Vaccinating ewe's for aborting lambs

jfh

Hi all,
The father is pushing we do this, we only had 2 ewes abort out of 100 so don't think it's required but interested to hear if any/many vaccinate.
Think vaccine comes in bottle for 20 sheep & is 100, which is costly but only has to be done once.
If you have to vaccinate for everything, you'd have nothing. I don't think 2 ewe's aborting warrants vaccinating?
Thanks for opinions

razor8

jfh wrote: »

Hi all,
The father is pushing we do this, we only had 2 ewes abort out of 100 so don't think it's required but interested to hear if any/many vaccinate.
Think vaccine comes in bottle for 20 sheep & is 100, which is costly but only has to be done once.
If you have to vaccinate for everything, you'd have nothing. I don't think 2 ewe's aborting warrants vaccinating?
Thanks for opinions

IMO you will eventually regret not doing them, mightn't be next year or year after but will eventually happen unless a complete closed flock

Username John

jfh wrote: »

Hi all,
The father is pushing we do this, we only had 2 ewes abort out of 100 so don't think it's required but interested to hear if any/many vaccinate.
Think vaccine comes in bottle for 20 sheep & is 100, which is costly but only has to be done once.
If you have to vaccinate for everything, you'd have nothing. I don't think 2 ewe's aborting warrants vaccinating?
Thanks for opinions

Would agree with you.

Vaccinated for Enzo & toxo last year - but I had a bad enough do with abortions during the lambing season before that. I didn't want to go through that again, so I vaccinated then. Think it cost almost €7 / ewe to do both injections.
Don't plan on doing it again...

I know lads will argue for and against, but I have a mostly closed flock, so I'm going to chance it... we shall see if I'll regret that decision in time I guess...

MayoAreMagic

So it will cost 500 odd euro to do all 100. If that saves 2 lambs every year that would be roughly 150 euro saved a year. So you will have paid it back in 4 years. I suppose it depends on how long you keep the 100 you treated. 100 young sheep and it will probably be worth it.

Also, are you sure they aborted? Could the fox have gotten at them before you did?

AntrimGlens

suppose it depends on whether it was actually toxo or enzo which caused them to abort, or did they get a dunt from another ewe at a trough or something.
Did you happen to get the lambs pm'd last year to check what it was or blood sample the ewes for antibodies?
'd be inclined to agree with ya on not worth the cost, but then it seems very reasonable when you're in the midst of a abortion storm and it's too late then...

Green farmer

I had a bad out break here two years ago. First year one or two aborted , then a few more the next year, then a load of sheep after that. I think I ended up with 40 live lambs from 100 ewes. I now vaccinate all hoggets entering flock. No issues since then.
I'd personally vaccinate

grassroot1

2% is hardly an issue but the abortion is only a small part of a toxo outbreak weak lambs is also part of the disease. There are 3 types of sheep flocks those who have had toxo, those who do and those who will. I think the vaccine price has fallen this year but I don't see how you can keep ewes without vaccinating, its a no brainer IMHO

razor8

You will also have a lower barren rate with vaccinating, some sheep can absorb embryos with toxo infection and show up at scanning empty

Went through both Enzo and toxo here many years ago and it's an awful experience, lost 70/80 lambs because of it one year but then know a few big flocks around here get away with it

rangler1

razor8 wrote: »

IMO you will eventually regret not doing them, mightn't be next year or year after but will eventually happen unless a complete closed flock

Closed flock won't prevent toxo, it comes from cats, there's always cats around a farm even if you don't see them.
Enzootic is the one you can buy in, had it here 5 or 6 yrs ago, been vaccinating for it ever since, Vet tells me that I needn't vaccinate now as I'm not buying in and it should be cleared out of the flock

razor8

rangler1 wrote: »

Closed flock won't prevent toxo, it comes from cats, there's always cats around a farm even if you don't see them.
Enzootic is the one you can buy in, had it here 5 or 6 yrs ago, been vaccinating for it ever since, Vet tells me that I needn't vaccinate now as I'm not buying in and it should be cleared out of the flock

Correct, was thinking of enzootic when writing that

Will you still continue vaccinating for Enzo or take vets advice?

rangler1

razor8 wrote: »

Correct, was thinking of enzootic when writing that

Will you still continue vaccinating for Enzo or take vets advice?

He claims no infection risk, when I'm not buying in so I'm going to stop vaccinating,
I'll continue with Toxovac though

jfh

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

So it will cost 500 odd euro to do all 100. If that saves 2 lambs every year that would be roughly 150 euro saved a year. So you will have paid it back in 4 years. I suppose it depends on how long you keep the 100 you treated. 100 young sheep and it will probably be worth it.

Also, are you sure they aborted? Could the fox have gotten at them before you did?

we lamb all inside so no fox.
we were only going to do the hoggets every year starting this year, so maybe 16 this year. not all 100.

jfh

AntrimGlens wrote: »

suppose it depends on whether it was actually toxo or enzo which caused them to abort, or did they get a dunt from another ewe at a trough or something.
Did you happen to get the lambs pm'd last year to check what it was or blood sample the ewes for antibodies?
'd be inclined to agree with ya on not worth the cost, but then it seems very reasonable when you're in the midst of a abortion storm and it's too late then...

no we didn't PM them. actually one of the sheep was one we bought in.
i'm trying to persuade him to buy in none this year, we always have a lovely crop of lleyn replacements.

Username John

rangler1 wrote: »

Closed flock won't prevent toxo, it comes from cats, there's always cats around a farm even if you don't see them.
Enzootic is the one you can buy in, had it here 5 or 6 yrs ago, been vaccinating for it ever since, Vet tells me that I needn't vaccinate now as I'm not buying in and it should be cleared out of the flock

Rangler - Can they build up a resistance to toxo do you know?

Green farmer

If they get it once , their immune for life, vaccine also lasts for life, as injects them with a mild strain.