The range of products registered with the APVMA for treating goats is much smaller than those for sheep
The Quick Quiz
This quick quiz tests your knowledge of sheep and goat parasites and their control.
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What’s the minimum time between an effective drench and sheep re-infecting pasture?
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How often should existing sheep on a property be checked for lice?
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What are the two main reasons why you should remove fly struck sheep from the mob?
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What do you need to consider if you’re planning to use sheep drenches on goats?
>> Check the answers.
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State Outlooks for September 2020
A wet start to spring in many regions puts a spotlight on worms in our September updates; they do very well under these conditions! Good rainfall means pasture growth, so while lambs remain at the most worm-susceptible time of their lives, plenty of good quality feed will help them through. Regular monitoring and testing, however, will help inform your approach to drenching.
For those bringing in new stock, Maxine has some information about quarantine drenching. You'll need to carefully consider where you'll source your new stock, and how you'll manage their introduction, so you don't introduce drench resistant worms to your property.
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With things warming up and significant rainfall in parts of the state, conditions are right for worms to flourish, especially barber’s pole worm, which can experience huge population growth under these conditions. If you’re restocking, consider drenching sheep while they are quarantined to prevent introducing drench-resistant worms to the property. Flies have been an issue in some areas, so now is a good time to get ahead on your fly management plan.
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Worm activity has increased since much of Victoria received good rainfall this month. Frequent monitoring of stock for signs of high worm burdens is vital to catching issues early; however, the quality and availability of feed should help sheep handle low burdens without issue. The timing of the first summer drench is important, as this will determine its effectiveness. It’s also a good time to consider lice and fly management heading into summer.
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If restocking, consider carefully how you’ll manage the introduction of sheep from worm ‘hotspots’. If newly purchased sheep are carrying resistance to different drenches than existing sheep, or the resistance is more severe, this can be a big problem for your management plan! You’ll want to have a strategy in place to determine what you’re dealing with and how you’ll manage that introduction going forward.
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Many properties will be looking at weaning lambs in the coming months. This will be the most worm-susceptible period of their lives and should be carefully managed. Length and quality of feed can change the risk profile, so increase monitoring if sheep are grazing close to the ground. With warmer weather comes both barber’s pole worm and blowflies, so it’s time to begin monitoring for both of these parasites.
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With ram sales coming up, consider buying from a breeder who provides WEC results as part of the sale; this will help you seek a ram with a lower worm burden. With a good availability of feed, Merino weaners can likely handle a higher worm burden than they would otherwise; this can help build their immune systems. Properties that commonly see fluke should conduct a fluke test and conduct a fluke drench if eggs are present.
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Rainfall has created the potential for increased spring worm and flystrike issues. Monitoring, especially in the wetter areas, indicated many mobs will need a drench. High worm burdens also provide an opportunity for drench resistance testing. Lambs being weaned should have access to low worm risk pastures. Continue monitoring for worms, flystrike and lice as we head into summer to prevent production losses.
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Animal Health Australia
State Outlooks
