[supplies for smallholders]

Hi Cinderhills,

Your worm count was very very good - in fact the lab couldnt spot any eggs !

No - by missing the post nothing would have been affected - as the count looks for worm eggs and not actual worms.

You can either continue worming as you are doing, or schedule in regular worm counts - no point buying and administering wormers if you dont need them.

Thanks

[Cinderhills]

Thanks for your help SFS.  I'll have a think on what to do.

[Mel]

What really surprises me, is that this thread has not generated more posts and less than 200 views to date.

Is it a case, as Lillian said above, of people burying their heads in the ground?

Have any pig / sheep readers of this post actually thought to themselves "I might have a problem as well" and sought out a worm count from their Vet / Farm Supplies or Us? If so it would be interesting to know how many have.

Thanks

Hi SFS,

I purchased my weaners-well they are now 12 weeks of age,I was advised that they were wormed already and I do not need to check them again for 12 weeks? Please can you confirm when would be best,I shall be buying a test kit as a matter of precaution!

[JMB]

Hi Supplies For Smallholders.
I posted a question this week about preventing and testing pigs for liver fluke. I emailed my vet but am still awaiting a reply.
Just out of interest though- why do the home testing kits not test for liver fluke in pigs?
Thanks, Joanne

[melodrama]

Leghorn, I am in the same position as you and am definitely going to get one of these kits just to be on the safe side.  As someone mentioned before, I think its better to know in order that they can be treated accordingly.  Defo gonna get the count done.
Melanie x

[supplies for smallholders]

Hi,

Sorry for the delay in responding, we have been closed for a few days to do a stock take..

On the subject of Liver Fluke - The test looks for worm eggs in the sample, so the worms would need to be at a mature egg laying stage of their life cycle for the test to actually see any eggs (this is the same for any worm type in an egg count test) - a good source of info on Fluke is here : http://www.sac.ac.uk/mainrep/pdfs/tn557liverfluke.pdf

For checking for liver fluke in pigs - please make a note on the form that you would like this to be done, as the fluke eggs are slightly heavier and a different solution is used in the lab when mixing the sample prior to examining.

For Leghorn: That is a hard question to answer, as I don't know what was used to worm the weaners or if the correct dose was given to each one, or if you have worms already on the land. Personally I would say carry out a worm count or re-worm them if you prefer just to worm for the sake of it at around 4 - 5 months of age. But obviously any worming programme should be discussed with your vet.

Thanks

[supplies for smallholders]

One other thing, and I don't know if this is based on fact or just an "Old Wifes Tale", is that grazing geese or ducks on the land can dramatically reduce the liver fluke burdon of pastures - anyone else heard this ?

Thanks

[SallyintNorth]

One other thing, and I don't know if this is based on fact or just an "Old Wifes Tale", is that grazing geese or ducks on the land can dramatically reduce the liver fluke burdon of pastures - anyone else heard this ?

I certainly was told that ducks would do so - presumeably because they eat the snails which are the host for the other half of the fluke's lifecycle.  At the time I was on a sheep farm of over 1000 acres of moorland, so short of switching to duck farming in toto we decided to carry on dosing for fluke and just have a few Muscovies for fun (and eggs and meat for the house.) 

[Leri]

Hello. Not been around for ages! Yes I heard ducks keep things down too. Hubby not keen on ducks idea though!