Blue Tongue Virus and Shows
The early shows already within the surveillance/restriction zones are taking livestock entries with the option to cancel classes in relation to BTV and subject to DEFRA regulations nearer the show date. In the event of classes being cancelled, entry monies will be returned.
Shows outside the current BTV surveillance/ restriction zones are only taking entries from this area. Entries will be processed but monies returned if you become unable to attend.
Export Prices for 2008
Council has decided export prices for 2008. In addition to the prices as listed, to help cover veterinary inspection changes prior to export, when going through a collection and inspection centre, £10 will be added to the price of each animal.
Ewe Lambs: £130;
Shearling Ewes: £200 (empty or if having run with a ram);
Older Ewes: Guide Price: £120 (actual price depending on age and condition);
Ram Lambs: £400 for ARR/ARR; £350 for ARR/ARQ and £300 for ARQ/ARQ;
Shearling Rams: £600 for ARR/ARR; £450 for ARR/ARQ and £400 for ARQ/ARQ;
Older Rams: £300 (maximum age 3 years) – price will not alter with genotype.
BLUE TONGUE (click on images for larger versions)
LIVESTOCK farmers are still reeling from the latest outbreak of foot and mouth, we also need to prepare ourselves for a new threat: – Blue Tongue. Shropshire breeder and vet, Anne Tordoff, has kindly written this article to help members understand the disease. A full version will be put on the SSBA’s website (see the Members’ Page).
Blue Tongue is caused by a virus of which there are 24 different strains. It is primarily spread by insect vectors particularly a species of midge but there can also be limited transmission by infected semen or blood products.
The disease was previously thought to be a problem of warmer countries and had never spread further than approximately 40 degrees north – Southern France, Spain & Portugal. However that all changed in the summer of 2006.
The midges tend to breed in damp or wet soil enriched by fresh or composted dung or organic matter. They feed on the blood of large vertebrate animals such as cattle, horses, sheep, goats & deer. They tend to be most active around dawn & dusk or on dull days and in the shade. Populations fall dramatically as the weather gets colder through the winter though it is not unknown for some to emerge on a mild winter’s day. The average life span of the midge is around 10 days.
Transmission of Disease
On biting an infected animal, blood containing virus is taken in to the midge’s gut. It then takes 7 to 10 days for the virus to pass through the body & the virus to become fully established in the salivary glands of the midge. The midge is then said to have become “competent”.
One bite of a competent midge can transmit infection to a susceptible animal and large numbers of midges may feed on a single animal during the course of a night, possibly 10,000 bites / hour in cattle.
The ability of the midge to become competent and transmit the virus depends on the ambient temperature. The virus can’t develop in the midge below about 14 degrees C. Peak development and the shortest time for competency to develop is around 30 degrees C.
Midges can fly only about 1km per day but can be carried on a favourable wind up to 100km. The wind speed, temperature and humidity also play a part. It is possible for the virus to over-winter in an animal. A cow bitten at the beginning of winter could possibly still be carrying virus capable of being taken up by a midge, into March or April. If the temperature in the spring is just high enough to allow the virus to establish in the midge then “bingo” – the disease is back. This is thought to be how the virus re-emerged in Europe this year.
Clinical Signs
These vary with the strain of the virus and the species of animal. The worst disease tends to be seen in sheep. The incubation period from the bite of an infected midge to the first clinical signs is 3 to 8 days.
Acute cases produce the following symptoms: fever lasting a week or so; reddening of the mucosa (inner lining) of the mouth & nose; salivation, runny eyes and nasal discharge; the lips & tongue may become swollen & the swelling may extend over the head, ears and under the jaw “bottle jaw”. There may also be tiny haemorrhages over the mucosa of the mouth, nose & conjunctiva, necrotic lesions on the gums, cheeks and tongue after 5 to 8 days which gradually heal under a membrane of serum & pus. Breathing may be laboured breathing & the animal may pass bloody diarrhoea. There may also be inflammation just above the horn of the hoof, lameness & a hunched back, rapid weight loss, weakness & twisted neck. Up to 78% of infected animals may die.
In chronic cases the signs are muscle damage causing long term lameness; wool break leaving patches of bare skin; swollen feet, sometimes just 1 foot affected & seen long after the original infection.
Control Strategies
The disease is most likely to be introduced to the UK by the wind spreading infected midges from northern France, or the importation of an infected animal or midges travelling with these animals. There are various measures currently in place to counteract these.
The Met office is working closely with Defra to plot the weather conditions each day around the nearest infected areas to us and so predict when a risk of windborne midges arriving here may occur.
No imported animals are allowed to enter this country from the infected areas however other imported animals are allowed to transit the restriction zones on their way here. These animals must be treated with an approved insecticide before passing through the zones. On arrival here they are immediately restricted and subjected to a clinical inspection by a Veterinary Officer, followed by blood sampling. The restrictions are not removed until clear test results are received.
Should BT be confirmed in any animal then the affected farm will be immediately restricted until at least the source is determined. If it is a recently imported animal and the chances are that midges may not yet have become infected then it is possible that this animal may be slaughtered. If the animal has not been imported so has likely been infected by a midge here.
A 100km radius protection zone will be set up and a surveillance zone a further 50 km out from that. Licensed movements will be allowed within these zones but probably not between restricted areas & free areas. Midge monitoring using light traps will be started to determine if competent insects are present.
Advice will be given for farmers to try to minimise contact with the vector such as housing from dusk to dawn (not very effective unless use tiny mesh screens or covers over doorways impregnated with insecticide). Insecticides may be used. Midge habitats may be altered by mending leaking taps/pipes, draining wet areas, clearing up muck heaps etc and by the use of larvicides on breeding habitats.
Vaccination may be considered especially if the disease becomes endemic, however there are problems associated with this. No BT vaccine currently has a marketing authorisation in the UK, however unapproved ones could be used if the CVO directed, in an emergency. The best vaccine to use is one containing the specific serotype involved, failing this a closely related strain vaccine may give some protection against disease.
My latest information is that a BTV – 8 vaccine was not yet available although nearing completion however it may not be ready until the end of this year or next year.
Treatment
Being a viral disease there is no specific treatment. It is only possible to treat the symptoms and support the animal as it tries to recover itself. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs along with antibiotics may be of some use but sometimes the only way is euthanasia to relieve suffering.
BT is spreading dramatically in Europe and it was with great regret that we heard that a member of our breed society on the Continent had had it confirmed in his sheep. I’m sure we all offer him all our support and best wishes and hope that the disease will be as limited as possible.
I feel it is only a matter of time before we have a case emerging in this country, most likely in the south of England. We were lucky last year that the cases that were recorded in the North of France, just across the Channel, occurred at a time when the wind conditions were unfavourable to the movement of midges over here. We may not be so lucky this year!
SEALED BID AUCTION OF OLD FLOCK BOOKS
This is your last chance to buy some of the older and rarer SSBA flock books.
We have one partial collection of older books for sale, containing the following volumes:
3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 28 and 40.
These are to be offered for sale by sealed bid in one lots. Bids will be opened at the AGM on Saturday 1st December 2007.
To bid on this lot, please send the bid, together with your name and address in a sealed envelope that you have signed across the seal. Put this in another envelope and post to:
Mrs A Schofield
Brookfield Farm
Sproston Green
Holmes Chapel
Cheshire
CW4 7LN
Annual General Meeting 2007
This year’s AGM will be held on Saturday 1st December at Sandwell Park Farm, West Bromwich, starting at 10am.
ALL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME!
SHROPSHIRE RAMS NEEDED URGENTLY
FOR THE NSP SEMEN ARCHIVE
The SSBA has been informed that this year may be the last in which semen is
collected from rams for the NSP’s semen archive. This initiative is storing
semen from Scrapie susceptible animals on a precautionary basis, in case there
was ever a need to reintroduce animals with those genotypes in the future.
As an incentive to breeders to nominate their rams, the NSP Semen Archive is
now offering a payment of £50 to every breeder whose ram successfully
donates semen. Additionally, 10% of the ram’s semen will be returned to
the breeder if the archive ever has to be used.
In some cases, arrangements can be made to support the retention of a ram or
ram lamb on farm by providing a payment of £40 to the breeder, until the
animal is ready to donate semen.
If you have a ram or ram lamb carrying one or more ARQ or AHQ alleles, which
you would be willing to nominate for the semen archive, please contact the SSBA’s
registrar, Alison Schofield, on 01477 533256 (alisonschofield@hotmail.com).
The Semen Archive aims to collect semen from 20 rams of each breed for each
scrapie susceptible allele. So far, semen has been collected from 11 Shropshire
rams with ARR/ARQ genotype and from one with the ARR/AHQ genotype.
CAN
ANYONE SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF “THE BULB FIELD SHROPSHIRES”?
Whilst on a trip to Amsterdam recently, Marion and
Aubrey Webb visited the world-famous Keukenhof Park to view the bulb fields.
To their surprise, they spotted Shropshire sheep in the Park’s new farm
animal visitor attraction.
Marion takes up the story:
“We were amazed to see three Shropshires there: One ewe that was heavily
in-lamb, with what looked like last year’s lambs, - one tup and one ewe.
We spoke to the park keepers, who said the sheep originated from the Welsh Borders,
but were purchased from a dealer. As the ewe was due to lamb soon, we did not
think it was fair to chase her around to have a look at her ear-tag.
Can anyone solve this mystery?”
Flock Book Reminder
If you wish your flock data to be included in the next edition of the SSBA’s
flock book, please send your completed flock returns back to Alison Schofield
as soon as possible. If you’d like to place an advert in the flock book,
please contact Sue Farquhar (01531 6780439) The deadline is the end of February.
Duncan is establishing a register of sites within the county that need grazing and that come under a broad banner of being of 'conservation interest' so including wildlife sites, SSSIs, nature reserves, land in private ownership, wetlands, heath and traditional meadows. He will then try to match these sites to a register of livestock owners who have expressed an interest in finding additional grazing. An emphasis will be placed on linking graziers to sites that are as close to the original holding as possible (ideally closer than 10 miles or within the same or neighbouring parish). The scheme aims to source traditional and local breeds that are often the most adept at grazing courser vegetation on sites less suited to more intensive farming methods.
If you are looking for
additional grazing - be it long or short term formal or informal, and think
this scheme might suit you, please contact Duncan at English Nature, North Mercia
Team, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury SY4 4TW. Tel. 01743 282004; Mob. 07791 888161.
duncan.norman@english-nature.org.uk
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SSBA Member Supplies
New German Chancellor’s Xmas Tree
Raimund Kohl, who keeps the Helferts flock of Shropshires in south west Germany,
was selected to provide a special Xmas tree to Mrs Angela Merkel, Germany’s
new Chancellor.
The 8m high tree, grown on Raimund’s farm, was transported to Berlin for
the official presentation. Pictures show Raimund standing by the beautiful tree,
and also in a group shot with Mrs Merkel (Raimund is pictured just over Mrs
Merkel’s right shoulder). As a bit of festive fun, Raimund has also added
two Shropshire sheep to the picture – after all, they are used in his
tree plantations to keep down the weeds, so played an important part in the
tree’s production.