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Things to do now

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
  • All-group treatments provide strong selection pressure for anthelmintic resistance. An alternative is to take an evidence-based approach and give anthelmintics on information obtained from growth monitoring and faecal egg count (FEC) analysis. Assess the risk with your vet

Dairy

  • 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. Be aware of possible fluke infection if these fields are near potential mud snail habitats
  • Where calves are grazing infected pasture and need treatment, do not move them to new pasture immediately after treatment. Or deworm them, but leave 10% of the heaviest stock untreated

Resources

Vet, academic or researcher?

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

The latest

 

Watch out for surge of headflies from mid-July

 

Press

  1. Test before treating for liver fluke this spring (COWS/SCOPS Joint Press Release 1 April 2019)
  2. Lungworm threat on the rise as climate warms - Page 2 (Farmers Guardian 1 March 2019)
  3. Lungworm threat on the rise as climate warms - Page 1 (Farmers Guardian 1 March 2019)
  4. Vaccinate cattle against lungworm (COWS Press Release 19 Feb 2019)
  5. Planned worm control: Helping farmers select best treatment options - Page 3 (Veterinary Times Livestock Spring Summer 2018)
  6. Planned worm control: Helping farmers select the best treatment options - Page 2 (Veterinary Times Livestock Spring Summer 2018)
  7. Planned worm control: Helping farmers select the best treatment options - Page 1 (Veterinary Times Livestock Spring Summer 2018)