ROUTINE monitoring of parasites can help detect problems in lambs and way before clinical signs appear.

Last year, Allan Smellie, who farms 2000 breeding ewes at Posso Farm, Manor, was able to find two fields where coccidiosis was a problem way before symptoms of the disease were appearing in his lambs. As a result he was able to dose the lambs before they were affected by the parasite and started to lose weight.

This was because the farm takes part in Parasite Watch, a scheme run by Zoetis, which involves monitoring worm, fluke and fly burdens.

“There were no clinical signs in the lambs, but when we did a speciation test on the coccidia, we found that 70% of the eggs were ones that cause lambs harm. We were then able to dose them before they caused clinical harm. It has made a big difference,” he says.

Had Mr Smellie not detected coccidia, then the knock-on effect could have been long-lasting in his lambs, with rapid weight loss and diarrhoea having a great effect on growth rates.

Being involved in the Parasite Watch scheme means Mr Smellie will again monitor worm egg counts every two weeks on his farm throughout this year, with results available in a couple of hours. He will also have quarterly fluke tests and will be trapping flies to help inform treatment.

Despite the time involved in monitoring parasite species, Mr Smellie believes the overall efficiency of his sheep flock is improved with lambs able to be sold earlier.

Most years, lambs are finished from June onwards, with some sold through the live market and the remainder through Scotbeef at Bridge of Allan.

“If I can be more efficient at the job, then I can get lambs away quicker,” he adds.

This year, before dosing stock, Mr Smellie will be doing faecal egg counts. He also aims to target a couple of fields to see what is happening.

“I don’t have resistance on my farm and I don’t want to get resistance,” he says.

Parasite Watch farms

Farms involved in Parasite Watch have faecal samples taken every two weeks, which help detect major stomach worms and Nematodirus.

Fluke is also tested quarterly using copro antigen testing, which picks up immature fluke at six weeks of age, giving farmers the most advance warning they can. Flies are monitored on the farm using fly traps.

How to use Parasite Watch

The aim of Parasite Watch is not only to inform the farmers involved in the project about parasite levels on their farm, but also to alert livestock farmers to parasite risks in their local area by an interactive map, which can be found at www.parasitewatch.co.uk

Parasite data from each of the farms will be updated regularly, which allows farmers to see if there are spikes in certain parasites throughout the year in their area and enable them to take appropriate action.

To use the map, click on a farm in your area and details of any parasites that have been found as well as when they were detected will be displayed. Test results will be online within hours of the test being taken.

Monitor risks

Vet Dave Armstrong from Zoetis, urges farmers to monitor parasite outbreaks by using the Parasite Watch map and for farmers to know what is going on on their farm.

“You need to look at stock, weigh stock and take faecal egg counts. Together these can give you an idea of where the challenges are and help inform treatment.”

Furthermore, he added that can farmers can no longer judge dosing on the calendar or what they did last year, as every year is different.

“Parasites are the biggest production limiting factor in sheep and with statistics saying winters are getting milder, then that is worse for parasite burdens.”