By Dr Clive Dalton PART 9 Getting the best from a ‘Dag-Free’ and ‘Worm-Free’ ram This is an outstanding Romney ram. He was named ‘The Colonel’. Every time he has been tested he has had zero FEC, and had a FCS of 1 (marbles). Consequently, he has always remained clean regardless of the feed he … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton PART 8 Life cycle of main species of sheep worms Faecal Egg Counting (FEC) Larvae being incubated in lab Limitations of a FEC FEC sampling tips Paddock (composite) samples Finger sampling Probe rectal sampling Faecal Consistency Score (FCS) When to do it? Scores used Photo 1: ‘Marbles’ Photo 2: ‘Hand grenades’ … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton PART 7 These are the last two pathways where emphasis is on the males. Pathway 3: Selecting males to breed females.Pathway 4: Selecting males to breed males. Pathway 3: Selecting males to breed females Pathway 4: Selecting males to breed males Inbreeding: Final points to ponder What to do if you hit a worm crisis?
By Dr Clive Dalton PART 5 Two-tooth ewes from the A team nucleus Planning the two-tooths’ matingDecision needed: What rams are you going to join with these top two-tooths? They deserve very special consideration after all the work you’ve put into them. Ram options Option 1: Stud breeders rams at pubic auction but few FEC records … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton PART 2 Dag-Free & Worm-Free sheep – where to start?Commercial sheep farmers have two options if they want to get rid or drastically reduce dags and worms: Option1. Buy in the genetics (as rams) needed from established ‘stud breeders’.Option 2. Start a breeding programme in their own flock, which includes breeding their own … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton PART 1 Introduction Dagging and drenching What a prospect to have to clean up this sheep’s rear end! Major mind change needed Sheep are never keen to cooperate This advert in a 1970 New Zealand Farmer was certainly convincing.Back then, nobody thought about long-term implications of thenew wonder chemicals! Breeding is … Read more