Worm counts add up to money saved
Guyra woolgrower Cameron Peardon (pictured) believes faecal worm egg counts are valuable in any season.
"Worms are our number-one animal health issue," Mr Peardon says. "We previously ran sheep in southern Queensland, and due to the property and sheep history all drenches were 100 per cent effective.
"After moving from Queensland to the New England region, we didn't get the response we expected from our drenches. I carried out a drench-resistance test and the results showed that neither the Closantel-based drenches or Cydecton gave the residual protection they should, but the combination white and clear drenches were still 100 per cent effective, which came as a real surprise to me.
"We've already saved money by changing to cheaper drenches that actually work on our place.
"Unfortunately, with residual drenches less effective for us, the period through January and February is particularly difficult. Under the ideal worm conditions that happen at that time, barber's pole worms have caused deaths at five weeks after drenching with a short-acting drench. We now do worm egg counts more frequently during peak worm times.
Mr Peardon says worm egg counting is an essential part of "simply keeping sheep alive" and preventing any tenderness in the wool from high worm burdens.
"We did try the method of looking for anaemia in the sheep's eyelids, and that was OK if the sheep were in the yards and the worms weren't really active, but it is too labour-intensive for a commercial operation. We can collect dung for egg counts out in the paddock and either do an egg count at home using our own microscope, or more frequently we just send it to a lab.
"The labs are fast and accurate and, from first-hand experience, they are considerably cheaper than dead sheep and a break in the wool."
Moving from the Queensland forage crop grazing system to a grass-grazing operation, Mr Peardon says tools such as the online resource WormBoss have been invaluable.
"WormBoss is absolutely great. ‘Ask the Boss' has really reinforced the need to do egg counts and check drench resistance. And I feel so much more comfortable about deciding when to drench.
"There is a lot more for me to learn from WormBoss, particularly the non-chemical management options. I realise now that drenches alone won't keep our sheep alive and productive. We are placing a lot more emphasis on breeding for worm resistance. We also run steers and do slow grazing rotations, but without having really used them as a tool for worm management."
See also: published in conjunction with this edition of Beyond the Bale is the 'Battling the Blowfly' supplement.
Image: Sheep CRC
Return to Beyond the Bale Issue 26 index page.