Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (England) for sheep – information on the Worming Treatment Check testing
What is the Worming Treatment Check?
In a nutshell it is 15 individual samples (each of 3g, which is about 7 pellets) from lambs with evidence of a worm burden (through FEC or clinical signs) collected on the day of treatment and then from the same group (doesn’t have to be exactly the same lambs) either 7 days, if levamisole used, or 14 days post treatment with any other wormer.
The Worming Treatment Check has been designed with input from key stakeholders, including SCOPS, to produce a robust, standardised, pre and post composite faecal worm egg count and aims to guide farmers and vets through the whole process.
Submissions will comprise 15 individual samples that will be pooled at the lab and a single egg count undertaken before and after treatment with a wormer.
The testing is intended to be undertaken in lambs with a Trichostrongyle-type worm burden, so it is a good idea to check that egg count is > 250epg before going ahead, then treating and collecting samples on the same day. For most flocks testing will be appropriate FROM MID-SUMMER onwards.
Useful documents:
- Submission forms (pre and post treatment) for use if you have your own sampling kits but remember individual, NOT pre-pooled samples must be sent.
- Example lab report and ‘Results Report Form’ with graphs and heat map which is intended to form the basis of the discussion of results between vet and farmer.
Useful links:
- Worming Treatment Check User Guide https://www.scops.org.uk/workspace/pdfs/user-guide-to-the-sheep-worming-treatment-check-v2.pdf
- See guidelines on the SCOPS website for further details https://www.scops.org.uk/internal-parasites/worms/worming-treatment-check/
- Collecting good quality faecal samples from sheep https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAhiaLSjpbU
Below is some relevant information that is correct at the time of writing, and the aim is to keep it updated if DEFRA make any changes.
FAQs
Total cost is £94.50.
This includes: 2 sampling kits including return postage and all testing (pre and post treatment composite FECs) for the Pathway Worming Treatment check.
Breakdown:
£10.50 for each sampling kit including return postage x 2.
£36.75 for each egg count on 15 samples sent as individuals and pooled at the lab x 2.
Biobest can send out as many kits as the practice has farmers signed up.
N.B - We will not send out kits before farmers are signed up.
Please contact Biobest to request a form.
0131 440 26 28 / [email protected]
We can email out pdfs of submission forms if you are using your own kits, but please ensure they are completed fully including vet practice details.
The scheme launched in February 2023
There will not be many flocks that never have a FEC of at least 250epg and therefore do not need to carry out post-treatment testing.
If the pre treatment worming treatment check egg count finds very low numbers of eggs, then it may not be worthwhile undertaking post treatment sampling.
However, it is a good idea to perform a FEC in-house or at a lab before submitting samples for Pathway testing. This ensures that a Worming Treatment Check is worthwhile and will make best use of the funding.
Yes, however the vet (or someone within the vet-led team, so could be a trained vet tech) must discuss the testing to ensure correct animals are selected and go through the guide to emphasise how to collect fresh samples, enough sample from individuals, timing of sampling, correct drench technique / weighing / calibration etc. The vet will also need to discuss the results though how this is done is up to the vet.
Yes, kits are available to send out. Please contact the lab to request kits
0131 440 26 28 / [email protected]
No, but most people find this easier.
N.B – If not using a kit MUST use correct submission form
The vet practice will be invoiced for testing and for the kits.
On launch the farm visit and all testing must be completed within 6 months of confirmed registration. This may change further down the line but is the current information we have from DEFRA.
No. Although Pathway launched in February, flocks may wish to wait and sign up after lambing. This would allow the 6 month testing window to cover the period where a worming treatment check is expected to be most useful. The testing is envisaged to be most useful when lambs are sampled in mid to late grazing period.
There is no fixed window for registering for the Pathway Vet Review visits.
A payment rate of £436 is available for sheep.
Farmers have to apply for this directly and will receive the payment when testing is complete. This should then be used to cover costs of testing and the on farm vet visit and review.
15 samples in 15 containers or grip seal bags if the faeces are pelleted and not liquid (if less than 15, a minimum of 10 samples are needed for the test). At least 3g of faeces (~ 7 faecal pellets per individual).