Abortion in ewes

ihatewinter

Sorry for long thread

I have an granduncle who has a small flock of sheep. He bought in about 9-10 hoggets last year, never injected against abortions. Anyway 1 aborted 6 weeks before lambing and tests were done and it came back as Toxoplasmosis.

Everything was fine until 1 week pre lambing and 7 hoggets started aborting. They all had a bloody discharge and lambs were prematurely born dead. They were all fully developed, clean and fresh. None were rotten or anything like that. He said ewes were wagging their tails a few days before it started. 2 hoggets (2 year olds) had prefect lambs with no problems and 1 ewe who aborted had one lamb dead and the other alive which survived.

None of his own aborted as he isolated the new ones when the first abortion happened.

Now my question is: Is it toxoplasmosis or did another abortion disease cause it. He's worried as he kept the aborted ones and he did not vaccinate again this year so double trouble. Is there anything he can do or inject them

Thanks for reading

rangler1

ihatewinter wrote: »

Sorry for long thread

I have an granduncle who has a small flock of sheep. He bought in about 9-10 hoggets last year, never injected against abortions. Anyway 1 aborted 6 weeks before lambing and tests were done and it came back as Toxoplasmosis.

Everything was fine until 1 week pre lambing and 7 hoggets started aborting. They all had a bloody discharge and lambs were prematurely born dead. They were all fully developed, clean and fresh. None were rotten or anything like that. He said ewes were wagging their tails a few days before it started. 2 hoggets (2 year olds) had prefect lambs with no problems and 1 ewe who aborted had one lamb dead and the other alive which survived.

None of his own aborted as he isolated the new ones when the first abortion happened.

Now my question is: Is it toxoplasmosis or did another abortion disease cause it. He's worried as he kept the aborted ones and he did not vaccinate again this year so double trouble. Is there anything he can do or inject them

Thanks for reading

It sounds like Toxo, It's very easy on the ewes, they just get it over with and carry on.
If it was Toxo, the best thing he could have done was keep the ewes, once they abort, they are immune for life,
Hope they go well for him this year now

Green farmer

Just keep good hygiene in lambing sheds. The ones who aborted last year from toxo are now immune for life and won't abort again. ( you got it confirmed as toxo). Vaccines for it can only be given when ewes aren't in lamb.

orm0nd

has he cats?

or have any cats access to the feed or bedding ?

rangler1

orm0nd wrote: »

has he cats?

or have any cats access to the feed or bedding ?

Waste of time worrying about cats, even if you got rid of all your own cats, there's plenty of wild ones round.
A neighbour told he thought there was no cats around his farm until he put up calving cameras

Green farmer

Saw a bbc documentary once where under clinical controlled experiments, mice infected with the toxo parasite actually had their behavioural patterns altered, where they actively seek out a cat to be eaten. Then in turn the cat becomes infected. That's how much of a sneaky parasite we're dealing with.

rangler1

Green farmer wrote: »

Saw a bbc documentary once where under clinical controlled experiments, mice infected with the toxo parasite actually had their behavioural patterns altered, where they actively seek out a cat to be eaten. Then in turn the cat becomes infected. That's how much of a sneaky parasite we're dealing with.

I had ewe lambs that got infected out on grass...no meal, no bedding....surest and cheapest protection is the vaccine

Green farmer

I know they blame cats, but I often though would foxes spread it as well ? They eat a lot of mice etc and hang around pastures with expectant ewes as well ?:rolleyes:

ihatewinter

Grand thanks for the replies. He has no cats but place would be riddled with foxes and badgers.

I think he was worried about them aborting the week before they were due if it was something different than toxoplasmosis.

Actually I never knew they could abort with toxoplasmosis so close to lambing. I always thought it was only Campylabactor or Enzootic Abortion