Irish Independent - Farming

And dose only when necessary

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conditions for an increase in the worm population on pasture.

“I plan to send off a sample once a week for the next few weeks and will dose the lambs with a yellow wormer when the count rises above 500 eggs per gram,” says Sean.

Lambs that are near slaughter weights will be left undosed and together with the ewes that graze after the lambs should ensure a large proportion of untreated worms not exposed to the drench.

They are called refugia and dilute the effect of any resistant worms that are passed out onto the pasture and subsequent­ly picked up by grazing lambs.

A pooled faecal sample made up in the lab from 10 samples collected from individual lambs costs from €15-€20.

This is a low cost when compared to dosing lambs when not required, the cost of the product used and the labour required to deliver the dose.

Targeting treatments and dosing only when necessary will reduce the onset of anthelmint­ic resistance in Sean’s flock and in your flock if you follow the same procedure.

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