Press - COWS - Promoting Sustainable Control of Cattle Parasites

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Things to do now

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

For all editorial enquiries please contact Sara Gregson email: sara@saragregson.co.uk