3 jobs for December

Would you drink out of it?

The cleaner the water and trough, the more your livestock will drink. Ideally, you want water and trough to be so clean, you’d be happy to drink out of it. Livestock tend to drink less if the water supply is dirty. Troughs should be in shade to keep water cool. If under trees, check regularly and clean out falling leaves which will rot.

Get faecal egg counts done

Measuring parasite levels in cattle, sheep and goats will help you calculate the best drenching regime. Parasites are one of the main reasons why young livestock don’t grow. However, resistance to drench is now a huge problem. An accurate assessment of the problem, and weighing animals so they get the correct dosage, helps to keep drench products effective. Talk to your vet.

Get ready for January

When pastures dry off in February, it’s the start of Facial Eczema (FE) season. FE can’t be treated, but you can prevent it causing fatal liver damage with zinc products. These need to start three weeks before spore levels start to rise, in early January.

Talk to your vet about the best method for protecting your sheep, cattle, and camelids, the livestock most badly affected. A zinc bolus (which lasts a month) is an easy way to treat sheep and cattle, but there are also options that can be added to water or feed.