Testing is crucial for sheep flocks during sale season

The sale season marks the biggest threat to sheep flocks around the country, with the arrival of new animals onto the farm representing a serious threat of introducing new and resistant parasites and diseases into flocks.

John Devlin 28/08/2021. High Airyolland, New Luce, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, DG8 0AU. COO SAFARI AT KITCHEN COOS & EWES About Kitchen Coos & Ewes is run by Neale and Janet McQuistin, of Airyolland Farm, and we will be your hosts during your visit. Over the past decade we’ve changed the way we farm in response to changes in farming policy and also growing environmental concerns. In short, we’ve moved to a less intensive and more sustainable farming system; a style of farming that’s perfectly suited to Scotland’s southern uplands. Highland cattle now graze the hills, and the grazing action of this beautiful native breed of cattle has many benefits, including supporting wildlife on our farm. We also stock one of the UK’s newest breeds of sheep, Beltex, and they make very efficient use of the grass that grows in the in-bye fields. That mix of ancient and modern breeds ensures all parts of the farm are being used to best effect. Our farm is situated in the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere which has been recognised internationally as a world class environment for people and nature. The UNESCO Biosphere designation is in recognition of the fantastic array of landscapes, wildlife, cultural heritage and learning opportunities that south west Scotland offers for communities, businesses and visitors to experience in a sustainable way. We are proud to be part of this amazing initiative and we are committed to working with others towards achieving the shared aims and ambitions for this fantastic part of the world. The farm, the livestock and the environmental measures we carry out are all a very good fit with the overall aims of the Biosphere. Providing tourism experiences is something that’s quite new for us, but it’s an important part of supporting our local community. Encouraging tourism to our rural corner of Scotland is one of the aims of the New Luce Community Trust, and we are pleased to play a r

And, launching a new template for quarantine treatments and testing of sheep being brought onto the farm – either from sales or returning from agistment – a panel of vets and scientists yesterday warned that while some costs might be associated with the new precautions, the stakes of not doing so were far higher.

“Buying in stock could have the biggest negative impact on flock health of any move throughout the season,” warned sheep farmer Kevin Harrison who chairs the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group, “and at this time of year as sales of breeding and finishing stock take place around the country farmers need to be aware of the threat which bringing animals from other areas onto the farm can represent.”

And he said that this was the case not only when large numbers were being purchased, but was just as relevant when individual tups were being bought in.

“It’s worth remembering that your purchases could represent a bag of worms and a skin full of parasites.”

Sheep vet Lesley Stubbings said that with so many potential risks to consider when bringing sheep into a flock, SCOPS had created new resources to help vets and advisers better assist their farmer clients.And while sheep scab, worms and liver fluke represented the most widely recognised bought-in health problems, iceberg diseases, fertility issues and lameness were other areas to be considered.

She said that the new six-step guide available on the SCOPS website provided clear steps on parasite risk assessment, finding information on tests and treatments available and best practice.

“Many of the disease threats are not visible so protection relies on a combination of treatments and testing,” said Stubbings.

However she admitted that with so many different parasites to consider, an effective quarantine protocol could look complex and offputting – but with the help of vets or advisers, sheep famers could put a workable, effective plan in place to safeguard their flocks.

She said that quarantine testing and treatment for parasites was complicated due to the spread across the country of scab, worms and fluke resistant to the commonly used treatments and she encouraged farmers to seek expert advice applicable to their own situation.An important new element in the advice was the recommendation to use sheep scab ELISA test, developed at Edinburgh’s Moredun institute.

“The blood test is quick, inexpensive and reliable and can pick up exposure to sheep scab from as little as two weeks after infection,” said Moredun’s Stewart Burgess who stressed that it was important to quarantine the animals and only carry the tests out after they had been on the farm for two weeks rather than straight away.“Preventing sheep from mixing while the test is carried out makes the isolation period vital, but avoids unnecessary treatments while safeguarding the home flock from any incoming sheep.”