Shearlings Having Weak and Premature Lambs

[Frank-the-Wool]

We have a batch of a 100 Shearlings that have just started lambing that are causing a concern.
Unusually we can trace the history of these since birth, so all home bred.
First 12 months after weaning grazed away on a farm with no other sheep. They did have an issue with wormer resistance but after losing a small number the rest have done really well, They were vaccinated with Heptavac P.
They were tupped and away wintered on a farm in Surrey where there are no other sheep and in fact the only stock were horses and hay is made for horse feed. There are large numbers of Deer! They came back in excellent condition apart from a couple with eye infections.

Management pre lambing has been the same as all of the other shearlings and they are absolutely fine.
We did notice a relatively high level of Ticks on these and do wonder if they picked these up from the Deer and if this is the cause.

We have sent off 2 dead lambs for PM so may get more information.

Any ideas experts?

 

[spark_28]

Couldn't toxo do that?

 

[Moors Lad]

Couldn't toxo do that?

Very good idea. Have they been vaccinated? Had to start doing shearlings here a few years ago as they were having a similar problem. The ewes at the time didn`t have the same problem (all home bred)... Certainly worth involving your vet.

 

[JHT]

We sent some aborted lambs off for testing last year (which turned out to be campylobacter- but that’s another long and painful story). They tested them for Enzo, Toxo etc. And interestingly coxiella or Q fever which my vet said is spread by ticks and was becoming more common. Just a thought.

 

[firther]

We have a batch of a 100 Shearlings that have just started lambing that are causing a concern.
Unusually we can trace the history of these since birth, so all home bred.
First 12 months after weaning grazed away on a farm with no other sheep. They did have an issue with wormer resistance but after losing a small number the rest have done really well, They were vaccinated with Heptavac P.
They were tupped and away wintered on a farm in Surrey where there are no other sheep and in fact the only stock were horses and hay is made for horse feed. There are large numbers of Deer! They came back in excellent condition apart from a couple with eye infections.

Management pre lambing has been the same as all of the other shearlings and they are absolutely fine.
We did notice a relatively high level of Ticks on these and do wonder if they picked these up from the Deer and if this is the cause.

We have sent off 2 dead lambs for PM so may get more information.

Any ideas experts?

had same thing here with some of the shearlings, weak and small with no will to live, Had a normal sized 1 that were floppy and weak but that seems to be doing well

 

[spin cycle]

having similar problems with hoggs...I think it's toxo cos not all vaccinated

given ewes location could schmellenberg (sic) be cause?

 

[Pistonbroke]

Many birds about? Campylobactor possibly

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

We never vaccinate.
None have ever been fed anything other than grass and also never been housed so Toxo is unlikely.
Not Schmallenberg as if it was the others would be affected. We have had a small number of those and they are deformed and reluctant to breathe at all.
If it is Toxo the PM should confirm.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

None have ever been fed anything other than grass and also never been housed so Toxo is unlikely.

I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t prevent them getting toxo.
You need to get them blood tested otherwise you’re having a Jimmy into the wind

 

[Top Tip.]

We never vaccinate.
None have ever been fed anything other than grass and also never been housed so Toxo is unlikely.
Not Schmallenberg as if it was the others would be affected. We have had a small number of those and they are deformed and reluctant to breathe at all.
If it is Toxo the PM should confirm.

We have to vaccinate for toxo and it’s down to the cats out of the town crossing their grazing and peeing as they cross.

 

[copse]

We have to vaccinate for toxo and it’s down to the cats out of the town crossing their grazing and peeing as they cross.

Same here now but most cats have a one way ticket as well.

 

[exmoor dave]

We never vaccinate.
None have ever been fed anything other than grass and also never been housed so Toxo is unlikely.
Not Schmallenberg as if it was the others would be affected. We have had a small number of those and they are deformed and reluctant to breathe at all.
If it is Toxo the PM should confirm.

The first problems we had with toxo was in extensive sheep grazing woodland on the outskirts of town.
Never housed or hard fed

 

[Moors Lad]

Same here now but most cats have a one way ticket as well.

Wow!
A neighbour was having bother with toxo and they hadn`t fed anything that cats had been at ... we had fed small bale hay though so that was probably our problem.
Certainly worth talking to vet - I don`t think it`s too painful to check for toxo . Whatever is causing it you need to find out what it is. Damned annoying at this stage when something crops up like that..
EDIT , Apologies just read OP properly , I note a PM job is ongoing...

 

[andybk]

Couldn't toxo do that?

we had foxes causing an toxo issue years back (or vet thought so at time ,small animal vet ) , was nowhere near cat habitat , lot of fox dens nearby in remote area .
only other thing is cobalt/ selenium ok ?, can cause weak soggy lambs, and ewes maybe struggling if ticks been having a go .

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Many birds about? Campylobactor possibly

No, been there before though! If it was all the others would be affected as well. It is just this one group of 100.

Risk of Toxo much reduced if no feeding and no cats!!
Interesting about grazing near towns though, if PM comes back positive this may have been the issue.

 

[Pistonbroke]

No, been there before though! If it was all the others would be affected as well. It is just this one group of 100.

Risk of Toxo much reduced if no feeding and no cats!!
Interesting about grazing near towns though, if PM comes back positive this may have been the issue.

We.had a big problem with campy two years ago in one bunch like yours, neighbour had fields either side of ours and was feeding a lot of grain. Birds were swarming over the whole lot and we took the hit. Lost about a third of the lambs

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

We.had a big problem with campy two years ago in one bunch like yours, neighbour had fields either side of ours and was feeding a lot of grain. Birds were swarming over the whole lot and we took the hit. Lost about a third of the lambs

Yes had that a few years ago with Seagulls that were coming off a rubbish tip and sitting on our fields in the day.
Tip now closed but the Seagulls still a problem from taking the guts out of new born lambs and cast ewes!!!

 

[ladycrofter]

Classic toxo. It seems to be everywhere this year.

 

[gatepost]

Well my two pennys worth, apart from, hard winter on stock etc, we now 'spot on' all lambs as soon as, never seen so many ticks on lambs last year in March, lost a couple, but deer everywhere, so something new that I never even considered before, certainly made the lambs ill.

 

[spin cycle]

Classic toxo. It seems to be everywhere this year.

I think there must be other vectors other than cats given that it's so widespread