Author Topic: FEC kits - HUGE difference in price... (Read 3536 times)

suziequeue · « **on:** July 20, 2014, 07:38:04 am »

I asked on here a few weeks ago for recommendations for the sheep FEC kit and there were a couple of suggestions for Westgate. I looked at their website and phoned to make some enquiries. By chance I also found FEC kits on the Mole Valley Farmers website.

I am confused.

The Westgate kit is £9.50 per sample (and it's not specifically for sheep so they say they can't make any wormer recommendations but they can do the egg count) whereas the Mole Valley Farmers FEC kit is £6.00 for ten samples (specifically for sheep but no recommendations either).

The Westgate kit seems over 15 times more expensive!! Can anybody suggest a reason for this price difference?

Backinwellies · « **Reply #1 on:** July 20, 2014, 08:12:00 am »

Fluke included

suziequeue · « **Reply #2 on:** July 20, 2014, 09:39:21 am »

I can't see fluke mentioned on either of the websites but I will call and check tomorrow. I am really keen to get this sorted out as - if there is no difference - then TASers should know about it!!!

I can see from the Westgate website that they provide an "after sales" advice and support service but that's only for horse owners.

Melmarsh · « **Reply #3 on:** July 20, 2014, 09:42:38 am »

Why not ask your vet the cost of a single (for when you have a scouring sheep for no obvious reason) and I he cost of a pooled sample , if just to check what's going on. My vet charges the same for both £8 50 ish and then advises what to use if anything is necessary. That takes the guess work out of the multitude of wormers and hopefully stops you getting resistance.

ladyK · « **Reply #4 on:** July 20, 2014, 10:52:23 am »

Westgate also do a 4xpack (£31 +£2pp) which works out at £8.25 per test.
If you want them to test for fluke in sheep you just make a note when you send in your sample and they will just add that in for free (they need to know to use a different flotation solution - I recently called them with just that question)

Still a huge difference to MV - thanks for pointing that out.
Maybe it's because MV are targeting this price to sheep farmers and not as a sideline to equine testing?

My vet charges £12ish for a test incl Vat, so that's even more expensive than Westgate (and in the past I had reason to seriosly doubt the efficiency of the vet's test so went back to Westgate anyway)

Bramblecot · « **Reply #5 on:** July 20, 2014, 11:20:41 am »

I understood from the MV test that you submit multiple samples but they do a pooled test. I got back one test result from them (which advised that I consult my vet - no surprise, should have gone there anyway).

Backinwellies · « **Reply #6 on:** July 20, 2014, 01:23:39 pm »

I was wondering if the MV 'ten samples' is really one test from 10 samples from a group of sheep ..... 10 being what my vet suggests when a sample is sent to her. My vet costs £12 too so other alternatives would be useful to know.

suziequeue · « **Reply #7 on:** July 20, 2014, 01:48:26 pm »

I'm pretty sure the girl I spoke to at MV mentioned that it was a pooled sample. The interesting thing about the MV sample is that you just pick the poo up with a glove, turn the glove inside out on your hand and tie a knot in it. I quite like the simplicity of that - and that is probably going to appeal to bigger sheep farmers to try and get them to do more FECs for a more targeted approach to reduce resistance developing.

However, we have one ram lamb at the moment who is clearly carrying the burden "for the team". He's the only one with a very wet mucky bum and a lot of fly interest but no maggots. I think we got him just in time. He's had the full wash cut and blow dry treatment this morning and I am keeping him in for a fresh sample to send to Westgate as an individual.

Sounds like there is room for both the pooled approach (MV) and the individual approach (vet, Westgate etc).