Sudden deaths

[Al R]

Big lambs, sudden deaths suggests pulpy kidney to me. Had one snuff it with that a fortnight after first heptavac. Interesting shout from @Six Dogs too. Pasturella tends to be later on though?

I use no heptavac on ewes or lambs etc and somehow losses arnt much greater, the 3-4 fastest growing lambs usually snuff it with pulpy kidney or similar which isn't bad from 1500 lambs.

 

[charlie77]

it's unlikely to be the same problem in ewes and lambs. Make sure there are 2 parallel investigations going on.

Until about a month after the 2nd injection of the vaccination course the animal has little meaningful protection. These are not vaccinated in any real sense.

Without PM's and samples we won't know.

Sorry bovine I'm just checking, but are you saying that there's no protection until 1 month after 2nd injection? The bottle says lambs must be at least 3 weeks old before receiving 1st jag, my vet recomends that they are 7 weeks before 1st jag. If we call it 5 weeks for 1st 9 weeks for 2nd ,13 weeks for immunity to build, and I aim to have lambs away by 16 weeks am i paying a lot of money for very little cover

 

[bovine]

am i paying a lot of money for very little cover

Yes you are.

Start as soon as you can use up a bottle from 3 weeks is my advice.

That said, if they are going to get pulpy kidney its just as they are almost fat....

 

[Jim75]

Just off the phone to the vet. It is a tick borne problem. Maybe I'm wrong spelling and pronouncing it but some thing like anaphalaysia causing them to allow the immune system to take a beating and allowing the ecoli in. Advice is to treat long term with alamycin and crovect. Is the alamycin necessary at every handling as was being suggested in the short term @bovine

 

[exmoor dave]

Most of it is fenced off but due to the nature of the ground some areas can't be and literally every field has the route through it. We've also drained quite a bit, damned if you do damned if you don't Got the fear now, dread going round them.

Heard initially from the lab today defintley isn't blackleg. Just said similar to last time with a severe case of lesions in the lung. Testing the lung hopefully for a more definite answer.
Had the same guy as last time who is a bit baffled as they are fit lambs. One possibility he thought off it could be tick affecting them @bovine ??

Just off the phone to the vet. It is a tick borne problem. Maybe I'm wrong spelling and pronouncing it but some thing like anaphalaysia causing them to allow the immune system to take a beating and allowing the ecoli in. Advice is to treat long term with alamycin and crovect. Is the alamycin necessary at every handling as was being suggested in the short term @bovine

If you can live with the withdrawal I would really recommend using dysect instead of the crovect type products.

Dysect will really wipe out ticks and cover for flystrike with the same application.

But the crovect type products are different application methods for either ticks or fly.
Only short term cover as well.

 

[jonny]

Big lambs, sudden deaths suggests pulpy kidney to me. Had one snuff it with that a fortnight after first heptavac. Interesting shout from @Six Dogs too. Pasturella tends to be later on though?

Had 2 sudden deaths within 24 hrs a week ago none since, pm showed up pulpy kidney , think I'll vaccinate now as I'd be doing the ewe lambs in the autumn anyway

 

[aangus]

Had 2 sudden deaths within 24 hrs a week ago none since, pm showed up pulpy kidney , think I'll vaccinate now as I'd be doing the ewe lambs in the autumn anyway

How old were they

 

[jonny]

How old were they

One was 4 weeks the other 7 weeks both should have been covered I thought as the ewes were vaccinated pre lambing

 

[Jim75]

Can anyone tell me what levels you would think to go and dose for nematodirus. I read on here about 350 eggs/gm being high. Is that right? I feel we've got a few issues going on but not been helped by reporting from our vets

 

[Woolless]

Can anyone tell me what levels you would think to go and dose for nematodirus. I read on here about 350 eggs/gm being high. Is that right? I feel we've got a few issues going on but not been helped by reporting from our vets

350 should be enough to justify a dose for strongyles, never mind nemo.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Can anyone tell me what levels you would think to go and dose for nematodirus. I read on here about 350 eggs/gm being high. Is that right? I feel we've got a few issues going on but not been helped by reporting from our vets

I've been quoted 500epg as the treatment level. But check SCOPS for more info.

 

[exmoor dave]

I've been quoted 500epg as the treatment level. But check SCOPS for more info.

When we first started using FECs, 500 epg was the rough level to justify treatment, guidence was (is) to count nemo twice for lambs up to weaning.
So a 250 nemo count in theory warrents treating.

In practice it really comes down to experience of matching the count to how the lamb's look/ are preforming.
I've had lambs at 800epg still flying along
And other times other mobs at 300 and looking shite.

Using DLWG has been a further progression and works on individual animals rather than blanket treatment.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Using DLWG has been a further progression and works on individual animals rather than blanket treatment.

I'm really excited by that. In conjunction with individual FECs it could be a very powerful tool for selection of worm resistant replacements.

 

[Jim75]

Thanks. We're clipping this week so will dose them then. Just peed off the vet has sat on this info so long

 

[Woolless]

Thanks. We're clipping this week so will dose them then. Just peed off the vet has sat on this info so long

Start doing them yourself. It's not difficult and you get the info when you need it, not when they can be bothered to do the sample and call you back.

 

[Jim75]

Start doing them yourself. It's not difficult and you get the info when you need it, not when they can be bothered to do the sample and call you back.

You may well be right. Still doesn't excuse the misreporting of various pieces of information which may have helped get to the bottom of our problem and some of the solutions offered.