[Bionic]

I had a FEC done on my 4 lambs at the end of last week and unlike the one I had done 6 weeks ago there is now sufficient eggs in the sample to warrant worming them.
The vet said she would 'draw off'' enough of the wormer for me to do the them so that I didn't have to buy a whole bottle.
FEC cost £12.48
Wormer cost £2.54
The wormer was put into 4 individual syringes ready for me to give an oral dose to each of the lambs and with it was a free booklet on worming where she had highlighted pieces of information appropriate to me.
I must say I am happy with the service and the cost     

[ZaktheLad]

Sounds like you have a great vet there 

[Foobar]

Out of interest, what wormer did they give you?

[Fleecewife]

BUT.......you can see why it might be cheaper just to go straight for the wormer     Not that I would recommend that, but it does make it more understandable why people don't bother with the FEC count, probably ending up worming too frequently, wormer resistance, etc.

[Bionic]

Out of interest, what wormer did they give you?

The only have one bottle open, panacur, well thats ok as my lambs hadn't had anything before. They have said next year they will open something different.
Sheep worming is one of my vets pet subjects so she always makes sure we have up todate info.

[Backinwellies]

Think they may have to open a new bottle if mine need doing ......... resistance here to Panacur.... but I agree is great help having vet who is so keen to  inform and help us smallholders.   

 Fleecewife, I do agree,  I really cant see many old time sheep farmers being very bothered ... if it is cheap and seems to work why change?  And smallholders who only need very small amounts are likely to go for cheapest too unless they have a vet like ours.

[fifixx]

My vets also dispense wormer/spot on etc as needed.  They want to encourage smallholders to use the fecal testing and correct medicine and dissuade them from buying big bottles in Agri stores just because it's on offer.

[SteveHants]

BUT.......you can see why it might be cheaper just to go straight for the wormer     Not that I would recommend that, but it does make it more understandable why people don't bother with the FEC count, probably ending up worming too frequently, wormer resistance, etc.

Oddly my FECs cost half of that - and I guess the more sheep you have the better an option it becomes. No point in dosing a few hundred lambs unless you have to...

[kanisha]

I can see the benefit of faecal counts  if you can do them yourself or periodically as I do between routine worming to see if there are any problems developing but i fail to see at that cost how I could justify a faecal count everytime.