[EmAbi-Sheep Newbies]

Being a sheep newbie and now that worming time is coming up, I wondered if there was a specific wormer I should use because they graze with horses or should I just use the same as the previous owner used before we got them in October? 2 ewes and 2 weathers, all above a year old.

The horses have recently had a worm count and have a less than 50 eggs seen reading so therefore we aren't worming them just yet.

I did look in to using Verm-X but feed shop advice has suggested to use a wormer first then use Verm-X as a additional day to day supplement. Something which I don't think I will do.

Any suggestions will be great. Thanks

[TheSmilingSheep]

If I were you I'd definitely do a worm count....  At their age they may already have built up sufficient resistance not to need any wormers.... and if you can avoid using any that'd definitely be the best outcome....

[Fleecewife]

FEC, then worm using whatever the vet suggests.  Repeat FEC after worming, compare before and after results and you have some idea whether your sheep worms are resistant to the wormer you have used (as opposed to the sheep themselves being resistant to, or able to tolerate, worms).

I don't keep horses, but I don't see why their presence, or their worm count, would reflect on or affect the sheep.

[princesslayer]

My four sheep have grazed in rotation with my new forest pony for two years now, on around 3 acres. I've never wormed the ewes as egg counts show no need but did worm my lambs last year as something specific came up on the count (can't remember what now). I egg count the pony, he was <50 but I was advised to treat him for encysted red worm in Spring as it doesn't come up in the count.

Theory is that they graze each other's worms and kill them in their systems, but I haven't looked at any studies.

[EmAbi-Sheep Newbies]

Worm count sounds like the way forward!

Thanks!

[landroverroy]

The fact you have the 2 different species grazing together should significantly reduce the worm count of both as they hoover up each others' worms. Worms are host specific and and not normally shared between sheep and equines. Therefore equine worms will not affect in sheep and vice versa.