Menu

Know How / Parasitic diseases

Find out more about parasitic diseases in cattle and sheep. See alerts for seasonal diseases such as blowfly and fluke. Check symptoms, treatments and prevention for coccidiosis and cryptosporidium in calves, how to test for wormer resistance, take faecal egg counts and control sheep scab.

Advice and tips

SHEEP

How to deal with rising haemonchus cases

Increased reports of a blood-sucking worm affecting performance and mortality rates in flocks should be met with an evidence-based approach before rushing for the drenching gun. Testing and detective work…

SHEEP

How to use and go beyond worm egg counts

Gut worms are one of the most significant challenges to the health and production of grazed livestock – particularly sheep. Over the past century, drenches and injectable wormers have proved…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

The risks of dog faeces to livestock and how to prevent them

Having five carcasses condemned for discolouration caused by cysts has cost a farm dearly and highlighted the issue of the dangers of dog muck. The costly case happened in 2021…

SHEEP

Tips to manage worm challenges and benefit lamb growth

Farmers must learn to “clean-graze” lambs to reduce worm burdens, rather than routinely relying on anthelmintics. This was the message from Matt Colston, who said farmers need to relearn the…

See all

Case studies

SHEEP

Video: Island rallies to dip 28,500 sheep and beat scab

More than 28,000 sheep have been dipped to rid a Hebridean island of a costly and contagious parasite.  Crofters and farmers on Lewis and Harris co-ordinated time off, wagons, trailers,…

PARASITIC DISEASES

How goat herd uses targeted parasite treatments

A Gloucestershire goat herd is successfully managing a low parasite risk with a treatment targeted at higher risk animals. The Whitehouse family’s fully housed and zero-grazed herd of 800 British…

SHEEP

How shearing lambs can improve growth and reduce labour

Removing the fleeces of lambs is helping lift growth rates and improve flock management on a Welsh farm. Debbie James reports. Shearing every lamb in its first summer is increasing growth rates by up to 20g a…

PARASITIC DISEASES

Sheep farmer sees four clear benefits of plunge-dipping

Safe and efficient plunge-dipping is a key part of a thorough flock health plan for Northumberland commercial lamb producer Selby North-Lewis. Always a big believer in plunge-dipping, Mr North-Lewis’ flock,…

See all

Insights

SHEEP

Can sheep be 'worm tolerant' and what are the implications?

Lambs most tolerant to worm burdens could have a 10-day weight gain advantage over less tolerant ones, a pilot study has shown. The study, Breeding for tolerance to worms for…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why keeping ewes in good condition can help save on wormers

Keeping ewes at a good body condition score (BCS) in the weeks before and after lambing minimises worming requirements at a key point in the year, a new Welsh study…

PARASITIC DISEASES

Gene mapping breakthrough good news for sheep farms

Researchers have taken “a major step forward” in the fight against wormer resistance on sheep farms by mapping the genes linked to drug resistance of the parasitic worm Haemonchus contortus.…

See all

News

PARASITIC DISEASES

Marts' post-sale dipping service helps fight sheep scab

Farmers buying sheep at some Scottish marts can pay £1.20 a head to have the animals dipped to prevent scab spreading to their existing flocks. In a novel approach designed…

PARASITIC DISEASES

Grazing dairies urged to help develop parasite forecast model

Dairy farmers with cows at grass can help researchers investigate parasitic disease in grazing herds by giving permission to have their milk tested. Liverpool University postgraduate student and University Centre…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Livestock farmers warned of potential explosion of diseases

The livestock industry is facing a potential explosion in animal diseases this spring and summer, with cases of bluetongue and Schmallenberg virus expected to spike in the warmer weather. Although…

PARASITIC DISEASES

Nematode vaccine funding confirmed for sheep parasites

Funding is flowing into British research institutions to develop an effective vaccine for on-farm worm control as increasing efforts are made to keep chemical options working. The five-year £6m project…

See all

Video

SHEEP

Video: Island rallies to dip 28,500 sheep and beat scab

More than 28,000 sheep have been dipped to rid a Hebridean island of a costly and contagious parasite.  Crofters and farmers on Lewis and Harris co-ordinated time off, wagons, trailers,…

HUSBANDRY

Video: Step-by-step guide to administering cattle pour-ons

Correct use of pour-on products increases the chance of the active drug working and limits drug resistance development. This is according to vet Miranda Timmerman of ProStock Vets, Carmarthenshire, who…

PARASITIC DISEASES

Video: How farmers are uniting to eradicate sheep scab

Sheep scab is a huge problem and if left untreated can affect a sheep's health and severely impact a sheep business. One mite is enough to spread the disease and…

LIVESTOCK

Video: How automated drench gun could cut resistance

Newton Rigg College is one of the first places in the country to be using an automated drench gun, which administers the correct dose of medicine based on the exact…

See all