Interpreting FEC Results

[Jerry]

I have done 4 FEC counts in lambs this spring and it has been very different to last year it seems. By this time last year lambs had had a Cocci drench and a white wormer for nemo and a clear for strongyle.

The results have been as follows:

18/04/24
Stongyle epg <50
Cocci opg 4,000
Nemo epg <50

30/04/24
Stongyle epg 200
Cocci opg 4500
Nemo epg <50

13/05/24
Stongyle epg >50
Cocci opg 4000
Nemo epg <50

23/05/24
Stongyle epg 500
Cocci opg 3000
Nemo epg <50

So far lambs have had no drenches at all.

Born outside Feb/March

I use a rotational grazing system with moves every 2 or 3 days. 9 Days of the rotation is on old perm pasture and the rest is on arable leys ranging in age from 3 to 1 year. Ewes lambed on the newer leys and set stocked at lambing. Post lambing everything is mobbed up and rotation started 01/04

Im surprised little sign of nemo and cocci trend is downwards.

Stongyle levels now look like a drench could be on the cards but lambs look very well on the whole, just a few with mucky arses, certainly less than 5%.

Lambs are just about fit to start drawing, first weighed them 15th May and some touching 39kg so what ever drench I use will have to be a short withhold, probably something like Oramec.

Is 500 epg on stronglye the trigger levels for most?

@Tim W @Poorbuthappy @neilo Ill tag you guys in as you all have more experience on FEC counts than me!!

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Certainly wouldn't be worried about cocci if they're looking well. Cocci fec is fairly meaningless without further symptoms/investigation.
You could consider drenching the poorest ones?
What percentage you treat would depend on your feeling of current challenge and going forward and how they're looking.
You could just leave anything that looks like being fit in the next 2/3 weeks.

Plenty would blanket treat the lot at that level and it's difficult to say that's wrong, it's just when you've experienced triple resistance you look for ways to reduce drench use.

 

[ringi]

Limiting treatments to the poorer lambs would slow down the rate your worms become resistant to the wormers. Advoiding keeping any that needed treatment as replacements would likely reduce need for treatment in years to come.

 

[Woolless]

The strongyle 500 EPG in the latest sample would certainly have me thinking about dosing but if most are looking well then perhaps no hurry. I would be inclined to take a draw as soon as you think you'll have a suitable number ready and worm what's left.

 

[ringi]

The strongyle 500 EPG in the latest sample would certainly have me thinking about dosing but if most are looking well then perhaps no hurry. I would be inclined to take a draw as soon as you think you'll have a suitable number ready and worm what's left.

For worm resistant it would be better to do the worming before removing the lambs that will not be wormed, as then more worms not exposed to the wormer will interbreed with the worms that been selected for worm resistants.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Are they on creep
Off topic
Somethjnb that iirc was addressed once upon a time and that Does creep feeding mitigate worm damage in some way other than the obvious

 

[JockCroft]

How long do you usually have to wait for results. I put in dung samples of Wednesday morning and it seems although results are in this morning, I wont be told until a Vet available. Probably late afternoon.

 

[Bury the Trash]

How long do you usually have to wait for results. I put in dung samples of Wednesday morning and it seems although results are in this morning, I wont be told until a Vet available. Probably late afternoon.

Op does them himself I be.ieve

 

[Jerry]

Op does them himself I be.ieve

Yes I do them but my vet will do them same day if I drop a sample in. Often it’s straight away if vet on site

 

[Jerry]

Are they on creep
Off topic
Somethjnb that iirc was addressed once upon a time and that Does creep feeding mitigate worm damage in some way other than the obvious

Yes on while barley and protein pellet

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Are they on creep
Off topic
Somethjnb that iirc was addressed once upon a time and that Does creep feeding mitigate worm damage in some way other than the obvious

Protein helps with natural worm resistance.
So depending on quality of grass as to whether the creep is adding to the overall protein in the diet?

Or maybe that's what you meant by "the obvious"

 

[JockCroft]

Protein helps with natural worm resistance.
So depending on quality of grass as to whether the creep is adding to the overall protein in the diet?

Or maybe that's what you meant by "the obvious"

IIRC where creep feed is available it reduces fresh grass intake so reducing worm/cocci challenge allowing lambs to build immunity/tolerance with out severe gut damage.

Just had Vet on phone, our sample fairly low worm count but cocci 6300. Unfortunately does not identify which strains, so advice is wait till Monday and decide if some need treating. Not indicating blanket treatment.

 

[Jerry]

Going to test again after the weekend. Just walked around and nit many lambs showing any signs of mucky ends and looking well generally.

They not short of grub for sure. Just moved them into fresh break.

 

[primmiemoo]

SCOPS indicates that nematodes risk is either very low, or very high, depending on where located ~

Nematodirus Forecast | SCOPS

The forecast can be used in combination with your grazing history to assess the risk of Nematodirus infection in your lambs.

www.scops.org.uk

The one group of February born lambs that were mucky responded well to a white drench. Their little run of fields will be cut after the bullocks have been through. The rest continue to be clean, and good in their coats. All have had a coccy drench.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

IIRC where creep feed is available it reduces fresh grass intake so reducing worm/cocci challenge allowing lambs to build immunity/tolerance with out severe gut damage.

Thats maybe the "obvious" that BTT was referring to?

The protein thing is to do with production of an enzyme in the saliva that kills the worms iirc.