Baldrand vet group discuss new weapon in sheep farmer armoury

DESPITE it being the first fine day in a long time, almost 20 farmers attended an event at Lentworth Farm near Over Wyresdale to discuss the introduction and use of the new orange sheep worming product on the market - Zolvix.

 

Held on-farm by kind permission of the Entwistle family, the event was organised by Baldrand Farm Practice and supported by Myerscough College through the Northwest Livestock Programme.

 

Practical demonstration of new sheep drenching system

 

Jim McKinstry of Baldrand Farm Practice spoke to the group about the increasing problem of resistance to wormers in sheep. He said that many intestinal worms had a degree of resistance to the BZ (white) group of wormers, but that resistance would differ from farm to farm. This raised the issue of farmers testing for resistance using Faecal Egg Counting (FEC) techniques, in order to give them a clearer idea of the resistance issues on their own farms.

 

Jim then went on to describe how a high worm burden in the gut will affect digestion and nutrient absorption, thus leading to weight loss and reduced growth/productivity of sheep and lambs. Ewes with a more developed immune system will be able to cope adequately with worms and should not need routinely worming, however immunity is suppressed during the period around lambing and so some weaker or younger ewes may benefit from worming at this time.

 

A representative from Novartis animal health then spoke to the group about the new wormer Zolvix – the first new wormer to be released onto the market in 25 years. Although the wormer is 99% effective against all types of worms, he stressed that it should not be routinely administered or the same problems with resistance could potentially develop.

 

Zolvix should be used almost as a last resort when resistance to all other groups of wormer has been shown on a farm. He also talked about the importance of administering wormer correctly – including ensuring that the correct dose is given according to the weight of the heaviest lamb in the batch.

 

Weighing sheep to determine correct dose

Novartis have also developed a new drenching system designed to make the process much easier, safer and more efficient for both the farmer and the sheep. He demonstrated the new drenching gun and also gave farmers the chance to try it out for themselves.

 

Jo Younger of Baldrand Farm Practice spoke about the practical benefits of faecal egg counting on individual farms to determine in the first instance whether or not it would be beneficial to worm the stock according to the worm burden.

 

If there is a low worm burden it is recommended that sheep are not wormed as this can lead to a resistance build-up, and is also an unwarranted cost. However, if the burden is such that worming is recommended, Jo described how a second FEC should be taken on a specified date after worming to determine whether the worm burden has been reduced. If the reduction in faecal egg count is not sufficient then it would demonstrate a degree of resistance to the wormer used, in which case the farmer should try a different category wormer.

 

Jo then went on to talk about other parasites, both internal and external, which can affect the productivity of sheep, and how best to deal with them.

 

For further information on the current recommendations for dosing sheep against worms read the SCOPS guidance HERE

 

 

 

 

 

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