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It’s time to start strategic summer drenching
Find out why the first summer drench can be so important in protecting your flock’s health, plus what to look for in your summer drench of choice.
It’s that time of year in most areas of Australia to do the first strategic summer drench. A strategic drench is a ‘drench given at a critical time to reduce worm larval contamination of a pasture for the benefit of the whole mob or herd rather than just for the treated animals, and/or a drench given to sheep, irrespective of worm egg count, at times when they are expected to be most susceptible to worm infection’.1
Why summer drench?
The use of a first summer drench is still recommended best practice in the winter dominant and uniform rainfall regions of Australia.1,2
The aim of summer drenching is to remove the worms in the sheep when the numbers of infective larvae on pasture are low or in decline (due to summer weather conditions). This reduces the number of infective larvae on pasture the following winter, thereby reducing the production cost of worms and number of drenches needed over this time.
The predominant worm species of these winter rainfall regions are the black scour worm (Trichostrongylus spp.) and the small brown stomach worm (Teladorsagia spp.). These typically cause problems over the autumn and winter period when favourable conditions and susceptible livestock allow for a significant buildup of infective larvae on the pasture.
When to summer drench?
The timing of the first summer drench and the need for a second summer drench varies between regions based on what is most appropriate for worm control and drench resistance management. Routine worm egg count monitoring after the first summer drench should be used to determine timing of subsequent drenches. WormBoss.com.au provides a number of recommendations for various regions regarding the timing of the first drench.1
Which drench to use?
The summer drench of choice is one that:
Has an efficacy as close to 100% as possible – any worms that survive this treatment will result in pasture contamination. A combination of highly effective actives, such as TRIGUARD®, is recommended best practice.2,3
Has a short duration of activity – that will apply less selection pressure for resistance at a time when there is less refugia on the pasture to dilute contamination from resistant adults. Persistent actives such as moxidectin are recognised for their potential to select more rapidly for resistance1, and this effect can be exacerbated during times when there is less refugia on pasture.
Summer drenching
Start your summer drenching program now to minimise the level of larval pasture contamination responsible for winter worm burdens. TRIGUARD® is an ideal choice for summer drenching due to its combination of three actives and short duration of activity.
References
1. https://tools.wormboss.com.au.
2. Love (2007) Sheep worm control: summer vs winter drenching in southern NSW. DPI Prime facts.
3. Love (2011) Drench resistance and sheep worm control. DII Primefact 478.
Company website: livestockfirst.com.au
Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm
NEWS
Trace minerals are required for optimal growth, reproduction, and immunity. Optimising trace mineral status relying solely on oral supplements across a herd may fail because of variation in individual intake and reduced absorption due to antagonism of other ration components and minerals. The use of injectable trace mineral supplements has been associated with positive reproductive outcomes including improved conception rate, increased odds of pregnancy and greater final in calf rate. A study conducted on 2,168 dairy cows, administered injectable trace minerals, four weeks prior to calving and again four weeks prior to the start of mating showed treated animals had a 3.3 per cent greater final in-calf rate, and a reduced time from start of mating to conception, compared to control animals 1 . The Importance of B12 Dr Carl Eden, Technical Services Veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim says “Vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as a ‘super vitamin’ because it is only required in very small amounts but vital to many essential metabolic pathways. However, demand for B12 can vary considerably during the year and we see serum levels of B12 fall at critical times, such as the first few months after calving.” Vitamin B12 contains cobalt, so deficiency in cobalt can lead to deficiency in vitamin B12 because ruminants get most of their B12 as a byproduct of ruminal fermentation where the bacteria in their rumen assemble B12 from cobalt for use by the cow. Sub-optimal trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at calving, mating, and drying off has been shown to negatively impact growth, reproduction, and immunity. Using a trace mineral injectable containing vitamin B12 can improve trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at these critical times. Marks-Min with Vitamin B12 – The Evidence In the largest trace element study to date, Marks-Min Injectable Trace Mineral with Vitamin B12 demonstrated remarkable results when compared to a reference trace mineral injection. “Given the differences between Marks-Min and other products on the market, we wanted to generate a compelling data set to demonstrate how effective it was compared to the pioneer product. We entrusted this work to a third-party research company” says Dr Eden. “We chose farms that were at the top of their game from a reproductive perspective. We made sure that the farms had no evidence of trace element or vitamin B12 deficiencies or excess.” Across all outcomes of interest, Marks-Min demonstrated clear non-inferiority when compared to the reference product. Outcomes measured included submission, pregnancy and conception rates, and six week in-calf rate. Marks-Min demonstrated it is highly suited as an alternative treatment to the reference product. Reference: 1. Hawkins, D., and B. V. S. Franklin. New Zealand Dairy Veterinarians Newsletter 24 (2007): 12-16 Company website: livestockfirst.com.au Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm
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