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Parasite farmer presentation Michelle Holloway
- 1. Farmer Presentation for Parasite Control By Michelle Holloway
- 2. Examples of FarmDrenching Programmes: Farm 1: • 430 ha sheep and beef property • Stocking 2500 Romney ewes, 150 breeding cows, 66 rising two year olds & 72 weiners, all Angus • Ewes are drenched before tupping with Cydectin, and • Pre-lambing, 2ths receive a bionic capsule lasting 150 days and ewes receive 6 in 1 Nilvax • Mixed age breeding cattle are drenched once a year if needed with Oxfen C
- 3. Examples of FarmDrenching Programmes Farm 1 cont.. • Cattle are fed on a crop during winter • Farmer does not perform faecal egg counts as doesn’t see parasitism as a problem • All replacement stock breed on farm • Quarantine holding paddock for stock brought onto farm • Poor performing stock culled • Farmer uses cross-grazing for parasite control
- 4. Examples of FarmDrenching Programmes Farm 2: • 694ha sheep and beef property • Stocking 4100 Romney ewes, 130 breeding cows, Angus Herford cross • Drench all ewes 2 times a year at main shear and pre- tupping • Light ewes also drenched at dipping and 2nd shear • Catlle drenched once a year after preg testing in March with Closamectin (injectable)
- 5. Examples of FarmDrenching Programmes Farm 2 cont.. • Cross graze sheep with cattle • Ewes are set stocked after scanning for pasture management • Poor performing stock are culled • Perform faecal egg counting twice a year at weaning and pre- tupping
- 6. Examples of FarmDrenching Programmes Farm 3: • 55 acres fallow deer farm • Stocking 80 hinds, 80 yearlings and 6 breeding stags • All fawns receive a sole drench at weaning for their lifetime • Hinds gain a high immunity to parasite so don’t get drenched • Breeding stags drenched once a year, when draughted from hinds in October
- 7. Examples of FarmDrenching Programmes Farm 3 cont.. • All stock receive Cydectin pour on • No cross- grazing performed, solely fallow deer • Rotation of paddocks for pasture management • Supplementary fed maize in a raised trough • All replacement stock breed on property
- 8. Improving Environmental Sustainability… •Having an accurate drench programme ensure less drenching • Good pasture management also helps to decrease the spread of parasites • Only drenching poor performing stock (select drenching due to certain stock having less immunity to worms) • Culling poor performing stock- not carrying over consistently ‘wormy’ stock to increase productivity
- 9. Improving Financial Sustainability… •Beneficial parasite control = fewer vet bills • Suitable parasite control programmes means increased productivity and weight gain so farmer is coming out better off • Careful selection/breeding of replacement stock with higher resistance to parasites = less money spent drenching • Lowering stocking rate which will reduce the risk of disease which means less money for treatment
- 10. Reduction in useof Drenches… • Try to drench as little as possible • Frequent drenching may lead to drench resistance of a certain family • Avoid using the same drench family each time, try using combination drenches • Correct drenching techniques/ dosing and worthy pasture management will reduce need of drenching • Perform faecal egg counts and drench (or not drench) based on the results • May only need to drench light or poor performing stock instead of the whole mob
- 11. Selection of thebest drench for the job- things to take into account… • Species of stock • Preferred administration i.e. pour on, oral, injectable • The best time of the year to drench • Withholding periods • Type of parasite you are wanting to treat i.e. internal external or a number of different ones • Age and breeding status • Consult a vet, they can help with ideas, selection and explaining which would best suit you. • Remember: each farm circumstances are different
- 12. Choosing the righttime to drench… • When there are high levels of parasites • Particularly when your faecal egg count result comes back high • Keeping an eye on clinical signs in your stock i.e. weight, daggy ewes, decreased production etc • Drenching pre tupping to release stress on ewes so they readily accept the ram • The correct season e.g. Feb when high levels of barbers pole or spring when grass is fresh but stock still eating low to ground
- 13. Using Feed Management… •Rotational grazing allows time for larvae to die off pasture and pasture to regenerate • Lower stocking rate means less parasites on the pasture • Supplement feeding into troughs or raised areas reduces ingestion of larvae of pasture • Feeding stock on a crop over winter to avoid ingestion of parasites from pasture • Cross grazing different species together
- 14. Correct dosing ofstock… • Calibrate guns to ensure they are dosing correctly • Weigh stock correctly, as under dosing is a waste of farmers time as won’t be working and if over dose the stock can build up more of a resistance + costing more • May be applicable to draught mobs into similar lines of body weight if overall weight is significantly varied • Ensuring correct technique to avoid under or over dosing or infection and damage to carcass if injectable • Read drench label to ensure correct dosing amounts, as well as precautions or special instructions
- 15. Choice of Stockon Property… • If stock have high parasite burdens, look at introducing new breeds with better parasite immunity • Have a quarantine area for when stock from other properties are being introduced to your farm • Possibly lease out some paddocks for cross- grazing to decrease parasite burden • If worst comes to worst, you may decide to convert to farming a different species if parasite resistance is severe.
- 16. Tips for commercialfarms… • Perform faecal egg count reduction test after drenching to find out farm resistance status • Post mortem all animals with sudden deaths to assess total worm counts • Make hay from badly infected paddocks to allow larvae to die off pasture • Consult your local veterinarian for parasite control programmes
- 17. Tips for LifestyleBlocks… • Quarantine drench animals before introducing property • Graze different species of stock to help ‘vacuum up’ parasite off pasture (cross- grazing) • Speak to your local veterinarian about parasite control and suggestions about which drench may be suited to you!!