This strategy describes when to use strategic drenches and how to decide when tactical/therapeutic drenches are needed.

Structured reading

For those who like to see all the information and simply read through it in order. Each heading is a link to a page of information—the dot point provides a summary of the page.

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NSW Non-Seasonal Rainfall: When to test and when to drench
The times for routine worm testing and drenching in this region. Not all testing or drenching is routine; other times to do these are recommended by the Drench Decision Guide, according to details you provide about your mob of sheep.

NSW Non-Seasonal Rainfall: Drench Decision Guide
This tool recommends whether a mob should be drenched, the length of protection warranted and when to worm test again. It is your day-to-day tool on drenching decisions that should be used in conjunction with the annual program of routine testing and drenching times.

The DDG tool steers you through a series of questions about your sheep; choose the answer that applies to your mob (or make up your own scenario).

Question and answer

For those who prefer a problem based approach to learning, answer the following questions.
Each of the questions below links further down the page to the answers.

Questions:

1. What is the purpose of a strategic drench?
2. Which classes of sheep receive a routine (strategic) drench, and when?
3. The online Drench Decision Guide (DDG) for NSW Non-Seasonal Rainfall assists you to decide whether a mob of sheep should be drenched now and when to test again. Open the DDG and answer the questions it offers based on the scenario (from below) that you are using. Try at least three of the following scenarios.

• Weaners in May that received a combo drench into a prepared winter weaner paddock about a month ago, less than 5% are scouring, an egg count shows 80 epg.
• Weaners in late January that were drenched with Monepantel at weaning in early December. There are no signs of scouring and they look healthy.
• Ewes in November. No drench was required before lambing. About 15% are scouring.
• Ewes received a first summer BZ/LEV/ML drench in early December, it is now mid January. Summer has been unusually wet. Sheep are not scouring but a couple of ewes were found dead in the paddock and others are lagging during mustering.
• Late-lambing ewes in good condition just prior to being moved to their lambing paddock. A worm egg count shows 350 epg.
• Lambs just about to be weaned, they look well-grown with no obvious signs of worms.

Answers:

You can also click on each question below to go to WormBoss pages with related information.

1. What is the purpose of a strategic drench?

Strategic drench: a drench given at a critical time to sheep that are susceptible to worm infection (e.g. weaners and pre-lambing ewes) and also given at times to reduce worm larval contamination of a pasture grazed by the drenched sheep over the following weeks or months. The sheep themselves may have had a low worm egg count at the time of this pre-emptive treatment.

2. Which classes of sheep receive a routine (strategic) drench, and when?

In this region there are 2 times when sheep should be drenched in most years without a prior WormTest.  These are:

• the ‘first summer drench’

All sheep receive this when pastures are haying off in late spring/early summer). In dry or drought years do a WormTest beforehand as a drench may be unnecessary and could cause increased selection for drench resistance. In the eastern Riverina, this could be delayed until immediately post-harvest and be based on a WormTest.

• lambs at weaning

This may coincide with the ‘first summer drench’. Weaned lambs are highly susceptible to worms, especially from the stress of weaning. There may also be high worm-risk in wet seasons.

Drenching will help weaners to achieve the growth rates needed for survival. Autumn-drop lambs may also need an additional drench 8 weeks after weaning. For spring-drop lambs, additional drenching after weaning should be done on the basis of WormTest results.

3. The online Drench Decision Guide (DDG) for NSW Non-Seasonal Rainfall assists you to decide whether a mob of sheep should be drenched now and when to test again. Open the DDG and answer the questions it offers based on the scenario (from below) that you are using. Try at least three of the following scenarios.

• Weaners in May that received a combo drench into a prepared winter weaner paddock about a month ago, less than 5% are scouring, an egg count shows 80 epg.
• Weaners in late January that were drenched with Monepantel at weaning in early December. There are no signs of scouring and they look healthy.
• Ewes in November. No drench was required before lambing. About 15% are scouring.
• Ewes received a first summer BZ/LEV/ML drench in early December, it is now mid January. Summer has been unusually wet. Sheep are not scouring but a couple of ewes were found dead in the paddock and others are lagging during mustering.
• Late-lambing ewes in good condition just prior to being moved to their lambing paddock. A worm egg count shows 350 epg.
• Lambs just about to be weaned, they look well-grown with no obvious signs of worms.