[tommytink]

I had a FEC done on my small flock of Hill Radnors. Came back all clear. Didn’t check for Fluke as vet said it would only show adult fluke when it’s the immature ones that cause the problems. They were fluked in Feb. Vet suggested doing them as a matter of course in Oct/Nov and again in Spring. I live in a high risk area, although apparently it’s been a low year overall. So I plan to Fluke twice yearly and worm when needed (after FECs) with separate products instead of a combination (thinking they’re prob better to target each issue rather than weaker mix of two). Does this sound okay?
In addition the vet has said it’s okay to fluke them after/during tupping. But should they be retained or pasture changed afterwards, like it’s rexommended with worms? To be honest our first lot of Badgers were wormed and went straight into pasture (we have a bit of space but never understand how those with two or three acres can move onto fresh ground all the time?!) and no repercussions.
The vet also said re:worming that we could/should worm 24hrs before they go back out to pasture with their lambs. Okay for the Radnors, but the Badgers are lambing outside...

[Buttermilk]

Fluke treatment only kills the fluke in the sheep and has no protective action so they can be reinfected immediately.  In a bad year you may/will have to treat a lot more regularly than twice a year. 

The intermediate host is a mud snail and it is their presence that determines the amount of infectious larvae on the fields.  If you have mud snails in a fluke area you will not have any clean fields as wildlife also carry liver fluke.

[twizzel]

We are quite high risk for fluke, I treat now with triclabendazole, again at Christmas with same product and then at lambing with Closantel based product.

[shep53]

FEC for fluke will show eggs which yes confirms adults but confirms you have fluke ,you can also do blood tests for fluke .   I live in a high fluke area and treat 6-8 times per year depending on how dry or wet ,yet my neighbour has no fluke  so it is not cut and dried , if you have no wet areas with standing water or open ditches running very slowly or wet areas around water troughs then your potential for snails /fluke is much reduced

[tommytink]

I live in Wales - it’s always wet!!
But seriously, there is a stream on my boundary. Fields can be wet although generally no standing water. Water troughs could get muddy around but I could move them or lime it easily enough.
I think fluke worries me as some of what I’ve read says the first you know of it is a dead sheep

[twizzel]

Have you ever had livers condemned at the abattoir ? That’s normally a good indicator of fluke. We have had cattle livers condemned due to fluke so everything here is treated for it throughout the autumn/winter.

[tommytink]

No, nothing has gone to the abattoir yet but will remember that when we do go down that route.

[crobertson]

Touch wood we haven't had issues with fluke before and always had lamb livers back from the abattoir. However, as it can be unexplained death in a flock that confirms cases we'd rather not risk that a treat our small pedigree flock regardless - for me personally prevention is better than cure.

Ours get x3 fluke treatments:
 
1 - pre-tupping (around end sept / start oct) with a treatment that covers immature fluke
2 - mid winter (around January) with a treatment that covers immature/adult fluke 
3 - post lambing (end march / start april) with a adult fluke treatment (usually covered by a wormer)

[tommytink]

So something like Fasinex Oct and Jan because it is triclabendazole based (targeting the immature fluke which hatch in autumn??) and then I could use a closantel based worm/fluke combo product (targeting any adult fluke which would lay eggs?) in the spring. Trying to find one - anyone enlighten me with a product name? I know the breeder of the Radnors used Flukiver but this appears to be  triclabendazole again?

[twizzel]

https://www.scops.org.uk/workspace/pdfs/know-your-anthelmintic-groups.pdf


The bible of all worm and fluke drench products! The narrow spectrum ones are for fluke only- yes tbz for pre tupping and mid winter then I use Flukiver at lambing

[crobertson]

Yes, I've ordered Fasinex for Oct and again in January and then something like Rycoben post lambing

[twizzel]

Watch with Rycoben for adult ewes- most farms have some level of resistance to white drenches so a clear or yellow wormer and a closantel fluke drench might be better. Id only use Rycoben for first nemo drench for lambs really

[tommytink]

Thanks Twizzel - that’s really handy. Don’t know where I read Flukiver being triclabenzadole - was obviously late and I was getting a bit addled looking at all this! I was looking for a combi product though, otherwise I had to buy something else for worming. I see Supaverm says it covers both. Has anyone used it? Note the long withdrawal but that wouldn’t be an issue.

[twizzel]

Are you sure they actually need worming? Adult ewes shouldn’t need routine worming, unless it’s at lambing when their immunity drops. It’s better to buy separates then you can use them independent of each other and prevent wormer resistance

[crobertson]

I only worm mine post lambing too and then I leave a couple of strong ewes undrenched. They get a FEC pre-tupping too.

Thanks for the advice r:e the rycoben I will use that on next years lambs and tweek the last fluke drench