Sheep

Subsidised Blood Testing Scheme Now Available to Help Identify Possible Reasons for Early Lamb Losses

Farmers urged to administer quarantine worming dose to all incoming sheep

Sheep farmers are being advised that all incoming stock, including sheep returning from winter grazing, should be quarantined and dosed with one of the newer wormer groups (eg Grp 4 Zolvix) to prevent resistant worms being brought onto the farm.

Matt Colston, ruminant technical consultant at Elanco Animal Health, says while the need to quarantine newly purchased stock is now common practice, the process is sometimes overlooked for sheep that have returned from grazing elsewhere.

“It’s vital to remember that sheep returning from grazing other farms can pose the same risk as new incoming stock. Whether stock is grazing common land or rented ground, unless you’ve had sole use of that land for at least two years, it’s important to treat these sheep as “incomers” and use one of the newer actives (e.g. Zolvix) as above to clear out any resistant worms,” explains Mr Colston.

There continues to be an upward trend in wormer resistance, with a study showing that 98% of farms now have detectable resistance to one or more of the three older group 1,2 and 3 wormer classes1. Mr Colston says every precaution must be taken to slow down the rate of resistance.

“Resistant worms have a profound negative impact on flock health and performance, and once resistance to wormers has developed it’s irreversible. Therefore, it’s vital that farmers, vets and other advisers work together to implement an effective worming strategy that both protects flock performance and preserves wormer efficacy.”

Mr Colston outlines the recommendations for quarantine treatment of both newly purchased and at-risk returning sheep.

“First of all, it’s essential that the quarantine period starts as soon as sheep arrive, to stop them dropping any worm eggs onto pasture. Before treating, I’d advise weighing the sheep and calibrating equipment, to ensure they are dosed accurately. A scab treatment can also be administered at this time,” he says.

For guidance on which wormers to use and when, visit the Sheep Wormer Checker: https://www.farmanimalhealth. co.uk/sheep/sheep-worms/ sheep-wormer-checker.

MSD Animal Health has launched its 2022 FlockCheck diagnostic scheme, which allows sheep farmers in England, Scotland and Wales to ask their vet to blood test their flock for exposure to toxoplasmosis and enzootic abortion (EAE).

Ewe reproductive failure, neonatal lamb disease and mortality are the three biggest factors limiting better flock productivity1 – with toxoplasmosis and enzootic abortion continuing to be significant causes of these unwanted flock heath issues. Sheep farmers that experience more than two percent of their flock barren or aborting this lambing season are being encouraged to contact their vet to take advantage of the subsidised diagnostic scheme. FlockCheck has been running for more than 15 years and is available from vets nationally.

“Farmers can take advantage of this subsidised scheme by asking their vet to take blood samples from six to eight aborted, unvaccinated ewes, or from barren ewes or ones that have produced weakly lambs,” explains MSD Animal Health veterinary adviser Dr Kat Baxter-Smith.

She adds that the blood test has proved to be an extremely useful flock diagnostic tool in terms of helping to identify the potential presence of any key underlying productivity limiting disease.

“Experience has shown that the results certainly help vets and their farmer clients make more informed decisions about appropriate flock health measures.”

Annual FlockCheck blood test results consistently show