“Not all ewes shed high amounts of eggs during this pe- riod, with factors such as body condition score, nutrition, foetal numbers and the level of physi- cal stress, all having an impact,” says Mr White, partner at Cam- las Farm Vets. A measured approach to worm- ing is a must, he adds.“It’s par- ticularly important to keep an eye on yearling ewes, ewe lambs and bought-in animals, as their immu- nity to worms may be lower than a healthy home-bred ewe,” says Mr White. “Faecal egg counts should be carried out every 10 to 14 days during high risk periods, starting
“Later in the year, we can see dirty tails and traditionally we would have dosed lambs based on this. However, the egg count tests have informed us that it isn’t worms and is down to the lush grass. It means we are not dos- ing unnecessarily.” Tom Carlisle is one of the 24
three to four weeks pre-lambing or if production and health problems arise, so producers can make ac- curate worming decisions.” Dependent on ewe condition, worming may be necessary be- tween 200 and 400 eggs per gram of faeces. For ewes in good condi- tion with egg counts within that threshold, it may be worth wait- ing and testing again in 10 days before treating. The latest technology makes egg count testing quick and easy, with virtually instant results now possible. If several ewes are look- ing dirty with a low body condi- tion score, those specifi c animals should be treated and re-tested.
sentinel farms involved in Para- site Watch. He has been monitor- ing worms using faecal egg counts for the past couple of years and says he has had his “eyes opened” by the results. “We are now only dosing for worms and fl uke when required,” said Mr Carlisle.
Lambs at risk from nematodirus early this year come spring.”
Moving lambs to lower risk grass that wasn’t grazed by lambs last spring can help re- duce the risk of nematodirus this season, say experts. But producers should be
aware that even land grazed by older sheep could be contami- nated because nematodirus eggs were commonly seen in faecal samples from sheep of all ages throughout 2018 and into ear- ly 2019, warns Hannah Vineer of the University of Liverpool. “Although faecal egg counts cannot be used to decide when to treat young lambs for nemato- dirus, as the damage is done by larvae that don’t produce eggs, regularly monitoring and re- cording faecal egg counts can help track which fi elds provide the safest grazing for lambs
Sheep farmers should take into account the location of both fi eld and farm when try- ing to determine nematodirus risk, says Dr Vineer. Nematodi- rus eggs usually hatch early in warmer, more sheltered fi elds, she adds.
“It is important to assess the risk to each group of lambs based on the history of the fi eld and its aspect and alti- tude. South-facing fi elds tend to have an earlier hatch and, as a guide, every 100m increase in altitude will delay hatching by about seven days.” A Nematodirus Forecast
website, produced by the Sus- tainable Control Of Parasites In Sheep (SCOPS) initiative, is at
www.scops.org.uk/nematodirus.
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