Winter housing: A crucial time for parasite control

As winter sets in and cattle are housed, effective parasite management becomes crucial for maintaining farm performance. While proper nutrition is essential for livestock health, parasites can severely impact growth and productivity. In severe cases, a high parasite burden can lead to serious health issues or even death.

Top 5 parasites to monitor during winter:

1.Lungworms

Lungworms can significantly infect the airways of cattle and cause parasitic bronchitis. Young cattle lack the immunity to combat these parasites effectively. Regular monitoring and treatment are essential to prevent severe lung infections. It is important to know what stage of worm you are trying to target before giving an oral drench.

2.Stomach worms

Stomach worms are a type of roundworm that live in the cows fourth stomach (abomasum). Young cattle have no resistance to stomach worms and therefore should be treated as a priority where there is a parasite burden. Although adult cattle (over two years of age), will have naturally built up immunity to worms, high stomach worm burdens in adult cattle are not uncommon and can result in weight loss, reduced appetite and poor thrive.

 3.Liver fluke

Liver fluke thrives in warm wet weather, with the mild autumn,  cattle could have been infected before housing. It takes three months for fluke to develop in the liver, and can cause significant liver damage, affecting the overall health and productivity of your herd. It is important to know what stage of fluke you are treating. Treating for liver fluke 6 weeks after housing is most effective at killing all stages of fluke (early immature, immature and adult flukes)

4.Biting and sucking lice

Lice infestations can lead to discomfort and stress in cattle, resulting in reduced feed efficiency and growth rates. Scratching and hair loss are early indicators of lice. Treating with a pour-on product for both biting and sucking lice is normally effective in controlling lice, but clipping the backs and tails of your animals’ at housing reduces the cover for parasites to live in, reduces sweating and helps to keep the animals cleaner.  

5.Mites

Mites can cause skin irritation and other health problems in cattle. Identifying and treating mite infestations promptly is essential for maintaining overall herd health. Pour on products are normally effective in controlling mites. It is important to treat all animals in the herd. After treatment animals should be moved to new housing that hasn’t been used by cattle for at least three weeks.

Implementing an Effective Parasite Control Plan

Having a robust parasite control plan in place is vital to ensuring that your cattle perform optimally throughout the winter. This includes regular health checks, strategic deworming, and using appropriate treatments tailored to your herd’s specific needs.

How Herdwatch can help

With animals being housed during the winter period, farmers are left with increased risk of parasites in their herd. It is important to keep on top of your farm records for any on farm inspection you may have. With the Herdwatch App, you can record any medicine purchase or treatment you administer on the go with your mobile phone.

Join over 20,000 farmers using Herdwatch by downloading the app today. Take advantage of our 6-month starter offer to ensure you’re fully prepared for the winter housing period!