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Welcome to our District Vet newsletter, sharing advice to help you manage your livestock.
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District Dashboard
The most common diagnoses made by our team over the past month and what we expect to see coming over the horizon...
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Ill-thrift in weaner lambs
It is common for weaner lambs (aged 3-15 months of age) to experience poor growth rates, weight loss, and susceptibility to disease and death, with mortality rates approaching 10%.
What can you do to help survival rates?
- Tighten up the lambing period
- Concentrate on ewe nutrition
- Introduce grain feeding before weaning
- Wean and drench at 13 weeks
- Perform a faecal egg count after drenching
- Pay close attention to pastures and nutrition
- Vaccinate for clostridial disease (i.e. 5-in-1)
- Use a fly preventative
- Weigh weaners every 4-6 weeks.
If you are concerned about weaner ill-thrift in your flock, or looking to discuss ways to optimise weaner health, contact your district veterinarian.
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Case Study | From flash to flat
Case history:
A Riverina producer called to report scouring and deaths in 8–14-week-old first cross lambs. Lambs were marked 2 weeks prior, where they were ear tagged/marked, tail docked and castrated using elastrator rings and received a 6-in-1 vaccination.
No abnormalities were observed at lamb marking and ewes and lambs were in excellent condition. After marking, ewes and lambs were returned to the same naturalised pasture (notably low in feed) and allowed to recover for a week before being relocated to a fresh pasture.
The producer observed dramatic weight loss and scouring in the lambs at this time. The pasture comprised of native grasses and medics and the flock were supplemented with cereal hay and loose lick supplements. Deaths started to occur in the lambs ~ 3 days after relocating to the fresh pasture. The mortality rate had risen to 5% by the time the District Veterinarian was called out to investigate.
To find out about the clinical examination, laboratory results and diagnosis, click on the button below.
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Arthritis in lambs
Are you seeing lambs with sore joints? Arthritis, or joint inflammation, can occur in lambs as a result of bacterial invasion through broken or wet, softened skin at high-risk times such as lambing or lamb-marking.
The affected joints are usually hot, swollen and painful and more than one joint may be affected, making lambs lame and reluctant to move. Severe, permanent joint damage can occur which impacts lamb growth and survival.
Many different types of bacteria can cause arthritis in lambs. These bacteria are usually found in the environment but can make their way into the bloodstream through the umbilicus at lambing or through wounds at mulesing/marking. Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria move into the lamb’s joints. The diagram below explains how arthritis may look different depending on the type of bacteria present.
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It is important to determine the bacteria causing arthritis to develop a targeted action plan. If you are concerned about arthritis in your flock, contact your local district veterinarian.
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Winning with weaners
West Wyalong - 20 July 2022
Learn about the short, medium and long term impacts of poor weaner management on flock productivity.
MORE INFORMATION
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Gulbali Institute Livestock Forum
Wagga Wagga - 29 July 2022
Practical research and innovation for beef and sheep producers by researchers and students from Charles Sturt University and NSW DPI.
MORE INFORMATION
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RAMping up Repro
Young, Stockinbingal, Barmedman - August 2022
A hands-on workshop focused on improving ram performance and working longevity in commercial sheep enterprises.
MORE INFORMATION
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MLA Meat Up Forum
Wagga Wagga - 16 August 2022
An opportunity for beef, sheep and goat producers to stay up-to-date with the latest on-farm research and technologies and meet others working in the red meat industry.
MORE INFORMATION
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If you have any feedback on how we can make this better, please hit reply :)
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