Oral and Poster Abstracts

775 Preventive Medicine and Health Problems in Chios Breed
Flocks of Sheep
A. Gelasakis, G. Valergakis, G. Arsenos, P. Fortomaris, G. Banos
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Animal Production, Thessaloniki,
Greece
The objective of the study was to assess the most frequent health
problems and the main preventive measures implemented in
intensively and semi-intensively reared flocks of Chios dairy breed of
sheep in Greece. A total of 67 flocks of the Chios Sheep Breeders
Cooperative Macedonia were involved in the study. The research
comprised farm visits by the same veterinarian who used a
questionnaire designed for in depth interviews with farmers. The
questionnaire involved questions about livestock, facilities, equipment,
management practices, nutrition, and major health problems. Data were
analysed using methods of descriptive and analytical statistics. Results
revealed that a significant percentage of farmers vaccinated against
Clostridial diseases, Contagious agalactia and Enzootic abortion
(100%, 79% and 75%, respectively). On the contrary, fewer farmers
vaccinated against Pasteurellosis, Gangrenous mastitis and
Paratuberculosis (47.8%, 20.9% and 4.5%, respectively). The
preventive use of Vitamin-E and Selenium in newborn lambs was a
common practice in 66 flocks. All the farmers used anthelminthic
treatments but with different intensity; 17.9% of the farmers used it
once per year, 50.7% twice and 31.4% three times per year. Diarrhoea
(>10%) and pneumonia (>5%) in lambs was observed in 33 and 9
flocks, respectively. A serious problem in ewes was mastitis; in 20.9%
of flocks the incidence was >10% and 50.7% of the farmers used
intramammary infusion of antibiotic as a preventive measure.
Lameness and abortion were also significant problems (in 40.3% and
23.9% of the farms, respectively. they were >5%). For the prevention
of lameness, 18 farmers performed programmed foot trimming and 5
foot bathing, whilst 6 and 1 added ZnO and Biotin to the ration. The
results showed also a significant negative correlation (P