It’s been a very wet winter, and as the majority of our clients will be reading this in the thick of lambing – we hope it is in a warm (green) spring. Since the last bumper we have seen TeamSheep returning to the fold with myself, Nicky and Bella returning from maternity leave. This has coincided with the busy time in the sheep calendar. Thank you to all who helped make our lamb survival meetings a success.
Some seasonal reminders for the upcoming quarter:
- Metabolic profiling is recommended in ewes 3-4 weeks pre-lambing to assess if their diet is sufficient
- There is some free and subsidised abortion testing available – speak to Team Sheep to discuss, and remember this is also likely to be useful for ewes scanning in lamb but barren at the end of lambing
- Remember to scribble down your end of lambing head count – this will be important for our 2024 Lamb Survival Survey
- This is a good time of year to get some weights from dry ewe lamb/hogg replacements – send the weigh session to your vet to assess performance and if they’re likely to hit pre-tupping targets
Written by; Emily Gascoigne, Veterinary Surgeon
Joint Ill
Joint ill can be a significant problem for sheep flocks and seems to strike without warning. This is a really tricky disease to deal with and there is unfortunately no easy answer to unpicking the reason some flocks are hit some years with a large number of cases.
The organism most commonly associated with Joint Ill in lambs is Streptococcus dysgalactiae. Disease is predominantly seen in lambs 5-10 days old (ie mainly ‘post-turnout’). This bacterium lives commensally (ie: usually causing no problems) in the vagina of the ewes. In order to cause Joint Ill in the lambs, the bacteria must enter the lambs – there are multiple potential portals for entry including – the mouth, navel, castration and docking wounds, ear tag hole etc. Which portal a bacterium enters into the lambs is difficult to identify. Equally why some lambs are affected and others not, despite similar management, can also be difficult to unravel.
First line of defence in prevention
Given this is a bacterial disease where the bacterium must enter the body of the lamb in order to cause disease, there are a number of key management practices that will help to reduce overall risk of Joint Ill:
- Lambing shed hygiene – sheds should not be over stocked at the start of lambing and must be regularly bedded up to ensure a clean, dry environment for ewes to lamb in. Over stocking can also increase stress in ewes and affect ewe feed intakes (which can supress the immune system)
- Lambing pen hygiene – there should be a ratio of no more than 10 ewes allocated to each individual post-lambing pen, to minimise the risk of bacteria load build up over the lambing period. Pens should be cleaned out or as a minimum, disinfected and then well bedded between individuals
- Lambing hygiene – when an ewe is assisted with lambing, clean gloves should be worn every time. Whilst good handwashing is important, it is not possible to remove all bacteria from the crevices of hands with a quick wash – hence gloves are advisable and practical to optimise hygiene when moving between ewes in a busy lambing shed
- Gloves generally – it is advisable to wear gloves in the lambing shed and replace them when handling different newborn lambs – a wet lamb that has just emerged from the vagina of an ewe may well be carrying significant amounts of Strep dysgalactiae bacteria on its wool and changing gloves after handling it will prevent the spread from one family to the next
- Navel dipping – navels should be dipped in strong iodine solution asap after birth, but after the ewe has licked off the lamb – so as to ensure the iodine is not immediately licked off. Some farmers repeat the navel dip after a few hours as an extra precaution. A hygienic dip cup that is regularly cleaned is preferred over a spray to ensure 360 degree coverage of the navel
- Colostrum – this is vital – good quality (dependent on ewe nutrition pre-lambing), quantity and in a timely fashion – Lambs need 20% BW in colostrum in 24 hours i.e. a 4kg lamb will need 800ml in day one, and 400ml of that to be fed within 6 hours of being born
- Feeding equipment – stomach tubes and bottles should be rigorously cleaned and sterilised between uses
- Castration and docking hygiene – rings should be clean and tails and scrotums should be dry and free from faecal material when rings are applied. Rings can be sprayed with surgical spirit if not coming directly out of the packet before application, to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination
- Ear tags – these should be applied again only to clean, dry ears. It is advisable to spray ear tags with surgical spirit prior to applicationFurther contributory factors
Studies looking more closely into whether or not Joint Ill is a significant issue on farms from one year to the next, despite best management practices as above, have identified that in any problem year there is always another ‘on farm factor’ that may be playing a role. This might be different on different farms. Whilst it is impossible to definitively rule in or out any predisposing factors, it would be prudent to look to address any problems on farm that might be adding to the risks. Examples would include an infectious abortion problem; trace element deficiency; ongoing lameness issues; suboptimal ewe condition or nutrition. There may also be a question of whether some ewes carry higher loads of the offending bacteria than others and therefore pose a higher risk of having lambs which then go on to suffer from Joint Ill. Keeping good records will help to identify possible carrier ewes.Treatment recommendations
Lambs should be treated as soon as any signs of Joint Ill are seen. The sooner in the course of disease that treatment is started, the more likely the chance of success. Ideally affected lambs should receive a single dose of Metacam (this lasts 2-3 days) and then antibiotics. Discuss with your vet for the most appropriate choice for your flock. However, it is important to be aware that there is widespread resistance to Oxytetracycline and this is not appropriate.
The difficulty with Joint Ill is that once chronic joint damage has occurred (as a result of the infection) there is a very low chance of recovery. I would suggest that there may be some cases either that have been caught too late or show no response to treatment that are unlikely to recover and therefore unfortunately, euthanasia may be the most appropriate action. Remember chronically lame animals cannot be transported for slaughter.
Make sure to discuss Joint Ill at your flock planning meeting and to record cases to permit review.Written By Louise Silk, Veterinary Surgeon
Lamb Survival Meetings – Round Up
We rounded off last year with a series of lamb survival regional meetings on the topic of ‘Abortion in the Ewe Flock’ which took the ever-popular format of a pub quiz!
Abortion is a major production limiting disease in sheep. It is an important cause of lamb mortality and morbidity (ill thrift) and a common reason for maiden females (ewe lambs and shearlings) failing to successfully enter the flock with lambs at foot.
After being well fed and watered teams were put through their paces to test their knowledge on the three most common causes of infectious abortion in ewes; Toxoplasmosis, Chlamydia and Campylobacter.
Here is a summary of the key facts about each of the major causes and the top take home messages.
Toxoplasmosis
- The intermediate hosts are cats (especially young ones) and rats which contribute to the spread of disease
- Forage contaminated with infected cat or rat faeces is a high risk – beware when buying in forage
- Infection in non-pregnant ewes will lead to good immunity. Infection during pregnancy will either cause high-barren rates, abortion of mummified fetuses or weak lambs depending on stage of pregnancy
Chlamydia
- Bacterial infection spread ewe to ewe in infected vaginal discharge
- Most common cause of abortion and buying-in is the biggest risk factor
- The bacteria target the placenta causing inflammation and thickening
- Can cause abortion this pregnancy or the subsequent pregnancy depending on when infected
Campylobacter
- Not as common, but can cause major abortion storms
- Infection spread sheep to sheep, or via the environment or carrion – making control hard
- Abortion happens close to term and lambs can look quite normal
- Infected non-pregnant ewes can develop good immunity
Top Tips
- Any ewe that has aborted must be promptly isolated and should be kept at pasture or on bedding that can be disposed of
- Abortion rate of 2% warrants investigation – beware the trickle effect!
- Ideally freeze material from abortions early in the season and clearly identify ewe
- Aborted lambs and placenta should be retained and double bagged
- Pregnant women or people who are immunocompromised should not enter the same airspace as pregnant ewes
- Vaccination is possible against all of the big 3 and is very cost-effective control
- All replacements should be vaccinated – homebred or bought-in
There was great involvement from all teams (and staff!) and stiff competition to win the much sought after bag of sweets and the all-important pride. We thank you for your support of these meetings and hope to see you at the next one.
If you are concerned about abortion, weak lambs or high empty rates, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your routine vet – early diagnosis is key.
Written by: Esme Moffett, Veterinary Surgeon
Bundle of fun?
No, not another TeamSheep baby on the horizon- this time… worms! Is one of your action points for your business for 2024 to do more worm egg counts to aid surveillance? Did you know that our Flock Health Advisory Package (FHAP) members are entitled to 10% discount on routine FEC prices and that we can also do Worm Egg Count Bundles. These bundles are worm egg counts at a significantly reduced cost when worm egg count “credits” are bought in bulk for a season. Speak to a member of Team Sheep by calling 01935 83682 for more information.
**RELAUNCH FOR 2024 – Synergy Lamb Survival Survey – 10 Years**
We had a long history of benchmarking lamb survival at the practice with our annual survey. We had had a two year hiatus whilst we explored our silage competition and abortion but for 2024 our lamb survival survey is back.
It is all information you are likely to have on farm already and collating it will be useful for your health planning meetings as well as seeing where you perform vs other farmers. Please note the new question for 2024 on wormer resistance!
Why benchmark? The data can feed directly back into your flock health plan and we can use it to compare your performance (anonymously) to other commercial flocks – where do you sit?
Who? The survey is designed for flocks of 100 ewes of more and ideally for flocks who pregnancy scan their ewes.
What? Each year we ask a few extra questions about something TeamSheep are focusing on. Inspired by the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway Funding– this year we want to review resistance status in wormers sheep flocks in the Synergy patch.
How? Please complete your form and return your form either to your routine vet, by email to emily.gascoigne@synergyfarmhealth.com or post to
FAO Emily Gascoigne.
The Transmission Hall,
Rampisham Business Centre,
Rampisham Down,
Maiden Newton,
Dorset DT2 0HS
When? Deadline is 1st October for pre-Christmas meetings.
Your can find the Synergy Lamb Survival Survey in our Spring Bumper 2024 Newsletter
