The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: dyedinthewool on November 05, 2010, 07:36:02 pm
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Hi,
My lambs are due their second Hepvac tomorrow (six weeks) while I'm doing that can I worm them and Tag them (roughly 9 months old). Bit nervous doing the last bit as it will be the first time - did a replacement but she had decent former holes so just re-used those.
There was an article in the Farming section of the local paper advising that Welsh farmers should be giving Fluke wormers due to the wet weather we have had. So I thought I should do mine. They were last done in April with Combinex, is it okay to use that again or should
I change to another one.
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Yes you can vaccinate and worm at the same time. It's also ok to use the same wormer you used earlier in the year. If you're worried about worm resistance in your sheep - it is best to use the same one for a year then use another type next year - either a white wormer eg Panacur, or an Ivomec type. It will be better to change wormers next year anyway as the Levamisole in Combinex is not a particularly broad spectrum wormer.
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Many thanks Landroverroy. :)
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When tagging clean the ear and the tag as much as poss with antiseptic (Hibiscrub or iodine spray would do). Look out for the veins in the ear and get the tag the right way round. Then be brisk and squeeze hard.
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Unless you have already got the Combinex at hand, you maybe want to investigate if they actually have worms and/or fluke.
That would be a faecal egg count, but would cost some money thorugh your vets. The reason why it would be best to test in advance, if the sheep were done before leaving their old holding and your ground was clean they may not have worms! Same for fluke, but it is a bit more difficult to see their eggs, and it would only be from the beginning of Nov they would be detected anyway. I am also not sure if they build up resistance to flukicides as much as they do for some of the wormers.
My sheep have been here for about three years now, and have so far not needed worming, but we have had fluke however, so I am on Fasinex only. I think I will drench mine soon as well.