Robust quarantine protocols essential as peak sheep trading season gets underway

Sheep farmers are being reminded of the importance of quarantine and worming protocols for all incoming stock, particularly as more Haemonchus cases are being seen across the UK.

With thousands of breeding stock and store lambs changing hands at this time of year, alongside ewes returning from away grazing ready for tupping, Elanco Animal Health’s ruminant technical consultant, Matt Colston, reminds farmers to be vigilant and follow a strict quarantine routine.

“There is a risk that these animals, despite looking healthy, could be bringing unwanted parasites, such as Haemonchus or resistant worms, in with them,” he says.

Matt Colston

“The SCOPS advice is to administer a newer group wormer to all incoming stock, but the importance of following a quarantine routine to address other diseases and parasites, such as scab, shouldn’t be overlooked either.”

Mr Colston says all animals should be yarded or housed on arrival to avoid them depositing any worms onto pasture.

“Choose one of the newer group wormers, such as Zolvix™, and then weigh sheep and calibrate equipment to ensure accurate dosing,” he explains.

“Once sheep have been drenched, they should be kept in for 24 to 48 hours to allow the treatment to work and for the worm eggs to pass.

“They should then be turned out onto dirty pasture which has already held sheep this season.”

Scottish farmer, Nicola Wordie, has chosen to implement a quarantine drench of Zolvix as part of her overall quarantine plan this year.

“I’ve spent a lot of the summer doing faecal egg counts (FEC) and working closely with our local vet to understand the level of wormer resistance on our farm,” explains Nicola.

Nicola Wordie

“By giving a quarantine drench, we can be assured that the gimmers and ewe lambs we’re buying in aren’t bringing in any new or resistance species of worms onto the farm.”

Following best practice guidance is important to ensure wormer efficacy and reduce the risk of resistance, Nicola explains.

“We follow a set routine whereby we record weights through our handling system to ensure accurate dosing and then turn sheep out onto dirty pasture,” she says.

“Any new stock is kept apart from the rest of the flock for a period of time, for example, until post-scanning for our breeding females.”

As part of a wider quarantine plan, Nicola says all stock which is bought in has been dipped and treated for scab before coming onto their holding.

“We hope that by following these protocols and incorporating a quarantine wormer dose into our plans, we will be protecting the health of our existing flock going forwards.”

For further information on giving a quarantine drench, speak to your local RAMA or vet, or visit https://bit.ly/46nBaTh