The dry summer season and delicate, moist autumn of 2022 has resulted in a excessive worm problem on many farms, with stories from across the UK of lambs affected by the results of excessive worm burdens.

From poor development charges by to deaths, the losses are vital – however in keeping with the Sustainable Management of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group, are preventable with monitoring.

Talking on behalf of the SCOPS group, impartial sheep marketing consultant Lesley Stubbings stated:

“Over the summer season, worm burdens have been usually low due to the dry situations.

“However as soon as the rain got here worms restarted their lifecycles and, with the delicate temperatures persevering with effectively into November, have been in a position to construct as much as excessive ranges on contaminated pastures.

“The scenario can also be made worse as a result of a lot of this yr’s lambs might not have met sufficient of a problem from worms over the summer season to stimulate their immune system, making them extra vulnerable than regular.”

To keep away from being caught out, SCOPS stated sheep farmers ought to proceed common faecal egg counts (FECs) by the autumn and winter and talk about therapy choices with their vet or adviser.

Stubbings continued: “This may even keep away from pointless therapies as a result of lambs can scour or look unthrifty for causes aside from worms.

“For those who do must worm the lambs, it’s also vital to observe this up with a FEC take a look at on the mob to examine that the therapy has labored.

“Lambs on forage crops additionally have to be monitored, as a result of in the event that they took a big burden on to the crop with them, these worms might have multiplied over the autumn to ranges the place they’re a risk.

“Worms can full their lifecycles on forages aside from grass, so don’t get caught out.”