Flock Health Update

Nutrition

Nutrition is currently very limited across most of the UK due to the drought conditions. Reduced nutrition impacts upon growth rates, immune function and body condition score. Weaning and managing specific groups separately will help focus upon these areas for your flock. Ewes may need feeding supplementary feed ahead of tupping to prevent losses in BCS and lambs may need creep to finish or sold off the farm sooner.

Poor nutrition, heat stress and infection with bluetongue virus will affect ram fertility. Speak with your vet if you have concerns over tupping this year and how to plan.

Bluetongue Virus

The current number of cases of BTV3 are increasing across the UK in areas other than the South West hotspot area. These are in Wales, North West England and now cases have been detected in Scotland. The warm temperatures favour the rate of spread and replication of virus in the midge and so further spread across the UK is expected. Vaccination will prevent your animals being affected and so speak with your vet immediately to decide upon a plan. Vaccination supplies are starting to recover with more vaccine becoming available. It is not too late to vaccinate.

NOTE - bluetongue virus is a notifiable disease and you must report it. It looks very similar to other notifiable disease and therefore APHA need to speak with the affected farmer to determine the most likely cause of clinical signs.

These are excellent regularly updated resources. Please check often.

https://ruminanthw.org.uk/bluetongue-virus-hub/

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bluetongue

https://ruminanthw.org.uk/bluetongue-virus-hub/

Haemonchosis

There are increasing cases of haemonchus following the very warm weather. Look out for the clinical signs, pale/anaemia in the lower eyelid, swelling under the jaw, poor condition, weakness and high FEC. Affected animals can have some or all of these signs. Speak with your vet if concerned. Further examination of a FEC can look for haemonchus eggs. This will determine the percentage of haemonchus eggs and help decide upon which wormer to use on affected animals.

In the European outbreak of BTV, haemonchosis became a secondary problem, with many animals unable to form good immune responses and due to the high temperatures favouring both the midges and the Haemonchus contortus parasite. We are experiencing a similar pattern this year in the UK.