Monitoring is a key feature of an effective Parasite Management Plan.
The most accessible monitoring option is faecal egg counting (FEC). We’re running more and more tests here in our clinics, and this is really helping sheep farmers build a clearer picture of what’s happening on their farms.
This information is vital for answering two key questions:
Do my stock need a drench?
Is my drench working?
It also provides valuable insight into pasture contamination and identifies ‘hot spots’ on the farm.
We use Parasight machines for most of our FEC tests. They’re highly sensitive, detecting egg counts as low as 4 eggs per gram. In comparison, traditional microscopes ran 50 eggs per gram at their lowest count.
There are also other on-farm testing methods available. If you have one, now’s a good time to dust it off and start testing more regularly to build knowledge of your farm.
Techion‘s FecPac system is popular down here, with local staff available to retrain you anytime. Results can be emailed directly to your KeyVet, who can help with interpretation and planning the next steps.
Knowledge is power – and monitoring helps build that knowledge as we move forward from a tough parasite season.
