21st June 2022
Today (Tuesday 21st June 2022), the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group welcomed agricultural journalists to a press briefing. The one-hour session included updates on sheep scab and wormer treatment checks.
Lesley Stubbings, independent sheep consultant and SCOPS spokesperson, and Stewart Burgess of Moredun provided an update on the RDPE For Flock’s Sake sheep scab project, including new information on extension work. They also shared recent findings about treatment-resistence scab mites, saying resistance to organophosphate (OP) dip had still not been found, which was positive for the industry but meant it was incredibly important to continue to safeguard OPs by not administering them through jetters and showers.
Ms Stubbings also provided top tips for farmers on quick and easy faecal egg counts, including FECs as a wormer treatment check. SCOPS has been inoutting into the proposed Defra Animal Health & Welfare Pathway on wormer treatment checks, with the intention of funding being made available to farmers in England to carry them out.
The session ended with a Q&A facilitated by Kevin Harrison, Gloucestershire/Somerset sheep farmer and SCOPS Chair.
