1st March 2018
The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group has launched a new website today (Thursday 1st March) to provide a one-stop-shop for practical information on controlling sheep parasites.
SCOPS is an industry-led group that recognises one of the biggest challenges to the future health and profitability of the UK sheep industry is resistance to the animal health products used to control parasites. It offers sustainable control strategies to help farmers, vets and health advisors work together to tackle both internal and external parasites. From stomach worms to liver fluke, blowflies to sheep scab, the new website provides practical advice for all farming situations.
Lesley Stubbings, independent sheep consultant, speaks on behalf of the SCOPS group. She says: “The new site is easy to navigate and hosts a wide range of tools, with more to be added over the coming months. Information is clearly signposted according to different parasites, with good links between topics where there is crossover, such as considering multiple challenges when introducing new stock to your farm. Diagrams, videos and downloadable resources all help to distil important messages into bite-sized chunks.
“The advice provides is easily accessible, even for farmers who have never come across the SCOPS principles before. You cannot reverse resistance to wormers and other medicines once it is established – but it is never too late to start taking action to mitigate the impact on flock productivity.”
The new website at www.scops.org.uk has be launched in time for it to host the annual SCOPS Nematodirus Forecast, an invaluable tool to help the sheep sector be proactive in controlling Nematodirus battus, a stomach worm that strikes young lambs as they being to enjoy spring grass growth. The forecast will be made available once the nematodirus season begins.
