News


Things to do at housing

Steps you should be taking now to protect your herd

Beef

  • Check if youngstock needs worming for gut worms at housing using faecal egg counts (FECs). If infection risk is high, use a product that contains a macrocyclic lactone (ML) to kill off inhibited Ostertagia worms to reduce the risk of Type ll ostertagiosis later in the winter. Adult cattle should not require any treatment for gut worms.
  • There is no natural immunity to liver fluke, so all ages of stock must be assessed for treatment where there is a history, or risk of infection. Check fluke forecasts and abattoir returns to monitor presence of fluke
  • Blood test a group of first season grazing calves (as sentinels) two weeks after housing to check whether they have been in contact with liver fluke in the summer

Dairy

  • Check if youngstock needs worming for gut worms at housing using faecal egg counts (FECs). If infection risk is high, use a product that contains macrocyclic lactone (ML) to kill off inhibited Ostertagia worms to reduce the risk of Type ll ostertagiosis later in the winter. Adult cattle should not require any treatment for gut worms
  • Take a bulk milk sample to test if the milking herd has been exposed to liver fluke.
  • There is no natural immunity to liver fluke, so all ages of stock must be assessed for treatment where there is a history, or risk of infection. Check fluke forecasts and use abattoir returns to monitor presence of fluke

Resources

Vet, academic or researcher?

Take a look in Resources for more detailed information on all topics.

For all editorial enquiries please contact Sara Gregson email: sara@saragregson.co.uk

A field of cows

Liver fluke update from COWS and SCOPS

 12th May 2020

Last winter may have seen a relatively low incidence of fluke across the UK, but there are still individual farms reporting problems with chronic fluke in sheep warn SCOPS/COWS experts. Whilst the UK may be on lockdown due to COVID-19, livestock farmers are warned that liver fluke is carrying on as normal. Despite the relatively … Continued

Ostertagia in the abomasum of a young cow

Take sustainable approach to worming youngstock

 6th April 2020

Cattle farmers should ensure their approach to treating youngstock for roundworms (Ostertagia and Cooperia) is sustainable, so that resistance to products does not develop in the same way as it has in sheep, says Westpoint farm vet Emily Francis based in Winchester. “Where nutrition is good and there are no other diseases present, gastro-intestinal worms … Continued

Cows in a field under a partly cloudy blue sky

Supporting the cattle industry – from OvertheCounter

 6th April 2020

Cows at the top of a field sloping down behind them

NADIS Parasite Forecast March 2020

 2nd March 2020

Cows on a hillside field

Parasite control in cattle – from Grass and Forage Manager

 14th February 2020

Female Cooperia MRI

COWS updates its guide to parasite control

 20th January 2020

The Control of Worms Sustainably in cattle group (COWS) has released updated chapters of its technical guide to parasite control, at the Animal Health Distributors’ Association conference in Birmingham last week (Wednesday 15 January 2020). The new sections, covering round worms, lungworm, liver and rumen fluke and ectoparasites such as flies, lice and ticks, provide … Continued