Vaccination for abortion in ewe

weatherbyfoxer

Buying some ewe lambs and hoggets this year and I'm wondering should I vaccinate for Enzo and toxo?..hoggets are purchased most years and there has never been a problem..if I decide to vaccinate will I have to do all breeding ewes on the farm?...ewe lambs will be run as a separate flock for the rest of the ewe so would I get away with just vaccinating them?

roosky

I would def do for toxo.....enzo only if there have been previous cases on farm or on the farm where replacements are sourced,

weatherbyfoxer

Is toxo caused by cats when ewes are in lamb?...buying from mart so i won't know the story on Enzo either

The man in red and black

weatherbyfoxer wrote: »

Is toxo caused by cats when ewes are in lamb?...buying from mart so i won't know the story on Enzo either

A good idea to discuss this with your vet to make a plan for your herd. Cat faeces in the feed can be a source of spread of toxo but so could aborted material. Knowing the history of the animals would be crucial if you were going to take a chance on not vaccinating. Consider cost of vaccination vs cost of several abortions. Vaccination likely cheaper if buying from herds of unknown health status.

grassroot1

There are 3 types of flock
1. Those who have had Enzo/toxo
2.Those who have Enzo/toxo
3.Those who will have Enzo/toxo
If you are planning keeping ewes vaccinate, if only for your sanity.

roosky

weatherbyfoxer wrote:

Is toxo caused by cats when ewes are in lamb?...buying from mart so i won't know the story on Enzo either

Ya i got a lot of ewes loosing lambs pre scanning by picking up toxo from cats that **** in the field

Jonny303

My understanding on the cat thing is that dommesticated (full on house) cats are not a problem as whatever wormers/medication they get regularly prevents this from happening? I wouldn't find finding out as I'm getting a few hens next week for herself and wouldn't mind a cat around to help with the inevitable rats that will arrive.

davidk1394

Toxo is spread by the lice on cats or other animals on the farm. The lice have little oocytes on them which lay the eggs all it takes is 10 eggs for a ewe to be infected with toxo but once they get they won't abort again due to toxo. We do any ewes that were bought in but that's about it

Westernrock

Cats become infected when they eat oocysts, usually from infected rats and mice, they then develop infection and shed oocysts. But like the ewe once infected they develop immunity and will stop sheding after about 10 days so older cats are not a likley source of infection.

Regardless of source of infection its best to vaccinate replacments, as its a one shot live vaccine the cost over a ewes lifetime is very small compared to losses due to an outbreak.

weatherbyfoxer

Some helpful comments there lads...if you never had an issue with toxo and feed and bedding is free from cats and other animals is vaccination nessary?..Enzo seem to a different story doe...anyone got any prices on the vaccines?

roosky

weatherbyfoxer wrote:

Some helpful comments there lads...if you never had an issue with toxo and feed and bedding is free from cats and other animals is vaccination nessary?..Enzo seem to a different story doe...anyone got any prices on the vaccines?

Toxo can come in on bought in meal or anything so its impossible to say that you wont get it cos you dont have cats

davidk1394 wrote:

Toxo is spread by the lice on cats or other animals on the farm. The lice have little oocytes on them which lay the eggs all it takes is 10 eggs for a ewe to be infected with toxo but once they get they won't abort again due to toxo. We do any ewes that were bought in but that's about it

Toxo is spread in the cat feaces after the cat eats an infected mouse.....never herd of it being linked to lice

davidk1394

Toxo is spread in the cat feaces after the cat eats an infected mouse.....never herd of it being linked to lice[/quote]

That's what I was told by a teagsc lecturer is all. We actually got the mill to add a medicine into the meal that we fed to the in lamb ewes

Westernrock

davidk1394 wrote: »

Toxo is spread in the cat feaces after the cat eats an infected mouse.....never herd of it being linked to lice

That's what I was told by a teagsc lecturer is all. We actually got the mill to add a medicine into the meal that we fed to the in lamb ewes[/quote]

Monensin in the feed is o longer liscensed so im not sure what "medicine" your feed company are charging you for?

grassroot1

Westernrock wrote: »

That's what I was told by a teagsc lecturer is all. We actually got the mill to add a medicine into the meal that we fed to the in lamb ewes

Monensin in the feed is o longer liscensed so im not sure what "medicine" your feed company are charging you for?[/QUOTE]

I would imagine it is decox

cattle man

Increased flock this year to 250 ewes by purchasing hoggets and some first crop ewes and breeding some of my best ewe lambs. Vaccinated the entire flock with Enzovac and vaccinated all stock purchased this year and the ewe lambs with toxo. Didn't vaccinate ewe which I lambed last year for toxo as I was told they would probley have Immunity built up over the year. I would have vaccinated for a few years 3-4 years ago with toxo as I had a problem. But didn't vaccinate hoggets last year as could get vaccine in time and had no trouble.
Cost was 4.3 a ewe for toxo and 3.8 a ewe for Enzo. I see it as a insurance policy and anyone I talked to said Enzo could but you out of sheep if it got in so didn't want the risk. All stock need to be done 4 weeks before the ram is let in.

Westernrock

grassroot1 wrote: »

Monensin in the feed is o longer liscensed so im not sure what "medicine" your feed company are charging you for?

I would imagine it is decox[/quote]

Need to feed deccox from 14 weeks out from lambing and it only increases number of weak lambs born that might have died, won't help with low scanning/high empty rate.

Vaccine is rwaly the only option if concerned.