Ovivac or heptivac for young lambs?

[Further a field]

My ewes have never been vaccinated but I want to get my baby lambs started on the system ...I understand I can vaccinate them as early as 3/4 weeks old.is one or the other vaccines preferable?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

If you’re breeding your own replacements then heptivac
Heptivac will cover everything ovivac does plus lamb dysentery

 

[yellowbelly]

Heptavac covers a few more diseases than Ovivac so it would depend a bit on what you may have history of lurking around on the farm.

We do all our breeding replacements with Heptavac and all those destined for the food chain with Ovivac.

Smallest bottle of Ovivac is 100ml though, so depending on your numbers, that may have some bearing on what you use.

 

[farmerclare]

I use Heptavac on all my lambs as Ovivac smallest bottle comes in 100ml and I would waste a lot of it.

 

[Estate fencing.]

I Heptavac all the lambs so that ewe lambs are on the system, then Heptavac the ewe hoggs again that are being kept in march when I do the late lambing ewes.

 

[Further a field]

Thanks everyone...I ll go for hepitvac in case i keep some of the ewe lambs
What age do people tend to vaccinate there lambs with heptivac ..I was thinking at around 4 to 5 weeks old?

 

[Estate fencing.]

Thanks everyone...I ll go for hepitvac in case i keep some of the ewe lambs
What age do people tend to vaccinate there lambs with heptivac ..I was thinking at around 4 to 5 weeks old?

I try to them when the youngest in the bunch is 3 weeks.

 

[Further a field]

I try to them when the youngest in the bunch is 3 weeks.

Cheers I aim for that I have lost a couple of lambs at 6 weeks old in the past I m keen not to repeat that

 

[Northern territory]

Just a question, do either of these have any effect on mastitis in the ewe. We haven’t done our ewes and seem to be having a few go down with it.

 

[neilo]

Just a question, do either of these have any effect on mastitis in the ewe. We haven’t done our ewes and seem to be having a few go down with it.

No.

 

[Estate fencing.]

Just a question, do either of these have any effect on mastitis in the ewe. We haven’t done our ewes and seem to be having a few go down with it.

No. Just a bad season for it I think.

 

[neilo]

No. Just a bad season for it I think.

Yes, cold wind is not helpful imo.

 

[Northern territory]

Yes, cold wind is not helpful imo.

Any ideas on the best form of prevention, is it breed specific

 

[JoeFo]

We dose the ewes before lambing and then aim to the lambs at 3-4 weeks old. Just give the lamb one shot as antibodies get passed on from the ewes

 

[Estate fencing.]

We dose the ewes before lambing and then aim to the lambs at 3-4 weeks old. Just give the lamb one shot as antibodies get passed on from the ewes

I don’t think that’s right. The antibodies for the ewes has worn off by then so you have to give the lambs 2 jabs. The first one is just the primer.

 

[cheviot53]

Any ideas on the best form of prevention, is it breed specific

Every one we speak to is having a problem , we lost 2 & saved 2 in the last week and 3 saved in the weeks before , Draxxin & pain killer

 

[Estate fencing.]

Every one we speak to is having a problem , we lost 2 & saved 2 in the last week and 3 saved in the weeks before , Draxxin & pain killer

I was getting 3/4 day a couple of weeks ago. I have one ewe left in the shed will 2 lambs that lambed a couple of days ago and noticed the lambs didn’t look great tonight and she has mastitis now! Iv been giving the ewes oxotosin (don’t know how to spell it) as well as amoxopen and meticam and manged to save most ewes and even some are back milking on both quarters.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

Just a question, do either of these have any effect on mastitis in the ewe. We haven’t done our ewes and seem to be having a few go down with it.

ive just been considering this for my ewes next year, it says it can prevent mastitis on the info give it a good read im not a user but worth looking.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

We dose the ewes before lambing and then aim to the lambs at 3-4 weeks old. Just give the lamb one shot as antibodies get passed on from the ewes

its says in the info again as ive been reading it that ewes pass the anti bodies to the lambs for upto 6 weeks if jabbed 4-6 week pre lambing, in theory your practise could work although i don't see it recommended, although i cant see why not.

 

[neilo]

its says in the info again as ive been reading it that ewes pass the anti bodies to the lambs for upto 6 weeks if jabbed 4-6 week pre lambing, in theory your practise could work although i don't see it recommended, although i cant see why not.

Passive immunity is passed to the lamb through antibodies in the colostrum of vaccinated ewes. That immunity is short lived, hence the need for a full (2x) vaccination program in the lambs.
Vaccinating the lambs does not boost that passive immunity that may be passed in colostrum, unfortunately.