ORGANIC: NO HEALTH RISK
ORGANIC: NO HEALTH RISK
How can newcomers to
organics survive lambing
time with less dependence
on conventional treatments?
Jeremy Hunt reports
A SWITCH to organic production doesnt mean lambs are at greater risk because of reduced reliance on conventional veterinary treatments.
According to ADAS Redes-dales organic specialist Ray Keatinge, managing a flock organically doesnt mean welfare is compromised. In certain cases it may be necessary to resort to antibiotic treatments, but prevention is the key rather than treatment.
"As part of the conversion to organic, producers must give a written explanation about a range of management changes to be made including animal health procedures. Planning is important and its essential to discuss flock health with a vet well ahead of lambing time. Maintain dialogue with the inspector representing your organic body," he advises organic converts.
A quarter of Redesdales 2000 Scottish Blackface ewes are managed organically and in the six years since the conversion there has been no increase in lamb losses as a direct result of less dependence on conventional veterinary treatments.
For example iodine is now used as a navel dressing on new borns, although carrying a bottle around on the hill can be awkward. "Some producers still use an aerosol of purple spray, but its a bit of a grey area," says Mr Keatinge.
Routines
Early flocks can probably get away without castrating or tailing lambs, but mid-season or late-lambers – and May lambing is popular among lowland organic flocks – are permitted to use rubber rings to tail and castrate, he says.
Prophylactic treatments to combat E coli which can lead to watery mouth are no longer routine at Redesdale. "Some years ago when an outbreak did occur lambs were treated routinely.
"When you have these sort of problems and have previously adopted a blanket treatment, its something that needs to be discussed with a vet before lambing starts to see what preventive measures can be taken to reduce risks."
Routine antibiotic injections for ewes that have been assisted at lambing are not undertaken at Redesdale unless theres been a specific problem. "If the ewe has been damaged during the delivery, or there have been dead lambs and there is a risk of metritis, we would inject and record the treatment as a matter of animal welfare.
"Many conventional treatments are available and can be used if circumstances dictate. Much depends on the disease challenge, but you should be quite clear about flock health treatments well ahead of lambing time. Its not a case of emptying the medicine cupboard of everything youve used in the past just because you have switched to an organic system."
Mr Keatinge has used selected homeopathic remedies where appropriate for treatment of pneumonia and orf. "Neither antibiotics nor homeopathy by themselves provide the solution to everything," he says .
Lambing time cuts need for treatments
THE contents of the tray carried on the front of the quad bike during lambing time at Abbey House Farm, Cirencester, look a lot different since the flock switched to organic.
"The main reason is that the switch to organic has meant moving from March to May lambing. That in itself has reduced our dependence on many veterinary treatments associated with lambing indoors in early spring," says farm manager John Newman.
"We used to give a preventative injection of a broad-spectrum antibiotic to all new borns when we lambed in March. We no longer have to do that, but its just one of the reasons why moving to May has reduced management pressure all round."
Mr Newman reckons that nine times out of ten a lambing problem demands treatment of the ewe and not the lamb. "The welfare of the stock is paramount whether a system is organic or not. If we have to treat a ewe for a specific problem we will record the treatment and work on three times the withdrawal period for any medication.
"Ewes will only leave the farm as culls. Our aim is the production of organically reared prime lamb and we must ensure that we protect that status. If we have to treat lambs we similarly ensure a withdrawal period three times the recommendation is observed."
The tray on the quad bike carries iodine spray, castration rings, antibiotic – in case its needed -and a glucose drench. Lambs produced from the flock of 500 Scotch Mules are still given a five-in-one clostridial vaccination.
"We had one lambing during our conversion period when we lambed half the flock inside and half outside. We had to be diligent over hygiene particularly in the mothering pens."
The flock uses some homoeopathic remedies such as arnica, heparsulph and aconite. Mr Newmans advice to anyone lambing ewes as an organic flock for the first time is assess where potential health problems may occur.
"Plan ahead, identify risk areas and adopt a system to minimise disease. Strict hygiene will reduce risks of infection in indoor lambing flocks where routine antibiotic treatment can no longer be used.
"We dont routinely inject ewes that have had an assisted lambing, but always use disposable gloves. There is no doubt that changing our system to a later lambing in May has been a big help."
Homoeopathic health back-up
FOR just £60 a flock of 100 organically managed ewes could achieve a good level of health support from a range of homoeopathic remedies, says pharmacist Donald Harrison, Ffynnon-wen, Llangwyryfon, Aberystwyth.
"Used as both a preventative or a curative remedy, homoeopathic treatments provide the organic shepherd with an effective back-up system to flock health," says Mr Harrison, who supplies treatments to the organic ewe flock run by the Welsh Agricultural Organisation Society based at Aberystwyth.
Healing
Arnica is an essential aid to successful organic lambing, says Mr Harrison. "It can be given to ewes individually as they start lambing, to ewes as they are housed or after a difficult birth.
"It helps the birthing process and will heal any bruising or discomfort suffered after an awkward delivery. It can be administered as a few drops in the mouth or via the drinking water."
Ewes slow to lamb can be assisted by one or two doses of caulophyllum which will help ewes to dilate and speed the process for those who appear to stop contracting during delivery. This can be particularly helpful where multiple births are concerned, says Mr Harrison. He also recommends this treatment for ewes with a retained placenta.
Response
Orf nosode is available for orf treatment and E coli nosode can be given as a preventative treatment or at the first sign of watery mouth. Bryonia is a well proven treatment for pneumonia in lambs and heparsulph is used in many organic flocks to bring infection out where there is a risk of any uterine or internal infection.
"Mastitis in cows responds well to homeopathic treatment but not as well in ewes. Apart from that there is no reason why many of the health problems encountered at lambing time cannot be dealt with using homoeopathy," he says. *