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Weekly Blog

Dosing Sheep Around Breeding

September 30, 2020
Dosing Sheep Around Breeding

We’ve had queries from sheep farmers asking, ‘what doses their ewes should get going to the ram?’

Adult sheep will have their own natural immunity to worms, so the typical ewe will not require a dose at this time. That said, this immunity can fluctuate based on how much ‘pressure’ the sheep is under.

Target young ewes, thin ewes, clinically affected ewes (those showing worm symptoms), or ewes on farms with a history of Barber’s Pole worm (aka. Haemonchus contortus).

This sinister, blood-sucking worm is one that can affect adult sheep and can often be difficult to diagnose.

It is not advisable to use albendazoles at fluke dose rates during breeding, so a product like Moxodex fits in well here. It is a member of the clear wormer family and will offer five weeks of persistent protection post-treatment against Haemonchus contortus. Animec (ivermectin) is another clear wormer alternative.

The other parasite we worry about at this time of year is liver fluke and 2020 is going to be a very different ‘fluke year’ versus 2019, due to the extra rainfall we got during the summer.

Indeed, there has been anecdotal evidence of fluke damage in lambs’ livers reported from abattoirs across the country thus far in 2020.

Adult sheep do not build an immunity to fluke like they do against worms, so they are at risk too.

When picking a liver fluke treatment, be sure to select a product that eradicates the proper stages of fluke. Given the weather so far in 2020, chances are that the fluke actively damaging livers currently is a ‘young’ fluke –early immature/immature.

Using an adult flukicide on these animals will likely have little or no effect on rates of liver damage or mortality on a problem farm.

Instead, opt for a triclabendazole like Tribex 5%, the only active ingredient licensed to eradicate all stages of a liver fluke infection.

Note the 56-day meat withdrawal on Tribex.

Use medicines responsibly

We’ve had queries from sheep farmers asking, ‘what doses their ewes should get going to the ram?’

Adult sheep will have their own natural immunity to worms, so the typical ewe will not require a dose at this time. That said, this immunity can fluctuate based on how much ‘pressure’ the sheep is under.

Target young ewes, thin ewes, clinically affected ewes (those showing worm symptoms), or ewes on farms with a history of Barber’s Pole worm (aka. Haemonchus contortus).

This sinister, blood-sucking worm is one that can affect adult sheep and can often be difficult to diagnose.

It is not advisable to use albendazoles at fluke dose rates during breeding, so a product like Moxodex fits in well here. It is a member of the clear wormer family and will offer five weeks of persistent protection post-treatment against Haemonchus contortus. Animec (ivermectin) is another clear wormer alternative.

The other parasite we worry about at this time of year is liver fluke and 2020 is going to be a very different ‘fluke year’ versus 2019, due to the extra rainfall we got during the summer.

Indeed, there has been anecdotal evidence of fluke damage in lambs’ livers reported from abattoirs across the country thus far in 2020.

Adult sheep do not build an immunity to fluke like they do against worms, so they are at risk too.

When picking a liver fluke treatment, be sure to select a product that eradicates the proper stages of fluke. Given the weather so far in 2020, chances are that the fluke actively damaging livers currently is a ‘young’ fluke –early immature/immature.

Using an adult flukicide on these animals will likely have little or no effect on rates of liver damage or mortality on a problem farm.

Instead, opt for a triclabendazole like Tribex 5%, the only active ingredient licensed to eradicate all stages of a liver fluke infection.

Note the 56-day meat withdrawal on Tribex.

Use medicines responsibly