The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: waterhouse on December 23, 2010, 05:11:12 pm
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What do you use as a flukicide? Or to put it another way what's the cheapest way of treating 4 sheep for fluke once only - they've come onto our dry land from low-lying marsh so need treating now but shouldn't need repeating.
The vet's recommendation (Cydectin) comes in a convenient 100 sheep pack at a bargain £50.
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Really your only sensible option would be to try your neighbouring sheep farmers, even if they do not use the one recommended by the vet. (unless vet can give you four doses at a reasonable price?, mine does this for some medicines, but not for flukicides)
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Our vet will dispense just a few doses. You probably pay a wee bit more for their trouble, but it beats buying enough for 100 doses. I suppose it depends on the area - round here we have a number of smallholdings and small farms so the opened packs get bought quickly, or someone might be happy to buy an opened pack for something off it. Try asking - they might say 'no', but they might say 'yes'.
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Combinex comes in smaller packs and is a wormer/fluke treatment in one. I use this normally on all my ewes for their winter treatments,but if I think I have a specific fluke issue (normally when ewes have been in the river fields) I will use cydectin or similar
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we have only 9 to dose for fluke and used closamectin. Rather than use a dosing gun which seems to waste a lot of product in the tube - I decided to use a syringe and needle instead. Eventhough we got a needle with a wide bore, It was a hell of a job to inject the stuff,. It a bit like syrup or treacle. I wouldnt use it again. I'm sure an oral product is far less hassle.
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We usually use Combinex as an Autumn treatment.
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I would go for a cheap and cheerful combined fluke and worm drench. Somthing like combinex or endospec. Usually you have to use a higher dose rate to treat the fluke as well as the worms.
Cydectin have recently brought out a new drench that does fluke as well as worms. It is pricey though. The standard cydectin drench is really good for ordinary worms, but I haven't used the combined one, so can't comment on how good it is.
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Thanks everyone. I bought some Combinex and we drenched the girls today.