Mucky Arses

[Jerry]

I was dagging ewes yesterday and it became very clear that one group were the worst offenders.

I bought 40 shearlings direct off another farm last July. After quarantine they have been run with the rest of the ewes since the run up to tupping. Not been treated any different to my other ewes.

As it happens they were organic though i am not.

They were OK sheep, nothing special but fine as commercial ewes.

They are easy to spot in the field as have big blue management eartags in their lugs.

Out of about 300 ewes I dagged about 40 with messy bums. Nearly all the ewes from that group I purchased needed doing which is striking.

Is this a genetic thing or a change in challenge from their home farm?

 

[gatepost]

What did you worm them with when you bought them? did it cover the prevalent species of worm for that part of the year? have you wormed them since, ie at lambing, shearlings are more prone to being affected by a worm burden than an older ewe, and that's just for starters!

 

[Jerry]

What did you worm them with when you bought them? did it cover the prevalent species of worm for that part of the year? have you wormed them since, ie at lambing, shearlings are more prone to being affected by a worm burden than an older ewe, and that's just for starters!

They got Zolvix on purchase.

Adult sheep here dont get wormed at all, do periodically FEC test them but no significant levels.

Home bred shearlings, did not have to dag a single one and there where more of them than the 40 bought in ones, which makes me think a different challenge compared to the bought in ones or genetics.

 

[neilo]

They would surely have got over any change in farm by now?
More likely a genetic thing imo. Some sheep are just shitty, and their progeny often are as well ime. Definitely heritable, and likely the previous owner wasn’t selecting against it, or bothered about it.

 

[Bury the Trash]

better not to have bought them

 

[neilo]

better not to have bought them

Useful advice.

 

[BAF]

It depends how much it bothers you, if it really irks you then treat it as genetic and don't keep any of their progeny this year and cull them out as and when. If next year they're clean then you can put it down to environmental factors and then use your discretion as to whether you keep any of their progeny. If it doesn't bother you then keep any of their progeny this year and gamble its environmental not genetic.

 

[primmiemoo]

I was dagging ewes yesterday and it became very clear that one group were the worst offenders.

I bought 40 shearlings direct off another farm last July. After quarantine they have been run with the rest of the ewes since the run up to tupping. Not been treated any different to my other ewes.

As it happens they were organic though i am not.

They were OK sheep, nothing special but fine as commercial ewes.

They are easy to spot in the field as have big blue management eartags in their lugs.

Out of about 300 ewes I dagged about 40 with messy bums. Nearly all the ewes from that group I purchased needed doing which is striking.

Is this a genetic thing or a change in challenge from their home farm?

Teeth, and gut function? It'll possibly have run through from a shared sire, or other bloodline. It could be that the breeder thinks that dags are normal for sheep.

 

[serf]

Needs gecko round there

 

[gatepost]

Have you fec tested the shitty ones?

 

[ladycrofter]

Something's gone wrong IMO this year. As said in another thread we have had so many s***** bums this year and mostly from one large field, which is in no way different than any other fields here. The sheep not treated any differently and are the same breed mix/ages/feed as other mobs. Most are not gimmers. They're all wormed/adult fluke pre-lambing and that's it.
We decided to dose again at marking this week, and fec test in a few weeks time.
Normally we would look at culling something that's constantly s***** but this is on an epic scale.

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Something's gone wrong IMO this year. As said in another thread we have had so many s***** bums this year and mostly from one large field, which is in no way different than any other fields here. The sheep not treated any differently and are the same breed mix/ages/feed as other mobs. Most are not gimmers. They're all wormed/adult fluke pre-lambing and that's it.
We decided to dose again at marking this week, and fec test in a few weeks time.
Normally we would look at culling something that's constantly s***** but this is on an epic scale.

I don't know about you, but our grass has gone from famine to feast in about a fortnight. I sometimes wonder whether having grown so quickly is more likely to make sheep sh1tty.?

 

[gatepost]

Process of elimination, just worm and mark 10 of them, if they dry up then there's your answer regardless of what the worming policy is.

 

[Skintagain]

Well the grass has exploded here and nearly every ewe has a shitty arse
Every thing was getting tight now everything has 6 inch of grass in front of it in the space of two weeks. They are adjusting but unfortunately it’s at a high time for maggots

 

[Bury the Trash]

Useful advice.

to anyone reading it yes. ive learnt that from experience.

much easier to quarantine a ram or 2. buying in ewes when ever ive done it over the years has just bought me in more problem's

aint got so much choice when starting out but when established ,well that's a different matter.

 

[Bury the Trash]

It depends how much it bothers you, if it really irks you then treat it as genetic and don't keep any of their progeny this year and cull them out as and when. If next year they're clean then you can put it down to environmental factors and then use your discretion as to whether you keep any of their progeny. If it doesn't bother you then keep any of their progeny this year and gamble its environmental not genetic.

but he just bought them in

 

[ford4000]

They would surely have got over any change in farm by now?
More likely a genetic thing imo. Some sheep are just shitty, and their progeny often are as well ime. Definitely heritable, and likely the previous owner wasn’t selecting against it, or bothered about it.

Maybe they are having their first nematodirus challenge after moving farm?

 

[neilo]

Maybe they are having their first nematodirus challenge after moving farm?

Good point, or cocci I suppose, if the original farm hadn’t given them any challenge to build resistance?

 

[Hill Ground]

What breed of sheep are we talking?

Same breed as your other ewes?

Everyone jokes about Suffolks being black at both ends. But that's 100% a thing

 

[Jerry]

What breed of sheep are we talking?

Same breed as your other ewes?

Everyone jokes about Suffolks being black at both ends. But that's 100% a thing

yes. Same breed. All my ewes are lleyns