sheep abortion

[neilo]

What does campylobacter abortion look like?

The last storm we had resulted in a lot of lambs born 3 weeks early, with the aborted ewes not having enough milk to foster one onto either. if they make it to term, you can get a lot of weakly lambs born, that fail to thrive even if you manage to keep them alive.

 

[David.]

The last storm we had resulted in a lot of lambs born 3 weeks early, with the aborted ewes not having enough milk to foster one onto either. if they make it to term, you can get a lot of weakly lambs born, that fail to thrive even if you manage to keep them alive.

 

[cotswoldcs]

The last storm we had resulted in a lot of lambs born 3 weeks early, with the aborted ewes not having enough milk to foster one onto either. if they make it to term, you can get a lot of weakly lambs born, that fail to thrive even if you manage to keep them alive.

We are due to officially start today and have had about 10% of ewes abort to date. The only good thing with Campylobacter is that from my experience the ewes spit out their lambs no bother and are healthy afterwards. Most lambs are born dead or die shortly after birth but we have had about a dozen weakly lambs that are hanging on at the moment. Lambs are not at all smelly (unlike other abortions) but just small and the ewe will hopefully lamb no trouble next year. I'm keeping all my aborted ewes with my running ewe lambs hoping they will pass on some immunity to them.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Picking up nearly 180 dead lambs since the 5th March has been no fun at all.

 

[msheep66]

We are due to officially start today and have had about 10% of ewes abort to date. The only good thing with Campylobacter is that from my experience the ewes spit out their lambs no bother and are healthy afterwards. Most lambs are born dead or die shortly after birth but we have had about a dozen weakly lambs that are hanging on at the moment. Lambs are not at all smelly (unlike other abortions) but just small and the ewe will hopefully lamb no trouble next year. I'm keeping all my aborted ewes with my running ewe lambs hoping they will pass on some immunity to them.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Picking up nearly 180 dead lambs since the 5th March has been no fun at all.

Are you lambing inside or outside?

 

[cotswoldcs]

We do both. Used to be all inside but as we upped numbers we're lambing more outdoors. Due to the weather and abortions we're currently lambing indoors. Have about a third of ewes inside at present but planning that most of the others will lamb outside. I very much hope that abortions reduce and weather improves soon. Very soon.

 

[Greythundercloudys]

Some terrible story's of sheep abortion, l think it would finish me with sheep altogether, but it's hard to give in and alway think next year will be better?????. Farmer have a short memory in a month's time we will forget about for another year or until August when there's a lot fewer lambs to sell, hope it settles down now they are started.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

I dropped Enzo a couple of years ago, after using it ever since Enzovac was launched and sorted an ongoing problem with the old Coopers vaccine (but that’s another story). My thinking was, not bringing females on generally, the Enzo risk is comparitively low in my flock, and the ridiculous hike in Toxovax prices that year needed finding from somwhere.
I now vaccinate replacement ewe lambs for Toxo and Campy, then boost shearlings for Campy.

Every farm is different though, depending on what issues you have already, and what risks your replacement system might expose you to.

is toxo and enzo just as gimmer then no booster required?

I tend to keep replacements from my flock as you do (tend to buy a few mules in) seem to thrive much better and have the traits of the best of the flock you keep.

Very sorry to hear of the troubles some farmer are having on here id do hope you luck picks up in the coming weeks.

 

[neilo]

is toxo and enzo just as gimmer then no booster required?

I tend to keep replacements from my flock as you do (tend to buy a few mules in) seem to thrive much better and have the traits of the best of the flock you keep.

Very sorry to hear of the troubles some farmer are having on here id do hope you luck picks up in the coming weeks.

IIRC Toxo and Enzo is now supposed to need a booster after 4 years? (although it used to be once in their life). Personally, I don’t know of anyone that ever jabs them again, although I dare say there will be some that read the label....

 

[alwayslearning]

Ten days off lambing.
Abortion kicking up a gear with about ten a day nearly 100 total.
Vets still inconclusive on lambs sent in.
Getting a few live lambs but none have made it 24 hours yet.
Is this a sign or a clue to what it could be?
Tests negative for enzo and toxo

 

[Mcnulty24]

I have started lambing and have been getting some premature lambs that don't last long, I had campy confirmed by the vet lab. Also noticed some odd looking afterbirth to go with them.

Not sure if that helps

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Ten days off lambing.
Abortion kicking up a gear with about ten a day nearly 100 total.
Vets still inconclusive on lambs sent in.
Getting a few live lambs but none have made it 24 hours yet.
Is this a sign or a clue to what it could be?
Tests negative for enzo and toxo

Bloody hell have you blood tested any ewes?

 

[alwayslearning]

Bloody h? ell have you blood tested any ewes?

Vet said blood test only confirms toxo or enzo
unless she is mistaken

 

[alwayslearning]

I hope it is campy; at least I can vaccinate for it.
Tests are slow to come back and inconclusive is frustrating.

 

[yellowbelly]

Vet said blood test only confirms toxo or enzo
unless she is mistaken

We had some blood tested in march - our vet said negative for campy, salmonella, enzo but positive for toxo. Maybe it was a different test???

Whatever's causing it, very sorry to hear about your losses.

 

[msheep66]

Since we injected all the ewes with alamycin we have had no more cases of abortion. Ewes have been having healthy lambs thankfully.

 

[alwayslearning]

Positive test result finally in.
Campylobacter 3 weeks after I sent the 1st set of lambs in.
Verdict not much I can do now as I am so close to lambing (8days).
Not much fun when there's about 8-10 ewes aborting a day.
I have learned that it's better to send as many fresh samples in as possible because results take time and often come back inconclusive.
Don't listen to every thing the resident vet on here says as alamycin might of helped (my vet said this).
Looking forward to May and I can put this behind me

 

[Sheep92]

Positive test result finally in.
Campylobacter 3 weeks after I sent the 1st set of lambs in.
Verdict not much I can do now as I am so close to lambing (8days).
Not much fun when there's about 8-10 ewes aborting a day.
I have learned that it's better to send as many fresh samples in as possible because results take time and often come back inconclusive.
Don't listen to every thing the resident vet on here says as alamycin might of helped (my vet said this).
Looking forward to May and I can put this behind me

Least you know now what the problem is, nothing more disheartening than sheep aborting, hope they settle down for you
We got enzo 6 or 7 years ago, our vet told us to inject with alamycin, and they stopped almost straight away

 

[msheep66]

Yes wish we had injected ours sooner would have reduced our abortion rate.

 

[cotswoldcs]

+1. I decided not to inject my ewes and fear that I've suffered many more abortions than I should have. I will live to regret this one but will never forget the heartache it has caused. Still getting the odd 1 abort now but largely settled down. I understand that antiobiotics are not very effective against Campy but any effect would have been welcome to be honest. Ewes that have lambed are in as poor condtion as I've ever seen them :-(

How do I manage a flock of 120+ aborted ewes? Do I need to keep them lean and only give them poor quality grass as otherwise they will get too fat by tupping? I was thinking about grazing my running ewe lambs on the better grass and getting the aborted ewes to follow on behind - good idea? Or do I just be thankful they won't get mastitis, staggers etc as they aren't carrying lambs!

 

[alwayslearning]

I thought they would be best ran with the flock after lambing to help build passive immunity?
Going to vaccinate all hoggs and hope ewes will have had some exposure by next year.
You did well to get them to stop.
Seem to get more and more every day just hope the nearer to lambing I get the more viable the lambs will be and survive