Black leg disease and sheep ,

[andybk]

landlord has asked me to eat out a few fields with some sheep that got away in the autumn , has a history of black leg , not come across it myself , lambs are vaxed with ovivac p so should be covered , just wondered what it was , and even if an issue this time of year ,

 

[Lili]

Nasty thing. Type of gangrene. Lurks in the soil and reappears usually when some sort of earth moving/digging been going on. I know someone who lost 4 young store cattle with it. They'd been carrying soil off from a shed site.

 

[muleman]

Its a nasty disease, we vaccinate against it but still get 3 or 4 cases of it each year, to be honest i dont think the vaccines are as good as they used to be.

 

[Al R]

Its a nasty disease, we vaccinate against it but still get 3 or 4 cases of it each year, to be honest i dont think the vaccines are as good as they used to be.

I have no black haired sheep on the whole farm and still get the odd black legged lamb, usually a back leg.

Not sure about blackleg between cattle and sheep but 1 farm I have 300 ewes on is known for being bad for blackleg in cattle and the ewes and lambs there have never had ovivac or heptavac

 

[andybk]

Its a nasty disease, we vaccinate against it but still get 3 or 4 cases of it each year, to be honest i dont think the vaccines are as good as they used to be.

would you be worried grazing tack with replacement ewe lambs on it ? or is it a bit sporadic cheers

 

[yellowbelly]

landlord has asked me to eat out a few fields with some sheep that got away in the autumn , has a history of black leg , not come across it myself , lambs are vaxed with ovivac p so should be covered , just wondered what it was , and even if an issue this time of year ,

We have some land that has it.
I think cattle are more prone to it than sheep - we've lost un-vaccinated cattle on it but never had trouble with sheep.

It affects one quarter (leg). Never saw anything wrong with ours until they were dead. I think the bacteria attacks a damaged muscle. If you press on the affected quarter it makes a crackling sound (that's the gas under the skin). If you cut it open the muscle is all black and stinky. Another name for it is Wound Gas Gangrene.

would you be worried grazing tack with replacement ewe lambs on it ?

No.
Surely you'd have them on Heptavac or Bravoxin though?

 

[andybk]

Surely you'd have them on Heptavac or Bravoxin though?

yes on ovivac , just wondered if there are different strains like pasturella , will be my best ewe lambs so looking for some reassurance ,

 

[yellowbelly]

yes on ovivac , just wondered if there are different strains like pasturella , will be my best ewe lambs so looking for some reassurance ,

From Wikipedia............

Causative agent
Blackleg is caused by infection with Clostridium bacteria. The most common causative agent is C. chauvoei, but the disease can also be caused by C. septicum, C. sordelli, and C. novyi.[4][5] C. chauvoei is Gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic, and motile, and can produce environmentally persistent spores when conditions are not ideal for growth. These spores can remain in the soil for years in an inactive state, and return to their infectious form when consumed by grazing livestock. Contaminated pasture is a predominant source of these organisms, which are also found naturally in the intestines of animals.[6] Cases can occur over many years in areas where soil or manure is contaminated with the bacteria, and it is exceedingly difficult to remove the spores from the environment.

C. chauvoei can produce a large amount of gas as a metabolic byproduct when growing and reproducing, hence the alternate name gas gangrene, present in humans.[7] This gas builds up in infected tissue, usually large muscles, and causes the tissue to make a crackling or popping sound when pressed. Large gas-filled blisters can also form, which can be extremely painful as they build up in the tissues.

Looks like there's more than one cause. I think Bravoxin10 will cover Sordelli but not sure about Septicum or Novyi.

If they're your best lambs, best have word with your vet.

 

[muleman]

would you be worried grazing tack with replacement ewe lambs on it ? or is it a bit sporadic cheers

I wouldnt be too worried to be honest , if youve vaccinated with heptavac, bravoxin, covexin etc what more can you do, its just dissapointing when you spend the money on vaccine, and it isnt cheap by the way, and then you still get cases now and then.
Ive come to the conclusion a)the vaccine isnt as good , b) it hasnt been administered properly or c)it hadt been stored properly.
I had 4 or 5 like the one pictured above last year, i was on the verge of sending a the picture to the manufacturer but then it seemed to settle down.
Fingers crossed for this year now.