Mycotoxins and Sheep

[Jonny_2]

Starting to scape the barrel for ideas here but have had a lot of still born lambs again this year and spend loads trying to find the problem and got no where, no common abortions have shown up, nor schamalenberg or borders disease. Changed feed this year and bolused but no better.

Remember a little about mycotoxins from uni, mainly causing problems in dairy with fertility and milk output. Did a bit more looking tonight and can cause abortion too.

Over winter my sheep on deferred permanent pasture much of which his year was long with quite a bit of dead matter in the bottom. Is there a chance that fungi/bacteria could cause the problem? Anyone feed a binder to sheep and if so what is it?

 

[bovine]

Specifically what testing has been done?

I'd be amazed if mycotoxins were the cause.

 

[Global ovine]

Did the boluses contain selenium?
Have you inspected the placentae from these dead lambs? Was it looking normal or smelly with dark brown areas instead of red with obvious active cotyledons?

Readers need more info before assumptions can be made.

 

[Jonny_2]

Sent 8 lambs to ministry lab at Thirsk over 2 years and nothing back has shown up, blood tested for toxo, enzo and schamalenberg. Bolused for cobalt, selenium and iodine. Didn't do for copper as bloods in summer said they were fine however soil tested the farm last month and all land is low in copper so might do them beige winter next year..

If it was borders disease would it defiantly be passed on lambs inside the womb or would it be better to blood test for borders?

Gimmer hoggs have just started, only one so far but all have made it to the due date.

 

[Global ovine]

Sent 8 lambs to ministry lab at Thirsk over 2 years and nothing back has shown up, blood tested for toxo, enzo and schamalenberg. Bolused for cobalt, selenium and iodine. Didn't do for copper as bloods in summer said they were fine however soil tested the farm last month and all land is low in copper so might do them beige winter next year..

If it was borders disease would it defiantly be passed on lambs inside the womb or would it be better to blood test for borders?

Gimmer hoggs have just started, only one so far but all have made it to the due date.

Border Disease (Hairy Shaker in NZ) is viral. When naive ewes are mixed with another group containing immune ewes and carriers during pregnancy the naive ewes can be infected. This virus affects the foetuses. Some foetuses are resorbed, others may be born dead, but they will carry the same features peculiar to the lambs that live. These are; very coarse birth coats that looks like dog hair rather than wool, often with a patch of brown guard hair on the back of the neck, very pixie like faces (often referred to resemble angora goat kids) and very light boned with knobbly knees. Sometimes the new born lambs tremble......hence the NZ name.
If you have numbers of dead lambs due to Border disease, I would think you would have many more live ones showing the symptoms I have described.
If this virus is the culprit, mix all ewes that are intended to be mixed during pregnancy by at least 6-8 weeks prior to mating, so the naive ewes get infected and become immune before they carry foetuses that are the target of the virus.

 

[Jonny_2]

Have had a few born like this alive but nearly all die in a week or two, never any though that I'd say we're hairy and shaking.

Mixing them together is part of my plan for next year, going to house them after weaning for a week and hope if I have it it will spread round.

Hopefully reduced the chance of keeping any persistent infectors this year, all my replacements we're weighted and only kept those above 45kg in October

 

[bovine]

Mixing to naturally vaccinate with BDV doesn't work as well as you'd expect. Get some BDV bloods done (or PM lambs)

Need some more recent samples doing - I don't care ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO.

 

[Jonny_2]

Vet phoned back today, 3 still born lambs came back negative for borders and usual abortion problems. They suggested blood testing some ewes again for toxo when the flock check scheme starts up again so will go from there.

Anyway that it could be nutrition related? Mostly affected triplet ewes however they seemed fit when I went through them to vaccinate. Will blood test before lambing next year to check but if I have the same going next year I'm off into cattle!