Enzootic abortion

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
All my aborted ewes are isolated and will probably cull when out of fluke retention period. Just a bit fed up with the whole situation and find it very frustrating when you find another one aborted.

How many times did you give your ewes alamycin? Thanks

Just having a few enzo abortions on some bought in sheep. I have jabbed the ewes with Alamycin. The vet recommended a 2nd jab, 3 weeks after the first. Then vaccinate the lot, post lambing in May. I now wish I HAD jabbed all the ewes with alamycin when I brought them in....

He has not said to cull, neither did the Ministry vet who I had a long chat with when I dropped off a sample at the Labs.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Just having a few enzo abortions on some bought in sheep. I have jabbed the ewes with Alamycin. The vet recommended a 2nd jab, 3 weeks after the first. Then vaccinate the lot, post lambing in May. I now wish I HAD jabbed all the ewes with alamycin when I brought them in....

He has not said to cull, neither did the Ministry vet who I had a long chat with when I dropped off a sample at the Labs.

If you have confirmed it’s Enzo, most of the aborted ewes will be immune after, but some may also become carriers, shedding for ever more. If you vaccinate the whole flock, and replacements from now on, then I don’t suppose that matters though.

That said, with the cull ewe trade where it is currently, they would likely have to be rearing a foster lamb this year to be spared here...
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
If you have confirmed it’s Enzo, most of the aborted ewes will be immune after, but some may also become carriers, shedding for ever more. If you vaccinate the whole flock, and replacements from now on, then I don’t suppose that matters though.

That said, with the cull ewe trade where it is currently, they would likely have to be rearing a foster lamb this year to be spared here...

Very good point Neil. Cull trade is still strong I see in Market.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
It was just the one dose of antib's with our lot, but it was all under the Vet, @Kip .

It is disappointing when it's one after the other. Sympathies, Cyberchum. Hoping there are more normal lambings very soon :)

Out of interest, how did you feel the flock responded to AB's as in reducing the incidence of aborted lambs, and how quickly? My vet was reluctant to say more than it helps, but no prediction of efficacy. Hence teh 2nd jab, I guess.

My daughter asked me today, when does the lamb actually die in the ewe, or does it die after the ewe has lambed it? Our ewes are outside, so the first I am seeing is in the early morning walk to check them. :confused:
 

twizzel

Member
Out of interest, how did you feel the flock responded to AB's as in reducing the incidence of aborted lambs, and how quickly? My vet was reluctant to say more than it helps, but no prediction of efficacy. Hence teh 2nd jab, I guess.

My daughter asked me today, when does the lamb actually die in the ewe, or does it die after the ewe has lambed it? Our ewes are outside, so the first I am seeing is in the early morning walk to check them. :confused:

My ewes had dead lambs, only know because I had to lamb them both due to malpresentations. One ewe had a mummified lamb and a more normal looking dead lamb. The other had 2 very small dead lambs.
 

primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
Out of interest, how did you feel the flock responded to AB's as in reducing the incidence of aborted lambs, and how quickly? My vet was reluctant to say more than it helps, but no prediction of efficacy. Hence teh 2nd jab, I guess.

My daughter asked me today, when does the lamb actually die in the ewe, or does it die after the ewe has lambed it? Our ewes are outside, so the first I am seeing is in the early morning walk to check them. :confused:

It was some years ago, but I think it helped to prevent abortions right the way through from the initial erm, troubling patch. I remember the difficulties, but think I've blotted out the duration. Injecting was hard work, as TFFers elsethreads have testified this last couple of months.

Most lambs die within the ewe (I can't remember where I read it, but the enzo abortus in sheep causes bleeds in the lamb, I think). There will be some born alive, but, as you'll sadly know, they need TLC.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
It was some years ago, but I think it helped to prevent abortions right the way through from the initial erm, troubling patch. I remember the difficulties, but think I've blotted out the duration. Injecting was hard work, as TFFers elsethreads have testified this last couple of months.

Most lambs die within the ewe (I can't remember where I read it, but the enzo abortus in sheep causes bleeds in the lamb, I think). There will be some born alive, but, as you'll sadly know, they need TLC.

Pretty depressing experience... Only 60 odd to jab here, but 59 too many.

Not found any alive, as yet, although a couple looked fully formed and almost there, as would be expected with 2 weeks to go. Sounds like I had better dig out the colostrum and lamb warmer again :rolleyes:
 

BrianV

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dartmoor
We too had a storm of abortion years ago, after very many abortions the vet recommended injecting 10ml of engemycin to the remaining sheep as soon as possible which thankfully brought a stop to it, vaccinated the whole lot including those that aborted later that year & had no problem in the following lambing.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
We too had a storm of abortion years ago, after very many abortions the vet recommended injecting 10ml of engemycin to the remaining sheep as soon as possible which thankfully brought a stop to it, vaccinated the whole lot including those that aborted later that year & had no problem in the following lambing.

Good to hear Brian. My vet was on the phone as soon as we had a confirmation from DEFRA, when I was unloading cattle in Market at 8.30am. Essentially, it was "get over to the Practice and grab Alamycin and jab the lot with 7ml each. They were done by 4pm.

Took longer to setup the race and get them up than injecting!

Very good to hear the long term outcome.
 

primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
It will get better 👍 You might need to assist more lambings than usual depending on the stage lambs were at when the infection reached them, though.
Then it's a matter of vaccination - certainly of replacements - at the right timing before the ram goes in. All being well, next year will be a doddle.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
It will get better 👍 You might need to assist more lambings than usual depending on the stage lambs were at when the infection reached them, though.
Then it's a matter of vaccination - certainly of replacements - at the right timing before the ram goes in. All being well, next year will be a doddle.

Vet recommended vaccination after Lambing is all done and dusted. May/June time, so well before tupping. time.
 

tepapa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Wales
For all those that are having problems and also for all other shepherds and stockmen, might i recommend joining the Moredun foundation. Who study the diseases found in livestock.
You will receive 4 publications a year, these two below are from 2019 but both have been asked about this lambing time on here. The cost is I think £30/year so not even the cost of a meal out but your membership adds backing to the foundation so they can say they represent X number of livestock farmers when looking for funding from government or Europe as was. Back copies are available for individual diseases but also original papers have been published in volumes.

Simple to read fact sheets of the problem, diagnosis and treatment.
I am just a member
IMG_20210328_103020.jpg
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IMG_20210328_103126.jpg
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Alamycin on tues afternoon and so far nothing since fri morning

Hope this continued @cheviot53?

Alamycin here on 24th (so 8 days ago) , nothing to collect since last Saturday (27th)... which is a bonus, so here's hoping a bit🤞 . Ewes looking well in the sunshine.

Move to lambing paddock tomorrow morning, as their present spot is too open and exposed, and difficult to get any lambing problems in, and under cover.
 
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steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
For all those that are having problems and also for all other shepherds and stockmen, might i recommend joining the Moredun foundation. Who study the diseases found in livestock.
You will receive 4 publications a year, these two below are from 2019 but both have been asked about this lambing time on here. The cost is I think £30/year so not even the cost of a meal out but your membership adds backing to the foundation so they can say they represent X number of livestock farmers when looking for funding from government or Europe as was. Back copies are available for individual diseases but also original papers have been published in volumes.

Simple to read fact sheets of the problem, diagnosis and treatment.
I am just a member
View attachment 950590View attachment 950591View attachment 950592
A really excellent document on the site on enzo. Thank you.
 
Hope this continued @cheviot53?

Alamycin here on 24th (so 8 days ago) , nothing to collect since last Saturday (27th)... which is a bonus, so here's hoping a bit🤞 . Ewes looking well in the sunshine.

Move to lambing paddock tomorrow morning, as their present spot is too open and exposed, and difficult to get any lambing problems in, and under cover.
All still quiet here , so far no conformation from vets of anything so blood tests after lambing ,so far fingers crossed only 2 of 6 hefts had a problem
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
So 10 days in, since we started with the troublesome ewes.

Out of the 44, 9 aborted that we have found, and it is possible we might have missed an odd one early on, before moving the ewes closer to home.... I thought the abortions had finished, but picked up a pair of lambs on Wed :-(

9 live twins and 3 singles. One triple, so caded the lamb as there is no way we can foster on these ewes!! Mostly tidy lambs...

Now starting to see some ewes with twins, with one big one dead, leaving a weak sickly twin, that needs to come in for TLC, so far those are alive 3 days down the line, but would have soon died in these cold nights in a field.

Said to Herself, that we will be lucky to see 50%... Not a good start to a nucleus flock!

Spoke to the Market last week, as I was told the Vendor had sold another big batch of first time, in-lambers a fortnight ago, I advised the Auctioneer that he really should inform the other buyer that the animals might have a problem...

I am now trying to speak with the Vendor too...
 
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