be greed and good lush grass and strip grazing them may help.....keep an eye out for flystrike and pref get in there with the dagging shears or sheep shears and clean off the worst of it!
www.valgrainger.co.uk

Overall winner of the Devon Environmental Business Awards 2009

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2010, 10:28:07 pm »
Same here, too much clover! Have Mg licks in the field too (as the ewes and lambs are in as well). The ewes bums also look quite bad still (had a couple of flystrikes already, despite dagging at turn out), but the lambs are clean!

Not much you can do (if you have ruled out fluke), just keep an eye out for wagging tails and subdued ewes (flystrike). I have started to clip, and will the treat with Crovect, but its not fool proof either....

SueAllen

  • Joined Apr 2009
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2010, 08:14:30 am »
Thanks all.  We did Crovect them before they were moved but are still keeping an eye for flystrike and have dagged the worst bum.  We'll go a dose them with Valbazen today.

They do have a lick - not sure how much magnesium is in it.  Will read label today.

Going to take temps when we Valbazen them and see what they show.  Nice job!  Want to vaccinate them too but that's not advisable if they have temperatures right?

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2010, 10:11:17 pm »
Whats Valbazen?

Freddiesfarm

  • Joined Jan 2010
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2010, 06:55:38 pm »
Whats Valbazen?

Wormer - I prefer combinex as a fluke and wormer combined, but that is just choice.

woollyval

  • Joined Feb 2008
  • Near Bodmin, Cornwall
    • Val Grainger
    • Facebook
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2010, 07:17:36 pm »
There are 3 families of wormers - white, yellow and clear
The white tend to be those such as panacur and usually the chemical in them ends with zole such as fenbendazole
They must be used at the appropriate dose and Valbazen is the product name for one of them which does adult and immature worms of several types, fluke at all life stages AND tapeworm which is occaisionally a real problem.

Yellow wormers tend to be those ending in sole....levamisole (sp?) and tend to be flukicides and often wormers combined, they need to be treated with care.

Clear wormers are usually ivomectin derivatives and tend to end in mec

Ivomectins hang around in dung for a long time and can be fatal to dung beetles and as these atr the main food of horseshoe bats can affect them as there are not enough beetles

All this is very very simplified and data sheets are available from all the main companies supplying wormers etc. Do your homework and use them properly ;)
www.valgrainger.co.uk

Overall winner of the Devon Environmental Business Awards 2009

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2010, 09:14:33 pm »
I have been lucky so far and done regular worm counts, only had to treat for fluke last year. But will have to bring in new stock this year, so maybe worm-free time is coming to an end...

Also my ewes back ends are now getting quite clean, had three cases of flystrike on my Bowmont ewes (despite dagging I add, but their fleeces are massive), but all quite clear now. Just started to shear...

woollyval

  • Joined Feb 2008
  • Near Bodmin, Cornwall
    • Val Grainger
    • Facebook
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2010, 10:55:49 pm »
Did I hear Bowmont :o :o :o :o May I enquire as to the fleeces and what is happening to them.....
www.valgrainger.co.uk

Overall winner of the Devon Environmental Business Awards 2009

morri2

  • Joined Jun 2008
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #10 on: June 04, 2010, 02:36:58 pm »
Anke, where did you get your Bowmonts??  Are you selling any?  (Looks like you've caused quite a stir here!!)
Cheers.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2010, 10:22:24 pm »
My four Bowmonts are for sale as soon as the lambs are weaned. I am afraid that they do not fit in with my herd, and although their fleeces are lovely, I prefer Shetlands (don't felt as easily). My main aim was to cross breed with Shetalnd and keep the offspring for fleece and hardiness. So far only boys have been produced... Also the fleece is quite difficult to clip, I have found that it does not lift in the same way as the Shetlands do. In all honesty, they need a LOT of footcare and are not the brightest sheep on the planet... but I think would do well in a small group of their own.

They are two two crop and two one crop ewes, and I bought them locally fron someone who purchased originally from the Bowmont valley. I am based quite close to the Bowmont valley, near St Boswells in the Scottish Borders.

Re fleeces: As I clip the myself by hand (and probably not very professionally I have to add), and the fleeces do not come off in one piece, and I sort them and wash and slowly (very slowly!) start to spin them up. But would have no problem in giving them away, again there are not enough hours in the day.... (and I have bags in the garage, as so far I have not solt to WMB due to fleeces in bits etc etc)

morri2

  • Joined Jun 2008
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #12 on: June 07, 2010, 08:29:05 pm »
Hello again Anke.  Can you fill me in on what a two two /two one crop is ? I've never heard of these expressions before (excuse my ignorance here).  I need to do a bit of research on fleeces and have a word with the other half about whether he is prepared to travel to Scottish Borders as we are in Wales!!!  Cheers for now.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #13 on: June 07, 2010, 09:01:11 pm »
Hi, one crop means they have had one lambing, so they are now just over two years old, the two crop ones are three. Not sure how long they go on lambing...

There is a flock of Bowmonts somewhere in Wales, I think the name is Bowmont Braf, the company that does the wool comes up on Google. See if they are selling any stock? It is probably too far to come here for four ewes... (just talking myself out of a sale here, but with the current diesel prices...)

morri2

  • Joined Jun 2008
Re: Scours in older sheep
« Reply #14 on: June 08, 2010, 05:56:20 pm »
Thanks for the lead.  Will do some googling/emailing etc. and let you know how I get on. 

 

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