[rach2808]

Hi everyone.  I am new to keeping sheep.  I recently sent a FEC to the vet who advised the worm count was 850 and recommended a yellow or clear wormer.

I am so confused as to which brand to purchase and which drench gun to buy. Also if I buy a certain drench gun will that then only work with a certain wormer.

Can anyone point me in the direction of a decent wormer and drench gun . Also which suppliers people use would be useful.

I only have 4 ewes (at the moment)

Many Thanks :-)

[Bywaters]

if you only have 4 ewes, then a 25ml syringe will be pence compared to a worming gun

You can wash out after use and then use again with a different wormer

There aren't, in my opinion, recommended wormers (by make) just get what ever your agi supplier has or, hopefully, buy a small amount form a local small holder / farmer

[twizzel]

https://www.scops.org.uk/workspace/pdfs/know-your-anthelmintic-groups_2.pdf
This is a very handy guide, you can pick a wormer then based on administration method and meat withdrawal. For clear I tend to use Molemec drench from mole valley. Yellow I use levacide lv drench. They are normally the cheapest in each group. Probably better to see if a local farmer has any you can use or go to local country store.

[Richmond]

Will your vet not supply you with a small amount of appropriate wormer? Our vet is happy to either put a small amount of wormer into a bottle with dosage instructions or, if only one sheep needs worming, then a plastic syringe with the wormer already in it. I just administer it straight from the syringe, don't bother with a drench gun.

[Backinwellies]

With just 4 sheep see if vet will dispense you enough wormer .... no point buying .... they dont come in small sizes. Some are injectable so would need needle and syringe not drench gun (which you definitely dont need for 4 sheep ..... just use a syringe

[rach2808]

Wow thank you all for your super helpful advice.

The 25ml syringe is a great idea ... I will get one of those ordered :-)

My vets didn't offer to supply wormer so I assumed it was not the done thing...

[twizzel]

Wow thank you all for your super helpful advice.

The 25ml syringe is a great idea ... I will get one of those ordered :-)

My vets didn't offer to supply wormer so I assumed it was not the done thing...

I know our vets carry injectable clear wormer and quarantine wormer, but they don’t tend to have every group. If they didn’t offer to supply I guess they don’t have it 

[landroverroy]

You'd be better off with a 5ml syringe.
1. It's a lot easier to put into a sheep's mouth without half of it dribbling out because the syringe is too big.
2. I can't think of a wormer where you would use 25ml at a time. Most doses are less than 5ml. If a bigger dose is needed then do it in 2 lots.

[Rosemary]

I'd use a 50ml catheter syringe, personally.

[Penninehillbilly]

You can get a syringe with a proper drench nozzle, just draw up enough for each sheep, much better than the plastic nozzles which get chewed and could hurt their gums/lips.

[shep53]

When i was young ,we used plastic measuring cylinders supplied by the company who made the wormer ( only white and yellow groups then )  we had 3 so 1 or 2 people dosing and one filling the cylinders which lasted for ages . You can buy plastic measuring cylinders  ( 25 ml ) for circa £3 , plus everyone who has a dosing gun should have a measuring cylinder to check the guns dose amount

[rach2808]

You can get a syringe with a proper drench nozzle, just draw up enough for each sheep, much better than the plastic nozzles which get chewed and could hurt their gums/lips.

Thank you !.. I have managed to order one of these this morning... not easy to get hold of and cost me £20 but looks like it should do the job :-)