[Bramblecot]

MVF have just issued this warning through their newsletter.  Might be worth a read.
The weather patterns recently recorded have led to an earlier than expected Nematodirus season.   Sustainable Control Of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) have just published a red warning for the South West which has come some 2-3 weeks earlier than in 2013.  Using soil temperature data produced by Bristol University, their risk analysis map shows the South West of England is expected to see a peak hatching in the next 7-10 days, with the red zone spreading North over the next month.
 
Check your regions disease status by logging onto the SCOPS website:
 
 www.scops.org.uk

[Foobar]

That MVF link is out of date....this is the latest:


http://www.scops.org.uk/alerts-detail.php?AlertID=28

[Bramblecot]

thanks .  always worth looking at the scops site.

[smee2012]

I've just read the SCOPS leaflet on this and I'm wondering if my lambs are at risk?

There has only been livestock on our paddocks since we bought our ewes in 2012 (as lambs). It was arable land for decades before then. We bought some more meat lambs in last year (around 8-10 weeks old if I recall correctly) which were slaughtered in December.

This is the first year we've bred our own lambs and our sheep are all on a Heptavac-P programme.

Is it likely that we are at risk? We don't seem to tick many boxes on their checklist 

[jaykay]

I know mine are at risk - I have no access to land that hasn't had lambs under 8 weeks on it last year.

What I don't know, given that, is what's the best way to protect them.

[Me]

You could give a white drench - panacur in the next week or so

[Foobar]

Mine are, got my first with scouring now, so will be drenching tonight when I do their first HepP injections.

[jaykay]

How often do you have to drench though, since they'll get reinfected the second they're back onto infested pasture (which is all of mine)?

Panacur? Does it still work on anything?

[Me]

Yes. It works on Nematodirus. The alternative is to just give Zolvix to everything everytime, until that doesn't work too.

[FiB]

Yep i just been to vet with sick lamb this morning and she recommended albex when I heptovac them.  Not very close to south west! (North wales) but warning seems valid for us too.