Strong lambs squitty

[crazy_bull]

So a bunch of good strong lambs 40kg+ that are probably a month off being fit have suddenly started to sh!t through the eye of a needle.

Not all of them, but it started as 3 or 4, about 10 days ago, then 20+ a week ago and now probably 30-40 out of a mob of 140, we caught them up at the weekend and dagged out all the messy ones (as it was bad, plus thought it would make it easier to spot it spreading more or not) and there are another 3-4 balmed up today so seems to be still going through them.

Initially I put it down to moving onto fresh lush grass but they have now been on there for 2 weeks, they did come off very tight grass previously so guess it could still be upsetting their guts?

Sent poo sample off and came back:

100 Strogyle
less than 1400 Coccidia
No Fluke detected

Vet is also doing a salmonella culture which I am awaiting the results.

Going to call them tomorrow to discuss what they think it is, is that coccidia level high as I can't find a reference for 'normal' levels.

Cheers

C B.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Haemonchus would be possible if they are showing signs of anaemia and are not thriving, although scouring is not so common.
I am afraid that faecal egg counts are not reliable for Haemonchus until they are well infested. Treat with a Levamisole to fix them.

 

[spin cycle]

Haemonchus would be possible if they are showing signs of anaemia and are not thriving, although scouring is not so common.
I am afraid that faecal egg counts are not reliable for Haemonchus until they are well infested. Treat with a Levamisole to fix them.

pull back eyelids to see if they're pale...sign of haemonchus

ivermectin better IME

 

[crazy_bull]

Haemonchus would be possible if they are showing signs of anaemia and are not thriving, although scouring is not so common.
I am afraid that faecal egg counts are not reliable for Haemonchus until they are well infested. Treat with a Levamisole to fix them.

They seem strong apart from the chronic sh1!s, will check the eyelids of a bad one.

 

[spin cycle]

They seem strong apart from the chronic sh1!s, will check the eyelids of a bad one.

if they're 'strong' it may not be haemonchus TBH

 

[devonbrion1998]

We got the same problem,I wormed and moved onto wet lush grass
there have never been sheep on that field since the late 90s,Ive put it down to the grass
bearing in mind they have never seen good grass with the drought this summer.
however, I will take a better look in the morn at eyelids ect

 

[livestock 1]

I had the same problem about 6 weeks ago. I changed from Rycoben to levafas diamond (Nilzan) and it cleared it up. Someone might shed more light on it

 

[Hilly]

Lack of copper cobalt selenium can make em skitter.

 

[andybk]

Lack of copper cobalt selenium can make em skitter.

cobalt has been a big issue this year , i recon it was drought and grass not drawing it up from soil , we had runny eyes as well after weaning thought was pink eye it wasnt , then a couple went blind (with clean eyes ) we realised what it was after a couple b1 injections , bolused with small smart trace lamb boluses and lambs bums dried up and eyes all got sorted , they all look well now .

 

[Hilly]

cobalt has been a big issue this year , i recon it was drought and grass not drawing it up from soil , we had runny eyes as well after weaning thought was pink eye it wasnt , then a couple went blind (with clean eyes ) we realised what it was after a couple b1 injections , bolused with small smart trace lamb boluses and lambs bums dried up and eyes all got sorted , they all look well now .

Same here, tey were skittering like mad , gave a c c s bolous and all well again.

 

[devonbrion1998]

I think the bolous would be a good move for us, what's best and where can one get them?

 

[andybk]

I think the bolous would be a good move for us, what's best and where can one get them?

short keep lambs smart trace 50p each last 3 months , or wynnstay (mayo) 3 in 1 £0.90 each lasts 6 months , or animax similar price , adult smart trace is to big and difficult to use . try and do a deal to get a gun free

 

[neilo]

I had the same problem about 6 weeks ago. I changed from Rycoben to levafas diamond (Nilzan) and it cleared it up. Someone might shed more light on it

Any Fec's? It would be very rare for Rycoben (white drench) to be an effective wormer on anything other than Nematodirus, although perhaps some farms don't have resistance yet. If you had white drench resistance and changed to a yellow (Levafas Diamond) which you maybe didn't have resistance to, scours due to worms would obviously dry up.

 

[neilo]

So a bunch of good strong lambs 40kg+ that are probably a month off being fit have suddenly started to sh!t through the eye of a needle.

Not all of them, but it started as 3 or 4, about 10 days ago, then 20+ a week ago and now probably 30-40 out of a mob of 140, we caught them up at the weekend and dagged out all the messy ones (as it was bad, plus thought it would make it easier to spot it spreading more or not) and there are another 3-4 balmed up today so seems to be still going through them.

Initially I put it down to moving onto fresh lush grass but they have now been on there for 2 weeks, they did come off very tight grass previously so guess it could still be upsetting their guts?

Sent poo sample off and came back:

100 Strogyle
less than 1400 Coccidia
No Fluke detected

Vet is also doing a salmonella culture which I am awaiting the results.

Going to call them tomorrow to discuss what they think it is, is that coccidia level high as I can't find a reference for 'normal' levels.

Cheers

C B.

Lush grass growth (protein excess) or a TE deficiency would be my first thoughts.

 

[livestock 1]

Any Fec's? It would be very rare for Rycoben (white drench) to be an effective wormer on anything other than Nematodirus, although perhaps some farms don't have resistance yet. If you had white drench resistance and changed to a yellow (Levafas Diamond) which you maybe didn't have resistance to, scours due to worms would obviously dry up.

I have never done any fec. I don’t know much about it. I have used rycoben on and off for lambs but it has appeared to not work lately. Changed and problem sorted.

 

[neilo]

I have never done any fec. I don’t know much about it. I have used rycoben on and off for lambs but it has appeared to not work lately. Changed and problem sorted.

An ineffective wormer will still appear to work until it's only killing half of the worms. I used Rycoben on some housed lambs that I tested with a FEC of 1200, purely because of the 3 day withdrawal and assuming it would kill at least half. They all looked better within a few days and dried up, which I was pleasantly surprised by. I sold some fat and then tested a bunch of the remainder a fortnight later. FEC was still 750, so the Rycoben, although looking like it had worked, had only under half of the worms. I sold some more fat, then dosed the remainder with Zolvix (7 day withdrawal) on Monday.
Lambs in the field without feeders were done with Levamisole at the same time, and dropped from a FEC of 1400epg to zero. They have now overtaken the housed lambs, without seeing any feed.

In short, it would have been cheaper to have used a bottle of p*ss, than the Rycoben.

 

[Bury the Trash]

I think the bolous would be a good move for us, what's best and where can one get them?

mayo or nettex micro bolus, are easier to use.

having the haminal fully restrained makes a heck of a difference

 

[livestock 1]

An ineffective wormer will still appear to work until it's only killing half of the worms. I used Rycoben on some housed lambs that I tested with a FEC of 1200, purely because of the 3 day withdrawal and assuming it would kill at least half. They all looked better within a few days and dried up, which I was pleasantly surprised by. I sold some fat and then tested a bunch of the remainder a fortnight later. FEC was still 750, so the Rycoben, although looking like it had worked, had only under half of the worms. I sold some more fat, then dosed the remainder with Zolvix (7 day withdrawal) on Monday.
Lambs in the field without feeders were done with Levamisole at the same time, and dropped from a FEC of 1400epg to zero. They have now overtaken the housed lambs, without seeing any feed.

In short, it would have been cheaper to have used a bottle of p*ss, than the Rycoben.

That’s what I thought too. I even wondered if I’d had a bad batch of drench, which has happened to me before but it sounds like you’ve answered it for me!

 

[neilo]

mayo or nettex micro bolus, are easier to use.

having the haminal fully restrained makes a heck of a difference

I’ve given up on those as not lastingmuch longer than a drench, but costing 3x as much and harder/more time consumer to give.

 

[andybk]

tell you what reading this thread , wonder how much colbalt and selenium has contributed to worm resistance , in that in the past we all rushed out with the wormer for skittery lambs in autumn , when it was probably a TE deficiency .