ParaBoss News - September 2018 - Feature Articles

Feature articles

Worm infection during and after dry weather or drought in the (normally) moderate to high rainfall regions

by Deborah Maxwell, ParaBoss Executive Officer

What actually happens to worms during long dry periods or drought? And how are they best controlled during these times in those moderate to high rainfall regions where worms are normally present? >> Read more.

Blowfly season—here is what to do

from the FlyBoss web site

The risk of flystrike is already increasing in some areas. The FlyBoss Optimise Treatment Tool allows you to assess the risk in your environment using local climate records and helps you select the optimum time to apply treatment based on your usual shearing and crutching schedule. >> Try it here.

Lumpy wool—what is it and how is it spread?

from the LiceBoss web site

“Lumpy wool” also known as “Dermo”, or more correctly, dermatophilosis, is a skin infection of sheep and occasionally other species. It makes sheep highly susceptible to flystrike, difficult to shear cleanly, interferes with the distribution of backline products, and is highly contagious when wet sheep come into close contact. The good news is that you can limit its spread on your property. >> Read more. 

Worm testing for stud goat breeders

from the WormBoss web site

Commercial goat farmers, especially in the higher rainfall areas of Australia, increasingly want goats that better resist parasites. As a result, the number of stud goat breeders offering bucks with genetic information about worm resistance is also increasing. >> Read more.

Fast Fact: 2000 adult female barber’s pole worms can suck 100 ml of blood per day!  

An adult female barber’s pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) ingests about 0.05 mL of blood per day, and so 2000 worms (not a high burden) causes a blood loss of 100 mL per day. This is about 3% of the total blood volume of a 50kg sheep.