Study shows benefit of regular worming

A second study by Janssen Animal Health has once again highlighted the need for regular worming of free range flocks.

Working closely with SAC Veterinary Services, droppings samples were collected from 70 free range flocks whose previous worming history was known. Based on sampling on a single occasion, worm eggs were found in 42 of the samples.

Eggs of the roundworm Ascaridia and caecal worm Heterakis were most common but also present in some samples were hairworm eggs.

What was clear from the survey results was the increasing presence of worm eggs the longer the interval between sampling and the date the birds were last wormed. None of the samples taken within 4 weeks of worming were positive for worm eggs and only two of the samples taken from birds wormed in the previous 5 to 8 weeks were positive—and these two samples had the minimum detectable number of 50 eggs per gram of faeces.

However, when the interval between worming and sampling was stretched to between 9 and 12 weeks, 50 per cent of the samples were positive and the figure rose to 80 per cent and above for those flocks never wormed or wormed more that 12 weeks previously.

The findings, says Janssen Animal Health who manufacture the wormer Flubenvet, back up the company’s advice that free range birds should be wormed at regular 10 to 12 week intervals.

In an earlier study carried out between 1998 and 2000, 26 out of 27 free range flocks sampled on four occasions were found to be positive for worm eggs on at least one sampling occasion.