[Jacob-list] Re: Sore Mouth

[Mary Hansson]

Hi,
 
The version of sore mouth I got from my shearer's tarp a number of years back will be with me and my sheep until there are no more sheep on this place.  It is NOT inactivated by wet weather, by cold or heat and from what I have been able to read in the books, the virus is found alive greater than 10 years.  My lambs seem to pop up with it almost 100% by the time they are a month old and have gone through the sores and been finished with them by the time they are 2 months of age and ready for any potential early weaning/moving to another place.  I have yet to bring an adult to the place that develops the visible evidence of sore mouth---just interesting to me and makes me wonder....
 
My vet says there are about as many versions of this nasty little bug as there are sheep farms that carry it.....and it is highly contagious from sheep to people.  Thankfully, it is one of the few nasties that we can both get and I have been scrupulous about cleanliness when dealing with lambs in the spring.
 
Mary Ellen




Mary Ellen Hansson, MEd, RD, LDN
ISeeSpots Farm
Jacob Sheep:  Lambs, adults, wool
www.iseespots.com
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