Do-it-yourself (DIY) Faecal Egg Counts in Sheep

Gillian Butler
Tesco Centre for Organic Agriculture, University of Newcastle upon
Tyne, Nafferton Farm, Stocksfield, Northumberland, NE43 7XD, UK

Abstract
This paper gives preliminary results of a study monitoring the use of Fecpak kits for assessing faecal egg counts (FEC) in sheep on nine organic or in-conversion farms between June and October in 2003.

The dry weather conditions resulted in relatively few recordings being made, although four of the farms did identify and prevent what could have been serious Nematodiris outbreaks in early June.

Generally there was good agreement between farm- and lab-based assessments, albeit on a limited number of samples. The main reasons given for tests being carried out were: routine (37%), interest (30%) and dirty lambs (27%), with only 3% of tests prompted by lambs not thriving.

Over half of the tests (57%) resulted in no management action being taken, 13% led to selected lambs being wormed, 23% to all lambs being wormed with only 7% followed by worming of ewes.

Results and comments are encouraging, and the plan is to continue this exercise until the spring of 2005.

 

Source
"Organic Farming: Science and Practice for Profitable Livestock and Cropping"
Proceedings of Symposium No. 37, British Grassland Society, 2004
Association of Applied Biologist & Colloquium of Organic Researchers

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Posted October 2007