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Wet winter could mean more ewes need worming, SCOPS says
SCOPS recommends using loss of body condition score to identify which ewes to treat.
Producers urged to carefully consider which ewes to worm.

Following a wet winter in the UK, the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group has said that more ewes might need targeted worming than in previous lambing seasons.

The weather conditions will have had an impact on the overall health of many ewes, and restrictions on sheep movement in some areas due to bluetongue may also have prevented ewes being moved to new pasture on some farms.

As blanket treatment can lead to the development of anthelmintic resistance, SCOPS recommends carefully targeting treatment for ewes which have seen a loss of body condition score, indicating that they are under nutritional stress.

Lesley Stubbings said: “If you just treat those females, which are the ones more likely to produce a high number of worm eggs in their dung, you can reduce the total amount of anthelmintic used this spring compared to blanket treating, without impacting production.

“If you’ve followed this approach before, it wouldn’t be surprising to find yourself treating a few more ewes this year than in previous seasons, given the pressure some ewes have been under.”

The recommended guidance used to be to treat all ewes at lambing time, but SCOPS has adjusted its advice in recent years based on new research.

Ms Stubbings added: “Healthy adult ewes in optimum body condition have good immunity to roundworms and will sustain this if they are well fed, even under the stress of lambing and rearing lambs.”

SCOPS urges producers to speak to their veterinary surgeon and/or animal health adviser about worming.

Image © Shutterstock

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FIVP Practice Matters podcast returns for Series 2

News Story 1
 The Federation of Independent Veterinary Practices (FIVP) has announced that its podcast, FIVP Practice Matters, will be returning for a second series next year.

The bi-weekly podcast will return on Tuesday, 14 January 2025 with an episode on sustainability with Alison Lambert. The second series will include a range of new and familiar guests sharing veterinary initiatives and news from independent practices.

The podcast is available on Spotify and will now also be released on Apple Podcasts. More details about FIVP and the podcast can be found on its website

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Further cases of H5N1 confirmed in Norfolk

APHA has officially confirmed that two more cases of H5N1 have been found on premises in Norfolk.

Testing confirmed that highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was present at premises near Attleborough, as well as premises near Hingham in South Norfolk. The case near Hingham follows a slaughter on suspicion which was declared on 23 December.

A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone have been implemented at each premises, and all the poultry on each premises will be humanely culled.

A third case has also been identified near Beverley in East Riding of Yorkshire.

APHA is reminding bird keepers to remain vigilant and follow biosecurity measures to prevent more outbreaks. Details on the current disease control zones and biosecurity guidance can be found on the APHA website.