Have you ever seen a drunk goat? Considerations in drench doses for goats?

Introduction by Paul Nilon, Nilon Farm Health, Tasmania

Unlike sheep, goats do not develop high levels of worm resistance. To complicate matters they have an extraordinary liver capacity (so you won’t get them drunk), and therefore able to metabolise drenches very rapidly, so the standard sheep doses are inadequate. Dr Sandra Baxendell gives a great review of drug choice (including toxicity), dose rates and residues in this video. 
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Another take on genetic resistance?

Introduction by Paul Nilon, Nilon Farm Health, Tasmania

The April report linked to information on using ASBVs and visual scoring to reduce the risk of strike. To get a handle on the potential gains and progress to date in breeding for resistance to breech strike spend some time at this video as AWI’s Geoff Lindon addresses the topic. 
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The risks in a risk-based approach

Introduction by Paul Nilon, Nilon Farm Health, Tasmania

Brian Horton’s suite of LiceBoss tools has great algorithms for deciding the need to treat and treatment options. They should be your first stop in the lice decision-making process. If you are not familiar with them take a moment to see what they offer. As Lefty Kreh would say, “You’ll be amazed”.

However, here are a few other things you should put into the equation, particularly if the tools take you down the “no treatment/monitor path”.

• Your own risk aversion: if you are unwilling or unable to monitor flocks closely, or just don’t like risk, take the least risky option (usually premature shear and treat).
• Internal biosecurity: if you decide not to treat, do your gazing systems and infrastructure support monitoring?
• Merino versus cross-bred (XB) flocks: Patently, the cost of severe derangement in Merino flocks will be more costly than in XB flocks. Against this, is that, prem. shearing will be more costly in Merino flocks (although combing length has come back in recent years). You may need some help to budget the costs of different options.
• The opportunity to intervene: if you opt not to treat, will you have the chance to give a long-wool treatment or prem. shear? Obviously, lambing is the big issue: the 8 weeks or so from the start of lambing to easy handling can be a real issue. However, do not forget other difficulties: cropping commitments and the effect they have on your flock movements, or maybe just the start of the school football season.
• Trading opportunities: the more you rely on store sales the more likely you are to treat pre-emptively. 

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