The Seeker
Member
Finding it hard to source , in fact impossible is it now banned ? What are you using as a substitute ? Thanks
Spectam
- Thread starter The Seeker
- Start date
Buford T. Justice
Member
The company isn't making it any more and no other company is putting forward an alternative, mostly due to regulations to reduce routine antibiotic use.
We used use in on triplets and smaller twin lambs but we've had to change over to milking the ewe and bottle feeding or tubing the lamb.
We're also planning on using a prebiotic supplement to lambs straight after being born, it's supposed to have very good results in reducing E.Coli infections in lambs. We used some here this year on a few lambs that weren't thriving and had poor appetites. They took a huge turn for the better but it can get time consuming if you have a lot of lambs to do. We also bought a ewe milker to use to reduce the management time for milking and feeding but we're mostly finished for the year so we won't know how successful these will be until next year.
Good nutrition = good colostrum = no need for spectam
- Location
- Fife
Don't be bringing that logic here. You'll be suggesting lambing outside next...
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
You still get the odd twunt which hasn't/won't suck, or a ewe turns out to be dry/bad bag, and goes hungry - both rare but does happen... if I have to intervene and give colostrum to a lamb (I'm lambing outside), I give Spectam - or whatever the alternative my vets gave me is called - as it comes in
The Seeker
Member
I have iodiened And spectamed for 20 year never had any water mouth, just started lambing and had 3 in 3 days , totally pee'd off tbh but seeing the vet tomorrow for alt suggestions
- Location
- Fife
You prophylactically gave every lamb spectam antibiotics for 20 years?
The Seeker
Member
I get the feeling you are making me out to be a twit, it’s was happy supplied by my vet for all that time, what did they think I was doing with it ? Washing my windows ?
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
I know a farm which blanket injects every single lamb with 1ml of penicillin at birth
He still gets joint ill and other problems but won't give up the (pointless) penicillin routine
I've heard about folk who treat every lamb with 1ml of alamycin down the throatI know a farm which blanket injects every single lamb with 1ml of penicillin at birth
He still gets joint ill and other problems but won't give up the (pointless) penicillin routine
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
I don't think you're a twit, we used to do the same, every lamb born indoors got spectam, now we just do triplets or anything a bit weakly, never had any trouble since we stopped using it
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
No wonder there’s antibiotic resistance
Aye but a glug of Alamycin each morning - I don't have any dodgy tummy's or joint ill ... So it obviously works
I just need to suck on some Strong Mints afterwards to get rid of the taste
The Seeker
Member
Seems like this thread has only served to make me feel shitter than I was already having 3 unnecessary dead lambs , cheers folks
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Osmond's Sustain might do the job
www.osmonds.co.uk
Osmonds Sustain for Lambs
A nutritional supplement to help maintain healthy new born lambs
www.osmonds.co.uk
Have the ewes got milk, are the lambs getting their first feed, are the pens cleaned and disinfected between sheep, and the hurdles sprayed, if you bottle feed are the teats clean between lamb?? I’m sure you know all this is basic, but that’s the best place to start an work from there up!!
The Seeker
Member
Hygiene is perfect , no expense spared deep litter clean straw all lambs monitored for getting colostrum early, pens all spotless, the only thing that has changed is the lack of spectam. Not usually negative on here but it’s disappointing to have had 3 so far. Ok so I appreciate some say I’m dumb but my initial post was to what I can do to help this situation. As stated my vet was perfectly happy to sell me the stuff. Will
Monitor the situation over the lambing and report back if only to help others possible facing s similar situation.
Monitor the situation over the lambing and report back if only to help others possible facing s similar situation.
- Location
- Radnorshire
Our vet insists that soya is a must for the best colostrum quality. We’ve fed this as a straight for 3 years and now manage without spectam.