Joint ill

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
This is the first year I can think of I've had no joint ill at all (I lamb everything outside).

Only things I've done differently is to rubber band the tails a lot lower - only taking about an inch or 2 off the end of the tail, instead of going high up to near the end of the bare "V" on the underside... The earliest born lambs (Suffolk's in the first fortnight of March) I've left the balls on the boys too.

So far I think the lambs look smarter with the longer docked tail.
 

Mcnulty24

Member
I had what I would call normal joint ill, as in limping on one leg, which I treated as normal with betamox and rheumocam, however I also had lambs suddenly going off two legs, fine in the morning, unable to walk in the afternoon. Vet suggested it was likely a problem with an infection in the spine and suggested Nuflor and anti inflammatory. Results have been mixed, some have come right but are falling behind, others are not making much progress. I kept going with the jabs even after they took some catching. It’s a frustrating problem and there is no joy in seeing lambs struggling.
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
How two years are different. Last year even though it was mostly dry lambing outside we had an awful lot of Joint Ill yet this year similar conditions but far colder virtually none.
Only thing we did different was use a lower Iodine mineral as it was suspected we were overdoing that. The few that have got it seem to have nearly all got better with Pen & Strep.

I have a feeling it is more to do with climatic conditions and lower temperature and frost kills off the bug.
 

Agrivator

Member
How two years are different. Last year even though it was mostly dry lambing outside we had an awful lot of Joint Ill yet this year similar conditions but far colder virtually none.
Only thing we did different was use a lower Iodine mineral as it was suspected we were overdoing that. The few that have got it seem to have nearly all got better with Pen & Strep.

I have a feeling it is more to do with climatic conditions and lower temperature and frost kills off the bug.

If lambs are not tagged, is there any other way that they can get navel ill or joint ill other than via the umbilical cord?

And I'm still intrigued how your scanner manages to do a reasonably accurate job just two weeks before lambing.
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
If lambs are not tagged, is there any other way that they can get navel ill or joint ill other than via the umbilical cord?

And I'm still intrigued how your scanner manages to do a reasonably accurate job just two weeks before lambing.

There are rubber rings but more likely lower resistance due to lack of colostrum or poor quality colostrum, often ones of pairs that perhaps didn't get a good enough start.
On the Scanning we have a man who has been doing it for a long time, 100% on singles 95% on twins, some may be triplets and one triplet this year that was a quad.
The important point is not to have them too full of food, especially silage.
 

LAMBCHOPS

Member
How two years are different. Last year even though it was mostly dry lambing outside we had an awful lot of Joint Ill yet this year similar conditions but far colder virtually none.
Only thing we did different was use a lower Iodine mineral as it was suspected we were overdoing that. The few that have got it seem to have nearly all got better with Pen & Strep.

I have a feeling it is more to do with climatic conditions and lower temperature and frost kills off the bug.
Pen and strep here and give 3ml not 1. Not had so many but we believe? Colostrum quality has been very good due to B12 high levels in ewes due to new product on the market.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
We put iodine on when doing with rings , find it helps. Had a lamb last year who came good after 4 months!

Rings don’t cut anything, so there won’t bean ‘open wound’ for a couple of weeks. Any trace of the iodine will be long gone by then and, given the location of the rings, plenty more bacteria will be in situ by then.

Dad used to insist on spraying every ring with Terramycin spray, which was also a waste of time. It had the same effect of making him think he was doing something useful though.🤐
 
How two years are different. Last year even though it was mostly dry lambing outside we had an awful lot of Joint Ill yet this year similar conditions but far colder virtually none.
Only thing we did different was use a lower Iodine mineral as it was suspected we were overdoing that. The few that have got it seem to have nearly all got better with Pen & Strep.

I have a feeling it is more to do with climatic conditions and lower temperature and frost kills off the bug.
Exactly the same here, no joint ill following a torrid time in 2020 with it.

I think the ewes have come through the winter in better order and so have more colostrum this time. I have also started disinfecting the ear tags before use (recorded lambs tagged outside at 12-24 hours). Just one mild case in a pet lamb so far and virtually finished lambing👍
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Isn't it strange how theses things come and go. One year we had hundred with joint ill and had the give the whole flock a course of pen, so for the next couple of year jabbed every lamb as they left the shed (terrible wasn't it!).
Now do nothing and only get about 2/3 cases a year, this year I thought inside lambers would be bad because the ewes had so little colostrum, but only had 1 so far. If someone had sold me a magical treatment I would have thought that did the job.
 

primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
Got a crippled up lamb atm. A week old. One of triplets (reared as double) , so suspect slight lack of colostrum although he was tubed.
Had Trymox and anti-inflamatory - repeated as per instructions. Still isn't right, so thinking that the inevitable will have to be done.
 

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