New Entrants to Farming: Liver Fluke Workshop (Stirling)

Stirling New Entrants group met on the 31^st of October to discuss Liver Fluke control measures at the Stirling Court Hotel, Bridge of Allan.

Heather Stevenson, Veterinary Investigation Officer from SAC Consulting headed up the discussion giving an insightful presentation on the Fluke lifecycle and how management can affect the presence of the worm on farm.

Through several practical exercises on the night, Heather conveyed the importance of managing stock rotation in a way that can aid the prevention of high numbers of fluke being ingested and how planning treatment can go a long way to reducing the overall worm burden on farm.

The final exercise focused on the products used for treating fluke at various stages in its lifecycle and measures that could help prevent anthelmintic resistance on farms. Participants were given scenarios in which they had to plan the best course of action for treatment with a few curve balls thrown in too to test their knowledge.

Key Take Home Messages;

• Planning treatment according to system can save money and ensure product dose is effective;
• Better management of stock rotation can reduce worm burden found in animals;
• Identifying and improving high risk areas on the farm can help reduce snail numbers;
• Using the correct product according to time of year and risk can save money and ensure stock thrive.