High nematodirus risk needs vigilance across UK
© Eric Gevaert/Adobe Stock Many young lambs now face a high nematodirus risk across the UK, according to a national parasite forecasting service.
The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (Scops) group’s nematodirus forecast is predicting “very high risk” in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern and southern England and Wales.
Farmers can assess risk on their own holdings online, by checking on forecasts from 140 weather stations around the UK.
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Mark Pass, a registered animal medicines adviser (Rama) of Willow Farm Vets, Cheshire, said he had used the forecast for several years and kept sheep clients abreast of the risk, with multiple updates some weeks.
He added: “Nematodirus is a serious disease in lambs that can cause severe disease or even death.
“It strikes quickly and can cause disease before faecal egg counts become useful – so it’s important sheep farmers, Ramas, vets and other advisers monitor the risk and treat quickly if diagnosis is confirmed.”
Risk factors
If your lambs are grazing pasture that carried lambs last spring then the lambs are at risk if you answer yes to the following questions:
- Are the lambs old enough to be eating significant amounts of grass? Generally, this happens at six to 12 weeks of age, but lambs may be younger if ewes are not milking well
- Has there been a sudden cold snap followed by a period of warm weather?
- Have you got lambs under other stresses – for example, triplets, fostered lambs or lambs on old or young sheep?
Recommended actions
- Avoid infection: If possible, move at-risk lambs to pasture not grazed by lambs last spring
- Treat infection: Scops advises farmers to use a white benzimidazole drench
- Check treatment: Take a faecal egg count seven to 10 days after treatment to assess its effectiveness. Lambs may need treating more than once depending on the spread of ages in a group and subsequent weather conditions
Source: Scops
The nematodirus forecast is available online and free of charge.
The service is sponsored by Bimeda and Techion, with weather data provided by Visual Crossing.