Administration of vaccines, drenches & dips
WHEN treating livestock with any product it is important it is applied correctly to prevent ineffective underdosing and costly (or dangerous) overdosing.
Treatment failure of any particular product can be due to any of the following (or a combination of them all) administering the incorrect dose rate due to use of faulty equipment, poor dosing technique, incorrect storage, or use of product resulting in reduced efficacy and resistance.
DRENCHING
Check drench guns for defects before use. If possible, weigh the largest animals in the mob and drench to their weight. Calibrate drench guns before use by pulling the rubber plunger out of a syringe and dispensing the dose into the syringe casing for a quick and accurate reading. Check throughout use that the drench is being drawn up without air. Wormwise recommend checking the drench gun every day it is being used or every
200 animals, whichever comes first. Ensure sheep aren’t spitting the drench out and make sure their necks are straight when drenching.
VACCINATING
A common question we get about vaccinating guns is which part of the plunger gives the correct dose. Always line up the front face of the plunger with the number of ml you require. Vaccination guns can be calibrated the same way as drench guns, using a small 3 or 5ml syringe to measure one dose, or a larger syringe and dispensing and measuring 5 or 10 doses. We have a list of recommended needle sizes for each vaccine so ask at your local Vet Centre clinic if you aren’t sure which to use.
DIPPING
Every season we have the odd case of lice or fly despite treatment. Farmers usually suspect a problem with the chemical, however the vast majority of these failures is due to a failure in the application process. Maggots or lice can be collected and exposed to the chemical at the correct concentration and wool can sometimes be tested for residues to determine what has happened.
If using saturation products follow manufacturer’s instructions for mixing and check sheep are wet to the skin level on several areas of the body including the belly, if not it will not work. If using a pour on product check the gun is dosing correctly before starting and follow manufacturers recommendations closely.