Vets are being encouraged to proactively engage with sheep farmers on effective worm control programmes as significant shifts in farming subsidies squeeze farm profitability. Margins in sheep production are modest and many sheep enterprises have historically relied on direct support payments to buffer profitability.
According to data from the Defra Farm Business Survey, between 2019/20 and 2021/22, the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) made up 76 to 79 percent of total farm income – without BPS, average lowland and upland grazing livestock systems failed to return a profit.
With 2024 support payments for farmers in England now half former levels, and significant changes to subsidies for farmers in Scotland and Wales set to come into play next year, Elanco’s Matt Colston says proactive and effective flock health management to maximise efficiency and performance within flocks has never been more important.
“Policymakers recognise the importance of animal health and welfare for better productivity and are putting an increasing onus on vets to deliver improvements, for example via the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (AHWP),” he explains.
“Its crucial vets have the knowledge and confidence to support sheep clients on important flock health issues, with worming programmes high up on this agenda.”
He explains best practice on worm control has evolved, but farmers often stick with what they know and have always done, missing out on better flock health and performance.
“There’s an opportunity for vets to make a real difference. By developing farm-specific worm control strategies and working closely with clients to better monitor worm burdens, you can help achieve immediate flock performance benefits and manage the longer term risks of anthelmintic resistance on that farm,” says Matt.
By dosing lambs with a newer Group 4 wormer, such as Zolvix, at the right time during the mid to late grazing season, farmers can clear out any resistant worms that have survived previous treatments and see an uplift in daily liveweight gain as a result.
Matt encourages vets to be proactive in their approach, reaching out to farmers on the issue, and highlighting the immediate economic and longer-term benefits of carefully planned worm control strategies.
“We shouldn’t wait for problems to manifest. By the time wormer groups have stopped working, or clinical signs of worms are visible, damage is already done; regular monitoring and early intervention is a better option,” he says.
Matt adds: “More farmers are Faecal Egg Counting (FEC) but many are unsure how best to go about it.
“A practical demonstration of how to collect samples, and what to collect from which animals, is often the best way to show how easy FEC can be.”
He also encourages vets to discuss wormer treatment checks with their clients. These checks are becoming an integral part of the AHWP and will soon be mandatory for accessing funding for endemic disease management.
Mr Colston says building trust with farmers can take time, especially when it comes to changing established practices.
“Farmers can be cautious about change, but by taking small steps and consistently offering sound, practical advice, vets can help farmers adopt more sustainable worm control strategies and improve margins in sheep production.”
