FAO..Curly Green Fingers.

[Millet]

The lambing is ticking along nicely apart from me breaking one of my fingers lol...
We have had 1x4 lambs and loads of threes ..what I have seen this year is more than normal aborted or weedy tiny lambs from gimmers..
We have also had four deformed and the farmer is blaming it on toxo from the cats in the hay shed even though all the ewes have been jabbed for it..
Here is a picture of one of two deformed lambs in this way...it was pulled out with all my strength and luckily the ewe lived..I have never seen anything like it before..it had no front legs or head...
Steve.

 

[JazzJPH]

Whoa!!!

 

[Curly green fingers]

Hi Steve, the weedy lambs could be down to feed issues, I've seen toxoplasmosis before and that looks like it not a nice site to behold , were the deformed lambs from young or old ewe's?

Listeria can cause the same issues is the sheep cake clean away from rodents etc.. also if the ewe is unwell due to twin lamb that can make them have deformed lambs ..
Feeding ivy without Berry's is a good pick me up for ewe's that have had deformed lambs or twin lamb simptoms.
It sounds like that the farmer has had a good year otherwise.
Cheers.
Mark.

 

[Millet]

Everything here is done to the rule book Mark..no vermin and well fed..the gimmers will/ should be first crop but the third crop ewes are similar in small pockets.wierd goings on me thinks but the cats are getting the blame.20+ of the feral things live in the hay shed..
I will mention the Ivy too the old farmer but I think he will turn his nose up..lol.
Steve.

 

[colinc]

Could be enzootic abortion too mate.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[wightbees]

Look at schmallenberg virus

 

[oliver90owner]

Looks like a PM, but on an open forum, to me.

 

[Millet]

Look at schmallenberg virus

It could well be that but the farmer is adamant it is toxo caused by the feral cat's..he wants me to shoot them but I am not too keen as his daughter has a tame pet cat that mingles in with them and they will be hell on if I nail it.

 

[mbc]

Looks like a PM, but on an open forum, to me.

Share some love to those of us struggling to cope with the start of the beekeeping season AND lambing o90o

 

[Curly green fingers]

Share some love to those of us struggling to cope with the start of the beekeeping season AND lambing o90o

Like button needed on this forum .
I'm glad it's all over for us all but the odd few left any lambs born in April are generally huge and the ewe's need assistance lambing .
When it comes to beekeeping it's all good at the moment , we could do with some warmer weather .
Although my amms are working hard in the cooler conditions just like they should be .

 

[Curly green fingers]

Everything here is done to the rule book Mark..no vermin and well fed..the gimmers will/ should be first crop but the third crop ewes are similar in small pockets.wierd goings on me thinks but the cats are getting the blame.20+ of the feral things live in the hay shed..
I will mention the Ivy too the old farmer but I think he will turn his nose up..lol.
Steve.

If the farmer has been feeding the hay to the sheep and as you say 20 feral cats are living in the hay shed I'm almost convinced its toxo..... Has the farmer had a vet have a look?

 

[Millet]

If the farmer has been feeding the hay to the sheep and as you say 20 feral cats are living in the hay shed I'm almost convinced its toxo..... Has the farmer had a vet have a look?

He had blood tests done a couple of years ago and then started vaccinating the sheep against toxo..however through a cock up by the vets this year he got the vaccinations late with it being on the last day of the use by date..he is suspicious about that also and he thinks it may not have worked properly..he is going to get the vet out again to have more blood tests done so we will have to wait to see how the results turn out.

 

[Curly green fingers]

He had blood tests done a couple of years ago and then started vaccinating the sheep against toxo..however through a cock up by the vets this year he got the vaccinations late with it being on the last day of the use by date..he is suspicious about that also and he thinks it may not have worked properly..he is going to get the vet out again to have more blood tests done so we will have to wait to see how the results turn out.

Let me know how he gets on .
Have you almost finished lambing now ?
The weather has been kind this lambing season , let's hope the beekeeping season is the same.
Cheers
Mark.