Sheep farmers must be on guard against nematodirus now the weather has warmed up to avoid devastating losses, warns independent sheep specialist Lesley Stubbings. "Such a sudden change from cold days and frosty nights is when nematodirus is at its most dangerous, with a mass hatch of overwintered parasites forecast." Ms Stubbings, who is a member of the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep group (SCOPS), is urging farmers to consider the risk factors and consult their vet or adviser with regardto local risks and treat lambs at risk. "Because this disease strikes so quickly, we can't afford to have a 'wait and see' policy with nematodirus. "The damage is done by large numbers of immature larvae that are not producing eggs, so faecal egg countsare also not reliable," she says.
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