Prepare for parasite control in the season ahead

Plan ahead for season-long control of parasites to maintain sheep, beef and dairy productivity, is the message in a new Season Ahead video produced by Merial Animal Health.

Identifying what parasites are on farm and understanding what the risk period is for each species will help farmers identify at-risk animals, and enable effective parasite control plans to be put in place to protect against losses in production.

“All grazing animals are at risk of parasitic disease. The risk may vary between different groups of animals depending on previous immunity from exposure to parasites,” says Merial’s Veterinary Adviser, Sioned Timothy, host of the new video.

“Every farm has its own specific challenge, therefore it’s important to understand regional variations of climate and environment that might increase the risk in a particular area.”

There are a number of scenarios facing animals during the post-turnout, early-grazing season. The video covers beef cattle, dairy cows and sheep, looking at specific husbandry situations, the different parasites, and their control options in adult animals and youngstock.


Tom Hume MRCVS, Director at Westover Veterinary Centre, Norwich, and vet for host farm Williams Livestock, gives advice on what parasites and signs of disease to watch out for, and discusses the management and treatment options available to farmers.

Host farm owner Andrew Clarke closes the video by giving a brief overview of how he manages parasites in his pedigree Simmental cattle herd and Blue Texel sheep flock.