Regular drenching controls worms

Worm control an important component of animal husbandry in the Waikato

Worms are a constant and annoying problem for anyone with stock. Regular drenching is an important component of animal husbandry in the Waikato as our temperate climate is a great facilitator of worm survival on pasture.

Livestock are infected with worm larvae when grazing pasture.

Once eaten, the larvae develop into adult worms in the gut and lay eggs in large numbers.

The eggs are then returned to the pasture in faeces, to hatch and grow into larvae which infect more animals.

This is what makes worm control so important on small blocks: with a smaller number of paddocks to graze your stock in, worm burden on pasture tends to be much higher, allowing for easier reinfection.

Barber’s pole worm ( Haemonchus contortus) is a blood-sucking worm which mostly affects sheep, goats and alpacas.

Under the microscope, these worms appear to have red and white stripes, like a barbers pole!

Adult barber’s pole worms begin producing eggs after feeding on blood for about three weeks, so regular drenching is important to reduce their impact on animal health and the number of eggs shed on to surrounding pasture.

Affected animals will be slow and lethargic, with pale gums and third eyelids due to blood loss.

They will often have a scour related to other gut parasites at the same time.

Animals with an untreated burden can die very quickly, and often take a long time to recover once treated.

If you are concerned about worm burdens in your stock, faecal egg counts can be performed quickly and easily to assess whether a drench is required.

It is also a good idea to chat to your vet about setting up a drenching programme for your stock.

Affected animals will be slow and lethargic, with pale gums and third eyelids due to blood loss.