For sheep, constant management of fluke is necessary because there is often no break in the grazing cycle. So, with no product persistent against fluke, a sheep treated one day can pick up infection the next if they are grazing infected pasture.
Sheep scab is an allergic dermatitis which is caused by the mite Psoroptes ovis. It is a highly contagious condition as the mites live and feed on the skin and so they are easily spread onto in contact sheep.
Roundworms in cattle can reduce growth rates by up to 30% (1) so it is important not to delay the mid-season pour-on dose as this potentially leads to a loss of production as the worm burden could start to impact on growth rates. It can be hard to notice the economic impact of worms unless regular weighing is taking place as reduction in growth rates will take place before any more obvious clinical signs are seen.
Some worm species can cause significant damage when the larvae emerge in the spring (Type II Ostertagiasis). Therefore, it is crucial to treat the housing with a solution that will eradicate the worms' eggs.
This summer, there have been reports of lungworm infestations at high levels across the nation. Any sub-clinical lungworm that may be present will be eliminated with treatment at housing.
In order to give the animals' lungs a chance to recuperate, it's crucial to treat them with a proper wormer before housing if they are displaying clinical lungworm symptoms. There is a greater danger of the animals acquiring pneumonia at housing if the lungs have been harmed by lungworm.
Instead of postponing or providing no treatment at all, treating cattle for fluke at housing can aid in accelerating growth and lowering stress levels in the animals. Because a cow's liver is big and can support a heavier fluke burden, abrupt deaths are uncommon in cattle. Subclinical illness brought on by a fluke, however, is possible and can be expensive due to the influence it can have on lowered weight gain.
Louse populations are highest in cattle kept indoors during the winter and severe infestations can lead to the disruption of feeding patterns, self-inflicted trauma and reduced weight gain. It is important to consider lice control at housing to prevent welfare issues and production losses.
Managing the fly burden before an outbreak occurs will help you prevent potential production impacts. This will often mean managing the problem before fly numbers increase to a level where they can easily get out of control.
It is the aim of every farmer to get uninterrupted growth in their animals, but as turnout approaches there is one factor that can stop cattle from achieving their growth rate targets – PARASITES!
Managing the shedding of eggs from ewes in spring can be one way of minimising the worm larvae uptake by lambs later in the grazing season and thus reduce the need for subsequent treatments.
The rationale behind treating ewes is that it reduces the number of worm eggs a ewe puts onto pasture when her immune system relaxes around lambing – a term known as the spring rise.
Efficiency on UK livestock farms is at the forefront of many farmers minds as the future of support payments becomes uncertain and England and Wales drive for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
While efficiency encompasses all areas of farm management and production, there are some easy wins producers can make to help make your farm more efficient.
