formalin and footbath

eorna

been using formalin for years, hate the stuff, every time i use it i promise myself i'll look for something healthier for myself...but i never do and end up using formalin again, now formalin works very well but the breathing and handling i don't like..my footbath is in the crush so a walk through and dry up is really my best option...is there any product that could be as good but better for the operator? ( i suppose i could leave them standing in it for a while with another product but would take too long as footbath i short enough)what do people here use?

Green farmer

I tried formalin once, and once only,as a bit splashed on my hand and burnt my skin. I now use a way safer environmentally product called hoofsure endurance. bought it in the local coop, about two years ago and still using the same bottle. I think €60 euro for a 5 litre bottle, but could be wrong. Made from organic acids and tea tree oil. I personally find it good and clears up the foot rot. After your finished tip it out and breaks down naturally.

eire23

Use zinc sulphate here, safer for the person making it up and it dosent corrode metal.
Ya can also use the same mix over and over again. I Do use a hydrometer for testing the strength of it so ya know straight away if ya need to add more or if the mix is to strong. Would use about two bags for the year.
Find it works very well but they need to be stood in it for longer than the like of formalin.

foxylock

eire23 wrote: »

Use zinc sulphate here, safer for the person making it up and it dosent corrode metal.
Ya can also use the same mix over and over again. I Do use a hydrometer for testing the strength of it so ya know straight away if ya need to add more or if the mix is to strong. Would use about two bags for the year.
Find it works very well but they need to be stood in it for longer than the like of formalin.

zinc here as well used copper sulphate in the past gone pricy now

jfh

we used formalin for the first time yesterday, the father poured in a generous portion, and we as most lambs were not running through smoothly we did a lot of pushing wet lambs covered in the stuff, i was thinking it was not good, i was wearing gloves but he had nothing, he didn't complain about it.
i relies that is stupid, good to know that it's dangerous.

always used hoof sure, but it wasn't clearing the footrot

Future Farmer

Formalin is great, best thing for a dirty job,it might cut your throat a bit, it is dangerous be careful.

Stand down wind, have the foot-bath set up so the sheep can see the way out of the pen, a mix of ewes and lambs works best.

I wouldn't run small lambs through it.

Username John

Future Farmer wrote: »

I wouldn't run small lambs through it.

I use formalin - and I must say I think its good... (for the sheep now)

What age would ye want lambs to be, before ye would run em through it?

Some of my lambs are showing signs of lameness, and they will be going through it this weekend. They are 5 - 6 weeks old.

rangler1

Username John wrote: »

I use formalin - and I must say I think its good... (for the sheep now)

What age would ye want lambs to be, before ye would run em through it?

Some of my lambs are showing signs of lameness, and they will be going through it this weekend. They are 5 - 6 weeks old.

I foot bathed mine the day I dosed them...they were 5-6 wks
surprised to see how many were lame after, like you I thought there was only a few.
we use zinc sulphate here and a big foot bath so we can put them in after dosing them and leave them in while we're dosing the next lot

eire23

Username John wrote: »

I use formalin - and I must say I think its good... (for the sheep now)

What age would ye want lambs to be, before ye would run em through it?

Some of my lambs are showing signs of lameness, and they will be going through it this weekend. They are 5 - 6 weeks old.

Have lambs lame here as well john and at the most they would be 6 weeks old.
had them in saturday evenng and done the worst of them with alamycin, intend to foot bath them later on today.

Anyone know waht causes scald? It seems to be in just this one field at the moment and these sheep get a new paddock once a week. Is it longish wet grass? Tis a bloody nuisance anyways

rangler1

eire23 wrote: »

Have lambs lame here as well john and at the most they would be 6 weeks old.
had them in saturday evenng and done the worst of them with alamycin, intend to foot bath them later on today.

Anyone know waht causes scald? It seems to be in just this one field at the moment and these sheep get a new paddock once a week. Is it longish wet grass? Tis a bloody nuisance anyways

Yea, saw it last year, when we had no grass there was no lameness and when the growth came, all the lambs got lame, I always find you're better to footbath them with the first worm dose,

ganmo

Formalin is powerful stuff! Can make the hooves hard over time.
With copper sulphate splashes can stain the wool(and can be a bit dogey if the sheep take a sup)
Zinc sulphate needs a splash of washin up liquid or somethin with it when mixing(helps the zinc get into the foot)

The risk with small lambs is from the fumes off de formalin low down in the footbath

tabby aspreme

Use the Hoofsure endurance here and find it good, I run them through it twice and then let them stand on concrete for a while to let it dry in. To get the lambs used to the footbath I run them through it a few times with straw in it and then I add the water , that usually works , got a dose of formalin years ago on the overalls and had to throw them out of the van as the fumes were blinding me driving home.

northdub14

Have used formalin here for years until I got a splash of it one day, came to the conclusion it was dangerous to man and sheep, started using zinc sulphate this two years and very happy with it, but I only have a 8ft footbath so I run the sheep through it twice and then let them stand on cement....

Green farmer

I'm surprised so many lads still use formalin. It's dangerous s**t !!!

tomwaterford

ganmo wrote: »

Formalin is powerful stuff! Can make the hooves hard over time.
With copper sulphate splashes can stain the wool(and can be a bit dogey if the sheep take a sup)
Zinc sulphate needs a splash of washin up liquid or somethin with it when mixing(helps the zinc get into the foot)

The risk with small lambs is from the fumes off de formalin low down in the footbath

I just run ewes throygh it usually once every two weeks....wouldn't be near it atal breathing it...after one or two geos its easy out...no work in it

lethal stuff for dogs...had a dog drink a small bit before....he wasn't right for ages after it...have heard dogs killed from it

Username John

tomwaterford wrote: »

I just run ewes throygh it usually once every two weeks....wouldn't be near it atal breathing it...after one or two geos its easy out...no work in it

lethal stuff for dogs...had a dog drink a small bit before....he wasn't right for ages after it...have heard dogs killed from it

Would you need to do it that often? Every 2 weeks seems like a lot?

tomwaterford

Username John wrote: »

Would you need to do it that often? Every 2 weeks seems like a lot?

emm....I lets them through it anytime I have them in dosing,sorting lambs etc...as I do be away working most of week

I try to prevent rather than cure as I believe a lame lamb will not thrive and will only go backwards when lame...

when they are used to it...its as easy to let them out through the footbath into an old house ruins I stands them on as it is to let them out the gate

sea12

Who was on last week with a lamb that they thought had swayback. Can't find the post. See a lamb this morn walking funny. Seemed to be a problem with his back legs. In work now but will be home early so will get him in then.

Just wondering what did it end up as with the op

razor8

sea12 wrote: »

Who was on last week with a lamb that they thought had swayback. Can't find the post. See a lamb this morn walking funny. Seemed to be a problem with his back legs. In work now but will be home early so will get him in then.

Just wondering what did it end up as with the op

Hi sea, turned out it wasn't swayback but an abscess/infection along his back bone. I had a few lambs bitten this year possibly by a fox that didn't manage to hold on so putting it down to that

sea12

razor8 wrote: »

Hi sea, turned out it wasn't swayback but an abscess/infection along his back bone. I had a few lambs bitten this year possibly by a fox that didn't manage to hold on so putting it down to that

Ah right thanks razor. Did you get him an anti biotic or did he come right himself

razor8

He's not right yet but improved since I gave him ultrapen

sea12

razor8 wrote: »

He's not right yet but improved since I gave him ultrapen

Caught my lad this evening.,bad dose if scald, will run them all through the foot bath tomorrow .

sea12

sea12 wrote: »

Caught my lad this evening.,bad dose if scald, will run them all through the foot bath tomorrow .

Used cobalt sulphate for the foot bath. Quite a few lambs with scalds. Is it the weather that has them so bad this year.

rangler1

sea12 wrote: »

Used cobalt sulphate for the foot bath. Quite a few lambs with scalds. Is it the weather that has them so bad this year.

Yea, putting them through the footbath really shows the lame ones, but its easy cure them.
Really hammers the thrive though if its not looked after, always footbath them at dosing here

Johnsey

Does cobalt sulphate work?always thought it was copper sulphate or zinc sulphate that was used never heard of cobalt being used

sea12

Johnsey wrote: »

Does cobalt sulphate work?always thought it was copper sulphate or zinc sulphate that was used never heard of cobalt being used

It was copper sulphate john. Slip of the mind when I was typing.