No luck with tups

[dt995]

We have a small flock of Hill Radnors, and our previous ram was never quite right in his feet. Shelley hoof, limping, etc. We got rid, and bought a posh new yearling at the recent show. He was ok in a field with his wether-consort for a couple of weeks, and now he's in with the ewes but the bugger also now has foot problems.

We saw him kneeling to eat and favouring a front foot, so we caught and examined him: no smell, nothing overgrown, no compacted mud, no heat. Sprayed them purple (not antibiotic, not blue) and left him alone. Couple of days later he's kneeling and limping again. Going to go out and have another look at him now but if there're no signs, what to do?

 

[scatterbrainedlass]

Not really much point spraying if there's no foot rot. You could give him a jab of Tetroxy and see if that makes any difference, but you'd be stabbing in the dark really. Sometimes they do go a bit lame when you buy them in or move them as they adjust to different ground.

 

[andybk]

We have a small flock of Hill Radnors, and our previous ram was never quite right in his feet. Shelley hoof, limping, etc. We got rid, and bought a posh new yearling at the recent show. He was ok in a field with his wether-consort for a couple of weeks, and now he's in with the ewes but the bugger also now has foot problems.

We saw him kneeling to eat and favouring a front foot, so we caught and examined him: no smell, nothing overgrown, no compacted mud, no heat. Sprayed them purple (not antibiotic, not blue) and left him alone. Couple of days later he's kneeling and limping again. Going to go out and have another look at him now but if there're no signs, what to do?

Prob some infection sealed in foot previous owner put him through formalin gently pair foot .prob get a small weap. Release pressure will help a lot

 

[farmerm]

Had a shearling develop joint problems after only his first 3 weeks work, had to pull him out vet pumped him full of drugs and he did regain mobility but continued to loose condition then dropped dead Bloody sheep! Forget why it is I am looking at buying a new ram this evening Everything tells me I should be selling all the ewes instead

 

[dt995]

Grabbed him again (he's turning into a wary sod already). Washed his feet out with salt water to get a look, seems to have scald, so we blue-sprayed him and gave a jab of alamycin.

He was such a handsome chap when we got him, now I have him mentally filed as "another failure". He has a long way to go to repair his reputation.

I hate sheep. At least they don't need TB testing I suppose.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

You’re buying them off the wrong people

 

[Old Tip]

Too late now but I would have avoided jabbing him as antibiotic can affect the sperm

 

[Ysgythan]

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/texel-ram-lambs.249612/

Cross them with a Texel, they’ll make lovely freezer lambs and a saleable female. It’ll give you time to get the tup’s feet right for next year.

 

[Bear101]

Vet gave me tetroxy (I think it's the same as alamycin) and metacam. (For a ram, not myself). She said antibiotics won't affect fertility, but lamenes will. You may have to inject him two or three times.

 

[neilo]

Vet gave me tetroxy (I think it's the same as alamycin) and metacam. (For a ram, not myself). She said antibiotics won't affect fertility, but lamenes will. You may have to inject him two or three times.

That's correct. A raised temperature from not treating him would almost certainly cause temporary infertility/subfertility though.

 

[Stw88]

Too late now but I would have avoided jabbing him as antibiotic can affect the sperm

My vet dissagrees with that as i questioned him on it last year. It is the rise in temperature from the infection that your injecting for that affects them not the drugs. Previously i was never keen on jabbing tups at tupping time.

 

[Old Tip]

Thanks for the info boys, was always told it was a combination of both but your vets will know better

 

[Davy Boy]

Talk about no luck - Last year we bought 3 lambs. The first one got pneumonia twice so he missed the entire season last year, the second one took 20 - 25 goes to service a ewe (a man who knows about these things said that it was a case of the ram lacking the technique and that it should improve this year), the third must have been low on hormones or something as he wouldn't even look at a ewe (that said no problem this year). Bought a charollais ram lamb this year - he had a temperature when he came home from the mart and that knocked him out for about 6 weeks. Sometimes you feel like throwing the towel in

 

[Stuart_NI]

Is there any thorn hedges in the field, its possible he has a small thorn in foot. Best way to know is turn him up and squeeze foot usually if there's a thorn he'll try and pull free.