ORF!!!!

[scottish-lleyn]

I seem to have orf on a very big scale this year. I normaly have a few and they just get better on there own. But this year alot have it and some very sore. I know its a virus and you cant cure it but is there anything to lesson the symtems dry it up?

 

[spin cycle]

i've it run through my lambs though not badly...i've antibiotic sprayed the noses ....sometimes same time as heptavac...worked ok

 

[5312]

I have found that salt licks / rock salt helps a lot. Cleared ours up in a week or two last year.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Scratch them

 

[Man_in_black]

I had couple at few weeks, blue spray on face and it did clear up quicker than I expected but know it's a virus. Have salt blocks out and keeping on top of thistle. But certain @scottish-lleyn knows all these

 

[PFH]

My old man swears by this stuff:
http://www.net-tex.co.uk/products/g...heep-cattle-foot-care-preparations/footmaster

It turns the orf a gold/copper colour and seems to dry it up quickly, I guess it stops the air getting to it.

 

[Guiggs]

As said, Terramycin spray on the blisters, rock salt out for them to lick and scabivax when I ring/ number the lambs. Another expense and might not be practical depending on your system.

 

[scottish-lleyn]

Im going t o scratch them next year afyer this

 

[yellowbelly]

Another thread going on here
https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/orf-blocks.111950/

 

[yellowbelly]

Im going t o scratch them next year afyer this

We've been using Scabivax for about 7 or 8 years now (we graze a lot of other people's stewardship land that is progressively getting worse for thistles) and it has solved the problem every year except one. About 3yrs ago we had an horrendous outbreak, even though we had vaccinated. Vets came and took samples and checked vaccine had taken properly (it had) Vaccine manufacturer said we had just got a very virulent strain from somewhere.
Have read one of @neilo's posts on here a while back about using Tubby buckets if he sees it. Might give it a go next year by leaving maybe 30% unvaccinated to see what happens - Scabivax gets dearer every year and it's just another job to do at a busy time.

 

[beardface]

How old are the lambs, if there small enough to handle I'd scabivax them

 

[scottish-lleyn]

Will scabivax help this year?

 

[neilo]

Will scabivax help this year?

It is supposed to help reduce the severity of the outbreak (as buckets would far more easily).

 

[Roy_H]

Didn't he write "Carmina Burana" ?

 

[andybk]

we gave up vaxing at birth about 6-7 years ago due to reactions on ewe teats at around 2 weeks old and having to sort bottles and treat mastitis (all ewes are vaxed 6 weeks pre lambing anyway ) and year on year in the lambs its got less and less ,always have salt blocks in with batches of lambs indoors and outdoors ,or a 3 in 1 tubby in youngest outdoors i havnt seen any this year touch wood , so i think the natural reservoir is depleting . Was going to do lambs at last ovivac time but havnt done that either for last few years , may do again as im worried it may bounce back with a vengeance one day , lambs do tend to pick-up small natural reaction in late autumn which is ok here .

 

[GrannyAching]

I'm not sure it's the orf that's my main problem (or even a problem just now) but the secondary (staph??) infection which seems to plague me any time a youngster gets scratches from thistles or gorse.

I came on to ask a) is there anything that's not a spray because it does say not to get it up their nose and b) @bovine @MRT I was thinking that any with an orf/staph infection shouldn't be heptavaced so was thinking I might just have to do the rest and keep fingers crossed for the two or three with infection especially as I think one needs another shot of ab's.

 

[Woolless]

Funny, just been putting out rock salt this morning, as I've got a couple of cases in one field. Bought it last year as a few on here swear by it, blue spray for any more serious cases.

 

[GrannyAching]

Funny, just been putting out rock salt this morning, as I've got a couple of cases in one field. Bought it last year as a few on here swear by it, blue spray for any more serious cases.

Rock salt is great if they are using it. Not all my lambs will. I just wormed the lambs and there are quite a few showing little signs. I guess it would be worse without the salt. Going to look at the DB tubs, I just hope my ewes don't treat them like addicts which they usually do with tubs!

 

[neilo]

Rock salt is great if they are using it. Not all my lambs will. I just wormed the lambs and there are quite a few showing little signs. I guess it would be worse without the salt. Going to look at the DB tubs, I just hope my ewes don't treat them like addicts which they usually do with tubs!

They are min tubs, not mollassed feed buckets, so don't eat them like expensive sweeties.

Like Rock salt, they won't stop your lambs getting mild cases of orf (those little scabs), they will just help to dry it up before it gets bad enough to cause problems. I've always considered that a good thing, as the lambs develop a strong, natural immunity that way, which I suspect lasts longer than the vaccinal cover.

 

[Ysgythan]

Didn't he write "Carmina Burana" ?

No, Old Spice.