Do you farm sheep in England, Wales, or Scotland?

AEOS

Member
Trade


We invite all GB sheep farmers to participate in the

SHEEP SCAB SURVEY 2021


whether or not you have experienced sheep scab in your flock before.

The survey aims to understand opinions, experiences and decisions made by British farmers when managing sheep scab. Take 15 minutes and share your opinions to be in for a chance to win a fantastic gift! All information you share is confidential, and any information you provide will be used in research anonymously.



To participate, please follow the link:

https://nottingham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/sheep-scab-survey-2021



The survey is conducted by the University of Nottingham as part of a wider collaboration with the Moredun Research Institute, University of Bristol, University of Glasgow, APHA, SCOPS, BioSS and the support of key industry stakeholders. It is funded by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.​
 

AEOS

Member
Trade
Hi there. Yes, the survey is over a few pages and therefore you cannot see all the questions at once. All responses are confidential and anonymous, if this is your concern. We would be really grateful if you shared your views on the management of sheep scab and completed the survey.
 

JSmith

Member
Livestock Farmer
Worst thing that happened was when it was made non compulsory!! It ought to be law, it’s a fecking nightmare buying in dirty sheep, an when you drive about the country an see some of the rubbed to death itching creatures that some ignorant folk keep it just shows how rife it is!!
 

Agrivator

Member
Hi there. Yes, the survey is over a few pages and therefore you cannot see all the questions at once. All responses are confidential and anonymous, if this is your concern. We would be really grateful if you shared your views on the management of sheep scab and completed the survey.
I was just pointing out that if all the questions are not available to see first, the response rate will be much lower.

When surveys were sent by post, has there ever been a case of it being filled in without the respondent first looking through most of the questions?
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Done.
I don't think It asked me where my scab comes from, that would be from a lad who thinks he is genius taking 2000 undipped welsh store lambs out on tack then putting the in badly fenced fields where they get out of and people open gates to put them into mine!:mad: but I'm not pointing fingers! :ROFLMAO:
 
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We have some rented ground that is ring fenced with road on there sides and forestry on the other. It doesn't matter what we treat the sheep with,they will start rubbing anytime now every year. Where does that come from? Not other sheep anyway
 

DrDunc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Dunsyre
If compulsory police enforced dipping had not been abolished, sheep scab would have been eradicated.

It's a horrible parasite, and near impossible to be rid of without coordinated organophosphate dipping by all agreed neighbours

Been there, done that, hope never to see if it again
 

DrDunc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Dunsyre
Started survey

Got as far as the what would you do if neighbouring farms have an outbreak? section and gave up

Ludicrously complicated and time consuming way to find out if farmers still know how to contain an infection

Short answer, and easily discernible from comments already on this thread, no many don't, so infection will never be controlled

No need to do this survey when moredun research lab was right next to the pentland hills where scab riddled sheep roamed unchecked for years

I grew up with posters at every market of an infected ewe and a phone number to report it. Don't know that this survey wants to achieve, suspect it's just a way of getting funding because the moredun has the info already
 
If it was less bother to get dipping licence and dip and less bother and expense disposing spent dip, people would dip everything as routine. That's a lot of the reason injectables have bee used more and now resistance is so common. Anyone open to buy dip and free disposal and you would hardly ever hear of scab.
 

sheepwise

Member
Location
SW Scotland
If compulsory police enforced dipping had not been abolished, sheep scab would have been eradicated.

It's a horrible parasite, and near impossible to be rid of without coordinated organophosphate dipping by all agreed neighbours

Been there, done that, hope never to see if it again
Totally agree but was told government got scared of basically forcing people to use OP product with possible health claims down the line.
 

sheepwise

Member
Location
SW Scotland
Started survey

Got as far as the what would you do if neighbouring farms have an outbreak? section and gave up

Ludicrously complicated and time consuming way to find out if farmers still know how to contain an infection

Short answer, and easily discernible from comments already on this thread, no many don't, so infection will never be controlled

No need to do this survey when moredun research lab was right next to the pentland hills where scab riddled sheep roamed unchecked for years

I grew up with posters at every market of an infected ewe and a phone number to report it. Don't know that this survey wants to achieve, suspect it's just a way of getting funding because the moredun has the info already
Aren't the Moredun in the process of developing a vaccine?
 

AEOS

Member
Trade
I was just pointing out that if all the questions are not available to see first, the response rate will be much lower.

When surveys were sent by post, has there ever been a case of it being filled in without the respondent first looking through most of the questions?
Hi.
Thank you for your comments. If you’d prefer to have a paper copy sent out to you, please contact me via [email protected].
 

AEOS

Member
Trade
Aren't the Moredun in the process of developing a vaccine?
Started survey

Got as far as the what would you do if neighbouring farms have an outbreak? section and gave up

Ludicrously complicated and time consuming way to find out if farmers still know how to contain an infection

Short answer, and easily discernible from comments already on this thread, no many don't, so infection will never be controlled

No need to do this survey when moredun research lab was right next to the pentland hills where scab riddled sheep roamed unchecked for years

I grew up with posters at every market of an infected ewe and a phone number to report it. Don't know that this survey wants to achieve, suspect it's just a way of getting funding because the moredun has the info already

Hi. Thank you for your comments - I’m sorry you found the survey complicated. It has been piloted on and has been completed by many farmers already. Sheep scab still has huge economic and welfare implications to the sheep industry, which is why we are conducting more research. The survey is fully funded and is in collaboration with sheep scab experts across GB, so it really does have a huge ability for you to have your voice heard and to make an impact on future policies. If you are able to complete the survey, we would really appreciate it. Kind regards.
 

DrDunc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Dunsyre
Aren't the Moredun in the process of developing a vaccine?
I believe it's been a goal at the moredun for well over two decades, so don't hold your breathe waiting for it to arrive

Moredun research laboratory was (is?) at the bush estate on the side of the pentland hills South of Edinburgh.

Scab was so prevalent in the hills here, that the moredun began organising meetings with farmers to educate them on how to isolate and treat sheep.

The key problem was ensuring EVERY NEIGHBOUR had a full clean gather, and dipped their flock within a fortnight's window. It only takes ONE infected ewe, to restart the spread.

The scab mite can live up to 17 days on places where an infected ewe has rubbed, and OP dips really only give protection for about a fortnight, so it's critical everybody works together.

Injections like dectomax kill the mite, but offer NO protection from reinfection. If you put treated sheep back into the same field (or 2000 acre hill ground) straight away after injection, they get reinfected from mites living off host.

It got so bad in the pentland hills that walkers were being educated to help identify and locate infected ewes.

I really don't understand the point of this latest survey. This research has already been done repeatedly here on the moredun's doorstep.

It's already been proven here in the hills that full control and eradication requires education of the farmers with infected flocks, so I don't understand why research money is being spent reinventing this particular wheel?
 

DrDunc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Dunsyre
Hi. Thank you for your comments - I’m sorry you found the survey complicated. It has been piloted on and has been completed by many farmers already. Sheep scab still has huge economic and welfare implications to the sheep industry, which is why we are conducting more research. The survey is fully funded and is in collaboration with sheep scab experts across GB, so it really does have a huge ability for you to have your voice heard and to make an impact on future policies. If you are able to complete the survey, we would really appreciate it. Kind regards.
I did not find the questionnaire complicated, I actually said it is a ludicrously complicated way to discern if farmers need to be educated on how to control sheep scab. Was that not written in clear enough language?

The moredun has already conducted this "research", decades ago, so I don't understand why it needs to be repeated.

If farmers knew how to correctly treat infection and contain an outbreak, there would be no spread of scab. It's not bloody rocket science!

The moredun and state vets ran meetings and events at the Bush Estate to educate us thick shepherds, and it worked!

The biggest issue is coordinating treatment, with OP DIPS, of every affected flock within a fortnight's window. The outbreak in the pentlands, that continued for years, was hampered by a couple of barstewards who wouldn't help. It got so bad that infected ewes were simply shot on sight because you knew the owner wouldn't do anything to help stop the spread.

This is all well known and documented by the researchers and vets who worked for the moredun at the time, so again, I question the necessity of this latest survey?

It seems purely a way of acquiring research funding to reinvent a wheel that fell off a wagon decades ago

Yours sincerely

Hill farmer with a PhD
 

Agrivator

Member
If compulsory police enforced dipping had not been abolished, sheep scab would have been eradicated.

It's a horrible parasite, and near impossible to be rid of without coordinated organophosphate dipping by all agreed neighbours

Been there, done that, hope never to see if it again
But those who never dipped or didn't send in a declaration of the time and day of dipping, were never chased up.
 

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