1. Health and Hygiene
Around lambing

2. Health and Hygiene – the link
How do infections spread?
From animal to animal
Faeces
Urine
Birth fluids
Sputum (cough) – aerosols
From animal to human
Zoonotic diseases
From animal via human/equipment to animal

3. Health and Hygiene – the link
How do you stop spread of infections?
Keep ewes and lambs in lambing pens
Animal to animal contact is less likely
Clean out the lambing pens before re-use
Pathogens that were around in the straw / buckets / gates are removed
Clean clothes, hands and equipment between animal contact
Keep bedding clean and dry
(pathogens don’t multiply so quickly in a dry environment)
Isolate ill animals until they are in good health again

4. Abortions / Lambs born dead
Numerous different infections can cause abortion, as can stress by handling
Sheep abortions
VLA 2008

5. Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite
Infection in sheep in early pregnancy
kills the foetus and ewes may present
as barren.
Infection later in pregnancy may result in abortion, still births and weakly lambs, often with a mummified foetus.
Following infection sheep are immune and should not abort again due to toxoplasmosis.
There is an effective vaccine to prevent toxoplasmosis in sheep.
Moredun Foundation Newsheet Volume 4 No 10

6.
Toxoplasmosis
Contact with lambing fluids
Toxoplasma can cause serious disease in pregnant women and immuno-compromised people. Infection in pregnant women may seriously damage or even kill the unborn child.

7. Chlamydia / Enzootic abortion
Caused by a bacterium Chlamydophila abortus.
Levels of abortion can build up in a flock in the years following the introduction of infection.
C. abortus causes severe illness in pregnant women and they should avoid all contact, either direct or indirect, with lambing ewes.

8. Chlamydia abortion Enzootic abortion
Diagnosis is based on examination of aborted lambs and placentas at veterinary laboratories and through blood testing of ewes.
Oxytetracycline can be used to treat in-lamb ewes during an outbreak to reduce the number of abortions.
There are vaccines available to protect ewes.
Replacement stock are an important potential source of infection.
Flocks can become accredited free of EAE

9. Abortions – What to do Extreme good personal hygiene
Separate aborting ewes, until vaginal
discharge has ceased (up to 3 weeks)
Identify the ewes for later blood
sampling or culling
Send off foetus or vaginal swab for investigation
Treat ill ewes with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs
Biosecurity & hygiene measures must be a priority
Bought in sheep should mix with the flock at least 3 months before tupping, and should be lambed separately in their 1st season

10. Watery Mouth in lambs
E. Coli bacterium from the environment infects newborn lambs
Quick deterioration and death
Prevent!
Hygiene: clean and dry environment
Quick intake of good colostrum
Some flocks use a standard anti-biotic treatment for every newborn lamb

11. Navel infections Navel abscess Spread to the joints Prevention!
Infection can spread inside towards the liver or urinary system
Spread to the joints
Joint ill
Prevention!
Navel dipping / thorough spray
Clean and dry environment
Good colostrum

12. What are the hazards? Imagine that Mr. Kirk finds a ewe aborting;
What should be done with the ewe ?
Describe how you deliver the lambs
What should be done with the lambs and the ewe after lambing ?
Are the pens and the shed easy to clean and disinfect ?
Any suggestions ?

13. Signs of health in sheep
Bright and alert
Clear eyes
No salivating
Breathing:
Regular, calm, deep
Normal faeces & dry hind quarters
Normal gait (not stiff or lame)
Even udder, not hot, not hard, no lumps
Body Temperature: 39.0 °C (102.0 °F)

14. Common things around lambing
Vaginal prolapse before
lambing
Ewes often need assistance
at lambing
Prolapse of the uterus after lambing
Check any ewe 1 hour after lambing
Ewe spoon or harness is used in
case of a vaginal prolapse
Put a harness on one of the ewes today!

15. Orf
Virus which spreads quickly via direct contact, even in well managed flocks
Causes painful lesions on the lips & mouth
Can spread to the ewe’s teats and result in the ewe denying the lambs to suck and mastitis
Prevent nasty secundary infections by using oxytetracycline spray
Wash your hands, beware of cuts,
you don’t want to catch orf yourself
Vaccination can help in affected flocks

16. Sore eyes Cloudy eyes, tears running
Entropion (lambs born with a curled-in eyelid)
Eye infection spreading through the flock
(e.g. via close sheep-to-sheep contact or via silage)

17. Twin lamb disease Ewe in last month of pregnancy Energy deficiency
Can’t eat enough
Lambs take in space in the abdomen
Lambs demand energy for growth
Ewe is dull and this
gets worse, the ewe
does not get up

18. Check the sheep We’ll discuss any abnormalities you find!
Are you not sure, just ask!
Put on a harness