[Haylo-peapod]

The 'A level biologist' in me is luring me towards doing some of my own faecal egg count sampling.
I have seen there is a proper kit out there called FECPAK but the price of it for a hobbyist like me is prohibitive.
 
I have done a bit of research online and have found a FEC kit with microscope designed for birds at a fraction of the price:
 
http://www.brunelmicroscopes.co.uk/coccidiosis.html
 
Question is, would this be suitable for doing FEC sampling on sheep and cattle?? The fact it is suitable for the identification of cocci in birds makes me think it might be a contender.
 
Even if I do buy something like this I would probably still get the vet to do the occasional FEC throughout the year as backup so this is largely to satisfy my own curiosity and also to keep a more regular overview of things.
 
Anyone have any thoughts or advice on this?? 

[SteveHants]

I fully intend to: you need a microscope and a slide split into squares of a known size whose name escapes.me now (am posting on my phone or Id look it up. I think ill get mine on ebay.

[Bionic]

I can't answer your questions but getting the vet to do one sounds a good idea.  If you take both samples at the same time you would then know how accurate yours is and it would give you some confidence to do your own in the future.
Sally

[Deere]

I was thinking on this subject this week after sending some off for the vet to do.

What i want to do is get a microscope and the slides etc (probably of the bay of E) and have a word with the OH who is a vet nurse at our vets to see if one of them would give me a short lesson in doing one?

Very interesed in keeping costs down but not effecting animal welfare, so regular testing in house with a sample into the vets occasionally is surely better for welfare and the pocket!

Will keep you all posted on any progress and will keep an eye on this thread as im sure there are lots of people with different opinions on this topic!

Cheers,

Tim

[Mallows Flock]

Wow... this company is not very far from me at all! I used to drive past it every weekend! LOL!
I couldn't take the not-knowing so havbe emailed the company and will post on here their reply!!!!
Lisa x
p.s how much is the FECPAK SYSTEM...ANYONE KNOW???
 

[Bramblecot]

Mallows S &P,  Would they do a discount for a multiple order?    Perhaps we could have an online training session?

[Mallows Flock]

Mallows S &P,  Would they do a discount for a multiple order?    Perhaps we could have an online training session?

Sounds like a plan..... ooh I am awful for stuff like this...just wanna get in there and DO it and know all about it! hahah!

[Moleskins]

My vet wants £12 a go for FEC is that normal / expensive / cheap
Mostly their charges on sheep are reasonable       But dear for the dog   
Just had a look at the Brunnel website at just shy of £100 I can pay my vet for 8 FEC's  for the price of the bird kit hmmmmmm

[Penninehillbilly]

Try abbey diagnostics
email  [email protected]
it does say for horses, but they do sheep and goats
it was about £6 per sample, email them, they send you containers, instructions etc, you send it back with sample and cheque and they can email you results.
 
There are some interesting web sites which tell you how to make up a solution etc.
I have a microscope, and see alsorts but can't see any eggs, but I then sent a sample off and it was only a low count all round.

[Haylo-peapod]

Wow... this company is not very far from me at all! I used to drive past it every weekend! LOL!
I couldn't take the not-knowing so havbe emailed the company and will post on here their reply!!!!
Lisa x
p.s how much is the FECPAK SYSTEM...ANYONE KNOW???

Ha ha, Brunel will wonder what's going on as I emailed them yesterday too. They said that there's no reason at all why we couldn't use one of their kits but that we should specify we want an alpaca kit (couldn't see that one on the website) as it will come with better size accessories for the larger faecal sample.
 
It was tricky to find a price for FECPAK but I 'think' it is over £1,000 (eek!)
 
Bramblecot - what a brilliant idea! I certainly think it would be worth investigating whether we could get a discount for a multiple order. 
 
Mallows, let me know whether you want to explore this as you are local to the supplier or whether you would like me to ask them.

[YorkshireLass]

Fecpak was from £800-£1000 depending on whether you got a microscope and if so, what type. Kit includes scales, instructions, reference guides, some saline, measuring cylinders, special grid-marked slide, sample taker, all calibrated so you know you're working out x number of eggs per gram of sample.


I've done a couple, it gets easier, but it is a bit of a witch's brew!


Is there any RDPE type group near you? We have one close by that is letting farmers "share" a fecpak.

[Dans]

I fully intend to: you need a microscope and a slide split into squares of a known size whose name escapes.me now (am posting on my phone or Id look it up. I think ill get mine on ebay.

Think you mean McMaster slides SH.

I'm afraid I'm a bit useless at animal nematode egg counts. I know the common method is flotation and that Brunel kit comes with a flotation kit, so if you get the salt solution right I don't see why you couldn't use it for sheep etc. One thing you could do to test that you are doing it right, is submit a sample to your vets and do a sample yourself at home. If they get eggs and you don't you'll know you are going wrong!

If anyone was at the Malvern show I know they were demo-ing egg counting there.

Dans

[RaisinHall Tamworths]

I work at vets and do my own at work  .  Or sometimes bring everything home at a weekend if I want to do a lot of samples then spend my weekend looking at poo 

[Penninehillbilly]

Quote
 One thing you could do to test that you are doing it right, is submit a sample to your vets and do a sample yourself at home. If they get eggs and you don't you'll know you are going wrong!
Dans

That's what I did, (via Abbey Diagnostics) but on the high magnification needed the microscope shows up so much flotsom, a slight turn of the focus alters what you see, I have pictures from the internet but I couldn't identify anything, just saw things which may or may not have been, nothing beats someone actually showing you whats what.
I think it's good to get a microscope you can connect to the computer, then it's easier to look on the monitor, and get snapshots.
 

[Dans]

That's what I did, (via Abbey Diagnostics) but on the high magnification needed the microscope shows up so much flotsom, a slight turn of the focus alters what you see, I have pictures from the internet but I couldn't identify anything, just saw things which may or may not have been, nothing beats someone actually showing you whats what.

Yep helps to make sure you are infocus before you start, with things floating you want to be sure you are focused on the very top.

Dans