Getting the right tool for the right job saves time and money

Getting the right tool for the job is important – even something as simple as the multi-dose gun used for vaccinating sheep. By switching to the Rapi-jector ll for Heptavac®-P Plus, Nick Davies has not only made the job of vaccinating 8,150 ewes and lambs easier, but also cut out drug wastage and saved time.

“When a piece of equipment delivers what it is supposed to, it gives peace of mind and saves a phenomenal amount of time,” says Mr Davies, who is head shepherd for the Downton Estate just outside Ludlow in Shropshire. He and his assistant Anthony Watts run 3,150 North Country/Hexham type mule ewes on 1,000 acres of banks and valleys.

“We sell Suffolk and Texel cross ewe lambs for breeding replacements, fat lambs and store lambs, so we vaccinate over 5,000 lambs, plus the ewes, each year,” says Mr Davies.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that he was becoming increasingly concerned about wasted vaccine leaking from bottles onto his clothes as he injected stock. “We were also concerned the correct volume of vaccine wasn’t being delivered into the sheep. When you inject over 8,000 animals, it’s not long before any wasted product adds up to a sizeable cost in a season, and the consequence of under-dosing is inadequate immunity.”

Although there are several guns on the market, Mr Davies found they weren’t easy to use with the Heptavac-P Plus bottles, so he contacted the manufacturers Intervet. Last year (2006), they supplied him with the Rapi-jector ll – and immediate success.

“We didn’t waste a single drop of vaccine. The new draw-off tubes and gun were first rate and we couldn’t fault them. We therefore had more confidence in the vaccine. The draw-off tube with the orange cap, has a tighter fit which prevents any leaks. Other tubes could easily be pulled out of the bottle if a sheep caught its neck around them.

“The gun was accurate (delivering a 2ml dose every time), easy to calibrate and comfortable to use because it has a better grip. This uses the whole hand not just two fingers. With weight and friction spread over a bigger area, it’s less strenuous when you use it all day. It’s not unheard of for us to vaccinate 1,000 head/day, including moving sheep around.”

On this unit, all stock are vaccinated and boosters are considered essential. The motto is ‘if in doubt, do it’. “Even if it’s only a couple of weeks from killing lambs. It works out at a few pence per head, which is nothing compared with losing a lamb at £40+ or 4-5 animals from pneumonia. Once you go past the boost period, you have lost immunity and have to start the vaccination programme again with a full course.”

The estate’s home-bred ewe lambs are vaccinated in September/October, while bought-in replacements and rams are only sourced from reputable flocks also using Heptavac-P Plus. “This means we only need to give them a booster pre-lambing,” adds Mr Davies.

Lambing starts with 1,000 ewes at the end of February followed by 2,150 on 1st April. The booster dose is given 4-6 weeks pre-lambing, depending on weather conditions, and is staggered according to lambing dates. This ensures pregnant ewes are given the best chance to supply immunity to lambs via their colostrum.

Avoiding weather-related stress is important at vaccination time, as is quiet handling, says Mr Davies. He takes a mobile handling system to the sheep which comfortably holds 700-800 ewes and uses double fill races. Sheep are in a tighter area and are easier to restrain as they are in long narrow lines. “Because we take the system to the sheep, and don’t move them, this greatly reduces the stress the sheep experience,” he adds.

New needles are used every 80-100 ewes for hygiene and to make injecting easy. But Mr Davies points out substitutes must be compatible as the needles supplied in the package are the correct length. “This vaccine should be injected subcutaneously in the neck, not into the muscle.”

Mr Davies is well aware that he enjoys the benefits of economies of scale, but says it isn’t beyond smaller flocks to take advantage of bulk buying. “If you have a small flock, work together with other sheep producers and plan ahead and remember vaccination is a good management tool and should be part of your flock health plan.”