Steps you should be taking now to protect your herd
Beef
Monitor liver and rumen fluke by faecal egg counting before turnout. If necessary, treat with an appropriate product to kill adult fluke. Speak to your vet or animal health advisor about which product to use
If possible, turn out first grazing season cattle, such as dairy x beef calves and autumn-born weaned suckled calves, onto low risk pasture, eg not grazed by cattle last year. If using pasture grazed by youngstock last year, implement a control plan to protect against gut worms
Spring-born suckler calves that are still suckling are not likely to need any treatment for worms. Any larvae on the pasture will be consumed by their mothers which will be mostly immune
Dairy
Monitor liver and rumen fluke by faecal egg counting before turnout. If necessary, treat with an appropriate product to kill adult fluke. Speak to your vet or animal health advisor about which product to use
If possible, turn out first grazing season calves such as replacement heifers, onto low risk pastures, eg pastures not grazed by cattle last year. If using pasture grazed by youngstock last year, implement a control plan to protect against gut worms
Monitor liver fluke infection by taking faecal egg counts. If necessary, treat with a product to kill adult liver fluke before turnout. Remember there are milk withholding periods
Resources
Vet, academic or researcher?
Take a look in Resources for more detailed information on all topics.