CertHE(Bio.) BVSc CertAVP(Sheep) PGCertVPS MRCVS
David is the International Business Development Manager (Ruminant) for NoBACZ Healthcare, a RCVS recognised Advanced Practitioner in Sheep Health and Production and an experienced farm veterinary surgeon. Before joining NoBACZ in 2024 he was the Veterinary Sciences Manager for a UK-based veterinary pharmaceutical company working on technical support and training for a global brand. Before this he worked at a large farm animal practice in the Midlands for several years, and established Midlands Advanced Breeding Services. He holds the CertAVP (Sheep) from the University of Liverpool, and was the recipient of an RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Award for his work on ovine obstetrics. Outside of his work with NoBACZ he continues to offer some small ruminant consultancy to local farmers, delivers CPD internationally, is a trustee of RCVSKnowledge, and is an external lecturer at two UK vet schools.
Session – Neonatal lamb management; What did we learn from the largest ever navel hygiene study?
The best flocks achieve 10 – 12 % lamb losses from scanning to rearing, and it is an accepted fact that almost half of those losses occur within the first two days of life, with another 10 % occurring in the first two weeks. As well as fatalities, other conditions such as umbilical infections or infectious suppurative polyarthritis (‘joint-ill’) caused by Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae (SDSD) can contribute to poor lamb health and welfare.
Prevalence rates of up to 50 % and subsequent mortality rates of up to 20 % are reported, and it is not uncommon for lambs with either of these conditions to be euthanised on welfare grounds. Bacteraemia has also been observed after routine management procedures (such as tagging) create an entry point for infection.
Until now best practice has been to apply ‘strong iodine’ to the umbilicus, and sometimes ear-tagging sites, by dipping or spraying. The aim is to provide desiccation of the umbilicus and disinfection of the surface. Prophylactic antibiotic use still occurs on as many as 19% of farms, which is not best practice or good antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). There is little published evidence for the prevention of SDSD or reduced mortality rates using iodine as a preventative approach. Farmers often report that it is licked off, or drips off, and re-applications are required.
Throughout the 2023 – 2024 lambing season, FlockHealth Ltd ran a randomised-control trial (RCT) with eleven flocks in the UK enrolled on the study producing a cohort of 6840 lambs. Odd numbered lambs receiving strong iodine and even numbered lambs NoBACZ navel. Survival and weights up to eight weeks of life were monitored.
NoBACZ navel demonstrated superior protection compared with iodine in the study. Evidenced by the 21% reduction in mortality that was observed in the NoBACZ navel group compared with the iodine group (p=0.005).
This session will delve into the results of this study, considering the impact on mortality, joint-ill, growth rates, and the impact of dipping versus spraying the navel.