Ewes in poor condition

[Guiggs]

I've a few ewes that lost too much condition rearing their lambs and have stayed skinny since weaning.
Lambs have been off them for 5 or 6 weeks, the mucky ones have had a dose ( I don't worm ewes as a rule)
They have been on better grass for a couple of weeks and some have improved/ are improving but I'm not convinced they should remain in the flock.
Just wondered what others do?
Is it a culling offence?
None of these ewes are more than 3 crops.

 

[sticky]

I suspect most people would say cull but with the price of replacements this year I personally would stick with them and even give them a bit extra.



Having said that if you kill them I could help you out with some Cheviot mule theaves

 

[unlacedgecko]

I've a few ewes that lost too much condition rearing their lambs and have stayed skinny since weaning.
Lambs have been off them for 5 or 6 weeks, the mucky ones have had a dose ( I don't worm ewes as a rule)
They have been on better grass for a couple of weeks and some have improved/ are improving but I'm not convinced they should remain in the flock.
Just wondered what others do?
Is it a culling offence?
None of these ewes are more than 3 crops.

Do you keep your own replacements? If so, sell these ewes or mark them as terminal only.

 

[ladycrofter]

How old are they?

 

[Guiggs]

I suspect most people would say cull but with the price of replacements this year I personally would stick with them and even give them a bit extra.



Having said that if you kill them I could help you out with some Cheviot mule theaves

Thanks, but I believe they have wool, we don't do wool round here!

 

[Guiggs]

Do you keep your own replacements? If so, sell these ewes or mark them as terminal only.

Only breeding pure to up numbers at the moment.

 

[Guiggs]

How old are they?

Oldest are 3 crop

 

[unlacedgecko]

Only breeding pure to up numbers at the moment.

That's fine. Just don't retain ewe lambs out of them.

 

[Welderloon]

They are sheep, they are warning you of their immediate future plans, cull before it comes to fruition

 

[copse]

I've a few ewes that lost too much condition rearing their lambs and have stayed skinny since weaning.
Lambs have been off them for 5 or 6 weeks, the mucky ones have had a dose ( I don't worm ewes as a rule)
They have been on better grass for a couple of weeks and some have improved/ are improving but I'm not convinced they should remain in the flock.
Just wondered what others do?
Is it a culling offence?
None of these ewes are more than 3 crops.

Get them tested for MV would be my advice.

 

[ladycrofter]

Assuming the rest of your flock fits in with your health plan and husbandry I'd say these three have fluke, if you're not normally treating for it.

There's no hereditary resistance to it so no real fault of theirs. I'd dose them with Fasinex to kill all stages. I believe you're much better hanging onto your own stock especially after our experience last year buying in some hoggs.

 

[sticky]

Well if you’re breeding your own and don’t like a few for whatever reason (these haven’t hacked your system) I would kill them.
They will be the first ones you see when you go into the field and the first to break your heart when you have to take them to the kennels.

 

[neilo]

Get them tested for MV would be my advice.

And trace elements, if @Guiggs doesn’t know the status of his land.

 

[Lincs]

Haemuncous?

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Sounds a bit like OPA which we’ve had rumbling in the background for the last few years. I’d get them gone quick

“OPA is common in the UK but the disease is grossly under-reported because few sheep deaths are investigated. It is generally considered a chronic wasting disease with progressive respiratory distress and is invariably fatal. In the field, the incubation period from infection with JSRV to the appearance of clinical signs is many months or years with clinical disease most commonly observed in three to four year-old sheep, though it is occasionally seen at less than one year old. The time from appearance of obvious respiratory signs to time of death ranges from days to several months.”

 

[Wooly]

we don't do wool round here!

Maybe that's your problem with your sheep............. they are too cold ................ or too hot for that matter as wool insulates both ways !!

Get yourself some Romneys

 

[jendan]

Sounds a bit like OPA which we’ve had rumbling in the background for the last few years. I’d get them gone quick

“OPA is common in the UK but the disease is grossly under-reported because few sheep deaths are investigated. It is generally considered a chronic wasting disease with progressive respiratory distress and is invariably fatal. In the field, the incubation period from infection with JSRV to the appearance of clinical signs is many months or years with clinical disease most commonly observed in three to four year-old sheep, though it is occasionally seen at less than one year old. The time from appearance of obvious respiratory signs to time of death ranges from days to several months.”

How do you get rid of it if its been diagnosed ? Clear everything out and start again ?

 

[unlacedgecko]

How do you get rid of it if its been diagnosed ? Clear everything out and start again ?

OPA can be diagnosed via lung ultrasound scanning. In Scotland it's vet only, but there is some funding avail.

New pilot project to control OPA in sheep | Moredun %

A new project funded by the Scottish Government aims to train and develop a task force of elite vets to recognise ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) in

moredun.org.uk

 

[ringi]

How do you get rid of it if its been diagnosed ? Clear everything out and start again ?

Cull all ewes that start to lose condition and don't retain the most recent lamb from these ewe. Check condition pre lambing and lamb low condition ewe in separate field. Lung ultrasound scanning will find some inflected ewes/rams before they lose condition, assume most recent lamb is infected if ewe looks infested on scan. (Will take many years.)

No good method to know if replacement stock is infected with OPA as unlike MV there is not a standard way to verify flock status.

 

[Guiggs]

Maybe that's your problem with your sheep............. they are too cold ................ or too hot for that matter as wool insulates both ways !!

Get yourself some Romneys

I'd definitely rather cull than deal with all that nonsense again!