With the new lambing season approaching, shock evidence has emerged that the killer disease coccidiosis is rife on UK sheep farms.
The evidence comes from results of an extensive survey carried out by Janssen Animal Health in conjunction with the National Sheep Association. These indicate that coccidiosis is present on a staggering 93 per cent of farms.
Says Janssen Animal Health's Nick Burford: "This will be of great concern to the UK's 58,000 sheep farmers. Coccidiosis can increase lamb mortality by up to 10 per cent, reduce growth rate in survivors by up to 38 per cent and adversely affect feed conversion efficiency. These factors make it more costly to finish lambs for market."
In a typical 300-ewe flock the losses from this destructive disease add up to £1,500 or more. "The figures are based on 5 per cent mortality, but deaths can soar to double this level," he warns.
There is a way to avoid these heavy losses, he says. "Pre-treat lambs with an effective anticoccidial at four to six weeks of age, before clinical signs of the disease are evident." Compared to 'reactive' treatments such as antibiotics given after clinical signs are noticed, a preventive course of the oral drench Vecoxan™ is cost-effective and easily administered.
Coccidiosis is caused by lambs picking up oocysts (eggs) of a single-cell parasite, Eimeria, shed onto pastures in the faeces of previously infected sheep. Each oocyst, in its development through the sheep intestine, can produce up to 16 million oocysts – which are then shed in the faeces and add to pasture contamination.
Underlining their destructive capacity, each one of these ingested oocysts can destroy 32 million cells in the lamb's gut lining, resulting in reduced ability to use feed, gut dysfunction, profuse diarrhoea and dehydration of lambs. An added challenge is that oocysts can survive for two years on pasture.
Early clinical signs of coccidiosis can be difficult to spot. Infection is usually well advanced by the time signs become apparent, and lambs will already have suffered high levels of internal damage. Treatment after symptoms are noticed will kill all stages of cocci, but for many lambs it will be too late to recover lost condition, and they will need extra feed and management to reach target slaughter weight.
Pre-treating lambs at four to six weeks with Vecoxan, as part of the farm's healthcare strategy, will stop oocyst production for up to 14 days. This gives lambs time for their immune system to take over and prevent further outbreaks, says Nick Burford.
The timing of the dose is critical and should be given before symptoms are seen but after the lambs have started picking up oocysts from the pasture. If the timing of the dose is not correct the disease may not be adequately prevented.
