[Womble]

Sorry folks, I'm all newbie questions this week. Here's the latest! 

If I worm and then quarantine new stock, for example the tup lamb we're getting from Bloomer shortly, how long do I have to rest the quarantine field before I can put sheep back on it?

I've read a couple of weeks for footrot bacteria, right up to a couple of years for worm eggs (not very practical I'm afraid!), but it's hard to find a definitive answer.

Thanks!

[Melmarsh]

It would have been better if you could have quarantined him in a stable. Then you could have done a FEC and wormed accordingly, rechecked and turned out, by that time you would have some idea of any other problems. Sorry I can't be any further help but you could still have a FEC done to find out if he has contaminated the field. I expect other may be more helpful.

[Womble]

It's ok Melmarsh, he hasn't arrived yet - I'm just trying to work out what to do with him when he does!

We do have access to a stable, but it's awfully dark, and I'm worried he'd just jump out over the door or wall - that's why I think I'm going to have to put him in one of the fields.

I guess the question is, say he had contaminated the field. How long would I need to keep livestock off before it could be considered clean again?

[TheSmilingSheep]

Well, I don't claim any expertise, but I leave my fields free for three to five weeks, and not needed any wormers yet.... But I do have a small flock.... I've not bought new stock, but 'rent a ram' from v reliable source who immediately goes in with ewes. They share a field for 6ish weeks, then I move the ewes back with lambs/flock onto clean field, leaving ram's field for a five weeks before further grazing....

[Marches Farmer]

Keeping the ram in a stable - could you secure a hurdle vertically across the doorway?   New rams are quarantined in a building for a week, wormed, feet checked and then transferred to another holding for six weeks minimum while we keep a look out for scab, orf and so on.  I work on the assumption that they could be carrying just about everything.

[Backinwellies]

If he brings in resistant worms then any length of rest is probably not long enough.   Keep in ... worm with wormer from vet (tell vet it is for a brought in Ram for quarantine) .   Could you make a hurdle pen around the doorway? (depending on breed and how much it is likely to jump I guess).

Bloomer I hope you don't take offence to everyone saying your ram is carry all the diseases under the sun!

[bloomer]

Its all good,

1, Womble and I are both new to sheep.

2, Young calvin will have a great home there.

3, The information is actually really useful for me as well for future stock moves!

[shygirl]

you could maybe keep him in the trailer/garage for a week til his quarantine/worming has had chance to work?
id value for clean grazing and try and wait if at all possible   or if you and the seller are friends and close by, could they worm him for you?

[Porterlauren]

The best possible approach to new stock, is to be able to pen them up on a hard standing, then take an FEC, and worm accordingly. Any worms passed, can then be washed out (into the drain) and the animals will not be dropping resistant worms on your pasture etc. Zolvix is usually the best for a quarantine dose wormer. Kills most things and little if any resistance yet. I have two paddocks which have been used to quarantine sheep when being wormed, and they are now out of bounds, until at least next summer, probably longer!

[Womble]

OK, thanks all.

Porterlauren - I took a similar approach with the ewe lambs we bought last week in that they were dosed up with Dectomax and then put in a small hurdle-pen in the back garden, which I move for them twice a day to give them fresh grass. The idea with that is that I don't need to put sheep in the garden again, so it doesn't matter if they drop worms there.

The vet is coming on Monday for something else, so I'll see if he recommends an FEC, or if they can now be set free (I believe the Dectomax doesn't have a problem with resistance yet?).

It's Bloomer's tup lamb who's the problem. Being a Shetland, I can't trust him to stay behind hurdles when there are lady sheep about, and the stable is awfully dark and potentially not escape proof either, so I was looking for an alternative.

That said Bloomer, if I'd realised just how many nasties he's potentially carrying, I might have thought twice!  .  I definitely fancy worming him on your patch and then coming and collecting him a few days later if that's ok. How do you fancy helping me try to find enough muscle on the wee fella for an injection?

[Womble]

Just updating this, as I linked to it from another thread.

I took advice from the vet and dosed up the wee fella with Dectomax injectable for worms (low resistance currently, and also treats sheep scab which new sheep might be bringing in) and Triclafas for fluke on arrival.  He's then in the stable for 48 hours to give time to flush any eggs out of his system, before being quarantined in his own field for a couple of weeks just in case (and so he doesn't get anybody pregnant before we're ready for it!  ).

The vet also advised that we put new arrivals straight onto already wormy pasture after their initial 48 hours. This is so they pick up our resident worm population asap, and so that any resistant eggs they continue to drop (i.e. from worms that weren't killed by the Decomax) have competition in the pasture from our existing worm population. This also matches the SCOPS guidance, which is reassuring!!

I'm still just learning with all this though, so if anybody more knowledgeable has anything to add, please do so!