Natural resistance to fluke

[Macsky]

Does such a thing exist? Can it be bred for? I assume not, but someone might know better.

 

[ShooTa]

ducks.....
real answer ive not heard of any.

 

[Dave6170]

Deer must have some resistance?

 

[glensman]

Does such a thing exist? Can it be bred for? I assume not, but someone might know better.

You can breed for resistance, just stop dosing them and after 10 years or so you'll have some resistant sheep left.[emoji10]

 

[ford4000]

Cattle have some defence against fluke where they calcify the bile ducts I believe, but I don't think sheep have any natural defence

 

[SteveHants]

Some animals naturally are more resistant to things than others - evolution is like an "arms race". It may well be that some sheep are more resistant to fluke, but it's a question of finding them and attempting to find the gene(s) that play a part in this and then identifying sheep with that gene to breed from/incorporate into EBVs.

The other option is, of course just not to treat them and hope some of them don't die, but I'd much sooner go down the genetics route, personally.

 

[Macsky]

You can breed for resistance, just stop dosing them and after 10 years or so you'll have some resistant sheep left.[emoji10]

.......maybe [emoji23]

 

[hendrebc]

Some animals naturally are more resistant to things than others - evolution is like an "arms race". It may well be that some sheep are more resistant to fluke, but it's a question of finding them and attempting to find the gene(s) that play a part in this and then identifying sheep with that gene to breed from/incorporate into EBVs.

The other option is, of course just not to treat them and hope some of them don't die, but I'd much sooner go down the genetics route, personally.

There must be some resistance or all sheep would look awful not just a few of them when they need a drench for fluke. Whenever there is some who look poor because they have fluke there is always some who look great too.
I'm convinced there is natural resistance like someone said deer don't all die of fluke and cattle are less prone than sheep. If you went back before there was flukicides sheep didn't all die even if a lot of them did. Just because no one has looked at fluke resistance like they have worms doesn't mean it isn't there. I've looked and couldn't find any research into it. It would be a hell of a difficult thing to breed for though.

 

[Bury the Trash]

There must be some resistance or all sheep would look awful not just a few of them when they need a drench for fluke. Whenever there is some who look poor because they have fluke there is always some who look great too.
I'm convinced there is natural resistance like someone said deer don't all die of fluke and cattle are less prone than sheep. If you went back before there was flukicides sheep didn't all die even if a lot of them did. Just because no one has looked at fluke resistance like they have worms doesn't mean it isn't there. I've looked and couldn't find any research into it. It would be a hell of a difficult thing to breed for though.

The Sheeps original habit was on dry high ground 'twas man that brought him to where the fluke and footrot thrives.

 

[exmoor dave]

The Sheeps original habit was on dry high ground 'twas man that brought him to where the fluke and footrot thrives.

Just thinking exactly the same,
Also in nature I imagine grazing animal's would avoid grazing danger areas provided there was safe grazing available.
I think that's what the deer must do.

We don't generally see fluke apart from the very odd cow from out the moor that for what ever reason has took to grazing the few natural springs.

 

[cheviot53]

The ROT as it was referred to wiped out whole flocks , one story goes that the flock came out of a field but 2 were lame and stayed in the field , the boy was sent for a cart to bring home the lame ewes and while all this went on the flock grazed up the road in ditches . Eventually all the flock died of ROT except the 2 that had been lame . It was advised to graze fattening animals on water meadows and sell before any damage showed . Labour was cheap and plentiful so draining and keeping ground dry was easy . Some sheep love to graze wet areas and some won't go near

 

[Macsky]

I see Virbac have a tri-active injectable for cattle, supposedly works down to 2 weeks

Nitromec Injection fluke and roundworm treatment for cattle

Nitromec Injection, for the treatment and control of nitroxynil, ivermectin and clorsulon sensitive strains of internal and external parasites of cattle, and triclabendazole resistant strains of early immature (including 2-week old stages), immature and adult liver fluke

au.virbac.com

We could do with some new actives for fluke, it’s amazing closantel still works really, ive also heard anecdotal reports of triclabendazole never having worked in some places in the west.

 

[SteveHants]

I see Virbac have a tri-active injectable for cattle, supposedly works down to 2 weeks

Nitromec Injection fluke and roundworm treatment for cattle

Nitromec Injection, for the treatment and control of nitroxynil, ivermectin and clorsulon sensitive strains of internal and external parasites of cattle, and triclabendazole resistant strains of early immature (including 2-week old stages), immature and adult liver fluke

au.virbac.com

We could do with some new actives for fluke, it’s amazing closantel still works really, ive also heard anecdotal reports of triclabendazole never having worked in some places in the west.

In that case, even more reason to investigate the genetic angle. Hopefully someone will be willing to fund the research...

 

[hendrebc]

The Sheeps original habit was on dry high ground 'twas man that brought him to where the fluke and footrot thrives.

Yes that's true but sheep have been grazed in wet places by man for a very long time too. Some will be more resistant than others wether that is enough to mean they don't need drenching is another matter. Probably not at least not until there has been some more research into it to find the more resistant ones first. Management will probably make more difference than anything but breeding for resistance will help.
As said above we are in danger of running out of fluke actives in the future. There is resistance to triclabendazol. I know of several farms around here who drench 4 or 5 times a year as routine. If it carries on there will be more resistance to drenches and the only alternative then is to not keep sheep or at least not breeding stock.

@NZDan @Tim W thoughts on the subject?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Just thinking exactly the same,
Also in nature I imagine grazing animal's would avoid grazing danger areas provided there was safe grazing available.
I think that's what the deer must do.

We don't generally see fluke apart from the very odd cow from out the moor that for what ever reason has took to grazing the few natural springs.

Funny how these beasts ever survived without anyone spending a penny on their "health", but you are right.

Keeping them moving on seems like such a big job when all these "management" tasks get in the way of daily moves.... but it needs to be remembered that shepherding used to be the ONLY TOOL against everything.

And it still is - just most are "too busy for that sh!t"

 

[Tim W]

If you can measure it you can breed and select for it ---show me how to measure for fluke resistance and i will consider doing it

Like most problems it's best to avoid it to start with , sheep generally avoid very fluke infested ground in the wild given a choice

Why not plant trees in the fluke infested areas ---keep everybody happy

 

[Macsky]

Funny how these beasts ever survived without anyone spending a penny on their "health", but you are right.

Keeping them moving on seems like such a big job when all these "management" tasks get in the way of daily moves.... but it needs to be remembered that shepherding used to be the ONLY TOOL against everything.

And it still is - just most are "too busy for that sh!t"

Do you have fluke where you are Pete?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Do you have fluke where you are Pete?

My neighbour has a huge fluke problem on the block that surrounds us.
Some of his stock look bloody terrible, you can just about hear their sides flapping in the breeze; so he chases them home and pours some money down the neck, and puts them back again ?
The other neighbours have much wetter areas and less issue with health - probably because of their management ahead of any other factor

 

[Macsky]

My neighbour has a huge fluke problem on the block that surrounds us.
Some of his stock look bloody terrible, you can just about hear their sides flapping in the breeze; so he chases them home and pours some money down the neck, and puts them back again ?
The other neighbours have much wetter areas and less issue with health - probably because of their management ahead of any other factor

It’s something that needs some attention here, with mild and damp conditions that can last more or less all year some years, the fluke threat is pretty constant. What kind of rotation are your neighbours working on?

 

[Farmer Fin]

Not that I’m aware of. I did a school project in this 20 years looking at abattoir livers from deer and sheep. Both were full of fluke. In looking into the differences there wasn’t much other than some anecdotal evidence about diet and potentially the plants deer eat contain some chemical that combat fluke to a degree.

The comments about management are the key. Avoid the bad area and heavy stocking. That’s what deer do. Have to remember that fundamentally sheep are a desert animal and don’t like the wet ( feet / fly strike etc) just that we have domesticated them to live in our wettest climates as naf all else will ( except the Welsh).