[Matt - Henbant]

Hi All,

We have a new, assorted and small collection of sheep (10 ewes), on land that has been extenisvley sheep grazing since the sparrows first sang and I'm perpelexed by the range of wormers and parastite controlls out there, there is some worm burden here, the poos do get white spots on them and we have one ewe who is scouring a little.

The old grazer here recomded I just buy a small bottle of Combinex, but is that the best thing? We are going to start more rotaional grazing and I would like to reduce our relaince on wormers as much as possible.

What should I use, how often and what should I be treating against and what should I wait to see evidence of?

I realise thats a novice waffle, but all advice appreciated!

Warmest, Matt

[Anke]

How big is the field?
 
I would get a droppings sample (maybe do two, by collecting bits from as many fresh(!) droppings in the field and send them off. Then you see what you are dealing with.
 
I would then worm using an ivermectin based wormer, like Oramec for example, and if your ewes are not going to slaughter/sale anytime soon your best flukicide would be Fasinex. Dose a few days after the wormer though, both on the same day may be quite a lot for them to deal with (are these fairly young and healthy ewes?).
 
Then do another worm egg count (and maybe for fluke eggs too) 10days post-worming, to see if you have resistant species there. If yes - talk to your vet about sing Zolvix, or a yellow wormer maybe in the first instance and then re-test again.
 
If you are planning to tup them this autumn a mineral/multi-vit drench may also be useful

[Dans]

Have a nosey here, some good information:

http://www.scops.org.uk/anthelmintics-choosing-product.html

Dans

[TheCaptain]

speak to your vet - they should give you the best advice on what to worm and when and will give you a flock health scheme if they're any good. Definitley get a worm count done too; there's no point in worming if you don't have worms and different classes of wormers deal with different worms.

[SteveHants]

How big is the field?
 
I would get a droppings sample (maybe do two, by collecting bits from as many fresh(!) droppings in the field and send them off. Then you see what you are dealing with.
 
I would then worm using an ivermectin based wormer, like Oramec for example, and if your ewes are not going to slaughter/sale anytime soon your best flukicide would be Fasinex. Dose a few days after the wormer though, both on the same day may be quite a lot for them to deal with (are these fairly young and healthy ewes?).
 
Then do another worm egg count (and maybe for fluke eggs too) 10days post-worming, to see if you have resistant species there. If yes - talk to your vet about sing Zolvix, or a yellow wormer maybe in the first instance and then re-test again.
 
If you are planning to tup them this autumn a mineral/multi-vit drench may also be useful

I'd do this, but I wouldn't start with Ivermectin. I would probably leave out 'white' (benzadole) drenches as there is widespread resistance, but would start with 'yellow' (levamisole) which there is still some resistance too, but not always (I don't have any on my farm). Ivermectin (clear) drenches have the least reported resistance and I would only use them if you have levamisole resistance.


Zolvix is one of the new generation of wormers that has just come on the market and there is little/no known worm resistance to it. It is therefore recommended that you ONLY use it when new stock arrives on your farm, preferably on straw which is then burnt (because some worms WILL be resistant) - although worming indoors on straw isn't always practicable, if you can, worm them with Zolvix somewhere they wont be grazing (maybe a scrubby patch you could fence off). Farmers who are starting to use Zolvix routinely are letting the side down, because they are effectively selecting for resistance to a new spectrum of wormer, and they don't come along very often.

[Matt - Henbant]

Thanks all, it sounds like we should speak to a vet, we would have to any for the Zolvix, and I guess we will have to at some stage.

We have about 40 acres, but the ammount of that that is fenced is a different matter!

Thanks agian,

[debbiesant]

This leaflet I have found very useful from my vet. Its aimed a commercial farms but the principles are very useful:-

http://www.eblex.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Worm-control-in-sheep-for-better-returns-manual-8.pdf