Dung beetle Survival

After watching part of a Forage for Knowledge you tube video on the importance on looking after your Dung Beetles I thought I am already most of the way there on most of my pasture. With only the under 12 month cattle being wormed with an ivermectin type product.
The problem I now have is I want to treat the older cattle (18mth) for Lung Worm without them emitting anything that will harm the beetles. As most I have often gone for the Pour on type wormers based on price and ease of application.

Any suggestions.
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Don't think there's any wormer products that won't harm the dung beetles.
Don't forget fly control products for both cattle and sheep also adversely affect the beetles 🙁

From memory of a dung beetle talk at Groundswell, and personal experience, your choices include -

Use a sacrifice field - return wormed cattle to a single designated field always and accept that this will have minimal dung beetle activity.

Leave a proportion of the better cattle untreated to give the beetles a chance of finding untreated dung.

Minimise treatments by only treating when there's a known problem. This ought to be part of everyone's approach considering SCOPS principles anyway. (And maybe is yours?)

Use management to minimise requirement for treatment. Rotational grazing, grazing longer covers, using cover crops/ clean grazing techniques, rotating species.

No easy answers and its always going to be a balancing act
 
Don't think there's any wormer products that won't harm the dung beetles.
Don't forget fly control products for both cattle and sheep also adversely affect the beetles 🙁

From memory of a dung beetle talk at Groundswell, and personal experience, your choices include -

Use a sacrifice field - return wormed cattle to a single designated field always and accept that this will have minimal dung beetle activity.

Leave a proportion of the better cattle untreated to give the beetles a chance of finding untreated dung.

Minimise treatments by only treating when there's a known problem. This ought to be part of everyone's approach considering SCOPS principles anyway. (And maybe is yours?)

Use management to minimise requirement for treatment. Rotational grazing, grazing longer covers, using cover crops/ clean grazing techniques, rotating species.

No easy answers and its always going to be a balancing act
Good advice thanks.
Next year I shall vaccinate cattle before turnout with Oal Husk Vaccine to prevent Lung Worm problems.

Interestingly it was stated where there is a good dung beetle population there is a lowering of flies as their lavee have less places to mature.
 

Agrivator

Member
Levamisole will treat Lungworm infection in an emergency in both cattle and sheep. And I don't think it kills dung beetle>

Is Levacide pour-on still available for cattle.
 

holwellcourtfarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
Don't think there's any wormer products that won't harm the dung beetles.
Don't forget fly control products for both cattle and sheep also adversely affect the beetles 🙁

From memory of a dung beetle talk at Groundswell, and personal experience, your choices include -

Use a sacrifice field - return wormed cattle to a single designated field always and accept that this will have minimal dung beetle activity.

Leave a proportion of the better cattle untreated to give the beetles a chance of finding untreated dung.

Minimise treatments by only treating when there's a known problem. This ought to be part of everyone's approach considering SCOPS principles anyway. (And maybe is yours?)

Use management to minimise requirement for treatment. Rotational grazing, grazing longer covers, using cover crops/ clean grazing techniques, rotating species.

No easy answers and its always going to be a balancing act
You beat me to it and said everything I would have 👍
 
Levamisole will treat Lungworm infection in an emergency in both cattle and sheep. And I don't think it kills dung beetle>

Is Levacide pour-on still available for cattle.
I've just searched for Levicide pour on and I think it's been taken off the market, shame as looked like a perfect solution.
Am I right in thinking that levacide drench is a yellow liquid that stains your hands if you get it on them.
 

crofteress

Member
Livestock Farmer
what about panacur white drench thats not ivomectin and its good for lungworm. I use that and have loads of dung Beatles
 
Just an aside on this. There its a mite which can't fly, but its offspring live off head fly larvae in dung pats.

In some ingenious way, it grabs hold of the leg of a dung beetle, so it can travel from cowpat to the next cowpat.

If we could ensure that this mite prospered we would not have to administer treatments, and could avoid pinkeye etc

I have seen one, hitching a ride, and its awesome to think that this little creature is on our side
 
We have used levacide drench in the past with good success.
Researching drenches, even the concentrated ones you're having to give a big old dose if the animal is getting towards 700 kilo. The dose is the same for the injectable version too.
No wonder pour-ons became so popular.
 

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