Check out these key pointers for effective drenching and parasite control.
You will be hearing a lot about parasite management at the moment and we are certainly talking to more people every week about managing parasites on their farms.
The conversation is moving away from drenching as the answer, to considering
how can we drench less?
how can we maintain production with less drenching?
what manipulations can I make to my system to make my stock more robust?
how do I manage fodder crops to get the most out of them?
However, we still are drenching and there are some real basics that we MUST get right for it to be effective.
Golden Rules for drenching
Drench to the heaviest animal - weigh some stock to check this.
Check your drench gun and do it regularly during the day (use a 10ml syringe, pull the plunger out of it, squirt one dose into it and check it's what you need to deliver). REPEAT 2-3 times in the morning and afternoon.
Use a drench that works! If you don’t know which drench you need, it's best to use a triple-action drench and do a drench check.
Shake drench drums regularly and thoroughly - this ensures all actives are in each dose.
Drench interval no shorter than 28 days.
After first 4-5 drenches at 28 days, do a Faecal Egg Count (FEC) test to see if next drench is needed. We have special bundle rates on FEC testing using our in-clinic Parasight machines.
Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test every 3 years for breeders, or more regularly if trading.
Drench check in spring and autumn, 10 days after drenching, with 10 individual FEC samples.
Don’t drench adult stock (including 2tooths) unless you have done a FEC first.
Golden Rules for parasite management
Avoid the worms!
Stock integration (grazing different stock types),
Utilise refugia,
Monitor your stock,
Use an effective drench.
If you would like more details on these Golden Rules - for drenching or parasite management - please contact us. We have a big team of vets who are keen to work with you.
