Timing critical for clostridial vaccinations
The administration of clostridial vaccinations to ewes pre-lambing generally marks the countdown to the start of the lambing season.
Joining Ciaran Lynch on this week’s OviCast podcast, Area Veterinary Manager at Zoetis, Kieran O’Mahony provided an essential refresher on the importance of clostridial vaccinations, how to achieve the best immune response and why colostrum management is all too critical to ensure lamb health is protected in the early stages of life.
The Zoetis representative explained that clostridial disease is an umbrella term, encompassing a range of different clostridial bacteria – all of which, if occurring, pose mortality challenges at farm level.
He explained: “Clostridial disease continues to be a major cause of mortality in sheep despite the availability of these vaccines.
“The Regional Veterinary Laboratories are reporting the incidence of it (clostridial disease) accounts for over 10% of submissions of mortality in sheep every year and that’s usually, they would say, relating back to incomplete or the absence of vaccination programmes.”
Although a lack of vaccination programmes was responsible for a proportion of these mortalities, Kieran O’Mahony noted that incomplete vaccination programmes also pose a challenge. He encouraged listeners to adhere to the manufacturer’s recommendations when implementing a vaccination programme; this generally encompasses the administration of a primary shot followed by a booster shot 4-6 weeks later to elicit the best immune response.
Where the full programme has been completed, and using the Zoetis product Covexin 10 as an example, he noted that booster shots administered 2-8 weeks prior to lambing are required to ensure antibodies can pass through the colostrum to the newborn lamb.
“When a lamb is born, they are born essentially with no immune system and it takes a while for that to develop. How they achieve immune status for the first two-three months of life, it’s from the colostrum. The mother will provide the antibodies.
“When the lamb takes that first drink of colostrum, there is a lot of antibodies in it for a very limited amount of time. After birth, they can absorb these antibodies and that will provide the protection for generally two to three months,” Kieran O’Mahony explained.
As colostrum consumption is an essential step in protecting the lamb’s health in the early stages of life, he encouraged farmers to pay attention to colostrum management; not only is good quality colostrum required - achieved by having the ewes in the correct body condition score at the point of lambing and being fed an appropriate pre-lambing diet - but the lamb must also receive an adequate quantity of colostrum shortly after birth.
Also discussed as part of the podcast, available to listen to below, were the key practical considerations, including proper vaccination storage and administration, and why these steps are crucial for effectiveness. Additionally, the supply challenges encountered this year and their impact on vaccination programmes was also addressed.
Listen in below:
For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page here.