Heptavac. Anyone not bother??

[dogandstick]

They'd need 2 doses of Bravoxin to get onto that system, or the extra clostridials wouldn't be covered.

Presumably, changing to Covexin 8 OK though.

 

[Grassman]

I havn't vaccinated sheep or lambs for many years.
I can't tell you if it's a good or bad thing. I seem to have very similar losses to anyone else I know.
I did have a bit of an issue this summer when I lost about 5 lambs over a couple of weeks. I decided if any more died to get the vet but no more died.

 

[neilo]

Presumably, changing to Covexin 8 OK though.

I heard once that you could just carry on, but losing the P cover.

Personally, I'd be looking to use Bravoxin 10, as it covers against more.

 

[neilo]

Planning to switch over to ovivac for everything here ewes and lambs. Went onto covexin originally to get over lamb dysentery, this plus better hygiene did the job. Switched to hep p a couple years ago as lost the odd older and younger ewe to pasteurella. Also had the odd lamb with it too. To be fair I don't think our post lambing losses have altered massively since starting vaccinating, but it's piece of mind for the potential bad year. Lambing outdoors now and don't see the need for the extra 3 clostridial cover you get with hep p.
Also did a costing for the vaccination plan Neil suggested and it works out;

2.94/ewe for a 5 crop lifetime covexin plan

3.76 straight ovivac plan

5.16 if you use hep p

So another 2.22 over lifetime of ewe

Ovivac P doesn't cover for lamb dysentery. If you've actually had an issue with it there before, would it not be sensible to protect against it?

 

[Y Fan Wen]

Dad's policy of vaccinating too late used to drive me wild. October dews start and find 5 of the best ewe lambs croaked! Self contained flock and the ewe lambs get their first hep dose in July while drawing store lambs and the second in August when drawing draft ewes. The first lambers get their 3rd dose of hep a month before lambing. After that they are on their own.

 

[Short_Angus]

Ovivac P doesn't cover for lamb dysentery. If you've actually had an issue with it there before, would it not be sensible to protect against it?

Many years ago the old shepherd we used to have, said if you have ever experienced lamb dysentery, you would never not vaccinate against it.

 

[Robertollie]

Many years ago the old shepherd we used to have, said if you have ever experienced lamb dysentery, you would never not vaccinate against it.

 

[Robertollie]

Can you switch from hep p to ovivac p with out giving them a double dose

 

[Gulli]

Dues the blanket use of these vaccines cause some level of resistance?

(actually that is a genuine question)

No, vaccines don't work like antibiotics, theres some sciencey rubbish behind it that but as far as i understand a vaccine develops antibodies to whichever disease inside the animal so when the immune system has a challenge its recognised and knows how to fight it. Vaccines arent 100% effective but if resistance was an issue humans would be f**ked by now.

never vaccinated here but toying with the idea of starting, lot of poor doers the last couple of years with lung damage at slaughter, lose very few to things that arent obvious (drowning, hanging,falling out of trees, you know 'sheep' things)
but theres obviously something going on in the background thats dragging them down

 

[neilo]

Can you switch from hep p to ovivac p with out giving them a double dose

Yes. Ovivac is the same as Heptavac, without the cover for a couple of extra clostridials.

 

[hill farmer]

Many years ago the old shepherd we used to have, said if you have ever experienced lamb dysentery, you would never not vaccinate against it.

This is the main reason for us using hept p. When I took over from my dad he had stopped vac. ewes so I didn't bother either, but on my second lambing we had lamb dysentery, lost a lot of lambs, it's not just the loss of lambs but the work trying to keep them alive and still seeing them die - very disheartening
So we went back to hept-p, as people say it's like an ins. policy

Perhaps we could drop the p though

 

[johnflimston]

I know what you mean, but it's not the same argument. To equate it to the human principal of eugenics makes no sense, since we aren't rearing people for slaughter. But ask, instead, do I think our human population would be better if it were less reliant upon medication and I would give an unequivocal 'yes'.

There's a difference between Medication and Vaccination.
Proper vaccination should lead to less medication apart from the fact that you rarely get chance to treat a clostridial disease.

 

[johnflimston]

Can you switch from hep p to ovivac p with out giving them a double dose

Yes, but not the other way.

 

[CJay]

Bit of advice please, currently 7-8 weeks out from lambing but would like to get ewes on hep-p programme. Is it a waste of time for this year as it's too close to lambing and no benefit will be passed on to lambs to cover the first 5-6 weeks of their lives.

Can lambs be done at birth and just skip the ewes this year ? Or what would people recommend ?

 

[Nithsdale]

Bit of advice please, currently 7-8 weeks out from lambing but would like to get ewes on hep-p programme. Is it a waste of time for this year as it's too close to lambing and no benefit will be passed on to lambs to cover the first 5-6 weeks of their lives.

Can lambs be done at birth and just skip the ewes this year ? Or what would people recommend ?

Its tight, but If you want to do them, you need to do it NOW! Then in 4wks time for 2nd injection. The follow up will be 3-4 weeks before lambing (it should really be 4-6 weeks before, I leave it till 4 weeks deliberately), which is a little sharp for the first lambers, but it should be fine.

 

[Danllan]

There's a difference between Medication and Vaccination.
Proper vaccination should lead to less medication apart from the fact that you rarely get chance to treat a clostridial disease.

Agreed, but proper selection / culling should lead to less need for vaccination...

 

[unlacedgecko]

Agreed, but proper selection / culling should lead to less need for vaccination...

And less medication.

 

[neilo]

Agreed, but proper selection / culling should lead to less need for vaccination...

How do you select or cull for some genetic resistance (if there is any) to clostridial diseases that only crop up every now and again? Accept sometimes high losses and survival of the fittest?

 

[Coximus]

Natural selection. I never vaccinated my hebridean and lost alot of lambs in the early two years and a few molly coddled ewes from small holders. now loose virtually nothing (touching wood) - vet said it's common for people stopping vac to loose alot quickly if their farm is wet.... but any replacements should be of a higher resistance, this applies to certain diseases more than others - depends on how easily spread they are - so clos types easy as spread fast from muck and saliva on wet pasture.

 

[tepapa]

Following on from what CJay just asked. If previously un vaccinated ewes received a vacc 4 weeks before lambing, would that pass in colstrum to cover the lambs for first few weeks, even though the ewes themselves haven't recieved 2nd dose to gain full immunity?