February 2015 ParaBoss News

From the Editor

You can all go out in the paddock and have a good cheerful bleat!!  It's the year of the sheep, so make sure you look after them—even if you are not one yourself! >>Read more about people born in the year of the sheep.

Some reasonable rain has fallen around the country, but, unhappily, some regions are still very dry.  Regardless of where you are, it's a time when you should be planning some very important decisions—lambing paddock preparation, stocking rates into the rest of the year, likely testing regimes, preferred ASBVs of the rams you might be buying.  Now is the time, do not wait!

Arthur Le Feuvre

Feature articles

I'm crazy...not my fault, not guilty (Toxoplasmosis)

by Virginie Barrere

Seeing my face that morning, my doctor decided to prescribe me a blood test. “While we’re doing this”, he said, “We’ll look for Toxo."  >> Read more.

Class ewes for resistance to body strike

from the FlyBoss web site

If you have been fortunate enough to have rain over summer, and ewes are to be classed before an autumn joining, fleece rot is an important trait for culling. >> Read more.

Do shedding and hair sheep breeds have lice?

from the LiceBoss web site

Claims have been made that external parasites do not establish on shedding or hair sheep breeds and anecdotal evidence does suggest that lice are rarely detected on these breeds and their crosses. However, external parasites will survive on some individuals.  >> Read more.

The quick quiz

This 3-question quick quiz tests your knowledge of sheep parasites and their control. >> Take the quiz.