September Seasonal Focus

The forecast for a wetter than normal spring means that now is the time to get on the front foot to ensure parasites don’t gain the upper hand on your operation and livestock wellbeing. With warm wet conditions, we know that all of our ‘not so favourite’ internal and external parasites are going to be having the time of their lives thriving on and in your livestock.

Worms this month

👉 Test – don’t guess! Regular worm tests will ensure that your program is on target and worm populations are not getting out of hand. A larval culture will be beneficial to determine when the Barbers pole worms are starting back up

👉 Right drench, right dose, right time – use the appropriate product for the class of livestock you are treating (bear in mind that some actives may not be effective against the worm type you are dealing with), use the correct dose (weigh some animals to be sure) and follow the directions on the label, Follow up with a drench check (worm egg count 14 days after treatment) to be sure your drench was effective

👉Understand which classes of livestock are more susceptible to worms and aim to provide these with ‘cleaner’ pastures that you have prepared.

👉Use the WormBoss Drench Decision support tool to help you make the best decision for your operation.

Flies this month

👉 Know your susceptible times and what makes your livestock more vulnerable.

👉 Know the details of your preventative products, and work backwards from when you want to next handle, shear or crutch animals and not contravene the label requirements.

👉 Are your preventative products working effectively? Know how long you can expect protection for.

👉 Read the label, particularly understand the implications of protective periods during periods of heavy and ongoing rainfall.

👉 Sheep producers – attend an AWI SimpliFly workshop in your area to help you to build a management plan for your operation. Contact your AWI extension network for more information.