Johnes Vaccine (Sheep)

GreenerGrass

Member
Location
Wilts
Just had a second animal go down with Johnes in my flock. I was speaking with my vet and it seems popular options are:
1. Carry on as normal, but aggressive cull any thin/older animals and potentially their lambs.
2. Take bloods twice a year and cull any positives - and maybe join accreditation scheme.

Option 2 would work out very expensive and even after many years there is no guarantee that the flock would be clear, and option 1 seems a less expensive (albeit unscientific and less rigorous approach)

But I was reading about Gudair Vaccine, which is once for life and supposedly reduces risk of infection, reduces chance of infection going clinical. Their website says: "Gudair vaccine has been extensively trialed and shown to reduce Johne's deaths and faecal shedding by over 90%. Experience in NZ and Australia shows that Johne's losses become insignificant in vaccinated stock."

The vet didn't know the price, but farmacy price suggests maybe in the region of £3/dose (1ml), and given it is once for life I think this makes sense as a route to go down. My vet said she doesn't have commercial sheep farmers who do it, but does have goat herds who do with good success (cows are banned from it). Anyone on here looked at it - really looking for additional experience?
 
Last edited:

bovine

Member
Location
North
The vaccine does work at reducing the number of animals going down with clinical disease. It doesn't entirely stop it, they will still spread the infection and the disease does not go away. Once you start doing it you are stuck doing it forever. It's a nasty oil based vaccine. The Farmacy price is high, we sell it for a chunk less.

The antibiody test is unreliable in sheep and expensive. Vaccine is really the only option in sheep. Cattle we can do much better with testing.
 

GreenerGrass

Member
Location
Wilts
Thanks for reply, sounds like it is the way forward.

Surely not stuck with vaccinating forever, just that any animals that had been jabbed with vaccine would always show positive when you stop (and the disease would still be present albeit at potentially less being shed?)

I read @Global ovine on here say: "If you lose more than 2% of ewes the disease it is worth vaccinating as the subclinical symptoms (not noticed in the field) can add up to a significant number in the Annual Accounts via a depression in productivity.
The recommendation in NZ is to vaccinate for 5 - 6 years to cover all generations. This seems to lower the field contamination enough to forego future vaccination.
An increase in feed allocation over stressful periods prevents the full-blown symptoms developing. As Kiwi farmers improved pasture/feeding management, especially in setting up spring via accurate feed budgeting, the disease has been much reduced."

Are you seeing anything similar, or has the vaccine not been available in the UK long enough to see ongoing reduction in infection?
 

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