Pre-Lamb Animal Health

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It’s a busy couple of months coming up on sheep farms. Getting some information running up to shearing can help make better animal health decisions.

Main areas to address scanning to pre-lamb are:

  • Lice control – review annual plan to control or eradicate. New product options are available. Will the option of flexible, any length wool, oral lice control change your mind-set around lice prevention and control?

  • Feet – sort problem feet before set stocking. Footvax can make a difference to your workload and amount of footrot by weaning. If starting out there is a window in July to get sensitizer in now, then boost in September. Tilmovet is still the most effective treatment option available.

  • Minerals – Will your flock benefit from longer acting B12/Se/Iodine? Vitamin D. Mineral check of dry ewes at scanning is helpful to decide what to invest in. Ask the clinic for a form to go with the ASD to works to collect samples.

  • Prescription drug allocation and pain management for shearing cuts is an area that needs a vet consultation. Ask about our resources to reduce shearing cuts and manage them in a positive way.

  • Feed budgeting and BCS is what drives production. What animals need prioritising? We can assist with charts and guidelines for more targeted feeding strategies. Feed 1.5x Maintenance 4 weeks before lambing. Soil test and get fertiliser on lambing paddocks when you can. Set stock on some saved up grass that ideally was eaten last round by cattle.

  • Worm control:

    • What is the active burden – Do some mob FECs at scanning. Do you need to drench ewes at all? Do I just drench twins and lights?

    • Will capsules return more kg of lamb at weaning? In some situations they can deliver an extra 5kg/twinning ewe. How do you manage the worm resistance issues?

    • What drenches will work - Pick up a Drench Performance Test from the clinic. Need 50 ewes with average FEC >300 epg to get some useful data.

There is a lot of benefit to making a plan with your vet this prelamb. Your territory manager is here to help make life easier for you dropping of product when needed.