Summer is a good time to use faecal egg counts (FECs) to monitor gut worm infection in first and second season grazing calves. Assess condition and weight gain and provided nutritional needs are being met, consider further investigation of calves are failing to thrive. If FECs come back positive, but below the 200 eggs/gram threshold for treating, test again in two to three weeks, as FECs can rise quickly in July and August


Things to do in the summer

Steps you should be taking now to protect your herd

Beef

  • Anthelmintic treatments can be administered to calves strategically during the first half of the grazing season to counter gut worm infections. The frequency of treatment depends on the persistency of the product used – speak to your vet or SQP about this
  • Giving an early season de-wormer ensures that few gut worm eggs are shed up to mid-summer, by which time any overwintered gut worm larvae present, will have died
  • Summer is a good time to use faecal egg counts (FECs) to monitor gut worm infection in first and second season grazing calves. Assess condition and weight and provided nutritional needs are being met, consider further investigation if calves are failing to thrive. If FECs come back positive, but below the 200 eggs/gram threshold for treating, test again in two to three weeks, as FECs can rise quickly in July and August

Dairy

  • Summer is a good time to use faecal egg counts (FECs) to monitor gut worm infection in first and second season grazing calves. Assess condition and weight gain and provided nutritional needs are being met, consider further investigation of calves are failing to thrive. If FECs come back positive, but below the 200 eggs/gram threshold for treating, test again in two to three weeks, as FECs can rise quickly in July and August
  • Anthelmintic treatments can be administered to calves strategically during the first half of the grazing season to counter gut worm infections. The frequency of treatment depends on the persistency of the product used – speak to your vet or SQP about this
  • Graze youngstock on hay and silage aftermaths as they become available, as these fields will have a low parasite burden

Resources

Vet, academic or researcher?

Take a look in Resources for more detailed information on all topics.

15th June 2018