Good stockmanship and early detection of sick animals is vitally important in reducing mortality rates.Signs of ill health Signs of good health

Not eating/ poor appetite Active

Isolated Lively/bright

Lying for prolonged periods Good Performance/Liveweight gain

Scour with traces of blood Normal eating or grazing pattern

Dull Normal Faeces

Poor performance/Liveweight gain

Normal temperature

Breathless or blowing Steady breathing

Raised temperature

Biosecurity is the prevention of disease causing agents entering or leaving any place where they can pose a risk to farm animals, other animals, humans, or the safety and quality of a food product.

The same principles apply within the farm, preventing disease spreading between animals and groups

Biosecurity

The main biosecurity risk for a sheep farm is from

purchased in sheep

Try to maintain a closed flock

Quarantine purchased animals

Examples of the main infection risks from

purchased in stock:

Biosecurity risks on sheep farms risks on sheep farms

Scab Orf Foot rot CODD Jaagsiekte

(OPA)

Step 1: YardOn arrival, yard or house sheep. Do not put directly out to pasture or mix with other sheep.

Step 2: TreatTreat all new sheep with an orange or purple drench (no resistance detected) and treat for sheep scab.

Step 3: QuarantineAfter 24-48 hours put out to pasture that has been used to graze sheep but keep separate from other sheep for 3 weeks

1. Worms2. Fluke3. External parasites

Blowfly Scab

Worms can cost £10 +/lamb

1. Industry has intensified2. More dependence on wormers3. Which has led to

ResistanceIn 2013 49% of anthelmintic treatments as part of

the STAP programme in ROI were not fully effective (did not kill > 95% of worms)

What is anthelmintic resistance – when a worm can survive exposure to a dose that would normally kill it. The ability to survive is genetic and is passed onto the next generation of worms.

Resistance categories

1. Weigh the group to be treated – use the dose rate recommended for the heaviest of the group

2. Check your dosing gun using a syringe or measuring jar. Clean the dosing gun after use

3. Dose correctly over back of tongue

Don’t treat and move When sheep are drenched only resistant worms survive. To reduce the selection pressure for resistant worms you

should either:

1. Know which parasites threaten your lambs

2. Use regional information and assess risk• Did the pasture graze lambs last year – higher risk• SCOPS - www.scops.org.uk

3. Use Faecal egg counts to monitor the need to drench only dose if there is a high worm burden

Choose a narrow spectrum product to deal with specific parasites. Avoid combination products.

A FEC gives an indication of the number of adult worms in the gut of a sheep.

Measured as eggs per gram of faeces

FEC’s are used to:◦ Help determine the need to treat◦ Determine the level of pasture contamination◦ Test the efficacy of a worming treatment

Collect dung samples fresh from lambs

Take random samples. Do not seek out scouring or dry lambs.

Take 10 samples per group. These will be pooled at the lab.

Send to either vet / AFBI VSD or you can use a DIY test kit

Mature fit and healthy sheep have a good immunity.

Pre tupping – no treatment usually needed

At lambing - ewes immunity levels are low. This allows more worm eggs to be shed, contaminating ground for lambs.

◦ Dose at or soon after lambing◦ Give correct dose ◦ Leave 10 – 20% untreated (fittest, mature and

rearing singles).

Wean early and move lambs to clean grazing (silage aftermath)

Mixed grazing with cattle and reduced stocking density.

Grazing quality – healthy well fed lambs are more resilient to worms.

Grazing by mature ewes – use post weaning to hoover pastures (does not apply for nematodirus)

Alternative crops – chicory and birdsfoot trefoil

Breeding for resistance to worms

Results in the movement of large numbers of immature flukes through the liver or from the presence of adult fluke in the bile ducts.

Can infect all grazing animals both cattle and sheep

Bigger problem in sheep – no natural immunity

History of liver fluke on farm

Wet ground/meadows (habitat for snails)

Very wet years

Grazing pattern

◦ Chronic Disease◦ Acute Disease

1. Use abattoir feedback – currently underused (Aphis Online)

2. Investigate deaths – post mortem results

3. Watch for clinical signs – weight loss, poor thrive, bottle jaw, abdominal pain and sudden death

4. Use performance indicators – BCS, LWG in lambs, scanning results

5. Discuss with vet – fluke egg detection and use of blood tests.

Key to the fluke life cycle is the snail - therefore reduce the area suitable as snail habitats e.g.

◦ Identify the high risk wet areas!◦ Fencing off wet areas◦ Drainage◦ Repairs to water leaks / broken troughs

Quarantine purchased stock and treat Grazing management – either avoid

grazing wet areas or graze wet areas where snails are likely to be present in early summer.

Consult your Vet Use the right flukicide for the right stage of liver

fluke If high risk use triclabendazole (Fasinex) in the

autumn – kills mature and immature fluke No residual effect Manage stock to avoid re-infection – graze dry areas Avoid unnecessary use of combination products Treat effectively (weigh/dosing gun/technique) Treat ewes in spring to remove adult fluke and

reduce contamination of pasture

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Triclabendazole

Closantel

Nitroxynil

Albendazole

Oxyclosanide

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

90-99%

Age of Fluke (weeks)

99%

50-90% 91-99%

50-90% 91-99%

50-70% 80-99%

50-70% 80-99%

Adults

Can lead to high economic losses in infected flocks

Form of allergic dermatitis Mainly a winter disease Signs: restless, rubbing against

posts, soiled stained wool Severe cases – bleeding wounds Leads to loss of condition, secondary infections,

hypothermia, death Treatment: either Dip or inject with

Moxidectin/doramectin or Ivermectin product

Affects 80% of flocks each year Fly attracted to wounds of soiled fleece Each female fly lays 250 eggs, hatch in 12 hours Signs:

◦ Patch of discoloured wool◦ Agitated

Risk period – May to September Prevention/ Treatment

◦ Dip◦ Pour – on

Lameness can cause long term pain and increase production and treatment costs

Main issues identified in NI sheep flocks include scald, Shelly hoof, Foot rot (covered in vet night)

Lameness is impossible to eliminate but can be controlled

Regular foot inspection important

Routine foot trimming not necessary, can cause more harm than good

Correct diagnosis and early treatment improves the chances of success

Rough or dirty handling pens can cause hoof damage and spread infections

Always record or mark treated animals. If lameness persists, repeat treatment after 14 days

If third treatment is required consider culling Seek vet advice if necessary

Forms of treatments Antibiotic sprays Long acting antibiotic injections Foot bathing – Zinc sulphate,

copper sulphate (blue stone), Formalin, commercial solutions

Routes of Administration:

Injection Subcutaneous – Under the skin Intramuscular – Into the muscle Intravenous (vet) – into the vein

Intramammary: tubes for mastitis

Topical: Pour-on, Spraying, Dipping

Oral: Dosing, Bolus, In feed

Administration Of MedicinesAdministration Of Medicines

Locked medicine cabinet

Sharps container

Record book in cabinet

Storage and UseStorage and Use

Veterinary Medicine Record Book:

Legal requirement Need to be kept for at least 5 years following

administration of medicine Failure to keep proper records can affect SFP and

result in a fine of up to £5,000.

Recording Medicine UsageRecording Medicine Usage

Name of the product Batch number ID of animals treated Quantity given Date(s) of administration Withdrawal period Name of person administering medicine Reason for use

What do I need to record?What do I need to record?

Dosage and administrationSheep of all ages: 2 ml per injection.The vaccine should be administered by subcutaneous injection. In adult breeding ewes the yearly booster injections should be given during the pre-lambing period, 4-6 weeks before lambing

11/11/14250 ml Heptavac P Plus

H176YA02

12/15 Andy Vet, 14 Practice Road, Mallusk. BT36 4TY

0days

HeptavacP Plus 12/1

2/14100 ewes AF

12/11/1

4

12/11/1

4

0200 ml

H176YA02

AndyVet

Antibiotics are essential for the treatment of infectious

diseases in both animals and humans.

Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria that are usually

sensitive to a type of antibiotic to become resistant to it.

The more you use an antibiotic, the higher the risk that

bacteria will develop resistance to it.

Why worry about it?

- Very few new antibiotics being developed.

- Important we use our existing antibiotics wisely to ensure these

life-saving medicines continue to stay effective for ourselves

and our animals.

http://www.dardni.gov.uk/responsible-use-of-antimicrobials-in-livestock-leaflet.15.108_responsible_use_of_antimicrobials_in_livestock_leaflet_final_2.pdf

Important we use antibiotics in the right way:

- the right medicine

- at the right dose

- at the right time

- and for the right duration to slow down the

development of antibiotic resistance.