Ewe with photosensitivity?

NoHornsTaa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
County Durham
I have a Teeswater ewe that has exclusively scabby ear tips and heels. There aren't any scabs anywhere else on her that I can see, and she isn't losing wool :unsure:

No one else in the flock seems affected, just her. I've blue sprayed a couple of times to no effect, though it doesn't look sore at all and doesn't appear to be spreading. Seems fine in herself and I don't think she finds it particularly itchy (haven't seen her scratching in any unusual way), anyone have any ideas? I thought it might be photosensitivity, but the heels seem like an odd place to be affected to me? Think I'll pop some sudocrem on her today as well
 

Humble Village Farmer

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Essex
Truthfully wouldn't know- every now and then I pop them a red crystalyx in (I think that has cobalt?), and don't usually have much in the way of dietary problems, just haven't seen this before

Do you test your soil or vit drench?
Blood I think. No first hand experience. A mate of mine has had problems though, and an marked improvement in performance after drenching. Pm me and I send his number
 

NoHornsTaa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
County Durham
Could she have found and got a taste for the pile of dehydrated pulled ragwort ?
Some of the lasses were kicking around in the corner of the field a couple of weeks ago- there's an unkempt area where thistles and weeds dried out with the heatwave (not pulled though), she might have nabbed something in there

I did hear about plants causing some strange reactions, but I've never thought much about it since we don't generally have much ragwort. Are there any other plants that might have the same effect?
 

Ysgythan

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Ammanford
I have a Teeswater ewe that has exclusively scabby ear tips and heels. There aren't any scabs anywhere else on her that I can see, and she isn't losing wool :unsure:

No one else in the flock seems affected, just her. I've blue sprayed a couple of times to no effect, though it doesn't look sore at all and doesn't appear to be spreading. Seems fine in herself and I don't think she finds it particularly itchy (haven't seen her scratching in any unusual way), anyone have any ideas? I thought it might be photosensitivity, but the heels seem like an odd place to be affected to me? Think I'll pop some sudocrem on her today as well
Could it be dermacotic mange?
 

NoHornsTaa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
County Durham
Could it be dermacotic mange?
What would that look like? I googled around, but couldn't find much

The best way I can describe the skin is sort of thickened and a bit crusty. There's no blood or pus, doesn't look sore, it's just quite dry. It's exclusively on her ear tips (covers about an inch in length from the tip, identical on each ear) and her heels on every foot

I've checked her back/body, nose, chest, mouth, base of her ears, eyes, around her teats and backside, but just seems localised on the ear tips and heels. Her skin in both places is naturally black if that makes any difference, and she isn't losing any wool or scratching excessively. Normal energy, isn't lame and just seems absolutely fine in herself

Not particularly worried about her from how she's acting, just something I haven't seen before and would like to catch it early if it's part of a bigger problem
 

Jmorrow

Member
Livestock Farmer
It could be hypersensitivity to midges, we have 2/3% of our ewes suspectable to it, if you live somewhere with a lot midges its likely it. Treatment:some sort of fly prevention, crovect seems to work best every month on back of there head and neck.
 

Gator

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
Location
Lancashire
A fright to see when it does it! Had ears drop off from that plant.
Aye, av got one the same, but of s job ta re-tag her 🤣 she kist um 3years ago and still going strong(y). She also lost eye lids she looks abit of a bugger but as twined ever year and going back to the tup this year. Ill see if a can get a pick on my round tomorra
 

NoHornsTaa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
County Durham
Took a couple of photos yesterday just of her ears, looks about the same on her heels
IMG_20210918_104045.jpg

IMG_20210918_104019.jpg

As you can see, she's symmetrical at least 😂

I couldn't see any of the plants you've all mentioned unless she's eaten it all! I do have some drench in so I think I might just do that today in the field and see how she gets on 👍
 

Gator

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
Location
Lancashire
A fright to see when it does it! Had ears drop off from that plant.
Took a couple of photos yesterday just of her ears, looks about the same on her heels
View attachment 986625
View attachment 986626
As you can see, she's symmetrical at least 😂

I couldn't see any of the plants you've all mentioned unless she's eaten it all! I do have some drench in so I think I might just do that today in the field and see how she gets on 👍

20210919_112246.jpg

20210919_112310.jpg
20210919_112348.jpg


She eat this, Bog asphodel
20140731_110645.jpg
20140731_110751.jpg
 

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