Lambing season is not far away, with some farms already celebrating the first new lambs of the year. This is a very busy time, and it’s vital to think about animal health and wellbeing. One thing to think about is PPRI and the risk of parasites. We want to have a closer look here. Then, if you need to order wormer to treat animals, we have some fantastic products.
What is it?
Peri-parturient relaxation of immunity (PPRI) can pose a significant risk of increasing the worm burden on pastures. It can lead to big problems for sheep later in the year, and can also have an impact on lambs.
Late pregnancy and lambing puts a lot of stress on ewes. It can actually cause the immune system to relax, reducing the effectiveness. As a result, it can lead to an increase in worm activity in the gut. In turn, it means more eggs are excreted to potentially contaminate the pasture.
What to do?
Traditionally, the practice was to give full herds of ewes a dose of wormer to provide more protection against PPRI. It could reduce the parasite burden on the pasture. However, practices like this aren’t as popular anymore. There is more attention on taking measures that reduce the risk of overuse and over-reliance on wormers because it can lead to resistance.
Effective animal management and only treating animals that need it most are the best strategy here. The most important thing is to keep an eye on ewes and check the body score. Any ewes that don’t show a drop in body condition may not need a dose. On the other hand, those that do are likely under the most additional stress. They are therefore more likely to excrete a higher number of worm eggs and may need treatment.
When it comes to body score, there are a few things to keep in mind. One is that ewes often experience a drop in score because they aren’t getting enough protein or energy from feed. Ensuring you have the right feed strategy is important to reduce the risk of this. It can support the immune system, especially late in pregnancy.
Another thing to think about is how many lambs the ewe is carrying. The old thinking is there is a higher risk or PPRI with larger litters. This isn’t always the case though. So, single-rearing ewes may still need a treatment.
Order quality wormer for sheep
As you can see, there is a lot to think about before lambing. Some ewes may need a treatment to address worms, others will be fine without and could even have a higher risk of resistance if you treat them. It’s important to think carefully and only treat the animals that need it. Getting advice from a vet is vital here.
If you do decide to use wormer, make sure you choose the right product. We can help, sharing our knowledge and showcasing why we are one of the best suppliers in our industry in Northern England. Get in touch to learn more.