Zermex effectiveness

[Tommy_T]

I took a hire ram in from the farmer that sold us our ewes. He said all was well with him etc and we trusted this and didn’t quarantine.
Not long after noticed him rubbing himself against fences etc. Have seen ours have a little itch every now and again so didn’t think anything of it. Then saw his wool was coming out on his side and tummy. Then some of the ewes started looking patchy ?
Long story short, the guy came over and treated the whole lot of them with Zermex (for sheep scab). He said they wouldn’t stop itching straight away but we’re almost two weeks since dose now and still some ewes are agitating themselves. Haven’t seen the ram doing it so much, although a bit of wool loss of his other side now and I obvs don’t stand watching them all day. So does anyone have any experience with Zermex and how long it may take to have an affect?
I do appreciate that:
a) it might be lice, not scab, in which case Zermex wouldn’t be effective
b) a vet would be able to take a sample scrape and see which it was
c) we should’ve observed a quarantine period

I’ve attached a photo which shows an example of the patches. They are localised. I would’ve thought lice would have been more general itchiness as they’d be throughout the fleece?

 

[sticky]

I took a hire ram in from the farmer that sold us our ewes. He said all was well with him etc and we trusted this and didn’t quarantine.
Not long after noticed him rubbing himself against fences etc. Have seen ours have a little itch every now and again so didn’t think anything of it. Then saw his wool was coming out on his side and tummy. Then some of the ewes started looking patchy ?
Long story short, the guy came over and treated the whole lot of them with Zermex (for sheep scab). He said they wouldn’t stop itching straight away but we’re almost two weeks since dose now and still some ewes are agitating themselves. Haven’t seen the ram doing it so much, although a bit of wool loss of his other side now and I obvs don’t stand watching them all day. So does anyone have any experience with Zermex and how long it may take to have an affect?
I do appreciate that:
a) it might be lice, not scab, in which case Zermex wouldn’t be effective
b) a vet would be able to take a sample scrape and see which it was
c) we should’ve observed a quarantine period

I’ve attached a photo which shows an example of the patches. They are localised. I would’ve thought lice would have been more general itchiness as they’d be throughout the fleece?

That's not scab IMO, more likely lice.

 

[Downton_shep]

You can get a sample of wool from around a itchy patch, warm it slightly (on a piece of paper on top Rayburn) the lice will be quite easily seen if your eyes aren’t to bad. Put one on a piece of white paper and take a pic with your phone (I used a iPhone) then zoom in and identify what it is.

 

[Purli R]

Why treat the whole lot for scab when you/or him dint know what it was??

 

[Y Fan Wen]

My test for scab is to put the sheep on its rump and examine the 'armpits' both fore and aft. The yellow lanolin looks disturbed and flaky when it is present.

 

[abitdaft]

Fling a couple of sheep into the trailer and take into vets for a scrape. There's not much point in throwing expensive meds around that won't be effective if a wrong diagnosis is made. That said, there does seem to be a lot of itchy sheep ( neighbours and beyond ) around at the moment which hopefully points to lice and not scab! We had a problem with Scab a few years back and it was a swine to get shot of.

 

[Tommy_T]

Tbh I know it’s not good practice to treat for something not knowing what it is. I’ve only just started keeping sheep this year so I do look to this guy as knowing more than me - he’s obvs been doing it for years - hence why the ram went straight in when deep down I know we should’ve quarantined him for six weeks. Anyway, live and learn.
I didn’t pay for the Zermex. I would be paying out at the vet for a scrape and diagnosis, but if it’s not scab then it has to be lice, doesn’t it? So I could just get some Crovect and hope it doesn’t rain?!! (Will be lucky for that to happen here...)
I think I’ve left it long enough. They’re obvs hopefully in lamb and I don’t want them to be losing condition to this issue. Just weird how it’s only a portion of them that seem affected. I thought whatever it is would be rife by now.
Whatever happens the tup is definitely on the way out this week...

 

[abitdaft]

A scrape is buttons if you take the sheep in to the vets compared to Crovect that won't cover scab. My advice would be to start as you mean to go on when it comes to sheep. Don't cut corners. it will cost you more in the long run.

 

[Tim W]

1) Get a vet diagnosis
2) Act on vets advice
3) learn the lesson for next time

Good luck!

 

[Al R]

- hence why the ram went straight in when deep down I know we should’ve quarantined him for six weeks.

i don’t go to the big ram sales but I do find it ridiculous how their mid-late September with most farms now being late feb/March lambing then none of these rams will have had a long enough quarantine!

@Tim W has the right idea by having the ram sales early August for a ram breed that won’t get used Much until October or later.

How many sheep do you have Tommy?

 

[Cripper]

If you have the ram sale in August the prices will be lower. Not many of this years lambs will have been sold so the farmers won’t have as much money to spend

 

[Tim W]

If you have the ram sale in August the prices will be lower. Not many of this years lambs will have been sold so the farmers won’t have as much money to spend

Not the case in our experience
In general we have organised and professional clients that plan in advance, they want to buy early so that they can put animals through quarantine and get them settled in at home well before tupping

If you come to us later in the season you will pay the same money as you would in August , your choice of genetics may be smaller though

 

[johnflimston]

Blood test to confirm scab

 

[Anymulewilldo]

If you have the ram sale in August the prices will be lower. Not many of this years lambs will have been sold so the farmers won’t have as much money to spend

I hadn't noticed depressed prices at the big terminal sire sale at Bentham in mid August. Loads of folk like us there want 3/4 tups to acclimatise and get ready for October turn out