Lambing routine.

[Razor8]

i'm in the middle in regards to cleaning pens, used to clean out between every ewe but now i'll do it every few ewes, usually when the dung is 4-6" deep and the younger ewes start jumping at cake o'clock!

my pens are on concrete, so i find the first ewe in after a clean out always gets the dirtiest and needs the most straw, as the fluids can't go anywhere, once the dung is up abit, a lot less straw is needed.

straw and use a good dose of bedding powder between ewes, powder is more expensive than lime but seems much more absorbent and now where near as nasty on people or animals.

admittedly i tend to leave cleaning pens out for the students then towards the end of lambing i let the dung go cause i know i can just pack the hurdles away and clean up with the tractor.

Hi Dave, Never heard of bedding powder over here. Have you a brand name I can check out?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Hi Dave, Never heard of bedding powder over here. Have you a brand name I can check out?

Have used stalosan in the past, now use actisan. Only changed due to availability. I've been happy with both, though a lot dearer than lime.

 

[jd6110]

As small flock holder wondering why ye all give new borns spectrum?

 

[exmoor dave]

Hi Dave, Never heard of bedding powder over here. Have you a brand name I can check out?

Have used stalosan in the past, now use actisan. Only changed due to availability. I've been happy with both, though a lot dearer than lime.

Same as PBH.
Actisan which I get from mole valley.

Have also used something like "superdry" which I thought was even better.

 

[flockeye]

Hi Dave, Never heard of bedding powder over here. Have you a brand name I can check out?

Cu-San.

 

[General-Lee]

Same as PBH.
Actisan which I get from mole valley.

Have also used something like "superdry" which I thought was even better.

Sounds like your sheep have been mixing with the youths of Butlins, got you buying Superdry products!

 

[hubbahubba]

Does anyone jab all there lambs with 1ml of ultrapen LA when there born and give them a 2ml drench of Provita Response or am I the only one? Since we started doing this havnt had a lamb with watery mouth and very few joint-ill cases. Would rather not do it but think I need to now. Also use 10% iodine and spray every lamb when born and then always try to go back and re-do them every day till they get out. Quick iodine spray on ewe and lambs head if there a twin on or a spray on ewes tail head if a udder/milk problem.

 

[hillman]

I use 10% iodine mixed with meth spirits to help with drying quickly , any prob ewes get a making fluid o on both hips and can be easy checked in fields
Fostered ewes get f on hip + mark on back of head along with lambs
Singles ewes and lambs get mark over tail
Ewe lambs get blue marking fluid dot on shoulder for twins singles on tail end
Don't use spray cans as ewes winter shorn numbers are branded on with marking fluid when vaccinating lambs matched and it lasts well makes life easy

 

[exmoor dave]

Sounds like your sheep have been mixing with the youths of Butlins, got you buying Superdry products!

They'll all be sporting tighty whitey trainers and trackie suits from now on!

 

[Woolless]

Crikey, I'm glad I lamb outside after reading that lot!

For the inadequates that do need to come inside, I would spray navels with iodine. pen would cleaned out and disinfected after each ewe.

 

[sherg]

We always let them lamb in the big pens with the rest of the ewes they will of picked their spot where they want to lamb so its easier not to disturb them once they've lambed we try and leave her to lick them where she is then we either put her in the individual pens, or make a pen up in the in lamb ewes depending on how much room there is or what time of day it is we only tend to give spectam to any triplet lambs or ewes with not much milk and everything gets iodine when they're penned up, we disinfect between every ewe that goes in the pen and give fresh straw, don't tend to get any navel ill and hardly any joint ill, try and get everything outside in 24 hours apart from the triplet lambs as long as the weather is alright

 

[neilo]

As small flock holder wondering why ye all give new borns spectrum?

As nobody else has replied, I will. A dose of Spectam ScourHalt (other oral antibiotics are available) will help to prevent watery mouth. Not ideal giving prophylactic AB's, but it works.

 

[neilo]

Does anyone jab all there lambs with 1ml of ultrapen LA when there born and give them a 2ml drench of Provita Response or am I the only one? Since we started doing this havnt had a lamb with watery mouth and very few joint-ill cases. Would rather not do it but think I need to now. Also use 10% iodine and spray every lamb when born and then always try to go back and re-do them every day till they get out. Quick iodine spray on ewe and lambs head if there a twin on or a spray on ewes tail head if a udder/milk problem.

Years ago we went through a spell of jabbing every lamb with 1ml of Betamox LA to stop joint ill. It worked a treat, but then we would still get a few cases a while after the tails dropped off (exposing a fresh wound for a few days). Moved to jabbing with Erysorb (& more recently Porcilis Ery) and did away with the need for AB's.

Since moving here (different soil & different bugs?) we have seen a few more cases of joint ill, despite continuing vaccination. On my vets advice, I am trialling a new regime. I haven't given the Porcilis Ery booster jab to the ewes lambing currently, but all lambs are getting 0.1ml of Zuprevo. Hopefully the outdoor lambers in April will be OK with neither. Not ideal from the AB point of view, but I'm giving it a try for this Spring.

 

[flockeye]

Years ago we went through a spell of jabbing every lamb with 1ml of Betamox LA to stop joint ill. It worked a treat, but then we would still get a few cases a while after the tails dropped off (exposing a fresh wound for a few days). Moved to jabbing with Erysorb (& more recently Porcilis Ery) and did away with the need for AB's.

Since moving here (different soil & different bugs?) we have seen a few more cases of joint ill, despite continuing vaccination. On my vets advice, I am trialling a new regime. I haven't given the Porcilis Ery booster jab to the ewes lambing currently, but all lambs are getting 0.1ml of Zuprevo. Hopefully the outdoor lambers in April will be OK with neither. Not ideal from the AB point of view, but I'm giving it a try for this Spring.

So @neilo did you find the vaccination was not working or was there another reason for stopping? I seem to have more trouble with joint ill than anything else and it's only getting worst every year.i would be interested to hear how you get on with the Zuprevo.Thats some seriously pricy shite but at 0.1ml in a dose it's not too bad.

 

[neilo]

So @neilo did you find the vaccination was not working or was there another reason for stopping? I seem to have more trouble with joint ill than anything else and it's only getting worst every year.i would be interested to hear how you get on with the Zuprevo.Thats some seriously pricy shite but at 0.1ml in a dose it's not too bad.

The vaccination has been incredibly effective for years at home, but since moving here, we have been getting a few more cases each year. I am trying the Zuprevo this year, on the indoor lambers only, with the idea that if it doesn't work, I can vaccinate the ewes again later on, and keep them 'on the system'. My vet tells me he has a couple of large flocks that had tried everything but only got results from Zuprevo at birth. One was injecting 2000 lambs with it!

0.1ml is about 25p/lamb, so cheaper than the boaster vac these days (it used to be dirt cheap). Not happy about the prophylactic AB's, but is it any worse than giving everything Spectam?

 

[beaconsboy]

I hope the joinill vaccine work s. After two years of arguing with the old man we tried it last year and it did help alot. What area did you move from and where to if you don't mind me asking.

 

[flockeye]

The vaccination has been incredibly effective for years at home, but since moving here, we have been getting a few more cases each year. I am trying the Zuprevo this year, on the indoor lambers only, with the idea that if it doesn't work, I can vaccinate the ewes again later on, and keep them 'on the system'. My vet tells me he has a couple of large flocks that had tried everything but only got results from Zuprevo at birth. One was injecting 2000 lambs with it!

0.1ml is about 25p/lamb, so cheaper than the boaster vac these days (it used to be dirt cheap). Not happy about the prophylactic AB's, but is it any worse than giving everything Spectam?

Cheers for your reply,that has given me lots to think about.

 

[neilo]

I hope the joinill vaccine work s. After two years of arguing with the old man we tried it last year and it did help alot. What area did you move from and where to if you don't mind me asking.

I moved from N.Glos (just off the Cotswolds) to Montgomery, Powys. Erysiphilis is a soil borne bacteria, so different soil means different bacteria........ maybe?

 

[neilo]

Just an update on my trial with Zuprevo inj.

Thankfully lambing this bunch has been ridiculously slow, with only about 3-4 a day over the last 10 days. This group haven't had their Erysiphilis booster vac, but the lambs have each had 0.1ml of Zuprevo im (with an insulin syringe). So far, 20% have had joint ill already! Caught early, 1ml of Betamox LA and 0.5ml of Metacam is sorting it quickly, but I don't think I've ever had so many needed treating. Sheds & lambing pens were cleaned out & bedded well before they cam in, all navels sprayed twice with Iodine & plenty of colostrum.

Zuprevo inj has now stopped, they will all be getting Betamox LA at turnout to try to nip it in the bud, and the remainder of this group will be having the Porcilis Ery booster this afternoon. The April lambers will be back on the system and as soon as thy have their booster next week (got to have them through the clamp for their Cydectin jab anyway.

Not a happy bunny.

 

[flockeye]

Just an update on my trial with Zuprevo inj.

Thankfully lambing this bunch has been ridiculously slow, with only about 3-4 a day over the last 10 days. This group haven't had their Erysiphilis booster vac, but the lambs have each had 0.1ml of Zuprevo im (with an insulin syringe). So far, 20% have had joint ill already! Caught early, 1ml of Betamox LA and 0.5ml of Metacam is sorting it quickly, but I don't think I've ever had so many needed treating. Sheds & lambing pens were cleaned out & bedded well before they cam in, all navels sprayed twice with Iodine & plenty of colostrum.

Zuprevo inj has now stopped, they will all be getting Betamox LA at turnout to try to nip it in the bud, and the remainder of this group will be having the Porcilis Ery booster this afternoon. The April lambers will be back on the system and as soon as thy have their booster next week (got to have them through the clamp for their Cydectin jab anyway.

Not a happy bunny.

Just seen this (sorry bit slow I know). Just to say I tried zuprevo as a treatment for joint ill and had no joy with it for that so back to the Betamax for me too. Only having about 2.5% here is that exeptable or not??