Although the new Moredun bus will
not be stationed on a farm for long periods like it was back in the 1920s and
30s, there is still some time-critical science that it can do on the spot when
travelling around. "Faecal egg counts" are one such test that we will
be able to carry out on board the bus.
A faecal egg count (FEC) is a
monitoring tool used to count the number of parasitic worm eggs in faeces (poo)
and look at how infested an animal is with worms. The results present as
"eggs per gram" (epg) and the number of eggs is an indication of
the number of adult worms in the gut of the animal.
A high number of worms in animals
and in particular young animals, can have a negative effect. They can cause
permanent gut damage, reducing nutrient absorption and diarrhoea and can affect the appetite of the
lamb, which in turn affects their growth rate.
FECs are therefore important as
they help farmers determine if an animal needs treating with anthelmintics
(wormers). This is of increasing importance as worm resistance to some of the
chemical groups in wormers is on the rise. This means that the wormer may not
kill the resistant worms, which then build up on the pasture.
FECs can also be used to assess if
the wormer you have used is effective against the worms your animals have. This
is known as a Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) which counts the eggs
present before and after worming, allowing calculation of the reduction in egg
count. This is a very useful tool to tell you which wormers are still effective
in your animals saving you time and money and making your animals healthier and
more productive!
Our animation below explains the
importance of a good worm treatment programme:
In order for FECs to be effective,
10 random fresh poo samples must be collected from the animals on the same day
as testing. If the poo samples are too old, some eggs will have hatched and the
reported egg count will be underestimated.
This is where the bus will play an
important role, as the test can be carried out directly on the farm when
required.
Farmer's Weekly have an article that describes how an FEC is carried out. You can read it here: 10-step guide to taking a sheep faecal egg count
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