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Andrew Leeson
etting on top of gutworm control has enabled Co Kilkenny-based dairy farmer Andrew Leeson to implement his ambitious plan to expand his herd from 340 to 750 dairy cows in 2015. Keeping on top of parasite control in such a large herd has been made easier since he started using EPRINEX® (eprinomectin). Andrew’s current 340-head of dairy cows based on his Grangecuffe farm are now productive and healthy and he has big expansion plans, but it wasn’t always the case. Moving the stock to a new farm a year ago meant he was faced with unexpected herd health issues caused by gutworm, identified during routine testing. On his previous farm the herd never had to be treated for gutworm. Andrew explains: “Worms were not a problem I’d ever experienced, so routine treatment of the herd wasn’t something that came to mind when we moved to the new site. “However, after receiving the bulk sample result from a recent MOO test, a high reading was identified. The result indicated a high gutworm challenge and I
G
knew that I had to act fast to get the problem under control and keep productivity at the level required to move forward. “I never had to worm my cows before as I had no known productivity issues”, Andrew adds. “However, following the advice from my local retailer, I used EPRINEX® to treat the whole herd for gutworm. The product was easy to apply and with the aid of a good handling system and the help of my stockman I was able to treat all 340 cows quickly and correctly.” In addition to the convenience of the pour-on formulation, the zero milk withdrawal was an added bonus. Andrew said: “As far as I am concerned, treating the cows with EPRINEX® has been a positive step. Not only have I got the worm problem under control, but I’ve maintained the production levels in the herd, which is important.” Sioned Timothy, vet adviser for Merial Animal Health, adds: “Gutworm can significantly reduce the productivity of the herd. Although adult dairy cows develop immunity to gutworm makes them resilient to outward clinical signs of
infection, it does not prevent them from becoming infected with Ostertagia ostertagi. This parasite burden can reduce milk yield by as much as 2.6 litres per cow per day, that’s a significant amount if you’re looking to maximise your yield and profitability.”
Andrew has seen the positive
effect of removing gutworm from his dairy herd and as a result plans to continue to use EPRINEX® as part of his parasite control plan. “I will be using EPRINEX® in the event of any future gutworm problems in the dairy herd. The convenience of the product and the fact it has no milk withhold period means that it works for me and my business.”
Sioned concludes: “With more than a decade of successful use by Irish dairy farmers, Eprinex® has been proven in the field. It’s also supported by two decades of clinical studies carried out around the world that continue to demonstrate the benefits of using Eprinex to treat dairy cows.”
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