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WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
5
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
BUYING IN SHEEP
Whether buying in pedigree breeding stock straight from a farm, or store lambs
frommarket, there is always a risk of also bringing parasites and infectious
diseases back with them, and infecting the rest of your flock.
Here, Calweton Vet Group’s Bryony Rowe, outlines the quarantine protocols to
follow and actions required to prevent unseen disease from threatening flock
health and productivity.
Risk prevention
BRYONY ROWE,
CALWETON VETERINARY GROUP
Bryony explains: ’Ignoring the potential
disease risks from buying in stock can
prove to be costly. Even apparently healthy
animals can be carrying some highly
contagious diseases or parasites.
'Once new sheep have come into contact
with the rest of the flock and contaminated
the land, a new disease is not always easy
to get rid of. With the extra labour required
and medicinal treatments, plus reduced
flock performance, costs can soon escalate.
‘However, by following a simple quarantine
protocol, the likelihood of introducing new
diseases can be greatly reduced, and any
underlying conditions are more likely to be
identified and then controlled.’
There are an array of diseases that can
pose a threat to flock health, this article
covers the most common ones, listed in the
panel below.
Biosecurity protocols are needed for control/prevention of:
Veterinary surgeon
Bryony Rowe
XLVets practice
Calweton Vet Group
Quarantine and treatment
procedures after buying in
new stock
Healthy sheep can still be carrying
unwanted diseases, so quarantine protocols
should always be followed
●
Enzootic abortion
●
Sheep scab
●
Lameness
●
Liver fluke
●
Worms, including Haemonchus contortus
●
Wasting diseases e.g. Maedi Visna, CLA