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Breeder's
have been participants in the Ontario Sheep Health Program
(OSHP) since its inception. They have the level one health certificate
and an "A" status on the Maedi Visna project. |
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The
Ontario Sheep Health Program is a flock health management
program designed to: improve the health of the Ontario sheep
flock, improve the productivity of the Ontario sheep flock,
promote on- farm quality assurance to assure a safer
and healthier product for consumers, and promote a better
working relationship between veterinary practitioners and
sheep producers. |
Health
Certificate (click for larger) |
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goal of the OSHP is to improve flock health and productivity by
advancing flock health management practices, and by facilitating
goal setting through the examination of basic productivity measures.
By developing a stronger working relationship with your flock veterinarian,
improvement in flock health practices can be implemented in a scientific
and economical manner. In addition, the program promotes on-farm
quality assurance in order to improve the quality of the lamb and
mutton marketed to consumers. |
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| Quarantine
Facility (click for larger) |
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The
word "Healthy" is quite ambiguous. A healthy flock is one
that is not emcumbered by disease that limits productivity.
This often involves proper routine vaccination and de-worming
programs. It may also involve identification and removal of
animals infected with production limiting diseases such as
Johne's disease, Caseous Lymphadenitis or Maedi Visna. But
disease is not always caused by an infectious agent. For example,
poor nutrition of the gestating ewe will cause pregnancytoxaemia
that may result in the loss of the lambs and ewes. It will
also cause increased early neonatal lamb death because of
inadequate birth weight and fat stores which increase the
risk of hypoglycemia and hypothermia. The intent of a flock
health management program then is to not only assure that
important infectious diseases are controlled, but also that
management is optimized for health of the flock. |
| Dr.
Menzies' Letter (click for larger) |
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| This
voluntary program is administered by the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency.
It was developed by researchers at the University of Guelph as part of
the Ontario Lamb Improvement Breeding Strategy. Its development was funded
by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, The Federal
Government of Canada and Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency. At this point,
it is unique to Canada, although similar programs are being developed
here in Canada, as well as in the USA. There are plans underway to develop
a national Quality Assurance program for sheep flocks. |
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Ontario Sheep Health Program is divided into four sections. A questionnaire
covers the four areas of flock health regarding Flock Health Management,
Biosecurity, On-Farm Quality Assurance and Flock Productivity. Please
contact the OSMA office
for an application form. |
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| John and Eadie Steele have been following an active Scrapie survellance program since 2004. They are currently enrolled in the Volunteer Scrapie Flock certification program. |
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