search.noResults

search.searching

note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
30


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • JULY 2017


Researchers study sheep diseases to understand potential risks Domestic flocks appear to pose little risk to wild animals, contrary to wildlife advocates’ claims


by BARBARA JOHNSTONE GRIMMER


KAMLOOPS – BC


researchers are studying two diseases that are transmitted between domestic and wild sheep to learn their prevalence and how to control their spread. Thompson Rivers


University research into the prevalence of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Movi) in domestic sheep found that 13% of sheep in the study tested positive for the organism. The sheep represented 31% of all flocks.


Dr. Scott Mann and his team sampled and tested 290 domestic sheep from 29 farms in areas where the risk of contact with bighorn sheep is high. In the Kamloops region, 14 of 100 sheep tested positive for Movi and all of the positives were from three of the 10 flocks tested.


In the


South Okanagan, there were three out of 100 sheep testing positive, and all came from just one flock. In the East Kootenays, 21 out of 90 sheep tested positive for Movi, and the positives were from five of the nine flocks tested.


These results are encouraging for sheep producers concerned that domestic flocks in the vicinity of wild sheep herds may be responsible for the pneumonia infections and die-offs of the wild sheep. Wild sheep groups have been advocating for the control or removal of domestic sheep in wild sheep areas in BC, Alberta and Yukon. “Movi is typically


transferred through close contact so the greatest risk to a negative flock will be in the acquisition of new animals,” says Mann.


Good biosecurity and


careful acquisition of animals could maintain the negative status of a flock. As the agricultural exhibition season begins, producers should be careful that their animals do not come into direct contact with sheep of unknown Movi status. Mann believes that “Movi-


free” is the “way of the future.” He has already received requests from sheep producers for information on Movi-free flocks for replacement ewes and 4-H lambs, but the research results are strictly confidential and only the aggregated results have been released. A certification program would need to be established for the status of individual flocks to be publicly recognized. Mann’s future research will


focus on how to eradicate Movi, and how to keep a flock Movi-free. Research indicates that


LASER EQUIPPED & GPS CONTROLLED TRENCHED AND TRENCHLESS APPLICATIONS


SUPPLIERS OF CANADIAN MADE BIG O DRAINAGE TUBING


Proudly supporting Canadian industry using Canadian product


VALLEY FARM DRAINAGE


31205 DEWDNEY TRUNK RD, MISSION • Fax 604-462-7215 604-462-7213 • www.valleyfarmdrainage.com


lambs are Movi-negative if removed from a Movi-positive mother before eight weeks of age. Mann wants to test different treatment and selection protocols so that animals can be treated instead of culled. “It is all very new. It is all


very exciting. Patience will be needed as we test theories and replace them with facts,” says Mann.


Although the presence of


Movi may not result in noticeable disease in domestic sheep, research indicates that Movi-free animals are more feed- efficient. In fact, Movi-free lambs could have 7% greater feed efficiency.


Skin mites A second disease that


infects both wild and domestic sheep is sheep scab, caused by the Psoroptes ovis


skin mite, which was eradicated from domestic sheep in Canada in 1924. In 2011, Psoroptic mange was diagnosed in bighorn sheep in the South Okanagan and Similkameen. The disease is notifiable and although domestic sheep can be treated with antiparasitics such as moxidectin and ivermectin, the possibility of contracting this highly contagious mite from wild sheep is of concern to domestic sheep producers. For both Movi and Psoroptes ovis, the separation of wild from domestic sheep is vital to reduce the risk of disease transfer.


A collaborative research


study involving the Penticton Indian Band, the province and the University of Saskatchewan is looking at the effect of Psoroptes mites on bighorn sheep, evaluating treatments using infected captive bighorns and evaluating methods to diagnose the disease with a blood test for domestic sheep that was developed in the UK. DNA tests to identify the type of Psoroptes mite involved also exist. “Surveillance studies indicate that the disease hasn’t spread to other herds, and treatments have been promising,” says Adam Hering, a veterinarian and PhD student from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. There are no reports of sheep scab in domestic sheep in BC. Sheep producers in the South Okanagan and Similkameen regions are encouraged to monitor their flocks and become familiar with the symptoms of sheep scab. They should contact their veterinarian to discuss diagnosis and treatment options if they suspect sheep scab in their flocks.


TL1000R Individual Round Bale Wrapper


Cut feed losses and increase quality with the TL1000R from Tubeline. This inidividual round bale wrapper helps producers put up high quality silage with low investment and high gains.


The TL1000 is equipped with a wrap counter which allows you to track the numbers of bale rotations ensuring consistent layers of plastic from bale to bale.


^TL1000R For more information contact Tubeline or call your local dealer.


Serving the Okanagan and Fraser Valley


We’ve been proudly family owned and operated since opening in 1976. And with two blending plants, we’re one of BC’s largest distributors of granular, liquid and foliar fertilizers. Our buying power and proximity to the


Fraser Valley makes us the logical choice for truckload shipments. ^TL1700SR ^TLR5000 ECV ^TL5500 ECV ^TL6500 ECV


OKANAGAN FERTILIZER LTD 1-800-361-4600 or 250-838-6414


drainage is our specialty


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44