Low grazing availability and heavy acorn fall has led to higher risks on farm. Farmers are urged to monitor pastures and act fast.
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For the first time in many years, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) has confirmed it has recorded deaths in sheep due to oak toxicity following ingestion of large numbers of acorns.
The recent AFBI cases involved two- to three-year-old ewes.
Clinical signs typically appear three to seven days after acorn ingestion and include dullness, anorexia, abdominal pain, initial constipation, progressing to diarrhoea, jaundice and frequent urination.
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Heavy exposure to acorns or oak leaves can cause sudden death. Survivors may develop renal and liver failure, leading to persistent thirst, jaundice, and poor condition.
If acorn toxicity is suspected, the advice from AFBI is to remove sheep or cattle from affected pastures or block access to acorns.
Where alternative grazing isn’t available, supplementary feed should be offered to reduce acorn intake.
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For the first time in many years, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) has confirmed it has recorded deaths in sheep due to oak toxicity following ingestion of large numbers of acorns.
The recent AFBI cases involved two- to three-year-old ewes.
Clinical signs typically appear three to seven days after acorn ingestion and include dullness, anorexia, abdominal pain, initial constipation, progressing to diarrhoea, jaundice and frequent urination.
Heavy exposure to acorns or oak leaves can cause sudden death. Survivors may develop renal and liver failure, leading to persistent thirst, jaundice, and poor condition.
If acorn toxicity is suspected, the advice from AFBI is to remove sheep or cattle from affected pastures or block access to acorns.
Where alternative grazing isn’t available, supplementary feed should be offered to reduce acorn intake.
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