Sheep farmers are being encouraged to assess the risk of ovine abortion in their flocks ahead of the next breeding season.
Kath Dun of Galedin Vets in Kelso, part of the VetPartners Group, says taking the time to reflect on this year’s lambing, and testing the flock for the most common causes of abortion, will pay dividends next year.
“Farmers should sit down and work out their 2023 lambing percentage, in comparison to the scanning percentage, and also I’d advise looking at the number of abortions you’ve had to assess whether there has been a problem. Then, if thought necessary, talk to your vet about developing a strategy to prevent future losses.”
She recommends making use of MSD Animal Health’s FlockCheck diagnostic scheme, which offers subsidised testing for toxoplasmosis and enzootic abortion (EAE) – two of the main causes of ovine abortion.
The scheme, which runs until June 30, 2023, is available to farmers in England, Scotland and Wales who have experienced more than 2% of their flock being barren or aborting during their last lambing season. Flocks must be previously unvaccinated against enzootic abortion or toxoplasmosis for this scheme.
“We use this scheme a lot and it pays for the blood testing of eight barren or aborted ewes to check for EAE or toxoplasmosis,” says Ms Dun.
“It’s a very useful tool if you’ve had losses, but also if you’ve had poor scanning results – a significant number of barren ewes can be caused by toxoplasmosis.”
If the blood testing identifies problems with EAE or toxoplasmosis in the flock, Ms Dun recommends talking to your vet to discuss management strategies – including vaccination.
“There are two vaccines available for EAE and one for toxoplasmosis,” explains Ms Dun.
“Following discussion with your vet, if you make the decision to use either one or both of these vaccines, it is vital that the ewes and gimmers are vaccinated at least four weeks prior to the tups going out that next season.”
She says farmers can reduce the risk of some of the other causes of ovine abortion – salmonella, campylobacter, and bacillus licheniformis – through management practices.
These include: ensuring good hygiene at feeding to help prevent bird contamination; cleaning out water troughs regularly; and ensuring pregnant ewes are fed the best quality and unspoiled forage that is available.
Looking ahead to the 2024 lambing season, Ms Dun says farmers should not underestimate the value of sending away aborted lambs for veterinary investigation. Prompt testing to find out the cause can help inform if any action can be taken to reduce the risk of further abortions that season,” she adds.
“For example, if salmonella or EAE is diagnosed to mitigate against further losses I would strongly advise discussing a plan with your vet as soon as the outbreak is identified.”
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