Spring parasite control is at the forefront of many clients minds’ as we head into spring and youngstock begin to turn out to grass, now is the perfect time to plan your parasite control strategy for both cattle and sheep. Early preparation helps reduce production losses, prevent disease, and protect the long‑term sustainability of wormer treatments across your farm. We stock a wide range of wormers both in store & online, check out our online shop to see what we have on offer!
Below is a guide on what to consider as the grazing season begins—and how our team can support you.
1. Cattle: Young Calves at Turnout
Key parasites to watch this spring:
Gastrointestinal roundworms (e.g., Ostertagia ostertagi and Cooperia)
- Young calves are most at risk because they have little or no immunity.
- Early season infection can stunt growth and reduce feed efficiency.
Lungworm (Dictyocaulus viviparus)
- Disease may appear later in the season, but spring planning is essential.
- Vaccination before turnout is highly effective if started in time.
Planning tips
- Assess last year’s grazing: High stocking density or repeated grazing by young cattle increases pasture contamination.
- Prepare a strategic worming plan: Blanket treatment is no longer recommended due to resistance risk.
- Think about targeted treatment: Monitoring faecal egg counts (FECs) and performance indicators (discussed later) avoids unnecessary treatments and helps you choose the right product at the right time.
2. Sheep: Lambs and Ewes in Spring
Key parasites to watch this spring
Nematodirus battus
- A major early‑season threat to young lambs, often causing sudden outbreaks after a period of cold weather followed by a temperature rise.
- Lambs can show rapid onset diarrhoea, dehydration and poor thrive, sometimes before eggs appear in faecal samples.
- Checking the national Nematodirus Forecast is essential during this time of year.
Gastrointestinal strongyles (e.g., Teladorsagia and Trichostrongylus)
- Lambs begin to pick up these common gut worms as soon as they start grazing.
- Fields grazed by last year’s lambs are particularly high risk due to overwintered larvae.
- These worms may reduce growth rates long before clinical signs appear.
Planning tips
- Watch for Nematodirus risk: Monitor the forecast weekly and treat promptly if your area moves into the high‑risk category. Timing is crucial.
- Consider pasture history: Avoid grazing lambs on fields used by last year’s lambs if possible, as these are often the most heavily contaminated.
- Think about ewe management: The peri‑parturient egg rise (PPR) means ewes shed more worm eggs around lambing, adding fresh contamination. Targeted selective treatment of ewes is often more effective than blanket dosing.
3. Our Faecal Egg Counting Service: A Practical, Cost-Effective Tool
Routine blanket worming is becoming less common due to the increasing issue of anthelmintic resistance. Instead, many farms now use targeted parasite control, where treatment decisions are guided by monitoring parasite levels.
One of the most helpful services we offer at Severn Edge Farm is faecal worm egg counting (FEC), giving an indication of the parasite burden within a group of animals. It’s simple, inexpensive, and incredibly informative when used regularly through the season.
Why FECs are so useful:
- They show whether your animals actually need worming
- They help you choose the right timing — not too early, not too late
- They prevent overuse of wormers, which protects against resistance
- They can check whether a previous worming dose actually worked
- They help support targeted selective treatment rather than whole‑group dosing
How to use our service effectively:
- Bring us fresh samples from across the group (or we can advise on sampling)
- Drop them off at the practice anytime — we’ll take care of the rest
- We provide clear results and practical advice on what to do next
- For problem groups, we can set up a regular testing schedule through the season
FECs truly are the backbone of modern parasite control and many farmers are surprised at how much they learn once they start using them routinely!
4. Maintaining Refugia: Why Not Treating Every Animal Matters
One of the key reasons we now encourage targeted treatments rather than blanket worming is the importance of refugia — the population of worms left unexposed to wormers.
This is why we use more than just egg counts when deciding which animals to treat. We also consider:
- Body Condition Score (BCS) – thinning or dropping‑condition animals may need treatment even with low egg counts
- Growth rates/weight gain – poor doers may be carrying a parasite burden
- Age and pasture risk – younger animals and stock on contaminated grazing may need extra attention
- Clinical signs – scouring, poor coat, coughing (in calves), or general lack of thrive
Putting these together helps us identify which animals actually need worming — and which are best left untreated to maintain refugia without harming performance.
This more selective approach is now the gold standard for parasite control and works best when combined with regular FECs through the grazing season.
5. Putting It All Together: Your Spring Parasite plan
Effective parasite control is not just about choosing the right product – it’s about using the right strategy for your farm.
Working closely with our vets and SQPs (Suitably Qualified Person) allows you to develop a parasite control plan tailored to your system, grazing patterns and risk level.
A good spring plan usually includes:
- Reviewing grazing history to identify high‑risk fields
- Considering risk level for calves or lambs based on age and previous exposure
- Setting up a FEC schedule to prevent unnecessary treatments
- Choosing the right wormer only when needed
- Monitoring growth rates and general performance
- Thinking about refugia and resistance reduction strategies
None of this has to be complicated and the point isn’t to create more work for you. It’s about making informed decisions that improve productivity and protect your farm long‑term. If you have any questions on how to get your stock ready for turnout, how to reduce worm burden or rising resistance just give us a call on 01746 713911 or pop into practice.
