What is this on my ram lamb? Bumps on face!

Southdown

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Born Arpil 21st, 2018. Ram lamb. I just noticed these yesterday. I'm totally freaked out! He is inbred (Ram was bred to daughter).
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mysunwolf

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Just soremouth/orf. Don't touch it as it's transmissible to humans! It'a a virus and should clear up on its own in a few weeks. If he's still nursing, watch mom for soremouth lesions on her teats as that can make it painful for her to nurse him.
 

Sheepshape

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Agree totally with mysunwolf....orf due to a parapox virus which lives on fences etc for well over a year. His genetics have nothing to do with his bumps. Usually they just clear up, but an iodine-based spray will be helpful if they develop a secondary infection. This looks like a fairly mild case.

Having had orf, I wholly endorse mysunwiolf's advice about handling....wear rubber gloves if you need to drench the lambs etc.If you catch the virus you will end up with a nasty and very painful pustule at the site of virus entry....usually a trivial scratch on the hands. Up to half of people who get orf (and I was on of them) go on to get a general eruption called erythema multiforme due to immune complexes deposited in the skin, which looks like 'targets' and itch like hell. If your immune system isn't up to scratch, then you can get a fatal reaction! My GP had never seen it (I self-diagnosed) and called in a bunch of students to educate them. Anyway, enough anecdotes, avoid any contact with the lambs and your bare skin at all costs.

A couple of weeks and your ram lamb will have regained his handsome looks.
 

Baymule

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I have not seen that in my flock. Is there a test that can be done to see if a sheep carries orf? I sure wouldn't want to introduce orf into my flock.
 

mysunwolf

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I have not seen that in my flock. Is there a test that can be done to see if a sheep carries orf? I sure wouldn't want to introduce orf into my flock.

Not that I know of. I think shepherds would appreciate if there was. There is a vaccine, but more trouble than it's worth and it will introduce orf if you don't have it already. Many sheep carry it silently since it only affects them for a few weeks as lambs. Sometimes you'll introduce a new sheep that looks fine to your flock, and sooner or later get an outbreak of soremouth in lambs and/or adults.
 

Sheepshape

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There's no test for it, but, thankfully it usually doesn't do permanent damage unless caught by a very young lamb who has a mouth too sore to suckle or a ewe who has an affected udder and won't let the lambs suckle.

It's on our ground /fences/gates etc and has been ever since we came here twelve years ago, but doesn't appear in every year and only a few lambs seem to get it. Thankfully it has always been mild.

I agree about the vaccine being more trouble than it is worth. the vaccine is supposed to be delivered in a dose of 0.2mls via a special dose with two prongs which scratch the skin (in the armpit of the front legs) and implant the altered virus.Unfortunately, it seems to deliver nothing or way too much in my experience and there's always the very real danger of scratching yourself.

My very experienced sheep farmer neighbour puts down rock salt which he swears prevents the problem. I can't see how! (But the salt may help prevent secondary infection when the lamb licks it).

So I've seen a few of my lambs affected so far this year, but nobody is seeming to be much bothered by it.
 

Baymule

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So the vaccine to prevent it actually introduces it to your flock? :thWhat kind of stupid is that? :barnie
 
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