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Onderstepoort Biological Products Limited publication

Onderstepoort Biological Products LimitedRef: https://www.obpvaccines.co.za/web/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Immunization-schedule-SHEEP-GOATS.pdf

Official source

Source domain: obpvaccines.co.za

Collected on 17 July 2026

Always confirm details on the official source before acting.

Our copy (archived 25 July 2026)Official source

What this means

This document provides a practical immunisation (vaccination) schedule for sheep and goats, including timing relative to breeding season, lambing season, weaning, age milestones, and seasonal stress/risk periods. It lists essential and additional vaccines with specific doses and routes (e.g., subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous) and notes that each farm/herd should determine a unique schedule in consultation with a local veterinarian. It also includes product/vaccine composition and storage/usage instructions for specific vaccines such as Heartwater (frozen infective blood), plus regulatory registration numbers and Namibia status references.

Facts

Reference

https://www.obpvaccines.co.za/web/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Immunization-schedule-SHEEP-GOATS.pdf

Key Takeaways

  • Applies to immunisation of sheep and goats (and some cattle/fowls/turkeys for specific vaccine products)
  • Initial vaccination must follow management and breeding programs on a specific farm; schedule can be changed to fit farm needs
  • Consult local practising veterinarian to determine a unique vaccination schedule for each farm/herd
  • Bluetongue (sheep only) timing: 9 weeks before breeding (ewes), just after breeding (rams), and at 6 months; dose 1 mL subcutaneously
  • Rift Valley Fever (live or inactivated) timing: 4–6 weeks before breeding season; dose 1 mL subcutaneously
  • Lambing-season schedule: Blue udder and Tetanus and Lamb dysentery with 1st injection 6–10 weeks before lambing and 2nd injection 2–4 weeks before lambing; doses 2 mL (blue udder, lamb dysentery) and 1 mL (tetanus) subcutaneously
  • From 2 weeks of age: Heartwater blood (less than 21 days of age) is referenced as a product
  • Heartwater (frozen) storage: must be kept on dry ice or liquid nitrogen (< -70°C); thawed vaccine is ineffective; thawed vaccine usable for max 4 hours on melting ice; cannot be refrozen
  • Heartwater (frozen) dosage: 3 mL intravenously; presentation: bottles of 9 mL; dispatched on dry ice
  • Gas Gangrene complex vaccine composition and dosing: sheep/goats 2 mL subcutaneously; cattle 5 mL subcutaneously; presentation bottles 100 mL and 500 mL
  • Lamb dysentery vaccine dosage: 2 mL subcutaneously; presentation bottles of 100 mL
  • Seasonal adult programme example: Late winter–early spring (Aug–Sept) includes Rift Valley Fever, Chlamysure (Chlamydia), Blue udder/Tetanus/Lamb dysentery, ±4 weeks before shearing Escherichia coli, and Anthrax/Black Quarter/C. ovis
  • Local practising veterinarian
  • Clostridium chauvoei
  • Clostridium novyi A
  • Clostridium septicum
  • Salmonella gallinarum
  • Ehrlichia ruminantium
  • Clostridium perfringens (welchii) type B
  • Pasteurella (T. pyogenes, C. ovis referenced)
  • Escherichia coli
  • Clostridium perfringens (welchii) type B
  • Namibia (as referenced for regulatory status)