Gold standard sheep drench?

[steveR]

Not really sure what happened yesterday, but went to look a few EC in-lamb ewes in market, and came back with half a flock...well 44!! Due on 5 April!

I was not anticipating the purchase at that time, so no free shed, so I popped them onto 15ac to settle down with a good bite late last night, even though I wanted to worm them and anticipated needing to Helptavac them, since confirmed.

I'll get them in after the weekend and vaccinate them. However, what is the best "clean up" drench on the market at present for in-lamb ewes? I do not want to jab if I can help it. Going onto some clean ground for holding, until the last week in March when they will come a little closer to home...

They are not lambing to an EC tup (ths time), but a NZ Texel, so might need a bit of watching, so no "let them get on with it" this time!

Our sanity is being questioned a bit by ourselves right now....

 

[salers]

Zolvix

 

[Imp perfect]

Care with drenching then moving them. You risk selecting for the few resistant worms, then populating your clean pasture with wormer-resistant eggs. Better to drench and keep them in one place, or to move them and then drench a few weeks later. Appreciate that time is short and you weren' expecting your surprise (half a) flock.

 

[neilo]

Zolvix, but if those sheep were carrying resistant worms they’ll have already been dropping the eggs on the field you put them in.

Nothing comes on here without a Zolvix dose and 24 hours + to drop any eggs in a shed.

 

[steveR]

Zolvix, but if those sheep were carrying resistant worms they’ll have already been dropping the eggs on the field you put them in.

Nothing comes on here without a Zolvix dose and 24 hours + to drop any eggs in a shed.

This was my preferred option I will agree... However, the field will be used for cattle grazing ONLY through the summer, so should break any cycles there

I try and worm any cattle brought onto the place and house them for a few days...

Off to Wynnstay this morning, so will grab a bottle. Thanks.

 

[countrylad]

zolvix + jag of ivermectin, yarded for 48 hours. Then put them onto your own “dirty” pasture

 

[steveR]

This was my preferred option I will agree... However, the field will be used for cattle grazing ONLY through the summer, so should break any cycles there

I try and worm any cattle brought onto the place and house them for a few days...

Off to Wynnstay this morning, so will grab a bottle. Thanks.

A really positive update.

I duly hit the newly arrived EC ewes with Zolvix, 3 days after they arrived on farm along with Heptavac and turned them back out on the same pasture as no alternative at present.

Last week I brought the ewes up ready to move to an IRG I want munching off and give them a clean up drench as recommended, before going onto virgin pasture. I thought though, I'll get an FEC done.. So I collected samples from 5 ewes and dropped teh "blend" off on Sunday morning. Told the vet what I was doing and he was extremely interested to see the outcome 3 weeks after Zolvix, on the same field.

Heard back yesterday from the Vet, spotless. not a single egg found. Very impressed indeed, as is he!

Now it maybe that the ewes were clean when they arrived here, but the seller said they had "not been wormed for a while".

Field will be used for cattle now for the summer however...

 

[neilo]

A really positive update.

I duly hit the newly arrived EC ewes with Zolvix, 3 days after they arrived on farm along with Heptavac and turned them back out on the same pasture as no alternative at present.

Last week I brought the ewes up ready to move to an IRG I want munching off and give them a clean up drench as recommended, before going onto virgin pasture. I thought though, I'll get an FEC done.. So I collected samples from 5 ewes and dropped teh "blend" off on Sunday morning. Told the vet what I was doing and he was extremely interested to see the outcome 3 weeks after Zolvix, on the same field.

Heard back yesterday from the Vet, spotless. not a single egg found. Very impressed indeed, as is he!

Now it maybe that the ewes were clean when they arrived here, but the seller said they had "not been wormed for a while".

Field will be used for cattle now for the summer however...

When Zolvix went off ‘vet only’ licence, one of the hoops the manufacturer had to jump through was to monitor resistance levels by means of a FECRT at the beginning, and again after 5 years.

I was one of the farms who volunteered to get paid to take part, and had a 100% efficacy for the first test. It will be interesting to see if it remains that effective next time, not that I can afford to use it much in the intervening 5 years, or subscribe to the sales patter of a mid-season clearout drench.

 

[texelburger]

Pardon my ignorance but was is EC ?

 

[neilo]

Pardon my ignorance but was is EC ?

I think @steveR was referring to some goat like creatures, otherwise known as Easycares?

 

[ISCO]

Pardon my ignorance but was is EC ?

I'm guessing Easycare

 

[steveR]

I'm guessing Easycare

Yep... the future of sheep keeping.... well here at least, I hope.

Mrs R thinks they are ugly as sin, and I will admit they are not as nice looking as the TexX lambs we are having off her ewes at the moment. BUT, the levels of intervention on what are admittedly old and overweight ewes, has been too high!

Got access to a young myostat tup lamb next Autumn, but I will see the results of the new SuperTup in June on my mates flock. He looked a stonker when he went to the ewes.

 

[steveR]

I think @steveR was referring to some goat like creatures, otherwise known as Easycares?

A couple can definitely trace their heritage back to Welsh Jumpers... Had to put another strand of electric up to control the habit...

They are not as well fleshed as the Wilts Horn we had here 25-30 yrs ago, so a little more goat like I will admit

 

[steveR]

When Zolvix went off ‘vet only’ licence, one of the hoops the manufacturer had to jump through was to monitor resistance levels by means of a FECRT at the beginning, and again after 5 years.

I was one of the farms who volunteered to get paid to take part, and had a 100% efficacy for the first test. It will be interesting to see if it remains that effective next time, not that I can afford to use it much in the intervening 5 years, or subscribe to the sales patter of a mid-season clearout drench.

I don't think I will be using it again anytime soon, unless really needed other than a clean up of Herself's ewes and lambs, before they all go together for the Summer... How long ago was the trial started at your farm?

I hope to manage the ewes and lambs better than set stocking about the place as was the case.

 

[neilo]

I don't think I will be using it again anytime soon, unless really needed other than a clean up of Herself's ewes and lambs, before they all go together for the Summer... How long ago was the trial started at your farm?

I hope to manage the ewes and lambs better than set stocking about the place as was the case.

It was a one off FECRT done a couple of years ago, when vets lost their exclusivity on selling it. The test will be redone after 5 years, as part of the monitoring that was a condition of the license change.
Vets had tried to fight it on the grounds that it would result in overuse and accelerate resistance.

 

[steveR]

It was a one off FECRT done a couple of years ago, when vets lost their exclusivity on selling it. The test will be redone after 5 years, as part of the monitoring that was a condition of the license change.
Vets had tried to fight it on the grounds that it would result in overuse and accelerate resistance.

As an end result, they are probably correct!

 

[neilo]

As an end result, they are probably correct!

It’s still too expensive for widespread overuse imo.
Plenty of vets were already recommending it for a mid-season clear out, mine included.

 

[texelburger]

I'm guessing Easycare

Easycare,of course.How daft of me to not see that.

 

[steveR]

Easycare,of course.How daft of me to not see that.

Just hope the ewes have seen the writing on the tin too!!