Deworming Lambs Begin worming your lambs when they are about 8 weeks old, and continue monthly (or at the very least bi-monthly) until they reach a year in age. Ivomec and Cydectin are recommended for lambs, and Valbazen should be used to treat tapeworms.
Regarding lambs, they generally will need to be wormed. Traditionally, people have been worming lambs when clinical signs appear (i.e. scouring, wasting, etc.) or just every three weeks.
A typical sign of a worm problem is unthrifty sheep. An unthrifty sheep is one that is not eating properly, is losing condition, tends to lag behind the mob when moved and, in severe cases, is clearly weak. A worm problem often (but not always) results in sheep scouring and becoming daggy.
(Lambs generally do not require drenching at marking time – conduct a WEC (worm egg count) to determine the need to drench).
Lambs have little resistance to worms in their first grazing season but this develops with time. Strategic worming of lambs with the correct wormer is essential to maximise profitability.
Begin worming your lambs when they are about 8 weeks old, and continue monthly (or at the very least bi-monthly) until they reach a year in age. Ivomec and Cydectin are recommended for lambs, and Valbazen should be used to treat tapeworms.
Lambs should be treated beginning at around six weeks of age. Mature ewes are more tolerant to high worm loads than are lambs. Not grazing lambs will significantly reduce the intensity of the deworming program for the ewe flock. When introducing new sheep to the flock, deworm with the most effective product available.
Levamisole is a short acting clear drench. Levamisole is still highly effective against barber's pole worm and Nematodirus on most properties. Nematodirus is often a problem after drought or in lambing paddocks as the egg is resilient and can survive in hot, dry conditions for long periods.
Traditionally, most flocks have wormed ewes at lambing. This practice is designed to combat the drop in immunity to worms that ewes experience from around 2 weeks before lambing to 6 weeks afterwards.
In an ideal scenario, it is best practice to let a ewe and her lambs out to grass when it is dry. Lambs that are let out to pasture in wet conditions are susceptible to becoming cold and hypothermic.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – This is a long-standing and well-known natural antibiotic with multiple health benefits. You can mix ACV with molasses to improve the taste. Give approximately 5mls a day. Garlic – Use garlic as a worm-preventative and effective dewormer treatment.
Sheep and goats that have access to stagnant water are at risk of being infested by these parasites. The eggs and larvae of stomach worms are com- monly found on wet vegetation, like dewy grass. Larvae can move up the grass where they are eaten by sheep or goats.
Lambs must have 2 doses of vaccine, 4 to 6 weeks apart, to achieve full immunity. The first vaccination is given at marking, the second as above or at weaning.
Young animals pick up parasites as soon as they start grazing, so the best time to begin drenching is at weaning at three months old. After this, they should be drenched every 28 days over the danger period of summer and autumn. What do we drench with?
Newborn lambs need to be fed every 2-3 hours for the first two weeks of life (the night feeds can be stretched to 4 or 5 hours) and then every 4 hours for the next few weeks, depending on how well they are doing.
Despite some limitations, measuring faecal worm egg counts remains a mainstay for assessing the contribution of worms to outbreaks of diarrhoea in sheep. Larval hypersensitivity scouring is emerging as a significant cause of worm-related diarrhoea in sheep without large adult worm burdens in some geographic locations.
Tapeworm segments can be seen in the feces of sheep and goats. They have a white, grain-like appearance. Adult worms, often up to a meter or more in length, can be expelled and passed in the environment. Tapeworm eggs can be seen in sheep and goat feces, using the standard worm count procedure.
Weaning drenches
Drenching lambs weaned at 12-14 weeks after lambing commenced is recommended because lambs have not developed their natural immunity to worms at this stage.
Rycoben™ is the only white drench licensed as an aid in the prevention of cobalt and selenium deficiency. Both minerals are vital to support lamb growth.
During the grazing season, pastures of mixed grass and clover, alfalfa, small grain, and turnip serve as excellent sources of nutrition for growing lambs. A source of clean, fresh water is provided to sheep at all times. Ewe body weight does not remain constant throughout the year, but changes with stage of production.
Using a drench gun, they are applying an anthelmintic dose into the throat of each sheep to kill internal parasites.
As an anthelmintic (“Dewormer”) medication it can be used to treat multiple species of internal and external parasites. Internal parasite species that can be treated with ivermectin include gastrointestinal worms (primarily roundworms) in horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats as well as lungworms in cattle and pigs.
The biggest risk period is in the 10 days or so following a hatch. Worms are ingested and cause gut damage, which can be fatal.
Lambs should be marked between the ages of two and 12 weeks, with the youngest animal in the mob being at least 24 hours old so that a maternal bond can form. If lambing extends for more than six weeks, consider having two mulesing/marking sessions.