We are an establishment specialising in the supply of agricultural products. Our family-run business has been operating for decades. In this time, we have given customers everything from wormer to trailers. If you are someone that works in this field, you will find our collection most useful, and can even get advice and recommendations.

Wormer resistance has become a bigger issue in UK sheep flocks. Many UK-wide studies on the degree of resistance in sheep have revealed alarming results. There is a serious risk that the issue could become untreatable in the future.

The amount of resistance to separate wormer classes differs between farms. It depends on how many worms are present. Resistance levels can also shift depending on what time of year it is. Not to mention, there are different species of worm that can seasonally affect sheep. We are going to dive more deeply into this topic to give you an idea of what is occurring.

Understanding the problem

You might have heard of wormer resistance previously. But you may not know what it is. Simply put, it’s the worms evolving to resist the treatments that would eradicate them. When a worm population within an animal is initially exposed to an efficient new treatment, most to all will die with the right dose. For repeated exposure, or sub-lethal doses, genetic mutations can occur. They will do so in a small group of the worm population. This will permit them to live through the treatment. The resistant worms pass their characteristics onto their spawn. These worms have an advantage over the rest. As such, they can swiftly become a massive proportion of the worms in your animals and on your pasture.

Resistant worms are a major threat to your sheep if not dealt with. Gut worms are one of the main challenges for UK flocks, costing millions yearly. The direct price of spending money and time on inefficient treatments are clear. Yet, the hidden costs will appear when the actual damage occurs. Lambs infested with resistant worms that have stuck around will have reduced health and growth. There can even be deaths.

Take resistance seriously

All sheep farmers must take resistance seriously. They need to restrict the harm by knowing which wormers work on their farms and how to manage worms. All this is while avoiding encouraging more resistance to develop on their farms.

There have been multiple studies to determine the amount of resistance on farms all over the UK. In the previous decade, four crucial ones have taken place. The degree of resistance with White (Benzimidazole) wormers ranges from 89-100% of farms. Around 60-77% had worms resisting Yellow (Levamisole) wormers. Lastly, between 25-100% had wormer resistance to Clear (Ivermectin) wormers.

These figures reveal how widespread the problem is. Something worth noting is that if you have worms that resist one product inside the Yellow class, they will resist all wormers in that class. Due to this, it is critical that you understand which classes work on your farm. Also, you must be confident that you know what you are buying.

How to tell when there’s resistance

To finish, we will discuss how you can tell if there is resistance on a farm. Chances are the worms existing on your farm now have some to one or many wormer classes. If the worms on your farm have advanced resistance, you may notice the lambs are still sick or dirty after treatment. Investigate this right away if you notice it.

Lower degrees of resistance can be trickier to appreciate. It can exist in the earlier development stages. If it does, lambs could appear to be clinically improved following treatment. Some worms though will still be around. This will lower growth rates and contaminate pasture with worm eggs. The best thing to do is faecal egg count testing.

Talk to us about wormer

At JS Hubbuck Ltd, we work hard to ensure customers have all the products they need. In agriculture, many will need wormers. So, we keep a healthy amount in stock to tackle everyone’s unique specifications.

If you’d like to do business with us to order wormer or anything else, feel free to get in touch. We’ll help you to find exactly what you need and can provide plenty of information about any products.