Orf

[BD1]

Can adult sheep get orf, or do only lambs get it?

 

[CJay]

Adult sheep can indeed get it. In my experience aged ewes tend to get it more so on their teats as it’s transferred there by orf infected suckling lambs. But have had aged ewes with it on their mouths too.

I use scabivax on ewes pre housing and on lambs at birth now.

 

[Skintagain]

we have been bad this year with orf. Put it down to tight grazing and dry

 

[CJay]

we have been bad this year with orf. Put it down to tight grazing and dry

Maybe down to the prickly dry stems causing small pricks around the mouth

 

[charlie77]

Adult sheep can indeed get it. In my experience aged ewes tend to get it more so on their teats as it’s transferred there by orf infected suckling lambs. But have had aged ewes with it on their mouths too.

I use scabivax on ewes pre housing and on lambs at birth now.

When do you house? When do you lamb down? Where do you administer the vaccine?

 

[CJay]

When do you house? When do you lamb down? Where do you administer the vaccine?

I house in December And try and scratch the ewes 6 weeks before housing. I scratch them down the side of the tail.

lamb in Feb/March and give the lambs a scratch at the top of the front leg. You would still get a small bit of orf on a few of the lambs but it is generally a few wee spots that heal and clear up very quickly. Very few ever seam to take secondary infection with the vaccine which is where the real damage is done in my experience.

 

[Farmeress]

Can adult sheep get orf, or do only lambs get it?

Yes adult sheep can get it too unfortunately

 

[JD-Kid]

seen it on a few ewes mainly in mobs with high amounts on lambs. think more. infected from the lambs there is some talk of some ewes being carriers of it
we vax lambs here but not. older ewes

 

[GreenerGrass]

Only ever had a couple of little bumps before but this year is much worse both more affected and some of the bumps are rubbed raw and around the mouth rather than just the tip of the nose. I’ve put some lumps of rock salt out, in the hope of limiting secondary infections. I've got it on a number of lambs, but also many of the ewes who must have been naive. @JD-Kid sounds right if some ewes could carry it because... I haven't introduced new sheep nor have they been housed, so I had hoped that Orf would disappear from the flock.

Definitely got too many thistles on the farm, but aside from this does anyone have good orf strategies? I've loved my closed flock to be free of it, but as per above I'm not sure if that is possible, could it be deer or other that has brought it across from neighbours ground.

Read v. mixed reports on scabivax and would rather not go down that route...

 

[rancher]

Only ever had a couple of little bumps before but this year is much worse both more affected and some of the bumps are rubbed raw and around the mouth rather than just the tip of the nose. I’ve put some lumps of rock salt out, in the hope of limiting secondary infections. I've got it on a number of lambs, but also many of the ewes who must have been naive. @JD-Kid sounds right if some ewes could carry it because... I haven't introduced new sheep nor have they been housed, so I had hoped that Orf would disappear from the flock.

Definitely got too many thistles on the farm, but aside from this does anyone have good orf strategies? I've loved my closed flock to be free of it, but as per above I'm not sure if that is possible, could it be deer or other that has brought it across from neighbours ground.

Read v. mixed reports on scabivax and would rather not go down that route...

No point in worrying about where it came from, It's so easily prevented it shouldn't be a worry.
Our flock just got worse and worse every year with Orf. since it started in the flock.
We started doing the lambs with scabivax five years ago and have had an orf free flock since.
Like everything it has to be done right

 

[JD-Kid]

we used. vax for years and had a year. the product was recalled
did have a bit higher. amount but not huge still vax lambs to keep it under control

 

[GreenerGrass]

Thanks both so sounds as though eradication from a flock is not as simple as I’d hoped. Will look into the vaccine I just had read things on here which made it sound like it was an awkward one and lot of work. Could it be given the same time as heptavac?

 

[rancher]

Thanks both so sounds as though eradication from a flock is not as simple as I’d hoped. Will look into the vaccine I just had read things on here which made it sound like it was an awkward one and lot of work. Could it be given the same time as heptavac?

We give it at a day old, to be fair we lamb indoors so it's not a big job, we castrate and ring the tails at the same time.
Like ourselves, I'd say if you get an outbreak as bad as our last one you won't need to be convinced.
The earlier you do it the earlier you get protection, heptavac can't be given till they're 3 or 4 week and Orf can often strike before then.
Scabivax is a live vaccine so be careful....not a nice thing to be infected with

 

[GreenerGrass]

Thanks Rancher for the info - will have to look at for next year. We lamb outside but catching them should be OK at that age. The only question is once the bottle/applicator is opened, does it have to be used in a very short time period like heptavac (same day) or is it OK to keep longer?

As I say never really seen it before in our sheep, but this year a lot of our ewes and lambs have it round their mouths. I'm going to take more aggressive stance against thistles also.

 

[JD-Kid]

Thanks Rancher for the info - will have to look at for next year. We lamb outside but catching them should be OK at that age. The only question is once the bottle/applicator is opened, does it have to be used in a very short time period like heptavac (same day) or is it OK to keep longer?

As I say never really seen it before in our sheep, but this year a lot of our ewes and lambs have it round their mouths. I'm going to take more aggressive stance against thistles also.

controlling gorse. thistles etc all helps if outside. lambing etc
the vax has a short life once opened light and heat kill it fast would have to have a look at one but in sunlight think it's only a few hours keep chilled and in the dark may last longer but not. very long

 

[rancher]

controlling gorse. thistles etc all helps if outside. lambing etc
the vax has a short life once opened light and heat kill it fast would have to have a look at one but in sunlight think it's only a few hours keep chilled and in the dark may last longer but not. very long

I heard that too, but ours was open 3 weeks this year and we'd always have the bottle open a while as we'd be only doing them according as they lamb.
We'd get 80 or 90 out of a botlle that's supposed to do 50.Once they get any of the liquid in the scratch they seem to have a minor reaction to it
So we break all the rules...... leave it in the fridge too when you're not using it.
In flocks very prone to Orf some farmers give the ewes a scratch when they're doing the lambs, just turn up the tail and scratch it or I think the ear can be done too, the sheep form scabs on the scratch and when they fall off the scabs are very infectious so don't do the ewes when they're going into a shed for the winter.
They say it's a help to use in the face of an outbreak, I don't know anything about that though, maybe someone would comment

 

[Colliepup123]

Just wondered if anybody could help me with a few questions about the vaccine. This is the first year we have had orf, so never vaccinated before.
1. When is the best time to do vaccinate ewes i.e pre tupping, flushing?
2. Will the fact that all ewes have recently been footvax'd cause any issues?
Thanks in advance