Ceri
Member
Ah yeh I guess they got it late into gestation.....? Am I right in thinking if they get infected with toxo in very very late gestation it doesn't affect the fetus...?That all depends on what stage of pregnancy the ewes get infected.
Ah yeh I guess they got it late into gestation.....? Am I right in thinking if they get infected with toxo in very very late gestation it doesn't affect the fetus...?That all depends on what stage of pregnancy the ewes get infected.
Ah yeh I guess they got it late into gestation.....? Am I right in thinking if they get infected with toxo in very very late gestation it doesn't affect the fetus...?
Has Border disease been ruled out
I’ve never really considered Toxo until last year. We very rarely feed hay to in lamb ewes,as in more likely never so I assumed it couldn’t be an issue.Mate's ewes suddenly started casting fresh weakly & dead lambs 12 days before his due date ended up having 30/40 ewes do it..... Turned out it was toxo, not really the usual toxo presentation of mummified lambs....
You should be able to get free blood testing through Farming Connect and just need to pay the vet fee for sampling.I’ve never really considered Toxo until last year. We very rarely feed hay to in lamb ewes,as in more likely never so I assumed it couldn’t be an issue.
After blood testing 6 ewes which aborted last year in a mini storm they all came back as Toxo.
Interestingly someone suggested keeping sheep near houses/village or town and the risk of the domestic cats spreading it.
Being around a village I think this is a factor which may come into play.
This year after Toxo vaccinating everything to the ram the lambs are stronger,a lot less weak lambs with maybe half a dozen abortions.
I was talking to a retired vet who lives locally and he suggested that ewes can be blood tested not just immediately after aborting so I’m thinking of selecting a few ewes from the barren/aborted group where we throw to be culled and take them to be tested after lambing.
I may have repeated bits however for me an extended testing window may be useful to find out if anything is grumbling in the background.
You should be able to get free blood testing through Farming Connect and just need to pay the vet fee for sampling.
I’ve never really considered Toxo until last year. We very rarely feed hay to in lamb ewes,as in more likely never so I assumed it couldn’t be an issue.
After blood testing 6 ewes which aborted last year in a mini storm they all came back as Toxo.
Interestingly someone suggested keeping sheep near houses/village or town and the risk of the domestic cats spreading it.
Being around a village I think this is a factor which may come into play.
This year after Toxo vaccinating everything to the ram the lambs are stronger,a lot less weak lambs with maybe half a dozen abortions.
I was talking to a retired vet who lives locally and he suggested that ewes can be blood tested not just immediately after aborting so I’m thinking of selecting a few ewes from the barren/aborted group where we throw to be culled and take them to be tested after lambing.
I may have repeated bits however for me an extended testing window may be useful to find out if anything is grumbling in the background.
You should be able to get free blood testing through Farming Connect and just need to pay the vet fee for sampling.
You can get testing done for free for toxo and enzo, I think via MSD, you still need to pay for your vets to take the bloods and post
Some very wise words again. One of the big issues is, that end of every month, my rent is due, both on my house, and the ground I run the sheep. So it may be out of my hands whether I carry on or not. But fingers crossed!
Think it’s getting worse. Vet out tomorrow to try to see if anything else is in the mix but still reckons it’s just bad toxo. Cracking lambs being born, sat up being licked off, get up, and dead by next check. Got to bring everything in and tube it and mess about. Below are two lambs today which of which I saw both born and on their feet being licked and when I went back to check they’d fed they were dead (one was on way out ice cold mouth etc and died despite tubing and warming etc). Both strong singles off mega maternal young ewes with lots of milk. Just to give you an idea that it’s not premature runts dying. Every time I think that ones ok I can leave them one, I regret it
One positive today - I have three semi pet ewes I like, not really pets, just ones I’ve named that have a story. One has aborted quads and is very sick in the garden, one still ok at the moment and my tiny little north Welsh midget (my equivalent to gators Houdini) has had two lovely ewe lambs (brown necks despite being exlana cross ), which I’ve brought in just to make sure they are ok.
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So so sorry to hear thisThank you. I really had hoped it would get better at our due date. But it’s just meant more lambs coming out and more lambs dying. At this rate I don’t think I will end up with half my lamb crop. Had a count up today and we are down something like 200-250 ewes now. And I know anything born after I checked this eve or night or early hours, will be dead by time I get there. I feel like an under taker not a shepherd. Got two vet students here today and it’s just grim for them, I’ve left them with my Mrs to do owt lambs etc. I am currently sat in my truck with my two collies, on top of a hill in the dark. I don’t even want to go home. Don’t want to go do it again tomorrow but I have to. Feels like if I save anything it’s a success. But all day I feel like a failure, twice today I looked at lambs and thought deffo they are good lambs and be fine, those are the two lambs dead in photos above. Got a barn full of Empty ewes, nothing to foster on and got to bring in etc as next issue with them is mastitis, they are so milky they are now getting sore. Just want it to end and get as far away from the farm as I can for a bit.
Mate, this is just horrendous
Not had anything on this scale before, but i did have one lambing where there were tons of explosive prolapses. Never seen anything like it before, lost loads of ewes, so know the feeling of just absolutely dreading the morning rounds.
How wide have you tested?
Enzo and/ or toxo confirmed?
Anything else tested/ ruled out?
Even for enzo it seems nuts to be losing full term lambs
Have you got anyone who can do the rounds for you, even just for a day? I had one night this past lambing where I just couldn’t think straight (was doing days and nights on my own -stupid) and my husband, despite my refusing help, called in someone to do the night shift. I didn’t appreciate at the time how knackered and hopeless I was feeling. It was a lifesaver. Can you get yourself a break, even just for half a day?