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Flock of sheep in a field

Know your worm burden in 45 minutes with our new in-store FEC tests

To help our Farmer Shareholders and Members move away from routine worming treatment, in association with Molecare Farm Vets we have invested in a new rapid in-store testing service.

In just 45 minutes, livestock and equine owners can get results from faecal egg count (FEC) samples taken from their animals at five of our stores.

The new service, along with professional advice from our network of 320 registered in-store registered Animal Medicines Advisors (RAMAS), will tell owners when treatment is necessary and the best action to take.

The service costs £15 and is being trialled at our Piercebridge, Ripley, South Molton, Holsworthy and Buckingham stores.

We will also continue to operate our postal FEC Service, which can be bought in-store and provides results in two to three days.

Senior Product Manager Charlotte Harper said: “Regular FEC testing may seem like an added burden, but the ability for livestock owners to find out quickly if they have a worm problem in their stock is paramount to ensure treatments are only given when necessary.

“Not only does testing ensure worms are not compromising stock, but it also means they are treated at the right time and with the right product. This will also help safeguard wormers for future use by minimising the selection pressure.

“There is also increasing awareness concerning other environmental impacts, such as the overuse of 3MLs harming dung beetle populations, which in turn can result in an increased number of parasitic worm larvae on the pasture.”

Ms Harper said she hoped regular FEC testing would become as familiar on farms as worming and be a routine part of day-to-day flock and herd management.

“It’s important, as an industry, we move away from routine worming to help safeguard future use of anthelmintics.

“As well as helping reduce the resistance pressure, there are also cost benefits coming from treating fewer animals, saving medicine costs, improving the performance of animals and protecting from further resistance,” she added.

The new rapid service is thanks to our investment in the latest generation of analysers using AI technology to identify parasitic worm eggs.

The technology being used across the stores includes Fecpak2 from Techion, OvaCyte from Duggan Vet Group and Micron Kit developed by Micron Agritech.

How to collect samples

To use our in-store service, farmers must bring in fresh samples, ideally taken that day, from each group which will then be pooled to give an average result. We suggest a minimum of 10 individual samples per group taken in the field while conducting regular flock or herd management duties.

Samples should be placed into separate sealable bags or sample pots. If samples are not brought in immediately, they must be kept cool in a fridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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