[JMB]

Hi.
I can't make up my mind what to buy so I thought I'd ask please.
We have always used combined drenches so I'm new to this.
My agricultural merchant has ordered zermex for me (moxidectin) (clear drench) for the ewes and suggests I get a white drench for my lambs , although that would be expensive.
Do I need to use different ones?


Also, I've just noticed a few tapeworm in the sheep poo. The agricultural shop said zermec would cover it , but it doesn't according to what I've read.
Should I get a different wormer that covers tapeworm? As some people don't bother with it.
P.s. it's 4 weeks since we wormed with Mebadown which does cover tapeworm. Would bits of them still be coming out?
Thanks very much
Joanne xxxxxx

[wellies]

I have recently used Ovispec which covered the ewes and lambs and has the option of doing Fluke too (you just give a higher dose rate). I think it really depends on your circumstances and perhaps the vet would be able to suggest a suitable product to do both the ewes and lambs together if you feel they need worming again   

[SheepCrazy!]

Wellies is Ovispec an Injection and is it expensive, I used a jag Cydectin last year and found it had really good results.

JMB your supposed to rotate your drenches clear, white, yellow, and it does get expensive and I still get confused hopefully someone who has knowledge of the specific doses your talking about will come along as I've not dealt with either, good luck

[fifixx]

I would suggest taking a fecal sample of poo to the vet if you can - You can also send it off (supplies for smallholders does a kit I think).  Then you know what worms they have and when you worm, you then do another 2 weeks after to see if it worked.

I wormed with Panacur, did a test 2 wks after and the worms were worse, so vet said that 95% of flocks and goatherds are resistant - and the kids are resistant too (nothing to do with becoming resistant, they just are if their mums are!)

So I've just done them with Zermex and will test in 2 weeks (cost is about £10 inc Vet's advice)

[JMB]

Thank you.
I had 2 faecal  egg tests done recently for fluke, cost £105! No other worm information ( I'm following it up.) so I suppose I'm looking for user advice in the meantime xxxxxx

[wellies]

um gosh your fluke tests sound expensive but I've not tested for fluke so I don't know how much my vet would charge for that service. Ovispec is a drench not too expensive and has done all our ewes, tups and lambs with some left over. Where possible I try to use wormers that are suitable cross species so in the past we've used panomec (injection) to treat pigs and sheep therefore making it more cost effective for us. The ovispec seemed to suit our lambs and ewes and I would use it again

[fifixx]

this is helpful - there are 2 previous articles too. http://www.smallholderseries.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=558&Itemid=29

[Foobar]

Don't always trust what your agricultural merchant says, it always pays to do your homework first .

White wormers are used at this time of year to kill the worm species that is most prevalent now which is netmatodirus.  Although most worms now do have a resistance to white wormers, this particular worm doesn't.  So in order to safe guard to resistance status of the other products (clear, yellow etc), the current advise is to use white now.  Then for the remainder of the year use a different product.  The same goes for combination products, you don't want to be treating for something that isn't present.

You can get smaller quantities of some of the products, and not too bad a price - I recently bought some Parafend 1L for £20.  The shelf life is usually 1-2 years.  Panacur you can get in 250ml bottles.  Search online if your local shop doesn't have what you need.

It's also handy to have a white wormer for when you do get tapeworm, as only white wormers will kill those.

Have a browse of the SCOPS site - http://www.scops.org.uk for lots of info on wormers and flukicides etc.

Oh and netmatodirus can do sufficient damage to a lamb before you will see any eggs shed in the poo, so in this case FECs aren't worth while.  I treat anything that I see with a dirty bum or loose stools (not atributable to wet grass) immediately with a white wormer, and I find that it clears up immediately.  I aim for clean bums on everything all year round, any sheep that is persistently dirty gets the chop. I rarely need to even dag now.

[JMB]

Thank you for your relies.
Just checking foobar - should I do all the sheep and lambs with the white drench?
I was wondering why the agricultural merchant suggested white for just the lambs and a different one for the ewes?
Thank you
Joanne xxxxx

[Foobar]

no, just the lambs with the white. The ewes will be immune to the nematodirus. You would have wormed the ewes at lambing? anyway with a clear (or yellow) wormer - it is unlikely that the ewes will need worming again until lambing  next year.

[Bramblecot]

Bought a FEC sample kit from the ag merchant for £6.  Sent off the samples today, it will be interesting to see what they suggest...

In the past I have used the vet and the results were vague.

[JMB]

Yes, I'd be really interested in finding out what you get back please
Thanks
J xxxx

[twizzel]

We just wormed our lambs with Combinex for combined worm/fluke but there is a 63 day meat withdrawal which is longer than other womers.

[Foobar]

We just wormed our lambs with Combinex for combined worm/fluke but there is a 63 day meat withdrawal which is longer than other womers.

That is because of the flukicide content.

[twizzel]

We just wormed our lambs with Combinex for combined worm/fluke but there is a 63 day meat withdrawal which is longer than other womers.

That is because of the flukicide content.

That's fine, we are in a flukey area and wanted them to be fluke free when slaughtered. We timed it right last year and killed them about 2 weeks after the meat withdrawal ended and they were fine... hooray