Targeting anthelmintic use in sheep

The application of enhanced monitoring, contamination mapping and modelling to reduce reliance on anthelmintics through more targeted treatments.

Farmers are becoming increasingly better at targeting anthelmintic treatments for lambs to achieve good growth rates without compromising the efficacy of the wormers. However, treatments for ewes are often given routinely around lambing because of the risk from ewes of contaminating grazing pastures with worm burdens that they may carry. This project will investigate patterns of infections in the ewes around lambing time, known as the peri-parturient rise, to ensure treatments are targeted at the optimum time and with the most appropriate product. 

Six sheep farmers based in mid and south west Wales are working together on the project to develop roundworm treatment plans for their ewes in the lead up to, and shortly after lambing. The six farmers have been working together on group-based projects for six years. They have looked at the impact of ewe body condition scoring (BCS) and weight on performance and have adopted best practice for the nutrition of their ewes with positive effects on both performance and cost effectiveness. Their goal now is to minimise the risk of ewe and lamb parasitic infections, improve lamb growth rates, and reduce their dependency on anthelmintics.