Lameness in Store Lambs

LAMBCHOPS

Member
Is there more lameness occurring in boughten store lambs. Over the years we are seeing more lambs going lame with our wintering lambs.Able to cure but find we are turning over 30% of each bunch at least ObviouSly buying off many sources mainly through markets.
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Is there more lameness occurring in boughten store lambs. Over the years we are seeing more lambs going lame with our wintering lambs.Able to cure but find we are turning over 30% of each bunch at least ObviouSly buying off many sources mainly through markets.

Not more just weather conditions making it harder to cure the problem.
Warm and continuously wet makes it almost impossible to clear up.

Needs some dry frosty conditions which we don't get any more.
 

LAMBCHOPS

Member
Not more just weather conditions making it harder to cure the problem.
Warm and continuously wet makes it almost impossible to clear up.

Needs some dry frosty conditions which we don't get any more.
The warmer weather is a factor probably. We are considering footvax next year what's the cost do you do twice? Is the fact we are dipping all this last 3 years a factor too?
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
The warmer weather is a factor probably. We are considering footvax next year what's the cost do you do twice? Is the fact we are dipping all this last 3 years a factor too?

You will find Footvax is too expensive and as most of this will be Scald related not always effective.

Dipping will be an issue.
Seem to remember adding disinfectant or similar to dip baths can help.
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
What is the footvax cost? Having lambs lame away from home is a burden,when upright they get fat off grass
I’m buying 2,000 doses on an order of other medicines over £6.5k and I think I had footvax down to 90p/dose? It isn’t worth doing twice even for flock replacements, the old paperwork used to say 1 dose per year.

Post dipping lameness used to be a huge issue when we dipped years ago 🤷🏻‍♂️
 

LAMBCHOPS

Member
I’m buying 2,000 doses on an order of other medicines over £6.5k and I think I had footvax down to 90p/dose? It isn’t worth doing twice even for flock replacements, the old paperwork used to say 1 dose per year.

Post dipping lameness used to be a huge issue when we dipped years ago 🤷🏻‍♂️
Roy Thomas? With order we do similar big orders saves a lot in long run.Did you find anything to help post dipping or is this the norm. It does Talley with our time frame of dipping all and increase in lameness. One footvax we shall try
 

ARW

Member
Location
Yorkshire
Footvax as around £1 a dose, 2x doses so having nearly 0% lame in my mind is much cheaper than 30% of them being lame, cost of time, treatment and lamb condition has to cost more than £2 a head for prevention
 

LAMBCHOPS

Member
Footvax as around £1 a dose, 2x doses so having nearly 0% lame in my mind is much cheaper than 30% of them being lame, cost of time, treatment and lamb condition has to cost more than £2 a head for prevention
I agree lambs fit will leave a sensible margin so the cost is acceptable against 3k of sheep on the ground and all the extra work. Dipping tub needs refreshing more often and . Bactierostat added to dip any thoughts or experience?
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Given the steady spread of CODD, it would be staggering if you didn’t bring in at least some with it when you buy store lambs from all over, which would rapidly infect any naive lambs you also buy in.

If I were buying store lambs in, I would be treating them all as if they have scab, triple resistant worms and CODD. If you manage to avoid those then good luck to you, but it will get you eventually.:(
 

Mc115reed

Member
Livestock Farmer
I’m buying 2,000 doses on an order of other medicines over £6.5k and I think I had footvax down to 90p/dose? It isn’t worth doing twice even for flock replacements, the old paperwork used to say 1 dose per year.

Post dipping lameness used to be a huge issue when we dipped years ago 🤷🏻‍♂️
My vet said too footvax twice a year until I was on top of lameness but every 6 months not 2 doses straight away… store lambs will be gone in 6 months so should be sufficient… if you can’t spare £1 a dose in store lambs you must be doing something wrong if that’s your margin IMO…
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Foot bath once per week until they are gone.

Posts like that make me glad I don’t buy other people’s problems in. My stores are dumped in a distant field on stubble turnips, moved as needed, and won’t be near handling pens before mid-March.

If I was to buy in, I would endeavour to have issues sorted so that I could treat them the same, even if the initial cost was dearer. Each to their own though.
 

Ceri

Member
Yeh we footvax..... Great product but expensive at £90-1/ dose but worth it .. must admit we find u need to give 2 doses 4-6 weeks apart. Bought some Welsh ewe lambs in 2 yrs ago lame as feckin cats all the time, mucked about with um footrotting bathing etc but pretty much straight after the 2nd dose cleared um up instantly.....? Weird cause it's meant to be a preventative not a cure but it did the trick for us...... Good job wat an absolutely crap job footrotting sheep is or trying to run them through a shitey footbath....
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
Given the steady spread of CODD, it would be staggering if you didn’t bring in at least some with it when you buy store lambs from all over, which would rapidly infect any naive lambs you also buy in.

If I were buying store lambs in, I would be treating them all as if they have scab, triple resistant worms and CODD. If you manage to avoid those then good luck to you, but it will get you eventually.:(
As @neilo says above!
If anything new arrives on the farm here it gets double footbathed on arrival, even if i know it’s off a clean farm there are many different types of foot problems and you don’t want to bring strains up that your own flock has built up immunity against.


My vet said too footvax twice a year until I was on top of lameness but every 6 months not 2 doses straight away… store lambs will be gone in 6 months so should be sufficient… if you can’t spare £1 a dose in store lambs you must be doing something wrong if that’s your margin IMO…
I was simply saying there is no need for the 2 doses 4-6 weeks apart unless it’s a really bad problem..
 

andybk

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Mendips Somerset
Given the steady spread of CODD, it would be staggering if you didn’t bring in at least some with it when you buy store lambs from all over, which would rapidly infect any naive lambs you also buy in.

If I were buying store lambs in, I would be treating them all as if they have scab, triple resistant worms and CODD. If you manage to avoid those then good luck to you, but it will get you eventually.:(
of course if people bred their own ............ , problem in the south is a hell of a lot of stores tend to be the ones with problems or are harder to finish , i know someone not far away big flock had bad codd for years many of his lambs go store , has spent 000s on antibiotics , still cant rid it , another , a few miles away just sold the lot store same reason ,to many fly by nights around the sheep rings last few years , my nightmare having keep near their sheep during winter .
 
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andybk

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Mendips Somerset
Footvax as around £1 a dose, 2x doses so having nearly 0% lame in my mind is much cheaper than 30% of them being lame, cost of time, treatment and lamb condition has to cost more than £2 a head for prevention
one dose 1/2 ml works fine (and you get less lumps) in lambs , just be careful where they are vaxed .as some lumps will get you problems on the line
and if your doing ewe lambs and end up keeping them dont use cydectin 1% following year after footvax
 
Posts like that make me glad I don’t buy other people’s problems in. My stores are dumped in a distant field on stubble turnips, moved as needed, and won’t be near handling pens before mid-March.

If I was to buy in, I would endeavour to have issues sorted so that I could treat them the same, even if the initial cost was dearer. Each to their own though.
I know a lad that does his weekly but will only keep them 8 weeks he’s not going to start vaccinating them.
 

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