16 replies to this topic

[peterjenkins]

Any preference as to product and with reasons why If you can advise please, I would be grateful. few sheep limping slightly. And stand them in it, or walk them through? Thanks

[Cornish Gems]

Before using a footbath you should look to why they are limping slightly, could it be that they have a touch of foot rot due to the wet weather in which case a bit of a trim and purple spray can work wonders. And keep them somewhere where the ground is dry for a while.

Using a footbath is not ideal as sheep do not like standing still nor do they like standing in water.

[Groundhog]

Sheep should be footbathed regularly with either formulin at a 2 to 5 % solution or zinc sulphate solution which is kinder and doesnt dry the hoof out so much but not quite so effective.Lameness can be from scald or strip which is a soreness between the hoof creamey smelley and tender overgrown hoof or footrot which is as it is called.DO NOT use purple spray bought from country stores it is useless and has no active ingredient or medicine to cure the problem instead get some blue terrymocin based spray from your vet to sort it.Sheep do not have to stand in the bath just walk through it

[Cornish Gems]

Well you learn something new everyday however we do not remember our parent putting sheep through a footbath but then again we used to dip them.

As for the purple spray each to his own, it was good enough for our parents and we got it from a Vet also at that time, can't remember its name as when your in your 7th decade memory fails at time it may even have a new name these days, as Marathon became Snickers and Opal Fruits became Starburst.

Going down memory lane what became of Vim, Ajax and OMO to name but a few.

CG

[Groundhog]

Purple spray as bought by your parents and up until fairly recently was effective but with licencing of PML products now it cannot be sold so they sell a purple spray which many people believed to be the same product but is only actualy a mild disenfectant.Net tex is one in particular that is useless(alledgedly).

[Cornish Gems]

Thank you very much Groundhog for clearing that up, makes sense.

[KChally]

gentian blue?

KChally

[Groundhog]

Thats it genson violet(ive spelt it wrong im sure)

[shepie]

Terramycin / allamycin in spray works well on scald etc you can get foot rot spray also
There has been a lot of research on foot rot recently and in really bad cases where it keeps returning if culling is not an option then antibiotics work well
There is also a vaccine for larger flocks
As for foot baths I think they have been superseded by matts

[peterjenkins]

Any idea which vaccine would be the one for larger flocks?

[shepie]

Hi the vaccine would come from any vet and no doubt they would sell a smaller quantity if you only have a few sheep , sorry cant remember the name of it

[Groundhog]

Footvax but only really needed if it is indeed footrot,careful if you use it if you jab yourself in the finger you will loose it !!!!!.

[peterjenkins]

Thanks for that. We have gone from 60 sheep to around 150 but are still fairly new to this and wonder if it would be advisable to vaccinate them all as a PREVENTATIVE measure? Do most vaccinate against clostridium disease and pasteurella also? Have heard there is a combined vaccination.

[shepie]

Hi I wouldn't vaccinate against foot problems untill you have them it could cause immunity problems to the antibiotics , as for heptovac p most with your. Nmber of sheep would vaccinate against clostridial diseasees depends if you like the more organic approach or not

[peterjenkins]

Sorry wasn't sure what you meant about heptavac C. Is this the combined one for clostridialmdisease and pasteurella?

[shepie]

Yes it is and available from mole valley etc , if you have not used it before you will need to do them twice the first year and once there after pretty Shute they need to be six weeks apparat and the final one four weeks prior to lambing at the latest to pass it on to the unborn lambs

[Romany]

I thought the purple spray was iodine? in which case it should be effective surely?

Romany