Help save my sheep

Robin2020

Member
Livestock Farmer
It's a North of England Mule. Purchased the lamb in September. Arrived with a sore on back of neck with flys and discharge.
To cut a long story short it has had several courses of amoxicillin which stops the ug and brings the ewe back to full character. Wait a few weeks and back to square 1.
It looks like the infection is deep and never quite gets wiped out by the injections. The skin heals and traps it again.
7 days x 4ml is the most I did. I'm sure most will say cull but I only have 20 ewes and it is on such good form most of the time. Its cleverest of the lot...by a long way.
Any ideas what to try? Vet suggested flushing with iodine too but there is no great hole to put it in. It just weaps from a penny size red patch.
I can only think of a different drug...
 

twizzel

Member
Not in the same area, but I had a ram with a brisket sore (both superficial skin sores and an abscess under the skin behind his shoulder that didn’t break out)... the vet gave him Draxxin- a couple of jabs a week apart sorted it really well, along with flushing the small superficial sores). Draxxin was her choice as it hits gram negative and gram positive bacteria.
 

Robin2020

Member
Livestock Farmer
I was wondering about Draxxin. Worth a punt. Becoming an expensive sheep!
There doesn't seem to be any void to flush. Tight skin on the neck bone. Only surgery would work in that respect...
 

MRT

Member
Livestock Farmer
Injection site abccess? Ignore it long enough and it will go away? (Sort of). Or every drug on the shelf +/- get the vet to remove and stitch
 

Robin2020

Member
Livestock Farmer
It possibly started as an injection site issue but that would have been with the original farmer. Footvax was done after the problems started so not that...
 

primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
Has any pus issued, or is it always weeping and sore? I'd be inclined to trim back wool, and bandage warm poultice over it - medicated animalintex gamgee from the horsey section in the ag merchant, with a crepe self-sticky bandage from same area - and see if anything softens or comes out after a few changes. She'd need to come in, I'd think, if not in already.

I have never seen a wound from a broken needle, but you can't rule out a foreign body in there.
 

Danllan

Member
Location
Sir Gar / Carms
... I'm sure most will say cull but I only have 20 ewes and it is on such good form most of the time. Its cleverest of the lot...by a long way.
Any ideas what to try? Vet suggested flushing with iodine too but there is no great hole to put it in. It just weaps from a penny size red patch.
I can only think of a different drug...
One-off problems / injuries aren't a reason to cull, it's just the way of things; but she's a persistent problem for you and - worst of all - if you keep her, you're keeping the genes that have allowed this problem to persist.

So, and I'm not being funny, but... cull. (y)
 

Robin2020

Member
Livestock Farmer
Has any pus issued, or is it always weeping and sore? I'd be inclined to trim back wool, and bandage warm poultice over it - medicated animalintex gamgee from the horsey section in the ag merchant, with a crepe self-sticky bandage from same area - and see if anything softens or comes out after a few changes. She'd need to come in, I'd think, if not in already.

I have never seen a wound from a broken needle, but you can't rule out a foreign body in there.
I trimmed it back again the other day. tricky job as it mainly rock hard crusty discharge. Within 2 days the wool has grown again and I have lost sight again :( Not sure this approach will work.
 

Robin2020

Member
Livestock Farmer
One-off problems / injuries aren't a reason to cull, it's just the way of things; but she's a persistent problem for you and - worst of all - if you keep her, you're keeping the genes that have allowed this problem to persist.

So, and I'm not being funny, but... cull. (y)
Well this is the last shot and I will have to call it a day. Pretty unlucky on my first 20 ewes. I kinda blame myself for not doing certain things sooner.
 

Danllan

Member
Location
Sir Gar / Carms
Well this is the last shot and I will have to call it a day. Pretty unlucky on my first 20 ewes. I kinda blame myself for not doing certain things sooner.
Ha! I'd say that most of us would consider losing 1 in 20 of bought-in ewes not to be the end of the World.

Don't worry about it, once you've culled out problem animals & have your own line going, you'll be fine. (y)
 

primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
I trimmed it back again the other day. tricky job as it mainly rock hard crusty discharge. Within 2 days the wool has grown again and I have lost sight again :( Not sure this approach will work.

It will grow back, but trimming a good way around the visible wound will let you see the area to be dressed, iyswim.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
There is a disease of sheep that leads to chronic oozing pustules that break out on head neck area known as CLA. We once bought it in with a load of mule gimmer replacements. Hopefully it isn’t that but if in doubt cull it out.
 

MRT

Member
Livestock Farmer
There is a disease of sheep that leads to chronic oozing pustules that break out on head neck area known as CLA. We once bought it in with a load of mule gimmer replacements. Hopefully it isn’t that but if in doubt cull it out.
There is. There is another one named Cruels which is fairly harmless
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,285
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top