Ridgetop
Herd Master
When we had dairy goats and Boers, an abscess was cause for a panic attack and instant removal from the herd. Then the goat was sent immediately to the local auction. However, with woolly sheep needing shearing we started to see abscesses from shearing nicks and stickers that worked into the wool causing sores. Now I have Dorpers - no or minimal shearing. 2 of my ewes purchased last May developed abscesses over the winter. When I called the breeder he said that he occasionally had abscesses develop but they just isolated the affected animals, drained the abscess, and treated the open area with antibiotics. When the abscesses healed the animals rejoined the flock. I have done this in the past. There is a lot of variation in how this is viewed among sheep people. And the abscesses are not necessarily CL either. I can have my vet draw blood from the affected ewes and send it in for a test. I used to draw blood myself from our dairy does every year to the CAE tests but gave away my red top tubes. also I am not sure I could do it any more since it has been 14 years since we sold our goat herd.
Now I wonder if I should vaccinate my flock against Caseous. I bought a bottle of Case-Bac and an trying to decide if I should vaccinate all the flock, or just the ewe lambs. The vaccinations are not effective if the ewes already have CL so no need to vaccinate them. They are very good ewes with excellent bloodlines and I would like to keep them. I do not have any daughters out of them yet, and they are only yearlings. They lambed with no problem, are good mothers and milk well.
Anyone have any experience with the Case-Bac vaccine? I think purplequeenvt posted years ago in a thread that she vaccinated but I could be mistaken. Once I start vaccinating I have to give boosters every year. Some people said in the reviews of Case-Bac that they give boosters every 6 months.
Any thoughts?
Now I wonder if I should vaccinate my flock against Caseous. I bought a bottle of Case-Bac and an trying to decide if I should vaccinate all the flock, or just the ewe lambs. The vaccinations are not effective if the ewes already have CL so no need to vaccinate them. They are very good ewes with excellent bloodlines and I would like to keep them. I do not have any daughters out of them yet, and they are only yearlings. They lambed with no problem, are good mothers and milk well.
Anyone have any experience with the Case-Bac vaccine? I think purplequeenvt posted years ago in a thread that she vaccinated but I could be mistaken. Once I start vaccinating I have to give boosters every year. Some people said in the reviews of Case-Bac that they give boosters every 6 months.
Any thoughts?