[DenisCooper]

Happy Christmas to all....

Hoping for some advice from the experts please...

Went to feed the sheep this morning and noticed that a few of them had bare patches on them.

I've attached a photo so show.

I wasn't sure if it was fly strike or something else. I only put crovect on them two weeks ago....

Any tips and advice please..

Have a great day!

[shep53]

Not fly strike, wrong time of year , may be lice and since you have done them with crovect then you should have killed them so long as you put enough crovect on them  .  They should have stopped scratching and nibbling by now if they have not then you may have to speak to your vet about a skin scraping for sheep scab

[SallyintNorth]

Crovect does biting lice not sucking lice, so it could still be lice.  Also, the way you apply Crovect for lice differs from how you apply it for flystrike, and from how you apply it for ticks, so depending on how it was applied it could still be biting lice.

To save spending money on different products when you're not sure what it is, take a skin scraping to the vet for analysis.  Don't delay - these things are all very contagious and can bring sheep's condition down very fast. 

[DenisCooper]

Thanks for the tips.

I'll contact the vet.

I noticed this morning one of them shaking his head, so guess something is still there.

[Old Shep]

Are they pulling at their wool?  Could actually be scab - but think it appears in autumn rather than winter.

[DenisCooper]

i've not seen them pulling at their wool....

vet is coming out tomorrow, i sent them some photos, he thinks its lice but wants to come and check

[Old Shep]

great let us know what he says!

[DenisCooper]

Vet confirmed it was mites.

He gave them all a shot of dectomax and said that should clear it up within a few days and they should be much happier....

Phew!

[Backinwellies]

Just as a pointer .... often cheaper to take sheep to vet rather than have them out.

[Marches Farmer]

Just as a pointer .... often cheaper to take sheep to vet rather than have them out.

Good point.  Phone first to make sure you're expected and take the worst example and, if you have a choice, a nice steady older sheep rather than a young and flighty one.  Give her a handful of sheep nuts or similar once you get her home - she won't have enjoyed the experience!

[Old Shep]

mites?  Sheep scab then?


edited to add - do you have any that will be going for meat?  Just note Dectomax has a withdrawal of 70 days. 

[DenisCooper]

Not scab mites he said. Can't remember the exact name he gave for them. None going for meat so withdrawal is fine, but thanks for the note on that.

It looks like dectomax is the same as given to pigs too for worms. Should get a bottle of that so I can do both sheep and pigs with it.

[DenisCooper]

Sarcoptes mites

[Cheviot]

Hi, we had those mites one year, as ours is a large hill farm, we didn't notice anything wrong until they came in at the next gathering, when they looked very patchy. We now use dectomax in Autumn, on all the sheep that are staying on the farm, as a precaution. Touch wood we have never been troubled with them since.

[Old Shep]

Ah right didn't know sheep got those ones - I presume that's sarcoptic mange that foxes get.  I'm learning all the time!