Tip the scales in your favour
The variable autumn weather for much of New Zealand is presenting yet another challenge for farming. There are plenty of challenges we can’t do anything about, but there are some we can. The parasite challenge your ewes face around lambing is one of them, and the prelamb treatment you choose for them can have a large effect on ewe and lamb production. Different treatments are useful for different reasons. Cydectin® Long Acting Injection for Sheep is a product with built in flexibility and proven benefits that can help tip the scales your way.
It’s an easy to give injection that keeps time in the yards short. This is particularly important for multiple bearing ewes at risk of sleepy sickness. Minimising yard time and maximising grazing time following treatment is very beneficial.
If your aim is to have heavy ewes and lambs at weaning, long effective parasite protection will help achieve that. Cydectin LA has the longest period of activity against the production limiting parasite Teladorsagia, controlling it for up to 112 days. When given at prelamb, it has also been shown to significantly increase the weight of light ewes (by 3.2Kg) and their lambs (2.6Kg) at weaning compared to untreated light ewes1.
If shedding out wet-dries is important, the 91 day meat withhold allows ewes to leave farm more than a month sooner than those treated with combination capsules and some generic long acting injections. Failing to quit ewes early can be costly due to the extra feed that they eat, particularly when feed levels are tight and the schedule is falling.
Irrespective of what treatment you choose it is important not to treat all ewes with a wormer. Some ewes need to be left untreated to provide a source of susceptible parasites to help slow down the development of resistance. Ewes with low stress and not under a large parasite challenge are good examples of ewes that only need a 5in1 vaccination (i.e. Ultravac® 5in1), as opposed to a worm drench as well. The greater the ewe stress or larval challenge, the more worm protection she should receive if optimal ewe performance is the goal.
For assistance in planning your pre-lamb requirements to optimise the health and performance of your lambs and ewes, get in touch with a Zoetis technical veterinarian on 0800 ZOETIS.
