Drill down on your drenching

Every livestock farming system requires a unique worm management plan which follows principles and strategies to make it a sustainable one. Aorangi Vets care about the long-term and understand the importance of knowing a system well to enable the right advice.

Four seasonal worm management challenges you may be approaching now include: Exit drenching ewes, pre-wean drenching of lambs, weaning drench for dairy calves and dairy cow Eprinex drenching.

Exit Drenching Ewes

Exit drenching is the use of a known highly effective short-acting product at the end of a long-acting treatment (such as a long-acting moxidectin injection) before larvae that survived the decreasing concentration of a long-acting injection have a chance to breed. Your vet will have recommended an Exit Drench if you were using a long-acting injection pre-lamb. The time to give this Exit Drench will be at or soon after tailing.

Pre-Wean Lamb Drenching

Lambs are susceptible to worms early in their lives with gradual exposure leading to better immunity. Unfortunately, often lamb worm burdens become significant pre-wean when they are still with mum and eating more grass. High worm burdens will reduce appetite, cause scouring/dirty backsides and result in weight loss. A month before weaning is often a time where drenching lambs results in weight gains and clean backsides. Corporal Tape is a dual active plus tape hi mineral drench. We are excited to introduce a safe, new triple plus tape drench for lambs – Turbo Triple with Tape.

Dairy Calf Parasite Control

Worms and coccidia can affect calves before and after weaning. Coccidiosis is a nasty parasite infection mainly seen in young cattle causing diarrhoea, dehydration, and death. Early in the calf’s life infection can be controlled with coccidiostat-treated milk replacer and meal. However, as pasture contamination of coccidia increases and as calves are weaned off milk and meal, they become susceptible to disease. Immunity develops overtime but sudden exposure can lead to losses.

The New Zealand company Alleva has led the way developing the world’s first dual active oral drench with the addition of an anticoccidial; Turbo Initial. Along with treating roundworm and lungworm it aids in the control of coccidiosis in one convenient dose. Without interfering with the normal development of immunity by the calf to coccidiosis, it significantly reduces coccidia oocyst excretion for up to 70 days after treatment.

After this initial drench, calves will go on to receiving Turbo Advance, the same dual active drench but no longer requiring the anticoccidial. Containing eprinomectin and levamisole along with cobalt and selenium Turbo Advance oral drench is safe in calves under 120kg bodyweight.

Eprinex in Dairy Cows

Subclinical parasitism in adult dairy cattle causes a suppression in appetite resulting in reduced production. Treating cows with Eprinex Pour-On drench early in lactation can have huge effects.

Eprinex is the only product with a scientific trial showing a significant increase in milk solids following treatment. Milk solids will increase on average by 0.03kg/cow/day which equates to potentially 8.22kg MS/cow/lactation.

Only Eprinex has been shown in scientific studies to improve reproductive performance. Heifers treated with Eprinex at calving had a 12.9-day reduction in calving to conception interval in one study. There was a 52% increase in pregnancy rate at first insemination in heifers and 16.6% increase in adult cows equating to a 19.9% increase in pregnancy rate overall.

With specific product development allowing a nil milk withhold Eprinex should be your first choice for food safety.